Feline panleukopenia is a devastating viral disease in shelter settings causing high mortality, with vaccination and rigorous infection control being essential welfare and management priorities.
Panleukopenia causes acute and severe suffering including profuse vomiting, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and rapid deterioration in affected kittens. Survival without intensive veterinary support is rare. Shelter outbreaks represent welfare emergencies requiring immediate quarantine and decontamination. The extraordinary environmental persistence of FPV means contaminated facilities require extensive decontamination before safe reintroduction of unvaccinated animals. Vaccination programs that protect kittens as early as possible, combined with robust biosecurity, are the most effective welfare protection against this devastating disease.