Feline Respiratory Disease RT-PCR Panel (Cat Flu)
The Feline Respiratory Disease RT-PCR Panel is a swab test that looks for the genetic material of common cat flu germs, typically feline herpesvirus-1, feline calicivirus, Chlamydia felis, Bordetella and Mycoplasma felis. The exact list is confirmed when you book.
- Sample
- Conjunctival or oropharyngeal swab
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) - a common cause of sneezing and eye problems that can flare up again with stress
- Feline calicivirus (FCV) - a virus linked with mouth and tongue ulcers as well as sneezing
- Chlamydia felis - a bacterium that mainly causes red, swollen, runny eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Bordetella bronchiseptica - a bacterium that can cause sneezing and coughing
- Mycoplasma felis - a small bacterium linked with eye and airway signs
- The exact list of germs, which the lab confirms when you book
Benefits of this test
- Checks several cat flu germs from eye or throat swabs at the same time.
- Helps your vet tell viruses from bacteria, which can change the care plan.
- Can show when a cat has more than one infection at once.
- Helps explain cat flu that keeps coming back.
- Useful when several cats in a home, shelter or cattery are sick.
Often discussed at these ages:Kitten
When your vet may advise it
- Sneezing, a runny nose or eye discharge that does not settle.
- Red, swollen or sticky eyes in a kitten or cat.
- Mouth or tongue ulcers, drooling or refusal to eat along with sneezing.
- Cat flu that keeps coming back in the same cat.
- Several cats in a home, shelter or cattery sneezing at the same time.
About this test
Cat flu is the common name for infections of the nose, eyes, mouth and throat in cats. Signs include sneezing, a runny nose, runny or sticky eyes, mouth ulcers, fever and poor appetite. It is seen most often in kittens and in homes, shelters or catteries with many cats. Kittens can become seriously ill, especially if they stop eating or drinking. Several different germs cause similar signs, and some cats have more than one at the same time.
This panel uses PCR (polymerase chain reaction), a test that finds and copies tiny pieces of a germ's genetic material. It typically covers feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), Chlamydia felis, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma felis. The exact list is confirmed when you book. Your vet takes a swab from the lining of the eye (conjunctival swab), the back of the throat (oropharyngeal swab), or both. Your vet can also ask for a single-germ PCR, such as one for herpesvirus or Chlamydia felis.
A registered veterinarian reads the result with your cat's signs, age, vaccination history and living situation. Healthy cats can carry some of these germs, herpesvirus can hide in the body and flare up during stress, and a recent live vaccine can sometimes give a positive result. In Bhopal, call or WhatsApp the lab to arrange the sample, and from other districts your vet can send the swabs by courier or bus parcel after calling the lab.
How to prepare
Your vet takes gentle swabs from the lining of the eye, the back of the throat or both, ideally before eye drops or antibiotics are started, so mention any recent vaccination or medicines. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the panel with your cat's signs, age, vaccination history and home situation. Healthy cats can carry some of these germs, and a recent live vaccine can give a positive, so a positive does not always explain the illness. A negative result does not always rule infection out, as herpesvirus in particular is shed on and off.
Questions about Feline Respiratory Disease RT-PCR Panel (Cat Flu)
What does a cat flu PCR panel test for?
Can a vaccinated cat test positive on the cat flu panel?
Why does my cat keep getting cat flu again?
Which swab is used for the feline respiratory PCR?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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More RT-PCR tests
Feline Respiratory Disease RT-PCR Panel (Cat Flu): Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
Read more
How Swabs and Samples Are Taken for RT-PCR Tests
Most RT-PCR tests use a swab from the nose, throat or eye, a little fresh dung, or a small blood sample, depending on where the germ lives. A vet or trained person should take it, label it and keep it cool.
18 Oct 2026