There is an emerging disease that can absolutely kill your cat. Last year was the first year I have heard of actual clinical cases nearby of this frightening infection. Cytauzoonosis (pronounced sight-oz-zo-un-o-sis) is a protozoa (instead of the traditional infective agents that you think of when you think of being sick). Protozoa are tiny parasitic organisms and not bacteria or virus. Other protozoa that you may have heard of are Giardia and Malaria.
Traditionally called Bobcat Fever, we touched on this briefly in vet school, but I was unaware of the migration of the disease until last year. It was previously mostly confined to the South Central United States, but now it is being seen more in new places. I live in Tennessee and nearby vets are diagnosing Cytauzoonosis in their feline patients. This is problem of strictly felids (so you and the dog are not at risk), but bobcats are the natural reservoir. They can harbor the parasite and serve as healthy carriers. A tick bites the infected bobcat and ingests the organism, where it can complete the next stage and become infective to a later victim. Cytauzoonosis has been spreading and last year, I heard of several cases in my area in Tennessee. All of the cases I heard of had grim outcomes.
Cases typically appear in spring and summer, so make sure you are doing your part to protect your cat now. It is even more important if you live in an area that might have passing bobcats, but sometimes you will not know that a bobcat comes through. Exposed cats may not get sick for up to 3 weeks after the tick bite. If your cat becomes lethargic and anorexic, seek help right away and know that a positive diagnosis will land your cat in ICU for comprehensive care. Certain new treatments are showing some promise, but still the best survival rate I have found is only 60% and those are the cats that are hospitalized and treated aggressively with experimental medications (some used to treat malaria in humans).
Cats that become ill with this agent get very sick and a large percentage will die, regardless of treatment. The best method of treatment is to prevent a tick bite at all. Keeping cats indoor always is a great way to protect them. If this is not possible, there are many safe and effective tick products safe for cats. Many topical tick products for dogs are NOT safe for cats, so read all labels carefully. And always be aware of your cat’s appetite and attitude so you will know that he/she is ill right away.
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About The Author: Dr. Kathryn Primm is a practicing small animal veterinarian. She has consulted on articles for national magazines, done numerous radio interviews and appeared on local television. She has contributed to an article for Prevention magazine and Woman’s Day in Feb 2014 and June 2015. Her radio segment Chattanooga Pet Talk airs each week on all the local iHeart Media affiliates.
She has a social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ and enjoys interaction with others about her passions, animals and communication. She is a regular contributor to Boomeon, the online community which can be found at www.boomeon.com . She has also written a book, Tennessee Tails:Pets and Their People. The book received recognition as Runner Up in the Memoirs category at a national book festival. You can read more about Dr. Primm and how to get the best value for your pet care dollar at her website, www.drprimm.com.