Feline Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is a disease found in cats that is uncommon and not well understood. According to PetPlace.com, ticks have been found in some of the infected felines. They report that scientists believe these insects are the primary infectious agent of this illness to cats. Ehrlichiosis can be treated successfully. Early intervention will minimize the severity of symptoms in your pet.

Incidence in Cats

Ehrlichiosis has been found in cats all over the world, including the United States, Europe, South America, Africa and the Far East. However, this is a recent situation. According to a report in the Journal of Small Animal Practice of January 1999, the first case of this disease in cats had just been identified in an animal in Sweden. Prior to this, the illness had only been reported in dogs and horses.

Cause

The illness is caused by tiny organisms called rickettsia that act similarly to parasites. The presumption by scientists is that they are delivered to the cat by the tick. Once arriving, the rickettsia enter the feline's cells. As they feed and grow, they eventually kill the cell. They then move to another cell and begin the cycle again.

Symptoms

Pawprints and Purrs, Inc., reports that cats infected with this disease can become very sick. Some of the symptoms they may experience affect the gastrointestinal system. These include vomiting and diarrhea, decreased appetite and weight loss. This often leads to dehydration due to accompanying loss of fluids. Other health effects are to the respiratory system and cause breathing difficulty. These primary problems are often accompanied by fever, swollen glands, swollen joints, lethargy and depression.

Diagnosis

If your cat has symptoms that suggest this disease, your vet will take a complete blood count (CBC), platelet count, biochemical profile and urinalysis. Some of the findings that may point toward ehrlichiosis are anemia, low white blood cells, elevated protein levels and lymphosarcoma (a cancer of white blood cells). Sometimes blood tests may detect anitbodies against ehrlichia; however, they don't correlate well with an active infection.

Treatment

Cats severely infected with this disease may need hospitalization in order to be administered IV fluids and possible blood transfusions. The primary course of treatment for all infected animals is antibiotic therapy. Tetracycline drugs such as doxycycline and tetracycline are the most common type of antibiotic prescribed for this illness. Always give your cats the medication exactly as prescribed and follow up with your veterinarian within a few weeks. The outcome is usually positive for animals that are not severely ill. Unfortunately, those needing hospitalization tend to have a poor prognosis.

Prevention/Solution

The best prevention for this illness is to fight tick and flea infestation. Use spot-on medications applied to the skin if necessary. Remember to use those designed for cats. Insecticides used on dogs can be severely toxic to felines. The best preventative measure is to obtain tick and flea medicine from a veterinarian. These are applied monthly and can kill the bugs and eggs. When used regularly they make the cat's fur inhospitable to future flea infestation.