Cytauxzoonosis, Deadly Cat Tick Disease

[galensgranny]

Cytauxzoonosis, a deadly blood disease sometimes called Bobcat Fever, has infected several cats in the USA recently. Cytauxzoonosis is a blood parasite, whose natural host is the bobcat. The disease is spread by ticks feeding on the bobcats, then those ticks go on to feed on domestic cats, spreading the parasite. The disease in cats is almost always fatal, and the majority of infected cats die within one week from the first symptoms.

Read more on the main website at http://wvcats.com/catnews/cytauxzoonosis-deadly-cat-tick-disease-on-the-rise/

The scary thing for me is that a case was recently diagnosed near where I live, and we have a lot of ticks in our area.

[animalangel1]

Oh boy..... that's not good.  I will certainly keep an eye out on my cats..... Muffin had a tick about a month ago but I pulled it off and she was fine.  Casey (dog) had one about 2 years ago and I pulled that one off too and she was fine.  So far - KNOCK ON WOOD - those are the only two ticks we've ever seen up here in our neck of the woods.  There is a rumor about a bob cat around though.... Thanks for the warning... I"ll watch more closely.

[kb2zct]

On a related note, Jessie, the lab/German Shepherd mix that is living with Jane's parents in Maine has Lyme disease, contacted from ticks.

Jessie will recover.

This goes to the importance of applying Frontline or Advantage (which ever one also guards against ticks).

Mark