How to Treat Tularemia in Cats? Tularemia, known as rabbit fever, is a rare disease that occurs more often in cats than in dogs. Although it is rare, we recommend that you know about it because there have been cases of outbreaks in pets with a high level of mortality. Tularemia is a zoonotic bacterial disease that is transmitted by ticks and can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, fever, dehydration, eye infections, and enlarged spleen or liver, although these will vary depending on the severity of the infection. the infection. If you want to know more, keep reading, at OneHowTo.com we show you how to treat turalemia in cats
How to Treat Tularemia in Cats: Steps to follow
1
As we have commented, tularemia is a disease caused by bacterium Francisella tularensis, which can spread from one animal to another through ticks. They catch the infection by feeding on infected birds or other animals and, in addition, they could transmit it to other beings at any time during their 2-year life cycle. Deer flies and fleas can also spread tularemia. Another way your cat is exposed is if he eats an infected rabbit or other rodent.
2
The Francisella tularensis It attacks the organs and fluids of infected animals, which consequently contaminate the entire environment that surrounds them. This bacterium can live for months in water, vegetation, and soil, and your cat could become infected if the bacterium enters through the skin or gets into her respiratory tract, eyes, or digestive tract. Aside from rabbits and other rodents, tularemia can be spread through muskrats and beavers. Cats, dogs, birds, horses, pigs, sheep, fish and also humans can get this disease.
3
The symptoms of tularemia are more common in cats than in dogs and, especially, in the youngest. A feline with a mild infection may not show any signs of illness or even suffer from a very brief and subtle loss of appetite, a slight fever and lethargy. In more severe cases, your cat may experience a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, ulcers, eye infections, mouth ulcers, jaundice, draining abscesses, and an enlarged spleen or liver.
This disease is diagnosed taking into account the clinical signs and performing an antibody test. Although it is true that these may not be detected at the beginning of the disease.
4
Once your cat has been diagnosed with turalemia, the treatment more common is with antibiotics, which will be more effective if the infection has been detected early.
Your veterinarian will also recommend that, in parallel with the antibiotics, you take some probiotic supplement. It is very important that this disease is treated, because the mortality rate is high. So if you notice some symptoms or your cat may be exposed to the bacteria F. tularensisTake precautions and go to the vet.
On the other hand, if your cat has contracted tularemia, it should be isolated from other animals and their caregivers to prevent the disease from spreading. In cats, it is more common for the bacteria to enter the body through mucous membranes, by inhalation or through damaged skin.
5
It is also important to avoid contagion that certain precautions are taken. You have to avoid dead animals, do not let your pet loose when you take him for a walk to areas that you do not know to prevent him from coming into contact with animals that have died. If you have to move a dead living thing, don’t touch it directly, use a shovel to pick it up, or any other method that involves not coming into contact with it.
It is recommended that use a flea and tick preventative For your cat when in doubt, talk to your veterinarian so that they can recommend the best option and thus your pet will be protected. In the following article we give you good advice on how to deworm a cat. And finally, an important fact is that frozen rabbit meat can contain the bacteria for a period of up to 3 years.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to Treat Tularemia in Catswe recommend that you enter our Pets category.
For more information on cats related articles simply visit our CatsBuz website.