FAIRVIEW, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Williamson County veterinary clinic is warning cat owners about the dangers of a deadly, tick-borne disease after seeing a surge in cases over the last two weeks.

Bobcat Fever, also known as Cytauxzoonosis, is a deadly parasite transmitted to cats by the Lone Star tick, which is known to have one white dot on it. The parasite normally lives in bobcats without causing illness, however, when domestic cats are infected, they often die within 72 hours of first symptoms, which may include fever, lack of energy, decreased appetite, and yellow skin or eyes, deadly, according to Fairview Animal Clinic.

Over the last few weeks, Fairview Animal Clinic has seen nine cases of Bobcat Fever. 

"We haven't had this many cases in such a short two-week period, so I'm kind of nervous about what's going to happen over this the rest of the summer since it's a long tick season, and it goes all the way to the fall,” said Dr. Eric Fold, associate veterinarian at Fairview Animal Clinic.

Dr. Simone Godwin, a relief veterinarian at Fairview Animal Clinic, said even with aggressive treatment including hospitalization, antimicrobials, and supportive care, the disease is often fatal.

In this recent cluster of cases at Fairview Animal Clinic, 78% of cats died or were euthanized. Of the five that were treated, only one survived. Additionally, one cat who did not receive treatment survived.

“So far, we've only had a 20% success rate, and it's really hard on the cats,” Fold said. “They’re very, very sick, and a lot of owners actually elect to euthanize because of the poor prognosis, the just the state of their cat when they bring it in, and it's pretty expensive. The medications are very, very pricey to obtain."

Fold said early detection is crucial as survival rates drop drastically without treatment.

"We’ve got to get our cats on the prevention, and if you do notice any signs of illness in your cat, bring it in as fast as you can that way we can get them started,” Fold said. “We've seen some success with it, but it's still a very difficult disease to try to manage."

Dr. Danielle Grigsby, owner of Fairview Animal Clinic, said keeping cats indoors and on year-round flea and tick prevention is the best way to prevent Bobcat Fever and a host of other issues that outdoor cats are at risk for, like trauma, eating something toxic, and other infections.

Since some of the fipronil products can take up to 48 hours to actually kill the tick, Fold said the clinic is recommending some of the prescription-based prevention products, such as the Seresto® Flea and Tick Collar for Cats.

“The problem that we're seeing with the Seresto® collar is that the owners actually aren't keeping them tight enough on the cats so they don't actually have contact with the skin, so it has to be tight enough to actually transmit the medication to the cat,” Fold said. “Just make sure that you go by the label instructions, but it's usually going to be one to two fingers tight, where you can only slip one or two fingers between the cat and the collar.

Even though the disease does not affect dogs or humans, veterinary experts said both can carry ticks indoors which could ultimately infect a cat.

“The life expectancy of outdoor cats is only 2-5 years, versus up to 15 for indoor cats, Godwin said. “Your veterinarian can help you make the best decision on prevention products and lifestyle changes to make sure your cat lives a long and healthy life.”

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/williamson-county-veterinary-clinic-warns-cat-owners-of-deadly-bobcat-fever/