Meet Blondie…He was recently diagnosed with Cytauxzoonosis.

Cytaux, also known as Bobcat Fever, is a life threatening protozoan disease transmitted by the lone star tick. Cats that live in wooded areas where ticks and bobcats are found are at greatest risk, but this terrible disease can be seen in any cat that suffers a bite from a lone star tick.

Bobcats are natural carriers of the protozoa and are usually non-symptomatic. A lone star tick takes a blood meal from the bobcat and then molts. The molted tick then takes a blood meal from the domestic cat, which is what happened to Blondie. The disease is then transmitted to the cat and signs of illness start to develop 5-10 days later. The affected cat becomes lethargic, does not eat, develops a high fever and can become jaundiced.

With aggressive treatment, the survival rate is 60%. Without treatment, this disease is essentially 100% fatal. Blondie’s owner brought him in at the first sign of illness. We are happy to say that Blondie is doing very well and has made a full recovery. There are steps to take to prevent your feline friends from developing this deadly disease. Please ask about Cytaux.