The main danger of ticks is the transmission of deadly infections. Most diseases in dogs and cats are the same, but piroplasmosis, or babesiosis, is an exception. In unvaccinated dogs, infection most often turns fatal, and there is practically no data on this topic for representatives of the cat family. Despite this, veterinarians still recommend vigilance, since in 2005 the theory that cats were immune to babesiosis was finally refuted.
Do cats get piroplasmosis?
Just 20 years ago, veterinary parasitology did not consider such a disease as piroplasmosis in cats at all. The fact that cats do not get sick was legalized. Why? Tolis are not sensitive, or it is not known why, but they do not get sick.
However, clinical and laboratory studies suggest that cats can become infected with piroplasmosis.
While in dogs the disease is caused by Babesia canis, in cats it is caused by Babesia felis. In the terminology of the parasite, the disease is usually called bebesiosis.
It has long been known that in addition to dogs, piroplasmosis also affects domestic animals (pigs, cattle, horses), foxes, raccoon dogs, and representatives of felines - leopards, cheetahs, wild cats.
It was possible for the first time to describe a pathogen isolated from cats in Sudan. The disease is most common in South Africa, Israel, and Zimbabwe. There are cases in European developed countries (Germany, France). In Russia, the first cases were legalized and described in 2005.
Anti-tick sprays for animals:
The use of this type of drug is justified as an additional method of protection; it has a repellent (deterrent) effect. It washes off quickly when swimming or in wet grass. Sprays are good to use when the effect of other forms of protection has not yet begun (in the first 2-3 days after using drops or tablets) and when entering a high-risk environment (hiking, hunting, picnics, etc.).
Trade names: Frontline, Bolfo, PhytoDoc, Greenfort, Protecto, RolfClub
Anti-tick sprays for dogs
Routes of transmission in cats
The most likely carrier of the pathogen is the ixodid tick Rhipiсephalus sanguineоs.
Since the distribution area of this tick covers continents, the likelihood of infection is significant.
Important! In order for a cat to become infected, it must not only be bitten, but bitten by an infected tick.
Young animals and kittens, as well as Siamese cats, are especially susceptible to the disease. The body of this part of the feline species has low resistance; it cannot create the proper immune response.
Causes of the disease
Cats of all ages and breeds suffer from piroplasmosis. But more often the disease affects young animals under 3 years of age. The disease occurs in the warm season, usually in late spring and summer. Before entering the body of a healthy cat, piroplasma or babesia live in an intermediate host - the ixodid tick. Having bitten a sick animal, the blood-sucking insect becomes infected with parasites that are harmless to it. They settle in the tick's intestinal lining and form small spores.
The carrier of piroplasmosis in central Russia is the meadow or dog tick
When a tick bites through the skin and sucks blood, the babesias are regurgitated from the insect's digestive tract and enter the saliva. It contains painkillers and anticoagulants that prevent blood clotting. From the mouth of the tick, young piroplasms enter the vascular system of the domestic cat. The more parasites penetrate the bloodstream, the more rapidly the disease develops.
Babesia is transmitted only hematogenously, that is, through the blood. The main route of infection is a tick bite. Less commonly, invasion by microparasites occurs during animal fights, sexual contact or blood transfusion. Therefore, donor cats are tested for carriage of piroplasmosis.
Symptoms and first signs
When describing the symptoms, refusal to feed comes first. The following are:
- oppression;
- feverish increase in temperature;
- vomit;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- pica;
- cough and sneezing;
- difficulty breathing.
The danger of the disease is due to the fact that symptoms do not appear for a long time, and when the symptoms are already visible, it is too late.
Remember! Animals suffer from the disease and the mortality rate is very high.
How does babesiosis become infected?
Babesia is in a “dormant” state in the salivary glands of the tick. Therefore, not every bite ends in illness. Awakening requires time and the tick's injection of saliva into the blood. Babesia settles in the animal's blood cells - erythrocytes, feeds on the cell and divides in it. At a certain point, there are so many Babesia in the cage that it bursts, and then the Babesia scatter in search of a new home.
In normal condition, red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues. When infected with piroplasmosis, there are fewer transport cells, and the tissues lack oxygen. Babesia is also “helped” by its own body, which reacts to a foreign protein, which includes the metabolic products of Babesia, which settle on other cells and become markers for destruction by the immune system. During the destruction of red blood cells, a large amount of bilirubin is released, with the accumulation of which the skin, mucous membranes, and whites of the eyes can acquire a tint from yellowish to orange.
As a result of this, ischemia and hypoxia of tissues and organs occurs, functioning is disrupted, and the longer the disease lasts, the more destructive the effect it has on the body.
Diagnostics
The most likely way to make a diagnosis is to examine peripheral blood smears. The smear is stained according to Romanovsky and examined under a microscope.
The level of Bebesia in red blood cells of cats is not high - 0.3-4% (there are actually data with indicators of 42%). Unlike B.canis (a pathogen in dogs), B. Felis is quite small and can have various forms.
Microscopy does not always “catch” the parasite. Then the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) comes to the rescue. With its help, you can determine the presence of antibodies, but you cannot control the degree of recovery (the reaction is carried out before treatment).
If it is not possible to detect piroplasm using a smear, then by conducting blood tests, you can determine the general condition of the animal. Pathology will be indicated by:
- increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate;
- decrease in hemoglobin;
- decrease in the number of red blood cells;
- poikilocytosis (red blood cells are deformed);
- polychromatophilia (red blood cells are not uniformly stained);
- thrombocytopinia (decreased platelets);
- monocytosis (fewer leukocytes and more monocytes);
Normal levels of protein, alkaline phosphatase and glucose are differential components that indicate piroplasmosis.
Establishing diagnosis
A correct and accurate diagnosis can only be made by an experienced veterinarian after conducting a series of laboratory tests. Even with mild symptoms that alert the owners, the animal is treated with:
- general, biochemical and serological blood test;
- microscopic examination of a blood smear;
- urine test for blood.
The doctor needs to know under what conditions the cat walked in the previous days, that is, whether there was contact with a tick, the presence of even small wounds on the animal’s body, contact with other animals. Individuals with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to babesiosis, so it is necessary to inform the veterinarian about the pet's previous diseases.
It is difficult to establish a 100% picture of piroplasmosis due to similar symptoms with other diseases, for example, infectious anemia, which require completely different treatment.
The best results are obtained by microscopic examination of a smear of capillary blood from the auricle for the presence of Babesia.
Treatment of piroplasmosis
Therapy for piroplasmosis in cats is complex and cannot always quickly help the animal.
Drugs
The use of medications based on dyes (trypan blue, berenyl, veriben) has a rather detrimental effect on the well-being of cats. Often the condition of the animal at the time of diagnosis is very serious and these drugs kill the four-legged animal.
Practice shows that primaquine phosphate (primaquin, avlon) is the most effective for cats. The following course of treatment is expected for a cat:
- initial phase - 1 mg/kg with an interval of 36 hours 4 times;
- final phase - 1 mg/kg body weight once a week (7 day interval).
In parallel, symptomatic therapy is used. For 21 days, doxycycline at a dose of 5 mg/kg.
Israeli doctors successfully use imidocarb dipropionate 2.5 mg per kg of animal weight for treatment. In this case, the dose of doxycycline is 10 mg/kg.
A necessary drug in the treatment of piroplasmosis is Gammavit:
- the product activates fermentation processes;
- normalizes lipid metabolism;
- lowers bilirubin;
- restores red blood cell synthesis and hemoglobin levels.
Folk remedies
No matter how wise the people are, they can fight against piroplasmosis only by repelling the tick from animals.
Essential oils of mint, eucalyptus, and citrus fruits are excellent as repellents. The inconvenience is that they are all oil-based and “dirty” your pet’s fur.
The medication is applied every time before the animal goes for a walk. If the animal “walks” is not controlled, then the application of essential oils should be daily.
Prevention
Since the exact cause of infection of individual individuals has not been identified, no drug prevention is provided. You can only get vaccinated if there is no concern about the body’s reaction to it.
You need to carefully monitor an animal whose behavior seems unusual. It is important to follow simple rules:
- after a walk outside, especially in spring and summer, carefully examine the skin for the presence of parasites;
- wear special collars;
- use special sprays, shampoos and insect repellents;
- do not let your cat roam in dense, deserted bushes;
- carefully comb your pet's fur;
- If a tick is found, remove it immediately;
- Monitor the bite site and signs of infection for at least a week.
If you are unable to remove the tick yourself, you need to contact a specialist with experience in this matter. When you arrive to a specialist, you should immediately report your suspicions in order to speed up the process of making a diagnosis and provide assistance to your pet on time.
It is necessary to take preventive measures in full. If a cat has already been ill, there is no guarantee that the problem will not affect him again, because statistics are based on officially registered cases. No one knows how many more animals could have been harmed.
When using preventive medications, you need to consult a veterinarian to determine whether the component included in the product will negatively affect the animal.
Development of the disease
Piroplasma or Babesia affects hundreds of species of mammals, but birds suffer from this parasite quite rarely. The bacterium was first discovered by Victor Babes, a Romanian bacteriologist who identified the cause of diseases in cattle in 1887.
In the 20th century, scientists identified six varieties of these microorganisms. Cats are affected by Babesia felis, a parasite that is three times smaller than the causative agent of the disease in dogs. Animals that have Babesia in their bodies become carriers of a dangerous disease.
The parasite exists in the pet’s stomach, intestines and ovaries, and there are especially many pathogens in the animal’s saliva.
Causes and routes of infection
Piroplasmosis can affect absolutely any cat, regardless of breed and age. Most often, young animals under three years of age are affected. An outbreak of the disease is usually observed during the period of greatest activity of ticks, that is, in the warm season (spring-summer).
Before entering the cat's body, Babesia live in the body of the ixodid tick - an intermediate host, which is only a carrier of the infection. For the insect itself, piroplasms are harmless. They colonize the tick's intestinal lining, where they form spores.
Having attached itself to a healthy cat and drunk on its blood, the insect begins to regurgitate the contents of the stomach, and thus Babesia enters the body of the mustachioed pet. Once in the animal’s bloodstream, the parasite migrates, penetrating red blood cells and feeding on their contents—hemoglobin.
Within 48 hours, active growth of microorganisms occurs, after which they begin to reproduce by doubling (replication). The membrane of the red blood cell ruptures, and Babesia enters the blood. Inside one red blood cell, 10 to 20 new bacteria can form.
Incubation period
The length of the incubation period may vary. If a small amount of bacteria has entered the animal's bloodstream, and the cat is young and healthy, the first symptoms may not appear until several weeks later. In case of severe infection with the penetration of a large number of bacteria into the weakened body of the pet, babesiosis manifests itself after 2-3 days.
On average, the incubation period lasts 10−14 days. Feline piroplasmosis belongs to a group of fairly rare diseases; moreover, it often does not manifest itself in any way, so even a specialist cannot always immediately determine the cause of a pet’s illness. Meanwhile, precious time is lost, and lack of treatment leads to the death of the cat.
The first signs and symptoms of the disease
Although this pathology in cats is quite rare, every pet owner needs to be aware of the symptoms of the disease. The following signs should raise suspicion:
- The cat’s behavior changes - it becomes lethargic, inactive, and constantly lies huddled in a dark corner.
- The animal completely or partially loses its appetite. Some cats refuse to eat from the very first days, which causes them to suddenly lose weight.
- Severe shortness of breath is often observed. The animal's breathing becomes shallow and frequent.
- Fever appears. Body temperature rises to 41 degrees, sometimes higher.
- Even with a sluggish course of the disease, the cat quickly loses weight and becomes exhausted.
Since piroplasmosis causes the destruction of erythrocytes (red blood cells), the animal develops hemoglobinuria, that is, blood appears in the urine. Jaundice is more typical for the chronic form of the disease. Most often, all visible mucous membranes are susceptible to icterus (jaundice); in severe cases, the skin may also turn yellow. The fur becomes coarser and stiff.
But the most serious consequence of the active proliferation of bacteria is the massive destruction of red blood cells. Cases of chronic piroplasmosis are characterized by the appearance of nuclear forms of red blood cells: the body begins to release their immature forms into the bloodstream, thus trying to compensate for the deficiency of red cells.
Lack of treatment leads to more severe symptoms. The clinical picture looks like this: in a sick pet, the heart rate (heart rate) slows down significantly, the pulse becomes rare. The cat is breathing slowly and heavily. In addition, there are disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea, vomiting and nausea occur, or, conversely, constipation that occurs due to innervation.
In such cases, the animal’s condition worsens further due to increased general intoxication. The likelihood of developing paralysis, paresis, and seizures increases.
If the cat is not helped, it may die or become a carrier of the disease, which is also dangerous both for other pets and for itself - every time with the slightest decrease in immunity, the pathology again takes on an acute form.
If the infection occurs at an advanced age, the pet will most likely die, since its body will no longer be able to cope with the disease. In severe cases, the death of the animal occurs already on the second day, since piroplasmosis is characterized by lightning-fast development.
What to do
Prescribing drugs in each individual case requires a doctor to have considerable experience and high qualifications. It is strictly forbidden to stuff an animal with a large number of drugs - their toxic composition, if taken intensively, can result in another blow to an organism weakened by the disease.
The basis of the course is the internal administration of antiparasitic drugs ( etiotropic therapy) in the form of diluted tablets or suspensions. In recipes you can find names such as “IN-AP Complex” and “Zoocard”, “Milprazon” and a lot of others.
Did you know? Cats owe much of their flexibility to their unique back structure—they have 53 vertebrae in this section (while humans have only 34).
But even before the injection, a number of activities are carried out. It all starts with rehydration - the animal must receive a normal amount of fluid. Prescribed hepatoprotectors normalize liver function, and with general strengthening compounds they compensate for the deficiency of useful elements and minerals.
Then, with the help of droppers, signs of poisoning are removed (if the disease has managed to cause such complications). The last stage of preparation for the injection is desensitization, aimed at reducing the risk of an allergic reaction (this scenario will also have to be kept in mind).
After the “main” injections, antipyretics are usually prescribed, as well as drugs that strengthen the cardiovascular system and esophagus.
Find out how to rid cats of such unpleasant parasites as worms and lice and how to use such drugs against parasites: Drontal, Profender, Stronghold, Ivermectin, tablets and suspension Prazitel, Advantage, Bars ", "Kaniquantel", "Milbemax".
