“One of the best things you can do to help prevent Cytaux or bobcat fever in your pets is to keep them on a monthly flea and tick preventative regimen.”
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – This time of year is peak season for felines to contract bobcat fever, a disease that widely affects many types of cats. Feline specialist at NWA Animal Urgent Care in Bentonville Heather Grant tells us how cats can contract this deadly disease.
“Bobcat or Cytaux fever is a protozoan that is transmitted to cats through the bite of a tick,” Grant said. “It’s highly infectious. We see it mostly in the spring and summer.”
This disease usually strikes young, healthy adult cats that have access to the outdoors or live outdoors, and symptoms can be difficult for cat owners to detect.
“This causes some symptoms, unfortunately vague: fever, lethargy. They don’t really want to eat,” Grant said. “Normally, as the disease progresses, you will see that they have started to turn yellow because the liver has started to shut down.”
If your cat tests positive for bobcat fever, you need to seek help immediately.
“This fever is highly fatal, highly fatal,” she said. “The best chances we have are around 60% of survival and that is with early detection, hospitalization and various medications. Some cats even end up needing a feeding tube.”
But there is an effective way to prevent your feline friend from contracting this fatal disease.
“One of the best things you can do to help prevent Cytaux or bobcat fever in your pets is to keep them on monthly flea and tick preventative treatment, especially during the spring and summer,” Grant said.
Trey Reid with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says it can be found in all different types of felines.
“It’s in the lynx, but it can be found in other cats,” he said. “If you recall, we found a deceased mountain lion in the Sylamore area of the Ozark National Forest a few months ago. That cat actually tested positive for this blood parasite – bobcat fever.”
Grant told us his clinic has reported about 20 cases of bobcat fever this year.
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