Dr. Leah Cohn is a small animal internal medicine specialist at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, and has had three cats who’ve contracted cytauxzoonosis felis, or, as it’s better known, Bobcat fever.
She lost one of her cats to the illness, but her other two survived.
“I didn't learn about bobcat fever when I went to veterinary school. It hadn't been discovered yet,” Cohn said. “Bobcat fever was actually first described by professors here at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, so it was described here, and it was studied here initially.”
The parasitic disease is transmitted through the bite of a lone star tick that has previously fed on the disease’s namesake – the American bobcat.
Cohn said while the disease is generally mild for bobcats, it has a nearly 100% fatality rate in domestic cats if left untreated.
She said, in the beginning stages, the disease presents in a very vague way, such as changes to a cat’s behavior and eating habits. But quickly – within days – the disease progresses into a serious illness featuring a high fever, jaundice or a yellow discoloration, seizures and, eventually, organ failure.
Cohn said treatment requires intensive supportive care, and the combination of atovaquone, an anti-malarial medication and azithromycin, an antibiotic – but even when treated, the survival rate of the disease is still only up to 60%
Research has shown that it can take up to 36 hours for a lone star tick to transmit bobcat fever to a domestic cat.
“Cats who get very sick,” Cohn said, “it's rare for them to pull through without specific care or supportive care, and even with specific and supportive care, the outcome is in no way, shape, or form guaranteed."
And she added that it can be difficult for some veterinarians to source the atovaquone needed, as it is expensive and not commonly stocked in much of the state.
Cohn said she knows of vets in rural southern Missouri – where the disease is much more common – who will work together to share the cost of the medication.
Dr. Chris Baughman is a veterinarian at Noah’s Ark, a vet clinic in Columbia, and said it’s important for cat owners to realize treatment for bobcat fever is expensive, arduous and does not guarantee survival.
That’s why, he stressed, tick prevention is key. This could be a topical flea, tick, heartworm treatment or a collar that repels ticks.
He said the best way to prevent the disease is to keep cats indoors, but, even then, he advice petting and brushing your cat regularly to check for ticks
“The best way to keep them safe is… to really limit that tick exposure,” Baughman said. “Just because you're inside doesn't mean you can’t – we all know we can get hitchhiker ticks from the dog in the house or from people coming in out of the house.”
Baughman said that the longer a tick is attached, the higher the risk transmitting disease. Research has shown that it can take up to 36 hours for a lone star tick to transmit bobcat fever to a domestic cat.
Both Baughman and Cohn agree that they haven’t seen a rise in cases so far this year in the Columbia area, but they still recommend caution and watching for signs of lethargy, a change in appetite or a high fever in your cat — especially after a known tick bite.
Cohn was sure to add that it is possible for cats to survive and return to health after a case of bobcat fever — as her own cats are now thriving 11 years post infection.
