BENTONVILLE, Ark. — This time of year is the peak season for felines to get bobcat fever, a disease that largely affects many types of cats.
Heather Grant, a feline specialist at NWA Animal Urgent Care in Bentonville spoke about how this tick-borne disease can be deadly for cats.
"Bobcat fever or Cytaux is a protozoa that is passed through the bite of a tick to cats," Grant said. "It is highly infectious. We see this mostly in the spring and the summer."
This disease often strikes healthy, young, adult cats who have access to the outdoors or live outdoors, and the symptoms can be hard for cat owners to spot.
"It causes some, unfortunately vague symptoms: Fever, lethargy. They don't really want to eat," Grant said. "Usually as the disease progresses, then you'll see that they have started to turn yellow because their liver has started to shut down."
If your cat does test positive for bobcat fever, you need to seek help immediately.
"That fever is highly fatal," she said. "The best chances we've got are about a 60% chance of survival and that's 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 getting 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 a monthly flea and tick preventative, especially during spring and summer," Grant said.
Trey Reid with the Arkansas Game and Fishing Commission said bobcat fever can be found in all types of Felines.
"It's in bobcat, but it can be found in other felines," he said. "If you recall, we found a deceased mountain lion in the Sylamore area of Ozark National Forest a few months ago. That cat actually tested positive for this blood parasite — bobcat fever."
Grant told us that her clinic has seen around 20 cases of bobcat fever so far this year.
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