Piroplasmosis is a rare disease in cats, which has recently become more common. This is an infection caused by an intracellular parasite; the pathogen is transmitted through a tick bite from a sick pet to a healthy one. Gradually, the piroplasm spreads throughout the body and causes systemic manifestations, one of the most pronounced being the animal’s apathy and decreased interest in the environment. If measures are not taken in time, the pet will develop dystrophy, and in some cases, poor nutrition can cause death.
Cats are less likely to suffer from piroplasmosis than dogs, but the trend of infection has been increasing in recent years. The prognosis largely depends on at what stage the veterinarian makes the diagnosis and prescribes treatment. Therapy in the early stages is more effective, and rehabilitation is faster.
Causes
When an animal is bitten by a tick, parasites called babesia get into the wound. They penetrate blood cells and reside inside red blood cells, feeding on intracellular materials. This leads to intoxication of the body and massive cell death.
Many people argue about whether cats suffer from piroplasmosis, because it has long become common knowledge that this is a canine disease. This disease has occurred in no more than 20 clinical cases in our country. Some veterinarians are inclined to believe that this is nothing more than an error in the work of laboratories. Others believe that European veterinarians make the diagnosis correctly and it is necessary to promptly provide assistance to the animal with signs indicating this type of disease.
If dogs die from piroplasmosis very often, cat owners should also be more careful. Timely help saved the lives of several thousand dogs, which means cats also have a chance to be saved.
The main cause of disease in cats is called felis piroplasma, which is carried by parasites located in dense forests or tall grass, where animals like to walk. If a tick jumps from the grass onto an animal, the probability of disease will increase to 13%, since this is the percentage of ticks that are statistically carriers.
Do cats get piroplasmosis?
Babesia, which affects representatives of the cat family, was discovered back in 1929. The first species to be discovered was Babesiafelis. It is found in Africa and affects wild Sudanese cats, but is harmless to domestic cats. But the species Babesiafelisdomestica, discovered in 1937, is dangerous for our pets.
Cases of babesiosis in cats are extremely rare and in the original area of distribution of this disease - on the sea coasts of Africa. In Europe and Russia, the disease has never been officially registered. However, in recent years, several cases very similar to feline piroplasmosis have been identified in the Astrakhan region. Due to the lack of practical experience among domestic specialists in diagnosing and the peculiarities of the course of this disease in cats, it is impossible to reliably say whether it was babesiosis or a similar clinical course of hemobartonellosis, .
So the answer for today is this. In principle, feline piroplasmosis exists as a disease, and cats get it. Our pets are safe for now. But if the parasite ends up on the territory of our country, and all diseases tend to migrate, the disease may begin to spread en masse. This means that both veterinarians and owners must be prepared for it.
Main signs of the disease
As soon as the following signs are noticed, treatment must be started immediately. At home, it is almost impossible to find out that a pet is suffering from babesiosis.
List of symptoms:
- the cat suffers from shortness of breath and arrhythmia;
- mucous membranes turn yellow or pale;
- the animal refuses to eat and rapidly loses body weight;
- a clear sign is the urine turning dark;
- the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract deteriorates, diarrhea is possible;
- there is rapid fatigue, lack of cheerfulness and vigor;
- paralysis of the limbs occurs;
- body temperature tends to exceed 41 degrees, which indicates intoxication;
- red blood cells die, which leads to anemia.
Piroplasmosis in cats has symptoms, the treatment of which should only be carried out together with an experienced specialist, he will conduct laboratory tests and prescribe the correct treatment. Even in laboratory conditions, it is difficult to detect the presence of piroplasm in the blood in order to understand what to treat.
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.
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The best results are obtained by microscopic examination of a smear of capillary blood from the auricle for the presence of Babesia.
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.
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.
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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.
Treatment
Recovery from babesiosis is very slow and difficult. The cat’s weakened body is unable to fight on its own. Treatment is usually prescribed in the following direction:
- fight against piroplasms;
- improving the functioning of organs affected by parasites.
To restore the body, a course of vitamins is prescribed, and supportive agents for the liver and heart are prescribed.
After detection of piroplasmosis in cats, anti-malaria drugs are prescribed, but they have a number of side effects, which leads to even greater weakening of the body.
To boost immunity, reduce toxin levels and improve blood condition, Gamavit is often prescribed.
In order to cure babesiosis in a cat, it is necessary to select high-quality drugs that will speed up the recovery of a weak organism and will not cause harm.
If there are signs, but the diagnosis has not been confirmed, it is better to take care of the animal and refuse medication until the reasons for the change in behavior are clarified.
Susceptibility of cats to piroplasmosis
Piroplasmosis is registered en masse in spring and autumn, most often in dogs, especially those who spend a lot of time outdoors - in the forest, hunting, in the park. With domestic cats, or more precisely with their susceptibility to this disease, everything is very complicated and ephemeral.
Modern veterinarians are divided into two camps: some sincerely believe that pyroplozosis of domestic cats exists, while others are of the opposite opinion. Time will tell who is right: if a cat parasite is not detected, this does not mean that it does not exist.
Today, research is still being conducted in this area, but there are no reliable facts (photos, scientific evidence) of detecting Babesia in the blood of pets or they are rather doubtful. Everything is at the level of “someone saw something somewhere, on the basis of which they made a conclusion.”
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The disease is actually recorded in wild cat predators of the jungle (leopard, cheetah), less often in domestic cats in African countries. Recently, information has been leaking out that there are supposedly cases of feline piroplasmosis in Russia. According to scientific minds, young animals most often get sick, representatives of the Siamese breed are especially susceptible.
Weakened, exhausted cats with weakened immunity or a sluggish infectious process can become infected with canine piroplasmosis, but the likelihood of such a development of events is close to zero, and for healthy cats it is not at all dangerous.
Diet
The issue of nutrition is also important in treatment. A weakened body will not be able to digest hard foods.
It is important to follow simple recommendations:
- all products must be presented in ground form;
- food temperature should not be lower than room temperature;
- all meat products are contraindicated - you can treat your furry friend only to beef and turkey;
- products that are accompanied by fermentation are prohibited;
- dry food must be pre-soaked.
This is very important to know, because the animal’s kidneys and liver may fail, which will lead to death.
Pathogenesis
Babesia multiply quickly, the symptoms of the disease rapidly increase, and the animal dies a few days after infection. If your cat stops eating, develops hyperthermia, urine turns dark brown, mucous membranes become jaundiced or excessively pale, you need to contact your veterinarian and undergo blood tests prescribed by him.
PCR is considered a reliable way to identify the pathogen, in which the genotype of the microorganism is determined. Other detection methods used for a similar disease in dogs are not suitable. The inaction of the fellinologist leaves no chance for the cat to survive.
Not pumped yet
Disease prognosis
Usually the disease is severe, regardless of whether it is acute or chronic. The result depends on the cat's body. The stronger and younger the individual, the faster it recovers.
If the detection of symptoms of the disease is delayed and the form of the disease becomes severe, recovery may be delayed. In cases of chronic piroplasmosis, after several months the animal may recover unexpectedly.
After treatment, it is necessary to monitor the condition and behavior of the animal to prevent relapse.
Chronic form
If the treatment method is incorrect or in particularly severe cases of the disease, we can talk about its chronic course. In this case, relapses of the disease occur after a certain period of time and each time require medical intervention.
To make sure that the treatment is carried out effectively and the pathogens in the blood are completely destroyed, it is recommended to undergo re-examination at intervals of 10-14 days to detect live pathogens.
Important! Therapy involves the use of rather toxic drugs, so the diagnosis should be based on a full examination.
Diagnosis and treatment of piroplasmosis in adult animals and kittens
When examining a sick cat, the veterinarian looks for skin damage from tick bites and asks the owner about the development of the disease. The absence of an increase in body temperature is a hallmark of Babesia infestation. The doctor prescribes a biochemical blood test to assess the animal’s condition. Infection with piroplasmosis is determined using a microscope in a blood smear. It is taken from a vein located on the outer surface of the ear. The sample is stained according to Romanovsky-Wright. Pear-shaped paired formations inside red blood cells indicate infection with a parasite. But this laboratory test cannot provide an accurate diagnosis. When the level of parasitemia is low, it is difficult to find Babesia in blood smears of a sick cat. PCR diagnostics helps to clarify whether a pet is infected with piroplasmosis. Methods for identifying several varieties of microparasite have been developed for it.
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Biochemical signs of feline piroplasmosis:
- ALT and liver bilirubin are increased;
- hematocrit is reduced;
- leukocytes and platelets are within normal limits;
- globulins are increased.
By destroying red blood cells in the body of a sick cat, Babesia causes hypochromic anemia. Moving inside the vessels, the parasites do not damage the hematopoietic system. Healthy bone marrow synthesizes many young red blood cells and macrocytes. A large number of reticulocytes is an important criterion for diagnosing piroplasmosis. In South Africa, Babesia is found in pets with feline immunodeficiency virus or leukemia. Sometimes there is a parallel infection with piroplasmosis and hemobartonellosis, which rarely happens in Europe.
Antiprotozoal drugs and supportive care are the main treatment for feline piroplasmosis in adult animals. To treat Babesia infestations, veterinarians prescribe primaquine phosphate at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly or in tablets every 36 hours. The medicine is given 4 times. The number of parasites decreases and their reproduction stops. Then the dose of the medication is increased to almost 1 mg/kg of the pet’s weight and taken once every 7 days for a month. Primaquine is difficult for kittens to tolerate. It causes vomiting and increased anemia, which requires blood transfusion.
In case of severe anemia caused by priroplasmosis, the pet is transfused with donor blood
To treat feline piroplasmosis, veterinarians prescribe doxycycline at a dose of 5–10 mg/kg of animal weight for 21 days. But this drug is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating cats. To support the body's resistance, the pet is fed food high in protein and fat. Add a complex of vitamins. The energy requirement is 70–90 kcal per kilogram of animal weight per day. This is 1.5 times more than the nutritional norm for healthy cats.
Treatment is aimed only at overcoming the consequences of anemia and does not completely destroy the parasite. A recovered pet becomes a lifelong carrier of Babesia spores. In the future, relapses of clinical signs of piroplasmosis are possible, which requires a second course of therapy. There is no vaccine.
The treatment regimen for feline piroplasmosis used by doctors gives more questions than answers. Veterinary medicine does not have a specific remedy that would act on the parasite in the animal’s body. Instead, a malaria drug is used to treat people. Indeed, in structure and life cycle, these blood parasites are similar to each other. In addition, they are distributed in one territory, in a subtropical climate. But if you just slightly exceed the dose or use another antimalarial drug, for example, chloroquine, the cat will die. It remains to be regretted that medicine has not found a safe treatment for piroplasmosis for mustachioed pets.
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