Piroplasmosis in cats: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Can cats get piroplasmosis?

Most veterinarians will confidently answer this question - no, cats do not suffer from piroplasmosis. At the same time, they will keep in mind that neither in theory nor in practice have they encountered this disease in cats.

But the question did not arise out of nowhere. There are cases in our country, not many of them, about two dozen over the last decade, when veterinary specialists describe their identification of the alleged causative agent of piroplasmosis in the blood of cats. At the same time, animals with corresponding clinical symptoms were studied, that is, general symptoms inherent in piroplasmosis in different animal species.

Whether this is actually true is difficult to say. These cases were not subjected to serious research, and such facts were not properly recorded.

We can only state that many animals suffer from piroplasmosis. Moreover, each of them is characterized by its own type of pathogen from the Pyroplasma family, the genus Babesia. Piroplasmosis, or babesiosis, which is the same thing, affects dogs, sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, and other types of animals, and humans also suffer from babesiosis.

Piroplasmosis occurs in large wild predators of the cat family. The first information about the disease in predatory cats began to appear at the end of the last century. A previously unknown causative agent of feline piroplasmosis, named Babesia felis, was identified and described. It is transmitted by the ixoid tick Haemophysalis leachi. Lions, tigers and other species of wild large cats are susceptible to the disease.

There is information about the detection of this pathogen in domestic cats in countries such as Thailand, France, Zimbabwe, and Israel. In Russia, as already mentioned, there are about two dozen cases where doctors claim to have detected piroplasmosis in cats, although there is a high probability of error in diagnosis.

It is now impossible to say with certainty whether domestic cats suffer from piroplasmosis, but if we assume this possibility, it is important to know how it can occur, what symptoms are accompanied by it, and what diagnostic methods are used to identify piroplasmosis.

The causative agent of the disease enters the body of animals when bitten by ixoid ticks; each animal species has its own type of carrier. In our country, in cats, with a high degree of probability, it may be the ixoid tick Rhipicephalus sanguineos.

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.

What happens after a bite?

Ixoid mites are intermediate hosts for parasitic protozoa of the piroplasma family. In the tick's body, piroplasms undergo part of their development cycle.

The causative agent of piroplasmosis enters the animal’s bloodstream, when bitten, with the tick’s saliva, and begins to multiply intensively in the red blood cells.

Red blood cells die en masse, releasing hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is partially removed in the urine, turning it red, and is partially converted into bilirubin, resulting in yellowness of the mucous membranes and eyes.

The number of red blood cells in animals with piroplasmosis is reduced by 2-3 times compared to the normal level. As a result, severe anemia develops - anemia, which entails, as a compensatory reaction, increased breathing and pulse, and increased heart contractions. Excessive stress on the heart muscle leads to cardiac hypertrophy.

Toxic products accumulate in the blood and tissues, metabolism is disrupted, and inflammatory and degenerative processes occur in the spleen, liver and kidneys. Acute kidney failure develops.

Prevention of babesiosis

Treating piroplasmosis is much more difficult than taking preventive measures to combat possible infection. The first step is to prevent ticks from infesting cats. To do this, periodically, especially in the spring and summer, you should treat the animal with special drops that are applied to the skin at the withers, and also use a special anti-tick spray immediately before a walk.

Feline piroplasmosis is a dangerous disease caused by microorganisms that parasitize the animal’s circulatory system. After the first symptoms appear, the disease develops very rapidly and, in the absence of timely medical assistance, can cause the death of the animal. Cats of any breed and any age can get babesiosis, so it is very important to take preventive measures. They should be aimed at preventing the pet from being affected by ixodid ticks, which are carriers of a dangerous disease.

How to understand that a cat is sick with piroplasmosis?

The disease usually occurs in an acute form, characterized by rapid development and intensity of all symptoms:

Increase in temperature in cats, up to 41-42 C;
Dyspnea. Breathing is rapid and labored;
Yellowness of the mucous membranes and whites of the eyes develops;
Urine acquires a red tint, of varying intensity, even brown;

The animal is depressed, there is no appetite, diarrhea and vomiting may occur;
The animal exhibits muscle weakness, an unsteady gait, weak hindquarters, and may develop paresis of the hind limbs.

Less commonly observed is a slower and less intense course of the disease - subacute and chronic forms. In this case, the symptoms are less pronounced, and some of them may be absent. Characterized by anemia and gradual exhaustion.

Clinic

The first symptoms of the pathology appear 4-7 days after infection. Unlike other infections, piroplasmosis develops gradually; clinical signs can be confused with vitamin deficiencies or other diseases that cause apathy and decreased interest in the animal to its surroundings. A veterinarian can carry out precise differentiation; owners must recognize the first signs of pathology and consult a doctor in time.

Piroplasmosis is characterized by general disorders:

decrease in activity - young cats stop playing, adults react poorly to the call of their owners, lie or sleep for more time;
appetite worsens - the pet eats poorly, sometimes there is a complete refusal to eat;
body temperature rises - this indicates the body’s resistance to the parasite;
disorders of the urinary system - the color of urine changes, it becomes red, brown or black;
change in the color of the mucous membranes - blanching or yellowing of the membranes is easy to notice against the background of the color of the coat.

Establishing diagnosis

Preliminary diagnosis is based on the presence of specific clinical signs and is confirmed by laboratory tests.

Laboratory methods are used to make a diagnosis:

Microscopy;
Serological examination of blood serum;
PCR.

Microscopic examination of blood smears, with Romanovsky staining, and serological examination are of decisive importance. The PCR reaction helps identify the pathogen and clarifies the results of other studies. A general blood test shows compositional changes characteristic of this disease.

Diagnostics

Piroplasmosis in cats cannot be diagnosed based on the clinical picture alone. The only accurate method for detecting the presence of Babesia in the blood of an animal remains microscopic examination. A qualified specialist takes into account not only the fact of the presence of parasites in the biomaterial, but also characteristic changes in the formed elements of blood:

Increased ALT and liver bilirubin.
Increase in globulins.
Decreased hematocrit.

Cats with weakened immune systems are considered more susceptible to piroplasmosis, so the owner must notify the veterinarian about the pet’s recent illnesses.

PCR is considered a uniquely successful modern method for diagnosing the disease. A blood sample or scraping from the mucous membrane is taken. The polymer chain reaction allows one to identify the pathogen and clarify the results of additional studies (for example, a general blood test that demonstrates a pattern of composition changes characteristic of the disease). Unfortunately, the technique is quite expensive, so it is rarely used.

If necessary, your veterinarian may recommend taking a urine sample for analysis.

Pathogens and methods of infection

The disease is caused by the parasite Babesia. Carriers are ixodid ticks. Infection occurs during the bite of an infected tick. Babesia penetrate through the blood into red blood cells, where they feed and reproduce. Blood cells die, and general intoxication of the body begins. Recently, cases of animal diseases have become common. Cats get sick quite rarely, but often the disease is asymptomatic, and the owner is not even aware that the pet is infected. The incubation period lasts from 1 to 3 weeks.

Symptoms

The following signs are considered characteristic of feline piroplasmosis:

Lethargy, rapid fatigue.
Loss of appetite.
Hyperthermia, > 41°C, when the norm is not more than 39 degrees.
Hemolysis of red blood cells, manifested by visible yellowing of the mucous membranes.
Anemia.
Oxygen deficiency caused by anemia leads to shortness of breath.
Hematuria.
Paralysis develops.

In young animals, the symptoms are more pronounced than in older animals.

Already pumped

Piroplasmosis in dogs: symptoms and inexpensive treatment price in Moscow

With the onset of spring or autumn, you should be more attentive to your pets' walks in the fresh air, and especially in the forest, plantings, and parks. At this time, intensive reproduction of ticks occurs and dogs are infected through bites. Parasites dig into the skin, infecting the blood, and can even kill the pet. Piroplasmosis in dogs symptoms can be determined in a Moscow veterinary clinic, after which your pet will be prescribed the necessary inexpensive treatment, the price of which will not be higher than the purchased pet food.

Piroplasmosis in dogs, the symptoms are most often the same and the disease can be identified by:

refusal of food, even the most favorite;
the pet’s bad and often pessimistic mood;
high temperature;
rapid fatigue;
shortness of breath;
pallor or yellow tint to the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes.

Piroplasmosis in dogs, symptoms can be pronounced in animals that are ill for the first time, or in those who have a chronic form of the disease.

Treatment is mandatory and long-term, even after severe symptoms have resolved, otherwise it can lead to serious consequences and even the death of the dog in a few months. Piroplasmosis in dogs: symptoms and how to prevent the disease from occurring; there are a number of rules for this:

After each walk, inspect and feel your pet’s fur;
buy a special product for treating wool against ticks, it does not protect 100%, but has properties to repel parasites;
If a parasite is found on the skin, be sure to use a special tool to remove it, or contact a veterinarian.

Symptoms of piroplasmosis in dogs are common on hot summer days, but still, one should not lose sight of the pet’s condition, it can worsen and develop into a severe form. If you have doubts regarding the diagnosis, you can take blood tests. Pedigree dogs and even cats have a greater predisposition to contracting this disease.

Treatment

The strategy is to destroy the pathogen and eliminate the consequences of intoxication.

Elimination of piroplasms

Medicines used to kill Babesia have a lot of side effects. Therefore, treatment should be carried out by a veterinarian using drugs to support cardiac activity, as well as hepatoprotectors. The following medications are in demand:

Primaquine Phosphate.
Azidin.
Veriben.
Imidocarb.
Berenil.
Neosidine.

Before specific therapy, it is necessary to use supportive agents - laxatives, cardiac, hemostatic. Mass death of piroplasms and destruction of red blood cells in which Babesia live is accompanied by intoxication. Further treatment is aimed at eliminating the consequences of the invasion.

Detoxification therapy

The following means are used:

Hepatoprotectors.
Multivitamin mixtures.
Immunocorrectors. The combination of Fosprenil and Gamavit is preferred.
Rehydration solutions.

The cat requires special care during the rehabilitation period. A therapeutic diet and movement restrictions are needed. The cat's condition is monitored by blood tests 2 times a month.

Prevention

Preventive measures are as follows:

Removing the tick as quickly as possible.
Protection from attack.

Immediate extraction

If you shorten the time an arthropod spends on a cat, the pathogen may not have time to penetrate the capillary of its final host. Therefore, after another walk, the fellinologist feels the pet, especially the stomach, armpits, the space behind the chin and ears. The attached insects are removed entirely so that the head does not remain. Otherwise, unpleasant inflammation develops.

There are several ways to completely remove a tick:

Acaricidal.
Mechanical.

The acaricidal method consists of applying an insecticidal component, for example, Butox or Apit, to the body of the arthropod. After some time, the insect dies and falls off. The poison has no effect on Babesia. It may have time to penetrate the cat's circulatory system.

The mechanical method uses a number of devices designed to remove the tick:

Tick-kay.
Tick twister.
Ticked off.

Tick Kay

Defense against attack

To eliminate or repel ticks, the following insecticides are used:

Preventive emulsions - Butox, Neostomazan, etc.

Acaricidal collars.
Drops applied to the withers.
Aerosols.

The cat owner is obliged to use all means to protect the pet from tick attacks. Then piroplasmosis will not happen.

We invite you to join our Zen channel and group on VKontakte or Odnoklassniki, where new articles for pet owners are published.