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03/21/2025
Bobcat Fever (Cytauxzoonosis)
is a severe and often fatal disease in domestic cats caused by the parasite Cytauxzoon felis. The disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
🔴 What Does the Lone Star Tick Look Like? 🔴
The Lone Star Tick is a medium-sized tick with distinct features:
• Females have a single white or yellowish dot (or “lone star”) on their reddish-brown bodies.
• Males lack the dot but have white streaks along the edges of their bodies.
• They have round bodies and long mouthparts, making them effective at attaching to hosts.
These ticks are commonly found in wooded areas, tall grasses, and leaf litter, especially in the southeastern and central United States.
🔴 Symptoms of Bobcat Fever 🔴
Symptoms of a tick bite and may include:
• High fever
• Lethargy and weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Pale or jaundiced (yellow) gums
• Rapid breathing or labored breathing
‼️ Because bobcat fever progresses rapidly, immediate veterinary care is crucial if symptoms arise ‼️
🔴 Prevention of Bobcat Fever 🔴
There is no vaccine for bobcat fever, so prevention focuses on reducing tick exposure
• Use Tick Preventatives: Ensure cats receive veterinarian-approved tick prevention medications (topical treatments, collars, or oral medications)
• Keep Cats Indoors: Indoor cats are at a much lower risk of exposure to infected ticks.
• Yard Maintenance: Keep grass trimmed and remove leaf litter to reduce tick habitats.
• Check for Ticks: Regularly inspect cats for ticks, especially if they go outside.
🔴 If you walk or live in an area that might have ticks - consider checking yourself before walking inside a home where there are cats 🔴
• Check Your Skin: Pay attention to areas like the scalp, behind the ears, underarms, ankles, and around the waist where ticks are more likely to latch.
• Inspect Your Clothing: After being in tick-prone areas, check your clothes for any ticks that may have crawled onto you.
Let’s keep all of our kitties protected!! 😸
