- How to find a tick in a cat?
- Where to look for ticks in cats?
- How to remove a tick from a cat?
- Learn effective ways to protect against ticks
- What tick-borne diseases are dangerous for a cat?
- How to protect your cat from ticks?
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A tick in a cat is a threat to its he alth, so even if you use anti-tick agents, it's best to check your pet's skin every day to make sure it is clean. How to find a tick in a cat and how to remove it? When to go to the vet? And how to effectively protect your cat against ticks?
A tick in a catthat leaves the house is a common find - it can appear in thick fur all year round, it is enough if the temperature outside for a few days is above zero .
If you use insecticides (collars, sprays, drops on the skin or tablets), you can count on the tick to die and fall off by itself before it can infect the cat with anything.
However, even thenit is worth checking your pet's fur every day for any unwanted guests .
Quick tick removal (within 48 hours) can save your cat from dangerous tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis, mycoplasma, anaplasmosis and Lyme disease.
Unfortunately, ticks bite into their victims painlessly, so the cat will not feel that it has a parasite, and the first symptoms, which may indicate contact with the parasite, are usually symptoms of an advanced disease and appear many days or weeks after the bite.
From this article you will learn
- How to find a tick in a cat?
- Where to look for ticks in cats?
- How to remove a tick from a cat?
- What tick-borne diseases are dangerous for a cat?
- Babesiosis
- Anaplasmosis
- Erlichioza
- Lyme disease
- How to protect your cat from ticks?
How to find a tick in a cat?
It is not an easy task - even smooth-haired cats have a thick undercoat. In addition, few cats want to cooperate with the owner, so it's best to hide your search under the guise of everyday caresses.
Where to look for ticks in cats?
Most often, these parasites choose places where the skin is thin and rich in blood vessels, i.e.especially around the mouth, ears, anus, groin, abdomen and neck.
How to remove a tick from a cat?
The tick is very small at first - the size of a sesame seed, which makes it difficult to find. The bigger one is felt under the fingers as a small ball, looselyattached to the skin.
It is important to handle it gently after discovering the parasite -the irritated tick can return the food content along with pathogenic microorganisms to the blood vessel,and this can result in serious he alth problems at the cat.
It is for this reason that it is strongly advised not to lubricate the tick with grease, alcohol or nail polish.
Before removing the tick, prepare disposable gloves and something to decontaminate the skin.It is best to pull out the parasite with a specially adapted tool(available at the pharmacy), but if you do not have one, just a pair of tweezers.
The most important thing is to twist the tick slowly, and not suddenly tear it out - this increases the chance of pulling it out completely. If, however, the insect's head remains under the skin, care should be taken to remove it as well - it may be necessary to visit the vet for this.
It is also worth going to the vet immediately if you do not feel able to free the cat from the tick on your own.
Removing a tick from a cat step by step
- catch the tick as close to the skin as possible- in the lasso tweezers, you simply put a loop on and release the button
- be careful- do not squeeze the abdomen, do not tug, so as not to tear off the head of the parasite, which will increase the risk of infection
- with a vigorous movement, twist the tick- do not tear it out, as it usually ends with the parasite's head stuck in the skin
- disinfect the parasite injection site
- burn the tick or throw it in the toilet- do not crush it, or you will spread the germs
Learn effective ways to protect against ticks
What tick-borne diseases are dangerous for a cat?
Babesiosis
Babesiosis in cats can be very serious for cats, but fortunately it is rarely found. The symptoms of babesiosis in cats are:
- sleepiness
- anorexic
- weakness
- diarrhea
These symptoms may also be accompanied by fever and jaundice, but the symptoms may not be apparent until later in the disease.
Read:
Tick-borne diseases in cats (Babesiosis, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis)
Dog Babesiosis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
Immunity of babesiosis and anaplazosis is short-lived, the animal may fall back to one of these diseases .
To confirm the diagnosis, blood tests should be performed - smear, serological tests, CPR.
The treatment is usedimidocarb dipropionate, hydration and, if necessary, blood transfusion is recommended as an alternative.
Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis in cats may appear after a tick bite, but infections have been reportedAnaplasma spp . in cats they are rare.
Sick cats show:
- sleepiness
- anorexic
- fever
- lymph nodes enlargement
- anemia
- thrombocytopenia
If the blood test result is inconclusive, additional serological tests or PCR tests are performed. The most common treatment is doxycycline for at least 4 weeks.
Erlichioza
Reports of E. canis infections in cats are rare. Clinical symptoms are not described.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease in cats is confirmed by serological tests, but is very poorly understood. There are no data on the incidence, clinical symptoms and treatment options.
It is only known that the clinical form of the disease is rare in naturally infected cats. Doxycycline has been used for treatment for at least a month. Among tick-borne diseases,infectious feline anemia , caused byMycoplasma haemofelis(d.Haemobartonella felis ) is not very common, but it can be really dangerous.
The symptoms are bothersome, and its diagnosis and treatment are difficult, relapses and deaths are quite frequent.
It should be remembered that it can also be transmitted by fleas, through contact with the blood of an infected cat (during combat or during transfusion) and through the mother's placenta.
The clinical symptom of the FIA, if any at all, is anemia, with periods of exacerbation and remission. The death rate for the FIA is around 25%.
Read:Dog Lyme disease - is it curable? Diagnostics and symptoms
How to protect your cat from ticks?
It is a good idea to anticipate the parasites and protect your cat. The most frequently used means to protect cats against ticks are protective collars.
It is an effective prophylactic tool in the fight against ticks or fleas, it contains a properly selected composition of essential oils that work in an additive and complementary way.
Thanks to this, they effectively discourage parasites from being in the company of animals.
Other agents that can be used are sprays, spot-ons, chewing tablets.
It should be remembered that no chemical agent can guarantee 100% that the tick will not penetrate the cat,but if it does, it will be able to kill the parasite before it passes the germs on to the animal.