Leptospirosis in cats – Symptoms and treatment

The health of your cat should be a crucial issue for you, so you should be informed about the possible diseases that may affect it. Leptospirosis is one of them, and a late diagnosis can be fatal for the feline.

This disease rarely affects cats, but the danger lies in the high rate of infection, so this article about the Leptospirosis in cats, their symptoms and treatment.

What is leptospirosis?

It is a contagious disease, of zoonotic type (it can be transmitted to humans), transmitted by a group of bacteria of the Leptospira type. This bacterium is widespread throughout the world, infecting cats, dogs, farm animals and most pets.

When it is not found in a host, the bacterium survives on land and water, where it can remain for long weeks until an animal contracts it. Although it is present all over the world, it is much more frequent in those areas of high temperatures but frequent rains; so much the humid climate as the dry one favors him.

The disease is rare in cats, who usually suffer moderately, but its incidence has not yet been studied enough, so it is difficult to talk about specific treatments or signs for it.

How does spreads the disease?

Your cat can get the disease by having direct contact with another animal or a surface where the bacterium is nesting. In this sense, you may get leptospirosis if:

• It has access to backwaters.
• Is in contact with pets in street situation.
• It is related to farm animals.
• It is in contact with rodents or wild birds.
• Drink water from natural sources such as rivers or lakes.
• It is near the urine of an infected animal.
• You have access to food or water containers where another infected animal has been fed.
• Eat meat from a sick animal.
• It is bitten by an infected animal.
• The mother transmits it to her puppies.

If in any of these Sources of infection there is the bacterium that transmits the pathology, when it comes into contact with the mucous membranes of the cat, said bacterium migrates to its body, where the infection process begins.

Symptoms of leptospirosis in cats

Feline leptospirosis can confused with other diseases due to its symptoms, so laboratory tests are needed to obtain the definitive diagnosis. Stay tuned for the following signs:

• Tremors
• High fever
• Numbness of the body
• Jaundice
• Excessive thirst
• Heavy urine
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Problem to breathe
• Accumulation of fluid in respiratory organs

Being a disease that has been studied little in cats, it is still difficult to know which are the stages in which it develops. However, it is known that some felines experience it mild form and recover quickly, while for others it is lethal, because in its evolution brings intestinal and kidney problems.

How is the diagnosis made?

Only a veterinarian is able to determine exactly if it is leptospirosis or some other disease. This will require not only a complete physical examination, but also blood test and, depending on the state of the feline, radiographs and crops of the bacterium that has infected the organism.

Treatment of leptospirosis in cats

The main thing is keep the feline stable and prevent the disease from breaking down or getting worse. They are usually prescribed Antibiotics, Plus liquid therapy, either at home or at the veterinary clinic.

If the disease is widespread, hospitalization may be needed to treat damage to various vital organs, such as the lungs, kidneys and liver.

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Leptospirosis in cats – Symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter in our section of Bacterial diseases.