Lyme Disease And Cats-Guest Blog By Heather Reynolds Of Trupanion

 Heather Reynolds is a pet lover and internet journalist at Trupanion, North America’s fastest growing pet insurance company. Trupanion offers a simple, customizable pet insurance policy with no payout limits and 90% coverage of veterinary bills. Enrolled pets receive lifetime coverage for diagnostic tests, surgeries, and medications if they get sick or are injured, with no incident, annual or lifetime limit.

April is Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month and while it’s true that Lyme disease affects dogs more than cats, it certainly does not mean that cats are immune. It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease in cats so you can do your best to prevent or treat it in your beloved feline.

Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected deer tick. These ticks are more commonly found in the spring and summer months, so now is the perfect time to get educated, especially if you have a cat that spends time outdoors.

The most common signs and symptoms of Lyme disease in cats include:

• ·         Walking stiffly, possibly with an arched back
• ·         Sensitivity to touch
• ·         Difficulty breathing
• ·         Fever
• ·         Lack of appetite
• ·         Depression
• ·         Swollen lymph nodes

An infected tick must be attached to the pet for at least 18 hours before transmission of the disease occurs. So, as long as ticks are found immediately and disposed of, the cat should be in no danger. However, cats are notorious for not showing symptoms, even if they are infected. If you know your cat has been bitten by a tick and you suspect the tick was there for quite a while, it’s beneficial to take your cat to the veterinarian regardless of symptoms.

When it comes to Lyme disease, prevention is key. Here are a few tips:

• ·         Administer tick preventative regularly. Products such as the Preventic collar, Advantix, Frontline, and Revolution will either kill the tick or cause it to drop off the pet before it causes damage.
• ·         Cut or mow grassy or overgrown areas regularly to prevent an infestation.
• ·         Closely examine your cat after he or she has spend time outdoors to detect embedded ticks.
• ·         Safely remove ticks if found. Place fine-point tweezers around the tick as close to the pet’s skin as possible, and gently pull until the tick detaches. Disinfect the bite site and the tweezers after removal. Place the tick into a small container for later examination by a professional.

Treatment for Lyme disease can be quite expensive, depending on the severity of the case. Trupanion covers this treatment as long as all preventative care advised by the cat’s veterinarian was followed and the first signs and symptoms did not appear prior to the cat’s full policy coverage.