Cats and Ticks

3 April 2019 | Parasites

Cats are naturally resistant to Borrelia Burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, and they rarely develop the disease, contrary to dogs and humans. However, they can still be bitten by ticks, and can sometimes be found with ticks in large numbers firmly attached to them. As cats who go outside have a tendency to wander into bushes, shrubs, and cedar hedges, they become perfect targets for hungry ticks. Not only is there a risk of Lyme disease from ticks, but other diseases that may also be transmitted to cats through ticks. For example, Haemobartellosis is a parasitic blood infection that is well-known in Quebec and can cause severe anemia. In rarer cases, ticks can transmit other diseases to cats such as Tularemia, Ehrlichiosis, Cytauxzoonosis, Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis.

 

There are now two preventive products available specifically for cats.

Bravecto for Cats

Bravecto is a liquid applied to the back of the neck (topical) once every two months for the prevention of ticks. It also protects against fleas for 3 months. The active ingredient is Fluralaner, which acts on the nervous systems of ticks and fleas.

Revolution Plus for Cats

Revolution has been on the market for many years, providing cats with a treatment for fleas, intestinal round worms, ascaris, hook worms, heartworm, ear mites and skin mites.
Newly available this year, Revolution Plus is a treatment for ticks as well. It combines the treatment of Revolution (Selamectin, which has been available for many years), with Sarolaner (in the family of Isoxazolines), which kills ticks. Revolution Plus is a topical treatment applied once per month to the skin at the back of the neck of cats.

This year, if your cat is free to go outdoors, allow us to prescribe a prevention for ticks and fleas. Outdoor cats no longer need to be targets for ticks, which means no more nasty surprises for cat owners.