VTH Patient Survives Infectious Disease

NBC-17 did a report (http://wake.mync.com/site/Wake/news/story/52020/cats-in-north-carolina-at-risk-of-potentially-fatal-disease/) on a Veterinary Teaching Hospital patient that was diagnosed and treated successfully for the deadly tick-transmitted infectious disease cytauxzoonosis. Without proper treatment, the disease, which is on the rise in North Carolina, has a mortality rate close to 100%.

Symptoms:
High fever, lethargy, a lack of appetite.

What to do:
Go to the veterinarian immediately if you see symptoms. A blood test can detect the parasite.

Tips to prevent it:
-Keep your cat indoors
-Use monthly tick preventatives
-Create a tick safe zone for your pets, which means areas with no shrubs or bushes
-Try to keep deer out of your yard because they bring ticks with them