How to test for Lyme disease in cats

Recovery will depend on how long the cat has had Lyme disease and whether or not it has caused tissue damage. However, since there are so few cases of Lyme disease in cats, there is little information available on the treatment methods and recovery prognoses of tissue that has been irreversibly damaged by Lyme disease.

While there is a vaccine for dogs that will help prevent Lyme disease, there is no preventative vaccine for cats, so you’ll want to ensure you take necessary preventative measures at home. Always brush your cat carefully after it goes outside, checking their coat carefully for ticks. If you do see a tick, always wear gloves during removal. Never touch the tick with your bare hands, and only remove it using a pair of tweezers. Ticks are notoriously difficult to kill, so ensure that you dispose of them in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.

Consult your vet regarding which tick and flea medications are safe to administer to your cat. The vet may prescribe a round of antibiotics for use at home. Your vet may also schedule a follow-up appointment to ensure that the disease has been fully eradicated.

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Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can lead to serious diseases.

CAUSES:

The bacteria transfers through a tick bite. A deer tick is the most typical tick to carry Lyme disease.

Once a tick bites your cat, the bacteria enter its bloodstream, travel throughout its body, and usually settle in its joints.

Humans can get Lyme disease. They also are infected through tick bites and not from an infected pet. Be sure to check yourself for ticks after you have been outdoors, especially in wooded areas.

SIGNS:

Initial signs:

• Swollen, painful joints: the most common symptom
• Limping
• High fever
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Confusion
• Seizures

More serious signs will develop as the disease progresses:

• Kidney disorders
• Heart disorders
• Nervous system disease

Lyme disease can be fatal if allowed to progress. If you notice any of the initial signs, call your veterinarian immediately.

DIAGNOSIS:

Diagnosing Lyme disease is difficult as your cat may show positive results and not be infected. A positive result only means that your pet was exposed to the bacteria at some point.

• Review medical history
• Discuss possible tick exposure

If your veterinarian suspects Lyme disease, they will run a variety of tests to determine if your pet is infected:

• CBC - Complete Blood Count: measures the amount of red and white blood cells
• ELISA - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay: checks if your cat has the antibodies for Lyme disease
• Antibody Test: often used after a positive ELISA test to further check for antibodies
• Western Blot: often used after a positive ELISA test to find out if your cat has a live infection
• Qualitative PCR Test - Polymerase Chain Reaction Test: checks for bacteria in an animal or tick's DNA
• Immunofluorescence: uses a fluorescent dye to illuminate viruses or their antibodies in body tissue

TREATMENT:

Discovering Lyme disease early can result in a complete recovery.

Your veterinarian will prescribe medication, which you must give your cat for as long as your veterinarian instructs. They may appear recovered but may still be infected and could relapse.

PREVENTION:

A vaccine is available for Lyme disease. If you live in an area with many ticks where your cat roams, or you are taking them to the park, woods, camping, or hunting, ask your veterinarian about the vaccine.

Lyme disease is preventable with tick control:

• Avoid tick-infested environments: sandy, wooded and grassy areas, thick underbrush
• Tick repellents: for yourself and your cat, if you are going into woods or anywhere where there may be ticks; many flea preventatives also provide protection from ticks
• Tick checks: for yourself and your cat after walking in woods or fields; if you find any ticks on the cat, remove them immediately!

If the tick is moving, it has not yet bitten your cat. Quickly remove it and kill it by putting it in rubbing alcohol or crushing it between two solid surfaces. Do not get its blood on your skin if you crush the tick, as the bacteria can enter your body through a small cut.

If the tick is attached to your cat, use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to their skin as possible and slowly pull it out. It is essential to kill the tick in alcohol after removing it, as it may look for another host to feed on.

PROGNOSIS:

If you catch the disease early and administer medication as prescribed, there is an excellent prognosis for a full recovery. Remember that recovered cats are not immune to contracting the disease again, and it is possible to be re-infected.

Medically Reviewed by Sara Ochoa, DVM

Lyme disease and the bacteria that causes it can be transmitted to cats through ticks though the illness is very rarely seen in felines. Cats do not always develop symptoms like dogs and humans, so diagnosis can be tricky. Lyme disease can lead to fever, lethargy, and a poor appetite but the right treatment can make your cat feel better in a short amount of time.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that affects a variety of species and is commonly seen in humans and dogs. It has been shown that cats can become infected with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria (the causative agent of Lyme disease), but many cats do not show signs of the disease. Nevertheless, it is a diagnosis to consider when cats have symptoms compatible with Lyme disease, especially in areas where Lyme disease is common, such as New England, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and even Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Cats and dogs can become infected with Borrelia burgdorferi without ever developing symptoms of Lyme disease. Where Lyme disease is common, cats may test positive for exposure to the bacteria despite not showing any signs of the disease.

If a cat develops Lyme disease, the symptoms are similar to dogs and humans though not as severe, and they begin to appear within a few weeks after infection. If your cat develops these symptoms during the warm weather season when ticks are active, see your vet. It is important to note, however, that many other tick-borne diseases are prevalent in the northeastern portion of the United States that can affect cats. One illness, called anaplasmosis, occurs in cats and leads to fever, lethargy, and a poor appetite. It is also treated with antibiotics.

• Limping
• Stiffness and pain
• Fever
• Lethargy and decreased appetite
• Secondary kidney disease

Because Lyme disease affects the joints and muscles, your cat may begin limping. The limping may shift from leg to leg as the cat tries to manage the discomfort. The limbs may begin to feel better, then pain recurs at a later date.

The infected cat may experience painful stiffness and pain around the joints and muscles. The limb joints may also be swollen.

A fever in a cat can indicate a number of maladies, including Lyme disease. Though it's best to let your vet take your cat's temperature with a thermometer, you can watch for fever symptoms, such as listlessness, shivering, or an increased breathing or heart rate. If the symptoms of a fever have not diminished, call your vet immediately.

A cat with Lyme disease may act listless and lose its appetite. The bacteria could be affecting its heart, as well, which could cause extreme exhaustion.

If the Lyme is left untreated, a cat may experience kidney disease as the bacteria travels throughout the bloodstream. The kidney problems will lead to increased thirst, urination, and vomiting. The Lyme disease may be causing inflammation of the kidney which negatively affects the way it filters the cat's blood and toxins.

Ticks become infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi, bacteria by feeding on infected mice and other small animals. When an infected tick bites other animals, it can transmit the bacteria to these animals. Lyme disease is transmitted by the deer tick (also called Ixodes scapularis or the black-legged tick) and a group of other closely related ticks. The exact tick species varies by location, but the deer tick is small enough to bite animals and people without being easily detected.

Cats that spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in areas with bush or tall grass, are most at risk of being infected with Lyme disease bacteria. It is important to remember that ticks can be carried into yards on other animals, so even cats that don't roam far could potentially be bitten by a tick. Ticks are frequently found on dogs, so if you have a one, the tick can hitch a ride into the home on it and then bite an indoor pet cat. There is currently no evidence that Lyme disease is spread by direct contact between animals, including between infected pets and their owners.

Because so few cats develop symptoms after infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, a diagnosis of Lyme disease must be made on a combination of factors. An antibody test is not enough to make a diagnosis on its own because not all cats that are exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi get sick, and the antibodies can persist in the blood for a period of time after exposure. Your vet will use the following tools to help diagnose Lyme disease:

• History (especially exposure to ticks)
• Clinical signs
• Laboratory tests, such as blood, urine, and X-rays may rule out other causes
• A sampling of joint fluid

In dogs with Lyme disease, treatment with antibiotics usually produces a rapid improvement in symptoms and the same should hold true for cats. If there are more serious issues that might be secondary to Lyme disease, such as kidney disease, a longer course of antibiotics along with additional treatments is usually necessary. Your vet will come up with a treatment plan that is aligned with your cat's needs and medical situation.

The prognosis for cats with Lyme disease is good. If the cat is treated in a timely manner, a full recovery should be fast. Delayed treatment can still lead to a good outcome, but it will take longer to achieve, and some tissue or joints may become irreversibly damaged and remain painful.

Tick control is extremely important for the prevention of Lyme disease (and other diseases that can be transmitted by ticks). This is true for both pets and humans. Take these three steps to keep your pet healthy:

• Remove ticks: Check outdoor cats daily for ticks and safely remove them as soon as possible. Pull back the fur and examine the cat at the skin level. A tick that is feeding will attach itself to the animal's skin, not to its fur. Since ticks must feed for at least 12 hours (possibly 36 to 48 hours) before transmitting the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, removing the tick as soon as possible can help prevent transmission. Be careful handling ticks as they can potentially infect people, too. It also helps to know that ticks do not jump around like fleas, though it may at first be tough to distinguish between the two bugs.
• Use correct products: Products that kill ticks should also be used in at-risk cats, but be sure to follow your veterinarian's advice when using these products, because cats are extremely sensitive or allergic to a variety of chemicals.
• Trim grass: Keep grass and brush trimmed in your yard and remove leaf litter and other materials where ticks may hide. You can also treat your yard for ticks if you live in a high-risk area.​​

If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet's health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.