Introduction
Anthrax is a disease that can occur in cats if they ingest the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Fortunately recorded incidences of anthrax in cats are very rare, and it is believed that the cats became infected with the bacterium when they ate meat from an animal that had the disease. Anthrax is a potentially deadly disease, and the symptoms of anthrax in cats can be particularly lethal.
Symptoms of Anthrax in Cats
When a cat has been exposed to anthrax, symptoms can appear anywhere from one to fourteen days after exposure to anthrax. The first symptoms of anthrax begin with swollen lymph nodes throughout the body. Next, the neck may become swollen and the cat will then have difficulty breathing. The cat may also have problems swallowing and stop eating and drinking. The mouth and throat may become red and inflamed, and bleeding ulcers may also form within the mouth and throat.
Within the cat’s body, anthrax causes inflammation of the intestines, kidneys, spleen, and liver. Lesions may form on these organs causing internal bleeding. Sudden death, without any sign of symptoms, has also been recorded in cats infected with anthrax.
There are tests that will be able to confirm anthrax in cats, however in most cases by the time these tests were carried out the cat had already succumbed to the effects of the disease. There are no treatment protocols for anthrax in cats, but it is believed that treatment measures for people infected with anthrax, (antimicrobial medications), may be effective for cats too.