Introduction
Treating Bartonellosis in cats relies upon antibiotic therapies, follow up tests to ensure the therapies were successful, and methods to prevent reinfection.
Treating of Bartonellosis in Cats
Cats that carry the Bartonella bacteria who have no symptoms of effects from the disease do not require treatment. Cats that develop the Feline Bartonellosis disease as a result of Bartonella bacteria infection must be treated or the disease can be fatal.
Currently Feline Bartonellosis is now recognized as a condition which can cause symptoms in cats. In the past, it was believed that all cats carried the bacteria without showing any symptoms at all.
Currently, most cases of Feline Bartonellosis can be treated with a 10 to 21 day course of the oral antibiotic azithromycin. Six months after they have received their antibiotic therapy a blood test can help to determine if the treatment was successful.
Approximately 20% of cats that develop Feline Bartonellosis are not successfully treated with azithromycin therapies, and in these cases doctors may try different antibiotics or extended antibiotic therapy to manage the condition and keep it under control.
Once a cat has been treated for Feline Bartonellosis it is important to prevent reinfection. Flea and tick control are a must, and other cats in the household should be tested for the disease as well; if they test positive the veterinarian may recommend that they be treated as well to reduce the possibility of re-infecting the cat, or cats, in the home that are susceptible to the Bartonella bacteria.