Little is known of the early signs of infestation in cats. The first sign is usually an altered "miaow". Total loss of voice may occur before the onset of paralysis and progress is similar to that in the dog, but vomiting is uncommon. Typical symptoms include:
- Loss of coordination in the hind legs (wobbly or not being able to get up)
- Change in miaow
- Retching and coughing
- Loss of appetite
- Progressive paralysis to include the forelegs
- Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
Anaphylactic reactions can occur in cats when introducing an heterologous serum such as paralysis tick antivenom and special precautions as detailed in the relevant product leaflet should be considered.
This could include pretreatment with adrenaline subcutaneously or prednisolone sodium succinate intravenously, (or alternatively, promethazine intravenously) then atropine intravenously. A dose of adrenaline should be drawn up ready to be administered intravenously if anaphylaxis occurs.
The intravenous route for antivenom is preferred, particularly in severely affected cats. It is also recommended that an initial dose of 0.5-1.0 mL of the diluted dose is first administered slowly and the patient monitored for any signs of anaphylaxis for at least 15 minutes. Some veterinarians routinely inject antivenom via the intraperitoneal route to help reduce the possibility of anaphylaxis occurring.
(Reference: http://www.avsl.com.au/paralysisTick.php)
Contributed by R. Brooks. Last updated: January 2008
