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Can dogs get cat scratch fever?
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We have all heard about "cat scratch fever", more properly termed "cat scratch disease", which refers to the swelling, pain and infection in humans that may result from a cat scratch or bite. The infection is actually caused by a bacteria called bartonella henselae that is carried by fleas. When fleas bite or leave flea dirt on a cat, and the cat then scratches itself, the theory is that the infected flea dirt is caught in the claws and is consequently transmitted when a person is scratched by an infected cat.
It has long been thought that cats themselves do not show any clinical signs from bartonella infection, although this viewpoint is changing. According to marvistavet.com, it has only been since 1992 that a number of chronic cat diseases have been potentially linked to b.henselae infection, including fever, deep eye inflammation, enlarged lymph nodes, muscle pain and endocarditis.
Since b. henselae and its various relatives are transmitted by fleas and ticks, can dogs also become infected? The short answer is yes. However, much like infection in cats, it is only recently that a variety of chronic health conditions have been linked to bartonella and related pathogens in dogs, and the data is still controversial. As reported in International Veterinary Health News and other sources, several serious health problems including endocarditis (heart damage due to bacterial infection of the valves) and other cardiac problems, lymphadenitis, polyarthritis (arthritis in multiple joints), immune-mediated anemia, thrombocytopenia (reduced number of platelets in the blood), intermittent fever of unknown origin and other joint problems have been reported in dogs infected with bartonella species.
If your dog is experiencing any chronic health problems such as those noted above and a cause has not been identified, your veterinarian may recommend a blood test panel to look for all known flea and tick-borne diseases. There are only a few veterinary laboratories in the country that do these tests, including North Carolina State University (through Galaxy Diagnostics, Inc) and the National Veterinary Laboratory. If there is a positive titer, or diagnosis, for bartonella or other tick-borne diseases, your dog will probably be put on a long-term course of antibiotic therapy with medications such as azithromycin or doxycycline, possibly along with other medications to control any specific symptoms or problem areas. Much like in humans, it is thought that the disease will eventually run its course without intervention. However, some dogs may not bounce back on their own and may not respond to antibiotic therapy.
So, how can you prevent cat scratch disease from infecting your dog? A comprehensive flea and tick prevention program as prescribed by your veterinarian (Frontline(R) and K9 Advantix(R) are among the popular brands) is the best way to keep your dog as safe as possible.
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