Hi Grace,
to be honest, I've never heard of this disease before. Would you mind
telling the less knowledgeable here a bit more about this disease
please. The easier it is to understand the more people will remember
this story (like me ;o)
I'm ever so pleased to hear that puss cat is feelling a little better
than before though.....

I was interested to note in the post after yours by lymebites, that it
is related to tick borne diseases? I am taking extra interest in this
post because for the first time this year, when every time I have
taken the cats out to the meadow to exercise them, every single one of
them has come home with ticks attached to them. This is a new thing
here. We have never had them before now!

I can only presume that it must have something to do with the weather
being hotter than normal & wetter too? Is there anything that you can
apply to your cat to stop ticks attaching themselves, or do you just
have to remain vigilant, & remove them as soon as you see them?
TIA,
sheelagh "o"

Hi sheelagh.  Definitely talk to your vet about what you can use t
protect your cats from ticks.  Frontline and Advantage are two possibl
products.  Usually you only need to apply it once a month.  Be awar
though, they can still have ticks on them and bring them into the hous
even if you are using the product.

Ticks are just about everywhere.  They can transmit a number of disease
such as Lyme disease, Babesiosis (similiar to malaria), two types o
Ehrlichisois, Bartonella, and Mycoplasma.  Both animals and humans ca
get these diseases although I am not sure if animals can get Mycoplasma.
Lyme disease is the second fastest growing infectious disease after AID
in the US, yet little is being done to educate the public and medica
community.

You need to protect yourself as well as your cats.  There are some goo
repellents available that you can use when outside. I recommend the one
made by Repel.  You can get them at Wal-mart in the sporting good
section for about $5.00. There is one for your clothes called Repel Perm
One Clothing Gear. You spray your clothes and let them dry for at leas
two hourse before wearing them. If a tick even walks on them, it will di
instantly. One application lasts up to two weeks or through five washings
You could use this on one set of clothes that you wear when going for you
walk. This is for your clothes only, you need a separate repellent fo
your skin. Repel makes one for the skin also.

It is also helpful to wear light colored clothing.  Tuck long pants int
socks, tuck your shirt into your pants.  This prevents ticks from gettin
onto you.  Light colored clothing will help you see any.

Whenever you come inside, check yourself thoroughly. Ticks are tiny, s
know you are looking for something very small.  They can be as small a
this period mark .  Check your scalp, behind ears, armpits, belly button
behind knees, top of legs, genital area etc. They often go in hard to se
places.  Throw your clothing into a hot dryer for 15 minutes.  This wil
kill any ticks.

The only safe way to remove a tick is with tweezers only by grasping it
mouthparts as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight back. D
not put any substance on it such as alcohol, Vaseline, or fingernai
polish.  Do not burn it with a hot match.  These methods will irritat
the tick, and it will regurgitate into the blood.  Do not pull it of
with your fingers.  Squeezing the body makes it like a syringe with it
fluids being squeezed into the bloodstream.  Save the tick in a Ziplo
bag.  It can be tested for disease at IgeneX Lab in Palo Alto, CA

--
lymebytes

Grace, don't blame yourself. You had a few other issues @ the same
time to deal with, so noticing a cat feeling unwell is sometimes
dificult to do when your not feeling your best to start with. I'm ever
so sorry to hear that they didn't diagnose the right condition with
Lyric, even though your suggested it might be that. Actually, she is
lucky to have a mummy & daddy who were so knowledgable & knew better.
I would have had no idea & would have ended up @ the surgery every
other day until they did find out what what wrong.

Thank you for the advice regarding ticks too. The more information,
the better. I am still gob smacked that I knew so little about ticks,
despite living in tick & flea paradise in Africa. I have honestly
never found a single tick on any of out cats here since we had the
over 20 years ago- that was why I was so shocked by the information.
Our resident daschund used to get ears full of them, & I was forever
pulling them out of her, along with tumbu flies & flea's too. It's not
like I have never heard of them before, because I have. I just had no
idea that they could cause so much trouble.

To hear that Lyric is  doing so much better, is great news. I am
delighted that she is doing so well too. It's such a relief to see
them getting better, when you have a cat that has something wrong with
it, it's really hard to tell what is wrong with them sometimes because
they are so good at hiding pain & internal problems. In the wild, they
can't afford to look ill, otherwise they just become prey . Thank you
for the information that you have provided as well. It has given me a
lot to think about & digest Grace. Ignorance is never bliss.
Sheelagh >"o"<

Hi Grace.  How can I send you a private message?  Try seinding me one

I did not get your email.  My address does not print here when I try t
post it

--
lymebytes