Question About Bartonella Henselae

sivyaleah

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I just got a call from Cocoa's vet, she tested positive for the Bartonella Henselae virus (cat scratch fever).  I'm not overly worried, she never uses her claws at all, she' very polite, but we will put her on the recommended course of antibiotics he recommends.  Not so much for our sake, but just in case for anyone else that may come in contact with her.  I know the virus tends to be rather mild on the grand scale of things and easily treated but I'd hate to be responsible for someone possibly getting ill from her.  I have some concerns about the effectiveness of the treatment after reading up on it, but there is no other option that I'm aware of.

However, my understanding is that the source of the virus is from fleas.  I know at one point she had them, she was found on the street, and then fostered.  However, the foster family worm and flea treated her (with professional products) before I adopted her, and she had no fleas when she arrived to our home a month ago (confirmed by the vet).  I've been grooming her regularly since she's long haired and have not found any evidence of them either.

Do I need to worry about fleas at this point?  Our other cat has never had them, we've never had to deal with that before. Casper is totally indoors for several years (since we got him) and Cocoa has been since November.

Thanks.

Laurie
 
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ldg

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If she didn't have fleas when she arrived, and she saw the vet who said she didn't have fleas, I would think you don't need to worry about your other kitty having been exposed to it.

Is she sick? I mean - was there a reason the vet was looking for it? :dk:

:vibes: :vibes: :vibes: :rub:
 
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sivyaleah

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No, she wasn't ill other than being somewhat underweight.  I brought her in to establish her with our practice and, to have a look over as a "just in case".  Since that test wasn't on the records from her prior vet, they asked if we wanted it done to which I agreed.  It seemed a smart thing to do since we didn't know her full background, or behavior at that point.  Plus, of course, not knowing how she would react with our resident cat.

Not sure if the meds are warranted, or not.  Trying to get opinions on this.  

Thanks!
 

otto

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Bartonella can be difficult to get rid of. If you trust your vet, go with the recommendation and give her the antibiotics.
 
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sivyaleah

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Thanks Otto.

I trust him, for the most part. I like the office/people in general - the vet is very nice, personable, and thorough.  As usual, sometimes I think I'm being taken advantage of financially, but I've had this happen at other places and the more I learn about cat health, the less I feel that way since I'm able to make more informed choices for myself.  At least they go over everything with you beforehand, so you know what to expect, and explain the ramifications/possibilities.  Let alone I never have to wait more than a few minutes for my appointment.  I mean, they are amazingly on time, all the time.  And, he even remembered our other cat when we came in, and inquired about him, who he hadn't seen in almost a year.  So, yea, decent place.

Good thing my BF is adept at pilling.  Although I was recently reading you need to give them water afterwards, which we've never done before.  Who knew?  Wondering how you go about doing that?  I've barely ever even seen Cocoa drink water (good thing she gets wet food).  I'm a bit concerned about even giving Cocoa pills - catching her is the problem, once in our hands she's docile but boy oh boy getting hold of her could be a challenge lol.  Our boy, Casper, is a champ at it.  Guess we'll see what happens!
 

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There is some (debated) thought that bartonella can lead to dental problems (specifically stomatitis.)  My knowledge of it is related to my research on stomatitis (one of our cats has stomatitis.)  So it might be worth getting on top of it if that is possible.  I am surprised they tested for it though, in the absence of any problems.
 
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sivyaleah

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Perhaps, because I did mention she had bad breath when she came to me?  I wonder if that set off some concerns?  I haven't noticed it as much now but the first week or so it was kind of pronounced.  I thought she may have had a cold, but we didn't want to bring her in the first week and stress her out further as she was extremely timid and acclimating her was not easy.  We figured, unless she was acting really ill, we could wait a couple of week when she was more settled into the routine of our home.
 
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