This week I also took in my 2 (negative) cats for their blood pressure check. They are both on med.s for high blood pressure. I asked before, but is ANYONE else's vet checking blood pressure now other than mine???
Anyway, one of them, Popeye, one of my oldest cats (maybe 10) has been losing weight, not grooming, etc... And he and Bob had terrible breath and I feared kidney problems. I took them in several months ago for this and they ran bloodwork which was good. Put them on the blood pressure medicine and did a dental. I was told to wait and see if these things seemed to help.
I took them back in because Popeye still seems to be losing weight and both of them still have awful breath. They ran bloodwork again and it was fine. Blood pressure was fine. But they both seemed to have inflamed gums even after their recent dental.
The vet said she suspected Bartonella. Not Hemobartonella. She said this can cause mouth problems, etc... and that if 2 of my cats have it they probably all do. The tests take about a week to get back so I'm still waiting on results. Vet said it required a run on antibiotics. (zithromax, eurithromycin??? something like that)
Meanwhile, I did a search on Bartonella and found out that it is what gives people "Cat Scratch Fever (Disease)". There was not a lot of information. Apparently it's rather new research in how it effects cats? I'm starting to wonder if my vet reads all the new research and then wants to test all my cats for it! blood pressure, now bartonella.....
She did tell me that the high blood pressure can cause blindness in cats and that Popeye had something ( I don't recall what she called it.) going on with his eyes caused by the blood pressure.
Anyone have any experience with this?
tonya
