Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First blood infection found in a diabetic cat
By Scarpellini, Raffaele et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2023·Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Case report: First isolation offrom the blood of a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old female domestic short-haired cat with diabetes and acromegaly was brought in for being lethargic and not eating. She had high blood sugar, fever, and signs of dehydration. The vet suspected an infection and started her on insulin and antibiotics. Blood tests confirmed a serious infection, and after two days of treatment, her blood sugar dropped too low, requiring additional care. Fortunately, she recovered well and went home with insulin and a different antibiotic.
People also search for: cat lethargy and not eating · diabetes in cats treatment · cat infection symptoms · septicemia in cats · cat blood sugar treatment
Abstract
A 14-year-old female domestic short-haired cat with a diagnosed diabetes mellitus and acromegaly was presented for lethargy and dysorexia. On clinical presentation, the patient showed hyperglycemia, hyperthermia, dull mentation, and dehydration. With the suspicion of an inflammatory or infectious complication of diabetes, she was hospitalized with constant rate infusion of insulin, and empirical ampicillin sulbactam was started. Blood culture revealed positivity forand the septic picture was confirmed by blood analysis, with leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and an increased serum amyloid A concentration. The isolatedstrain showed susceptibility to every antimicrobial tested. During the second day of hospitalization, the onset of hypoglycemia and hypotension was treated with norepinephrine and glucose in fluid therapy. The cat recovered well and was discharged with insulin and amoxicillin-clavulanate. This is the first case of septicemia associated within a cat, suspected of developing the infection after contact with natural reservoirs such as rodents or birds. This route of transmission should be highlighted especially in relation to the zoonotic potential of the bacteria.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38249564/