One of my two cats, Winston, was diagnosed with histoplasmosis a month ago. It is a fungal disease that affects the lungs, eyes or the whold body, is very difficult to treat and has a high mortality rate. The fungal spores are found anywhere you find bird and/ or bat droppings. The spores are so small that even a HEPA filter may be ineffective. My cats are indoor cats and I have 2 large HEPA filters, but that didn't keep the younger cat from getting sick. It is more common in cats younger than four. Winston is almost 2-1/2. The symptoms are difficult to spot. Loss of appetite was gradual. Increased breathing is harder to spot. I didn't notice that Winston's breathing rate had almost tripled until both cats were lying side by side.
It may be another month before I know whether the medication he is on is working. He has an esophageal tube because he won't eat or drink anything. It takes about 5 hours a day to feed him with a special slurry. I worry when he coughs because he could aspirate some of the slurry and get pneumonia. I don't want to think of losing him. We've had him since he was 6 weeks old.
The number of cats with histoplasmosis is up because this winter as been very wet and warmer than usual.
Dogs can get it, too. I just don't know if they are as susceptible as cats. The normal breathing rate for cats at rest is between 15 and 30 breaths per minute.
BettyDee
