ZITHROMAX

Chlamydia is a relatively newly discovered bacteria, which causes serious problems in many species of animal as well as humans.

In Australia, chlamydia has found its way into koala populations where it is a major cause of reduced fertility and declining populations. In kangaroos it causes blindness resulting in unfortunate animals hopping full force into trees and other solid objects resulting in stress, difficulty feeding and ultimate death. In humans chlamydia is responsible for the sexually transmitted "NSU" - Non Specific Urethritis, which causes pain on urination and a penile discharge in males and may cause scarring of the fallopian tubes and infertility in women who may have no symptoms until they try to become pregnant.

In many species, including felines and humans Chlamydis is a common cause of Respiratory Tract Infections - 'RTI', and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections - 'URTI'.URTIs cause nasal congestion and discharge and in cats runny eyes. RTIs affect the lungs and may cause pneumonia.

Chlamydia was only relatively recently discovered, because it is a difficult organism to culture in laboratories, and difficult to see under the microscope. It responds poorly to most common antibiotics and until recently the best medical treatment was a long course ( 4 weeks) of vibramycin, (Vibravet) - a tetracycline based antibiotic.

In cats Chlamydia is very common and a major health problem for breeders. It causes a flu like illness with sneezing, serous (clear) discharge from the nose and runny eyes. Some prominent Persian breeders feel that chlamydia may be endemic in some catteries and is a contributing causes to the chronic runny eyes in their cats.

I feel chlamydia is also a common cause of pneumonia in young kittens. Many of us have had kittens who seemed well until about two weeks then became ill , stopped feeding developed a rattly chest and eventually died. This is probably chlamydial pneumonia. It may well be one of the causes of Fading Kitten Syndrome which may affect kittens as young as 24 hrs on.

Zithromax is a new , safe antibiotic which is highly effective against chlamydia. Vibravet takes four weeks to wipe out Chlamydia; Zithromax does it in a single dose.

Many vets will not have heard of Zithromax, which may have not been promoted to them as an animal drug. However it is very safe and it works well.

It is available in a syrup, with 600mg of Zithromax in 15mls. The dos for an average three kg adult cat would be 3 times 20mg = 60mg or 1.5mls of syrup.

It is also available in 250 mg and 500mg tablets. The dose for an average 3kg cat would be 1/4 of a 250mg tablet - or 1/8 of a 500mg tablet.

Entire Cattery Populations - If you have many problems with respiratory infections, runny eyes and noses and sneezing ask your vet to do a culture for chlamydia. If it is positive I would advocate treating the whole cattery.

New Cats - If you are buying a new breeder and you have little knowledge of the breeding cattery or cannot inspect it because it is interstate or distant I would advocate treating the new breeder with a single dose of Zithromax before introducing the cat to your resident population.

Pregnant Queens - It would seem that chlamydia can exist in cats in a dormant form, and that some resistance is given to kittens by maternal antibodies which fade out at about 2 weeks after birth, which is when many kittens will get sick, develop pneumonia and die. If you have any suspicion your pregnant queen may have, have had, or have been exposed to chlamydia (this probably includes most queens), I advocate giving a single dose of 20mg/kg of Zithromax on about the 58^th day of pregnancy. At this stage there is no risk to the unborn kittens, who may otherwise contract chlamydia from the queen during birth or soon after.

I feel that if this became a standard cattery practice kitten losses may well be significantly reduced.

Zithromax is a new and highly effective and safe single dose treatment for chlamydia. Though not widely known by vets it is has wide applications in breeding catteries and may well help cure many chronic health problems as well as if given to pregnant queens on the 58^th day, may help prevent losses of newly born and young kittens. The dose is 20mg/kg bodyweight of cat.

Zithromax remains at an effective concentration within the tissues for a week, thus giving a single dose is like giving a seven day course of a shorter lived antibiotic. Fore severely affected cats, and cats that have been symptomatic for weeks or months, or catteries where virtually the whole population is symptomatic I now suggest repeating the 20mg/kg dose seven days after the initial dose. In these badly or chronically affected catteries I must emphasize the treating of the WHOLE CAT POPULATION, including domestics and household pets and any other animals that the cats may have contact with to eliminate non symptomatic carriers of chlamydia. At the same time as treating Nuke the catteries with bleach at least twice within the week.

If the disease returns after this consider whether there may be a human carrier, yourself perhaps or family or staff. Consult you doctor before treating humans!!

However one dose is sufficient as prophylaxis in pregnant queens, and in chlamydia affected cats if the symptoms are mild and when given early in the course of the illness.