Introduction

Bordetellosis in cats is somewhat difficult to diagnose because the causative bacteria, Bordetella bronchiseptica, causes clinical signs that mimic those caused by other infectious agents. Definitive diagnosis requires identification of the particular bacterial culprit.

Diagnosing Bordetellosis in Cats

When a cat comes into a clinic with signs that suggest possible Bordetella infection, the veterinarian will take a swab sample of secretions from the cat’s nasal passage and/or from its throat. The sample will be placed into a sterile glass tube and sent to an outside laboratory for culture and microorganism identification. Isolation of the bacteria in cases of active clinical disease is fairly easy. It is more difficult to isolate Bordetella from samples taken from cats who are chronic carriers but show no signs of clinical illness. PCR tests are available to identify the bacteria’s specific DNA rather than identifying the bacteria itself.

Outside laboratories often take 48-72 hours to produce results. As a result, many veterinarians will make an initial diagnosis of feline bordetellosis based upon the animal’s history and clinical presentation. If the cat lives, or recently lived, in an area housing multiple cats or in a household with a dog that was recently diagnosed with Bordetella infection, then the cat is at a high risk for developing bordetellosis. Many cats that are infected with the Bordetella organism are also suffering from other causes of upper respiratory tract disease. Thorough blood and urine evaluation, including feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus tests, are normally performed to round out the assessment of the causes of the affected cat’s condition.