effective administering of doxycycline

My cat was prescribed doxycycline tablets for mycoplasma felis: but was unable to complete the whole course owing to difficulty of swallowing  loss of appetite and occasional sickness. Is there a suitable injectable antibiotic that could be given: and how successful are antibiotics in this case,.?  Also  how can I alleviate the catarrhal and throat symptoms present?

[Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM]

Yes you can also use enrofloxacin which is comes with a veterinary label called Baytril and/or Orbax to treat mycoplasma in cats.

Here is a summary of this feline red blood cell disease which I hope is helpful.

Sometimes called feline infectious anemia, feline mycoplasma is a bacterial infection caused by the Mycoplasma haemofelis organism.

Feline mycoplasma is spread through the bite of an infected flea, lice tick or mosquito as well as through a transfusion with infected blood. Feline hemotropic mycoplasmas are parasites that attach to the outside of red blood cells called erythrocytes and result in anemia. This organism was formerly known as Haemobartonella but has been reclassified as a mycoplasma based on recent RNA sequence analysis.

Feline hemotropic mycoplasmas are small (0.3–0.8 µm) gram-negative bacteria that lack a cell wall and infect a variety of mammalian species, including people.

Damage caused by parasite attachment and immune response by the
host results in increased red blood cell (RBC) destruction and anemia.

There are three hemotropic mycoplasmas that have been identified in cats: Mycoplasma haemofelis, Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum and most recently Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis.

Risk factors associated with hemotropic mycoplasma infection include: access to outdoors, fleas, male gender, age of less than 4 to 6 years, presentation during summer months, positive FeLV status, history of cat bite abscesses and absence of current vaccination.

Transmission can occur through fleas and possibly ticks and lice. Kittens can be infected from the queen. Biting and aggressive behavior have been associated with transmission. Blood transfusion with infected blood can result in infection of the blood recipient.

Cats present with depression, lethargy, anorexia or inappetence, weakness, weight loss and dehydration. On physical examination, mucous membranes are pale and sometimes icteric. Tachypnea, tachycardia and a heart murmur may
be present. Fever and splenomegaly are not uncommon.

Subclinical carriers of feline hemotropic mycoplasmas show no clinical sign of the disease.

The CBC in cats presenting with clinical signs of illness reveals a hematocrit that is often 50% of normal. The anemia is usually very regenerative, but may be nonregenerative if there is concurrent illness or infection with FeLV. In cats with subclinical infections, the CBC may be normal or reveal only a mild anemia.

Once the diagnosis is made, treatment with doxycycline or enrofloxacin can be started.
Because the immune system contributes to the destruction of erythrocytes, steroids like prednisone are often given to severely anemic patients.

Blood transfusions may be necessary in cats with significant anemia for immediate stabilization. Flea control is important to protect against additional infections.
Prognosis with appropriate treatment is good.

Dr Carol Osborne, DVM