Kitten with diarrhea that doesn’t go away? Don’t overlook it because there are some intestinal parasites quite dangerous for kittens. We’re talking about coccidia in catsa real problem especially in kittens. This is because, especially in kittens or even in immunosuppressed adults, they can cause very debilitating forms of bloody diarrhea.
Coccidia in cats: causes and methods of transmission
There coccidiosis it is caused by coccidia, protozoa belonging to the genus Cystoisospora. Those that affect the cat are:
There Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route: Cats become infected by ingesting sporulated oocysts expelled from a sick cat in feces. Coccidia are obligate intracellular protozoa (to release the oocysts they destroy the cell, which means they damage the intestinal mucosa) and affect both the small and large intestine. Which means you can’t see them with the naked eye.
The pre-license period lasts 6-10 days. After this period of time the oocysts are excreted in the feces. Here they finish their development, becoming weeds within a few days.
There are also some paratenic hosts which can host the oocysts without however allowing them to continue their life cycle. Sick cats shed oocysts for more than two weeks sometimes.
Can cat coccidia be transmitted to humans?
No, Coccidiosis in cats is not transmitted to humans. Just like Dog coccidiosis is not transmitted to humans. Coccidia are species-specific, which means that those of cats are transmissible only to other cats, those of dogs to other dogs, those of rabbits to other rabbits and so on.
Symptoms of coccidiosis in cats
The coccidian oocysts they are found both in the feces of sick animals and in animals with a subclinical form. Indeed: on stool examinations, oocysts are often found after the onset of diarrhoea, not during the acute phase. Kittens can become infested from an early age, as early as 3-8 weeks of age.
As for symptoms, the texts state that, in immunocompetent adults, the infestation passes without causing symptoms as the immune system is able to get rid of the coccidia without them causing symptoms.
However, in subjects with weaker immune system (so kittens, elderly people, cats with other ongoing diseases, even other parasites or viral and bacterial forms), more serious symptoms will appear. It is also often possible to see symptoms in kittens subjected to diet changes or even during the phase of weaningthat is, the transition from milk-based to solid nutrition. Typical is the case of a kitten mistakenly fed cow’s milk and then developing severe diarrhea with the appearance of coccidia. (READ also: Can cats drink milk?)
THE symptoms I am:
Don’t underestimate it danger of coccidia especially in kittens: they can quickly lead to death of a not very robust kitten.
Remedies and treatment of coccidiosis in cats
If it is true that in immunocompetent adults, at least in theory, there should be no need to treat them when self-limitingkittens or animals with other diseases should always be treated. Furthermore, all cohabiting animals must also be treated.
They don’t exist natural remedies for cat coccidiosisit must be administered sulphonamide-based therapies. These serve to block diarrhea, but not the excretion of oocysts. Let’s say that there are not many therapeutic possibilities in cats. While the use of the toltrazuril in single administration, this therapy is off-label in cats. That is, at the discretion of the attending veterinary surgeon and subject to the owner’s consent as the toltrazuril-based drug is not registered for cats.
We must also help the intestine to recover from this infestation. Which also means providing supportive therapy based lactic ferments if necessary. In case of severe diarrhea with dehydration and weakness, support therapy based on fluids and vitamins may be necessary.
Other parasites in small kittens
Of course, it’s not just Coccidia that trigger Severe diarrhea in kittens. Among other parasites, you should also pay attention to:
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