Coccidiosis In Kittens

Coccidiosis is an intestinal tract infection caused by a one celled organism a protozoa called coccidia.

Coccidiosis in kittens. Bloody diarrhea and an. Try to avoid crowding your cats together. Once the kitten consumes the cyst the protozoa multiply in the pet s intestines. We do recommend ponazuril as the preferred treatment of coccidia in kittens in a shelter.

Pet shops catteries and animal. Because coccidia live in the intestinal tract and can cause diarrhea they are often confused with intestinal worms but coccidia are not worms. Video of the day. The species of coccidia that most frequently affect cats are isospora rivolta and isospora felis.

Give each of your cat s plenty of space. Diagnosing coccidia in cats. If your cat comes into. Causes of coccidia in cats direct contact with infected feces hunting and eating rodents that contain protozoa in its resting stages ingesting contaminated soil.

Being in an environment with other infected animals is the most common cause of this infection. This is most commonly done when a cat ingests an infected mouse or another cat s feces. Symptoms are most commonly seen in kittens under 6 months of age. Coccidia are small protozoans one celled organisms that multiply in the intestinal tracts of cats and dogs most commonly in kittens and puppies less than six months of age in adult animals whose immune systemis suppressed or in animals who are stressed in other ways e g.

Most adults carry coccidia but their immune system keeps it in check some adults may however shed cysts in the feces. Isospora felis and isospora rivolta are the most common species of coccidia in cats. Risk factors for coccidiosis include age young kittens at least 2 weeks of age but typically less than 6 months 1 stress always a challenge in a shelter and coinfection with other parasites. Keep your cat s litter tray clean.

In cats most coccidia are of the genus group called isospora. In order for a cat to become infected with coccidia it needs to consume the parasite. Coccidiosis in cats symptoms and types. Feces from an infected cat contains coccidian oocysts.

The primary symptom of a coccidial infection is watery mucous like diarrhea. Kittens generally contract this infection when they consume contaminated feces. When a cat swallows the oocyst which is the immature infectious form of coccidia the cat develops coccidiosis. Change in ownership other disease present.