Coccidia In Kittens

This causes stomach cramps loss of appetite and poor growth in young kittens.

Coccidia in kittens. In kittens coccidiosis infection can cause watery and bloody diarrhea vomiting pain and dehydration followed by rapid weight loss. Signs symptoms of coccidia in cats because coccidia live in an animal s intestinal tract and diarrhea is one of the symptoms coccidia can be confused with intestinal worms. We do recommend ponazuril as the preferred treatment of coccidia in kittens in a shelter. They re microscopic parasites that live within the cells that line the intestines.

Since young kittens less than six months of age have no immunity to coccidia the organisms can reproduce in. Coccidiosis is of particular danger for kittens since their immune system is underdeveloped. Toxoplasma and cryptosporidium are also species of coccidia but the isospora species are the ones that are most typically referred to as coccidia. With appropriate and prompt treatment the prognosis is good.

But they aren t worms at all. After birth kittens can become infected from their mother with exposure to her feces especially with the tendency of kittens to explore. Kittens who are infected with coccidiosis are contagious and can infect the rest of the litter. There are many different species of coccidia but two species of coccidia are most common in cats isospora felis and isospora rivolta.

Change in ownership other disease present. Those cats most likely to show symptoms of coccidiosis are young kittens those with weak immune systems or cats kept in crowded unhygienic conditions. These parasites live in the cells of the intestines. Coccidia invade the gut and irritate the lining of the bowel.

Symptoms include watery stool with mucus or blood fever and in some cats neurological problems such as depression or convulsions. If the mother is shedding oocysts her babies can ingest them during nursing. Coccidiosis is a parasitic type of infection caused by the coccidia parasite. Trimethoprim sulfa has also been used successfully but it is typically very unpalatable and the dosing schedule your veterinarian uses 10 days is longer than would be needed for treatment with ponazuril.

Because kittens can be quickly affected by diarrhea and vomiting it is very important to have your little fur ball examined by a veterinarian immediately if any diarrhea and vomiting symptoms occur. It most commonly causes watery mucus based diarrhea in animals. Kittens are commonly diagnosed with coccidiosis but are not born with it. 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 system is suppressed or in animals who are stressed in other ways e g.

There are also. Coccidia are a group of microscopic parasites that can cause a disease called coccidiosis in kittens and cats. Veterinary attention is needed to ease symptoms and rid the cat of the parasitic infestation. The most common parasite to cause coccidiosis in cats is isospora felis.

While albon sulfadimethoxine is the only fda approved drug the recommended dosing schedule is to administer it for 5 21 days which can be costly both monetarily and in staff time.