Coccidia In Cats Contagious To Dogs
The short answer is yes but it s unlikely.
Coccidia in cats contagious to dogs. Coccidia is contagious between dogs. The most common clinical sign of coccidiosis is diarrhea but most dogs that are infected with coccidia do not have any clinical signs. Similarly the disease is not contagious for humans. Fortunately host animals are usually affected by different species of coccidia which means that spreading the infection between different species e g.
This means that while cats can become infected with other types of coccidia. The ones specific to your dog will not be able to infect your cat. Coccidia can infect cats dogs and even humans. Oocysts are very hardy and can survive for up to a year in warm moist soil.
When the coccidial oocysts are found in the stool of a dog without diarrhea they are generally considered a transient insignificant finding. Then other dogs contract coccidiosis by swallowing oocysts directly from feces or soil contaminated with feces. How to prevent coccidia in cats. That is most coccidia species that live in cats can t live in dogs or humans and vice versa.
From cat to dog is highly unlikely. Fortunately though the protozoa are host specific. What is the cost of treating coccidia. Yes coccidia is contagious to other dogs and infections are more common in areas where many dogs are congregated in the one spot such as in boarding kennels or amongst populations of stray dogs.
Coccidia are microscopic parasites that live in the gastrointestinal tract of both cats and dogs. If you have multiple cats and one is showing symptoms of coccidia and tests positive for the infection be sure to keep your other cats away from the litter box that the infected cat uses. Dogs like humans can catch coccidia from contact with dog or cat feces contaminated soil or contaminated food. Diagnosis is it important to see the vet.
Contact with feces need not be direct since the spores are microscopic almost impossible to kill and easy to track all over the place. Coccidia is quite contagious between dogs. Dogs humans and other animals do have their own forms of coccidia but most coccidians are very host specific. Fortunately the protozoa are host specific so while cats can become infected with certain subspecies of isospora your dog cannot pass the disease to cats in the household.
It is always advisable to see the vet if your dog develops diarrhea. Cats and dogs each have their own form of coccidia cats can t catch the parasite from dogs and. The best way to prevent your cat from getting coccidia is to keep it indoors and don t allow it to chase or play with mice.