Giardia Coccidia In Kittens

It most commonly causes watery mucus based diarrhea in animals.

Giardia coccidia in kittens. We do recommend ponazuril as the preferred treatment of coccidia in kittens in a shelter. What are the symptoms. Dogs are most often infected with genotypes c and d while cats are usually infected with f. 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.

Kittens are often susceptible to illnesses that healthy adult cats can fight off because their immune systems have not yet fully developed. Both giardia and coccidia cause varying degrees of diarrhea. Causes of giardiasis giardia are one celled organisms neither worms bacteria nor viruses. 1 there are eight giardia genotypes a through h.

Like giardia there are several types of coccidia and for dogs and cats a subset called isospora is the infective species. If it is not treated over time it can cause damage to the lining of a cat s intestinal tract. 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. Giardia and coccidia are single cell intestinal parasites that produce similar symptoms.

What are giardiasis and coccidiosis. With appropriate and prompt treatment the prognosis is good. Infections occur in adult cats and kittens but are much more likely to cause serious disease watery or bloody diarrhea in kittens. Coccidia is a nasty little single celled organism that causes mucousy diarrhea in kittens and can be treated with the prescription drug ponazuril.

Coccidia get grouped together with worms because they are routinely searched for in stool tests for worms fecal ova and parasite test. This makes it almost impossible for pet owners to differentiate between the two. You ll need to take your pup to the vet for tests to get an accurate diagnosis and the required treatment as the treatment for giardia is different than that for coccidia. Change in ownership other disease present.

Giardia is another protozoan infection resulting in soft frothy greasy diarrhea which can be treated with panacur. Giardiasis and coccidiosis are parasitic infections of the intestinal tract which are fairly common in kittens particularly during the weaning stage.