Coccidia In Kittens Treatment

Coccidiosis is a parasitic type of infection caused by the coccidia parasite.

Coccidia in kittens treatment. We do recommend ponazuril as the preferred treatment of coccidia in kittens in a shelter. Treatment of coccidiosis in cats since young pets succumb to this infection if they re not treated promptly it s important to get the cat s feces examined for the presence of coccidia. Felis poses no threat to owners. Some formulations of this medication are pleasant tasting and most cats will readily accept them.

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. It is thought that 5 of all cats acquire coccidiosis at some point in their lives. It most commonly causes watery mucus based diarrhea in animals. Test any pregnant cats for protozoa so that kittens may be treated after birth.

Treatment of coccidia in cats in order to treat coccidiosis in a cat showing symptoms your cat will need a specific type of anti parasitic medication to kill the parasite. Usually a drug called trimethoprim sulfonamide is prescribed and given orally to your cat for about a week in order to treat the infection. Coccidia can easily be treated with a five day course of a particular antibiotic. Coccidia belong to a group of single celled parasites called protozoan.

Sulfa drugs are the primary treatment for coccidia infection though there are other options as well. Coccidiosis is diagnosed through an examination of the kitten s fecal material. Whilst there is no licensed treatment for coccidiosis in cats effective medications are available. There are also ways to eliminate risk factors from your cat s environment.

In addition a bland diet for a few days helps to nurse the gut along and allow things to settle down. The most common drug used to treat coccidiosis is a sulfa class antibiotic sulfadimethoxine. Since adult cats rarely show coccidiosis symptoms unless they are ill or stressed you may have an underlying health problem to deal with as well. Most coccidia can not spread to humans.

If it is not treated over time it can cause damage to the lining of a cat s intestinal tract. With appropriate and prompt treatment the prognosis is good. The most common coccidia i. However if there are coccidian cysts in the cat s bedding on soft furnishings or even on her fur it s perfectly possible for her to re infect herself.

Take extra care when monitoring the health of kittens to identify cases of coccidiosis before the infection has progressed too far. Your cat may also require treatment for dehydration. If the sulfa drug is not effective other treatments are available.