Coccidia in Cats: Causes, Signs, and Therapy

Coccidia is an intestinal parasite inflicting diarrhea that extra usually impacts younger kittens. Lapina / Shutterstock.com

Coccidia in cats refers to a broad class for a bunch of protozoal inner parasites that may trigger diarrhea, particularly in kittens and cats housed in excessive quantity environments like shelters, catteries, and colonies.

In cats, coccidia often refers particularly to Cystoisospora (Isospora) species. Cystoisospora is the popular identify, modified from Isospora in 2005^[1], however you may take into account the 2 phrases interchangeable. Coccidian parasites are single-celled, protozoal organisms. Not like different inner parasites like roundworms and hookworms, that are precise worms, protozoal organisms are completely different. Protozoan parasites are extra usually spherical or oval-shaped organisms and may solely be seen beneath a microscope.

On this article, you’ll be taught extra about what coccidia in cats is, easy methods to acknowledge indicators of sickness, the way it’s handled, and a few continuously requested questions.

Fast Overview: Coccidia in Cats

Causes of Coccidia in Cats

Though much less widespread than fecal-oral transmission, searching mice and different small rodents can result in coccidia an infection in cats. Stefan_Sutka / Shutterstock.com

Cats may be affected by two sorts of coccidia: Cystoisospora felis and Cystoisospora rivolta. The 2 varieties trigger the identical indicators of sickness and understanding which species is inflicting an an infection is often not necessary from a illness prognosis and therapy standpoint.

Whereas coccidia in cats can have an effect on cats of any age, it extra usually impacts kittens lower than 3-6 months outdated. Sick, injured, or immunocompromised cats (together with pregnant queens) are additionally extra more likely to present indicators of sickness.

In a research^[2] taking a look at parasitic infections in almost 3,000 cats from 2007 to 2018, Cystoisospora was the commonest, affecting about 10% of cats. Coccidia infections in cats can differ by area, ranging wherever from solely 3% of cats as much as virtually 40% of cats examined.

There are two essential ways in which cats can develop a coccidia an infection.

Fecal-Oral Transmission

The commonest path to an infection is feces ingestion. Cystoisospora oocysts (pronounced “oh-oh-cysts”)—the parasite eggs—are current in contaminated animals’ stools. If one other cat ingests the contaminated stool and the oocysts, Cystoisospora will then develop an an infection within the new cat.

Oocysts should bear a course of known as sporulation to change into infective. In the proper situations, an oocyst handed in stool can sporulate and change into infective in slightly below 24 hours. Temperatures between about 70 and 90 levels Fahrenheit are perfect for this.

The fecal-oral route of cat coccidiosis may happen extra simply than you assume. It doesn’t imply a cat is in search of out poop to eat. For cats who share litter packing containers, a small quantity of stool residue can find yourself on a cat’s foot. Cats are fastidious groomers and coccidia oocysts may be ingested throughout self grooming or co-grooming in a multi-cat surroundings.

Kittens are particularly prone to an infection. Their moms can usually be shedding coccidia of their stool (although they might not present signs) offering a supply of environmental contamination for his or her kittens. Kittens can step in one another’s stool and monitor it round, simply resulting in unfold.

Looking/Predation

The second transmission route happens when a cat eats one other small animal that has been not directly contaminated with a coccidia parasite.

Cats are the one true hosts of C. felis and C. rivolta. However there may be oblique hosts, additionally known as paratenic hosts, that may change into a supply of an infection for cats. If a small mammal like a mouse ingests coccidia oocysts, it can’t trigger illness in them as a result of they don’t seem to be the proper host, however it’s going to kind a cystic stage known as a cystozoite.

If a cat then hunts and eats a mouse with cystozoites, the encysted kind can change into energetic within the cat, resulting in an infection. Apart from small rodents like mice, it could be doable for birds and even bugs^[3] to be sources of an infection for cats by this route.

Signs of Coccidia in Cats

Many cats contaminated with coccidia could haven’t any signs of sickness in any respect. Wholesome grownup cats can shed the parasite of their stools however could haven’t any indicators of diarrhea. Cats most frequently growing sickness from coccidia are younger kittens (often lower than 3-6 months outdated), cats with immunocompromise (pregnant or nursing queens, FIV or FeLV constructive cats), cats beneath inhabitants stress (colony cats, shelters), or cats with different ailments affecting their well being.

In cats that develop illness, the overall time interval from an infection to onset of signs is about 4-14 days. In these cats, widespread indicators of sickness can embody:

• Profuse, watery diarrhea
• Diarrhea with mucus

Much less widespread indicators of sickness that happen with extra extreme infections embody:

These much less widespread however extra extreme indicators usually tend to happen in younger kittens. It’s doable for kittens to die from a extreme coccidia an infection because of dehydration and lack of vitamins by diarrhea.

Prognosis of Coccidia in Cats

The view of a Cystoisospora oocyst beneath a microscope. Todorean-Gabriel / Shutterstock.com

Coccidia in cats could also be suspected in any cat, particularly a kitten, having watery diarrhea. However though coccidiosis may be widespread in cats, there may be many different causes of diarrhea, and coccidia involvement ought to by no means simply be assumed.

Coccidia is definitely identified with a fecal examination through your veterinarian. Most frequently, samples are despatched out to a laboratory. There are lots of various kinds of coccidia and never all trigger illness in cats, so having a verified result’s necessary for prognosis.

Cystoisospora could also be detected by searching for the oocysts in a stool pattern beneath a microscope. The variety of oocysts discovered can assist to estimate the severity of an infection.

Within the final couple of years, fecal PCR testing (searching for parasite DNA) has change into extra widespread. The sort of testing will also be very particular for the kind of coccidia and estimate the severity of the an infection.

Therapies for Coccidia in Cats

There are two sorts of treatment used to deal with coccidia infections in cats.

Sulfadimethoxine (Albon)

Albon is an antimicrobial that may halt the copy of Cystoisospora, permitting the host’s immune system and the parasite’s life expectancy to do the remainder.

Albon is FDA authorized to be used in cats for enteric infections, nonetheless, therapy particularly for coccidia infections is taken into account an off-label use. The FDA-approved dose (which is commonly used for coccidia infections) is 55mg/kg as soon as on the primary day, adopted by 27.5mg/kg each 24 hours for the rest of the therapy interval.

The therapy interval can differ broadly. On common, Albon could also be continued for many cats for 1-2 weeks (I intention for 10 days myself for many programs). Nevertheless, as a result of it doesn’t kill coccidia however solely halts their copy, treating some cats with heavier infections could take longer, even as much as 3 weeks. Therapy success could also be guided based mostly on recheck fecal samples and the advance of signs.

The 50mg/ml answer is the commonest kind prescribed for small cats and kittens for ease of dosing. The answer is yellow in look and may get confused with pyrantel (Strongid) if not labeled correctly. The tablets might also be utilized in bigger grownup cats.

Ponazuril (Marquis)

Ponazuril is an antiprotozoal treatment that was first developed for horses to deal with Sarcocystis neurona infections. As a result of Sarcocystis is an analogous organism to Cystoisospora, ponazuril began getting used a few years in the past to attempt treating coccidia infections in small animals.

Ponazuril is a coccidiocidal, that means it truly kills the parasites. Current research^[4] have supported using ponazuril to deal with Cystoisospora in cats, displaying that infections could also be virtually resolved inside solely a few days.

Nevertheless, ponazuril used to deal with cats, particularly small kittens, does current some obstacles. Ponazuril is marketed because the model ‘Marquis’, which is simply labeled to be used in horses. Marquis comes as a paste in a big syringe supposed to deal with as much as 1200 lb of horse and often prices over $300.

Dosing one thing a lot smaller may be difficult to do precisely and the associated fee makes it impractical for individually-owned cats. 1 gram of Marquis accommodates 150mg of ponazuril. A median-sized 10 lb cat may get 1-2 grams, however in actually small kittens, this may be ½ gram or much less. Dosing such a small quantity out of the Marquis syringe can simply result in overdoses, which has not been studied effectively in cats.

Due to this, dosing for small cats and kittens is greatest achieved by a compounding pharmacy to make sure the accuracy and security of the dosage. It might be widespread for shelters to share one tube of Marquis amongst a number of cats, which saves on value and is extra sensible because it requires much less time to deal with, however they accomplish that at an accepted diploma of threat. As a result of this treatment is used off-label, your veterinarian ought to assist you to with dosing and compounding if you wish to take into account it as a therapy choice in your personal cat.

Supportive Therapies

Along with treating the organism itself with treatment, different supportive care therapies could also be wanted for cats or younger kittens that develop vital illness. A few of these different therapies could embody:

• Urge for food stimulants
• Fluids, both beneath the pores and skin or intravenously in severe circumstances of dehydration
• Excessive-calorie restoration diets
• Dietary dietary supplements like Nutri-Cal
• Feeding tubes or parenteral vitamin (in very severe circumstances)

Find out how to Take care of Your Cat With Coccidia

Retaining litter packing containers often scooped and cleaned is a key a part of caring for a cat with coccidia. irinacapel / Shutterstock.com

Most cats with coccidia an infection present no indicators of sickness, but when your cat or kitten is having diarrhea, listed below are some ideas to assist out at house.

• Hygiene: Maintain all meals/water bowls, housing, and litter packing containers cleaned and sanitized day by day to forestall additional unfold. Utilizing dilute chlorine bleach^[5] at 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water will kill the oocysts. (Simply keep in mind that bleach can injury many surfaces).
• Litter trays: Scoop litter packing containers completely twice a day to take away stool transmission threat (bear in mind the oocysts change into infective in about 16 hours).
• Diet: Guarantee your cat is maintaining with meals and water consumption. Dehydration can happen in a short time, particularly in kittens. Any younger kitten who stops nursing ought to obtain quick care.

Prevention of Coccidia in Cats

There isn’t any treatment that may forestall coccidia an infection in cats, and no month-to-month prevention product is offered. This does imply that cats can get reinfected. Listed here are some ideas for lowering threat.

• Hygiene: In high-volume environments (shelters, catteries, colonies), clear and sterilize any common-use gadgets no less than day by day.
• Testing: Have a stool pattern checked no less than yearly in your cat. Even when there are not any indicators of illness, cats could shed coccidia of their stool, presenting an environmental contamination threat. Stool/fecal samples ought to all the time be checked extra continuously for pregnant queens and younger kittens. All the time verify a pattern previous to introducing a brand new cat or kitten to the house (for each the brand new cat and any cats presently within the house)
• Quarantine: Maintain any new kittens separated from different cats within the house for no less than a few days to look at for indicators of sickness and have a stool pattern checked.
• Optimize well being: Guaranteeing a common state of well being and lowering stress (together with overcrowding) may be the easiest way to forestall coccidia from inflicting extreme sickness.