If your kitty recently develop a case of diarrhoea , this common parasite may be the grounds .
If your cat developed a sudden , afoul - smell looseness of the bowels , it could be due to a tiny sponge calledGiardiathat is commonly spread through the poop of infected animals . AGiardiainfection in cats is typically address with oral medicine and a deep cleanup of their environment to wholly bump off the parasite . fortunately , the endangerment of severe malady is low , and it ’s simple to protect your kitty from contagion .
What isGiardia?
Giardiaduodenalis(also calledGiardia intestinalisandGiardia lamblia)is a smallparasitethat can infect the intestines of humans and animals . In people , Giardiais one of many infective agentive role that can cause " Traveler ’s Diarrhea " after eat or drinking contaminated food for thought or piss . This sponge can also taint dogs and , less commonly , cats .
accord to theCompanion Animal Parasite Council(CAPC ) , animals infect withGiardiashed the parasite through cyst in their poop , which contaminates things the ninny come in middleman with , like litter , cat bed , pelt , and weewee . When another computed tomography accidentally eats or drinks one of these cysts , they become septic and the cps continues .
" This is usually look in kittens in unclean surround , or incat protection , " says Sara Ochoa , DVM , a vet atSenior Tail Waggerswith over 6 years of experience work as a veterinarian forWhitehouse Veterinary Hospitalin Whitehouse , Texas .
Photo: Mitsuharu Watari / EyeEm / Getty
" Most big cat and kittens do not getGiardiasince most people keep their cats unclouded and make certain that they have fresh drinking water , " Ochoa says . However , if yourcat spends a lot of meter outdoorsnear a weewee source , they ’re more likely to compress the sponge .
Signs and Symptoms ofGiardiain Cats
Many cats infected withGiardiadon’t show any symptoms . When the infection does cause sign of the zodiac seen by a pet parent , it ’s have sex as clinical giardiasis . In computed axial tomography , diarrheais a usual star sign of giardiasis ; they may have unformed / soft , and/or pale , foul - smelling toilet . Other likely sign include sluggishness , abdominal discomfort , gas , and poor coat consideration . Nausea andvomitingare uncommon in cats by may develop . Left untreated , weight lossor even death may occur in very young , or aged , debilitated fauna .
" Giardiacan make yourcat to not want to eatand drink and eventually cause them to be very sick , " Ochoa says .
The disease is more potential to be serious in kitten or old cats with damage immune systems fromFeline Immunodeficiency Virus(FIV),Feline Leukemia Virus(FeLV ) or other sickness .
How to TreatGiardiain Cats
It can be hard to diagnose giardiasis in cats , so your veterinarian may want to do several trial . After your cat is diagnose by their vet , she ’ll in all likelihood be prescribed an anti - epenthetic medicine to help remove the infection .
There is no approved medication for this condition , however " metronidazoleand fenbendazole are two commonly prescribe medication for the treatment ofGiardia . Usually these are very effectual at treatingGiardiainfection , " Ochoa sound out .
At the last of her handling , you ’ll want to preclude reinfection by hold back your qat and her environment blank . check that toclean her fur(bathing the back - end with shampoo to remove fecal material is very helpful ) to remove any remaining cysts that may be hang around and give herlitter box a deep cleanonce her treatment is complete . You ’ll also want to disinfect your family — includingbedding , carpeting , carriers , andfurnitureyour kitty lounges on most . If your cat drop prison term out of doors , verify she has a clean water source and keep her aside from ones that may be infected .
Is It Possible to PreventGiardiain Cats?
While there are n’t any preventative medications forGiardiain computed tomography , the risk of contagion can be repress with a clean environment . Make certain to clean your guy ’s litter box on a regular basis , especially if you have multiple cats . If your kitty spends meter outdoors , watch them to insure they ’re not drinking from potentially contaminated water supply .
Can Cats SpreadGiardiato Humans and Other Pets?
unluckily , yes . Giardiais a zoonotic parasite , mean it can be spread from animals to humanity . However , the CAPC says there ’s petty evidence for verbatim transmission between pets and people , and humans are more likely to shrink it from other humans . However , it ’s important to be extra conservative with immune - compromised household members .
If your cat hasGiardia , other pets in your household may also get infect . The easy style to prevent contagion is to make certain your positron emission tomography ca n’t get to the infected African tea ’s faecal issue — specially if your dog is notorious foreating poopor if the hombre in your house like to assist each other clean . This may mean keep on them in separate rooms while your pussycat fill in treatment and check everything they ’ve touched is disinfected .
