Feline coccidiosis is a condition in cats that causes watery stool, dehydration, abdominal pains, and vomiting. All cats are at risk from this unfortunate disease, though kittens and debiliated cats are the most common sufferers.
Actually, coccidia is very common among both felines and canines. It is thought that around a third of cats and dogs are in fact infected with the disease. However, not all of these animals will show symptoms of infection.
Coccidiosis is caused by one-celled organisms called protozoa. Acting in a similar way to other parasites, such as worms, protozoa live in the intestinal tract of cats.
However, coccidia and worms require different treatments. This makes it very important that you take your cat to a veterinarian as soon as you notice symptoms of intestinal distress, diarrhea, and vomiting.
So, how do cats become infected with coccidia? Through coming into contact with infected fecal matter. All cat stool contain immature protozoa (referred to as oocytes), which are relatively harmless until they mature in an open environment. The longer a cat stool has been to decay, the more the oocytes develop, and the more at risk cats coming into contact with it become. Another way of cats developing coccidiosis is from licking or eating protozoan infected mice.
To prevent against coccidia infestations, you should...
1. Keep basic sanitation for catteries and kennels. Where they sleep, eat and play should be clean, tidy and well maintained. Of particular importance is the disposing of stool within a day or two of it appearing.
2. Disinfect. Before doing this, you may want to move your pets to a different location for the time being. The reason being that the fumes from disinfectants are potentially harmful to animals. You may then spray the area with a disinfectant that contains a considerable amount of ammonia or a little bleach mixed with a good amount of water.
3. Not forget to tend to crevices, and hard to reach areas. Pets, being curious, end up sniffing around in lots of places that you might not expect. They are exactly the places that parasites lurk in so don't forget about cleaning and disinfecting those areas too.
4. Repaint. Coccidian oocytes living on the walls of your house will instantly be killed should you repaint the areas where they are.
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