Young cats are at a higher risk for coccidosis than older animals.
Coccidiosis is a serious parasitic condition that can threaten your cat's overall health and well-being. It's communicated through the litter box, so it can quickly spread throughout your home. Dealing with this problem quickly and effectively is important, but just relying on medication may not be the best choice. Holistic techniques take your cat's entire health profile into account.
Types
Coccidia is a type of one-celled organism called a protozoa. These microscopic parasites live in the intestinal lining and cause digestive upset, including diarrhea. Two major types of coccidia infect cats: Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta. They may also be referred to as Cystoisospoa. These types of coccidia are species-specific. Cat coccidia cannot infect dogs or humans.
Effects
Coccidiosis causes diarrhea in infected cats, as well as dehydration and weight loss. In serious cases, your pet may stop eating, vomit, suffer from depression, or have intestinal hemorrhage. Some cats can even die from severe coccidia infections. In some cases, pets do not show symptoms for some time, despite being contagious. This increases the danger of the problem's spreading to other animals.
Considerations
Coccidiosis is likely to be aggravated by problems that suppress your cat's immune system. Other diseases, stress and environmental change, poor diet and lifestyle conditions that promote poor immune health increase the chances of serious illness from coccidiosis. Proper holistic care will support the animal's health in order to boost its immune system and help it get rid of the parasite.
Prevention/Solution
According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, appropriate sanitation in kennels and households with multiple cats can help keep coccidia under control. Avoid allowing your cats to go outside, where they may come into contact with the waste of infected animals. Use steam, pressure washers, or ammonia disinfectants to keep all animal areas and litter boxes clean and to kill oocysts--the spore phase of the protozoa and the means through which coccidia spreads.
Warning
While holistic therapy, including a quality diet and improved lifestyle, can help many cats suffering from coccidia, conventional drugs may be required. If your cat shows signs of a severe infection, appears weak or loses large amounts of weight, ask your vet to treat the problem with sulfadimethoxine, the only drug currently approved for feline coccidosis. Some other drugs and drug combinations are also available, but have not yet been approved.
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