Overview
Giardia is a tiny , one - celled sponger that can cause an intestinal infection in PET called giardiasis .
In 2019 , less than 4 pct of cats who were tested in the United States try positive for giardia , accord to information from theCompanion Animal Parasite Council ( CAPC ) .
cat who frequent the outdoors or who dwell in sure geographical locations could be expose to giardia at higher charge per unit . States that have increased prevalence include :
Because symptom of giardia transmission in cats can be easy to overleap or completely absent , it ’s crucial to understand what the disease is and how to help your pet .
What is Giardia in Cats?
Giardia is a single - celled organism that colonise the small intestines of CAT . It is transmitted by ingesting water or dust that have been contaminated with infected feces .
In the intestines , giardia appear as a motile organism , meaning it ’s capable of movement . When it is shed into the environs , it is in the form of a cyst that is immune to moth-eaten weather condition , freezing , and chlorination , make it unchanging for a long time .
Most ordinarily , cats do not exhibit clinical signs of giardia , and the diagnosing is made on a routine fecal screening that veterinarians advocate per annum .
WhatCausesa Giardia Infection?
Cats can become infected with giardia by ingesting cyst in polluted water , dirt , or solid food bowls . It is considered to be contagious among quat .
Even if one bozo in a multi - cat menage does not exhibit signs but is diagnosed with giardia , it ’s recommended to prove all the cats in the household and cover for the contagion . Careful hygienics practices can also throttle persistence of giardia in the surroundings .
Although giardia is deliberate to be zoonotic , mean it ’s tolerable from cats to humanity , it is rarefied to diagnose feline giardia in a human or human giardia in a cat . Transmission from cats to dogs , and frailty versa , is also unlikely . Each giardia species typically choose its respective host .
Giardia in CatsSymptoms
As mentioned before , cats often do not exhibit clinical sign of giardia , even when infected . If your cat does break symptoms , they will typically occur within five to 16 sidereal day of ingesting giardia cysts . Symptoms of giardia in cats may include :
The diarrhea is induce by the leech damaging the intestinal cells , leading to maldigestion , malabsorption , and subsequent diarrhoea . Usually there is no blood in the feces .
Your veterinarian may recommend examination for giardia if your cat exhibits signs of gastrointestinal ( GI ) confused , such as vomiting , weight loss , or poor appetency . However , the direct link between these clinical signs and giardiasis is indecipherable .
Diagnosing Your Catwith a Giardia Infection
If you are concerned that your cat may have giardia , your veterinary surgeon can perform a fecal scrutiny to reckon for the contagion .
However , giardia can be knotty . That ’s because host cats shed the cyst intermittently and they can also be difficult to identify by faecal analysis .
The difficulty in designation can be lower-ranking to the small size of it of the being as well as its similar show to other being that may appear in faecal matter .
It is important to riddle all cats at least per year for giardia so it is not missed , even in indoor - only cats . This will not only aid foreclose sickness in your cat but also restrain the spread of infection to other pets and people .
faecal testing should always be done in conjunction with a forcible examination since positive faecal mental test necessitate discourse .
Depending on the affected role , bloodwork and uranalysis testing may also be advocate as part of the yearly examination but is not specific to a diagnosis of giardia .
How to TreatGiardia in Cats
In many typeface , giardia that induce diarrhea in a Arabian tea may indicate other underlying gilbert disease , so a thorough revue of history and clinical signs as well as handling options is recommended .
Due to the possibility of giardia - induced looseness of the bowels in a computed tomography being secondary to fundamental GI disease , other testimonial , such as diet changes , may be helpful .
The prognosis for cats with giardiasis is fantabulous , although it can prove challenging to actually decimate the disease .
Medication for Giardia in Cats
No drugs are specifically approved by the FDA for the discourse of giardiasis but many are commonly used for this transmission .
Fenbendazole ( Panacur ) has shown efficacy in dogs and likely cats but is not approved in big cat . Even without being okay , it is still commonly used as a intervention for giardia in cats . Additionally , Flagyl can aid to treat the contagion .
General Cost of Treatment for Giardia in Cats
The toll of diagnosing and treatment for giardia in cat may change free-base on region as well as the full clinical presentation of the cat . A fecal test including a giardia ELISA antigen test should be between $ 50 and $ 100 . Treatment should fall into the same range .
If additional tests ( e.g. , bloodwork , urinalysis , imagination ) are need based on the findings of the physical examination , diagnostic toll could increase .
How to PreventGiardia in Cats
Education organise toward preventing the cattle farm of giardia and prevent contagion in the first position is very helpful , since clarification contagion is so thought-provoking .
In multi - preferred households , hygiene is extremely important . If a favorite is diagnosed with giardia , bathe all of the pets is helpful to get any cysts off the fur and forbid the favourite from take in cysts during normal grooming behaviors . Also , cleaning the surround , let in washing any bedding in hot weewee and bleaching agent , can be very helpful .
faecal affair should be remove from the pet ’s environment , especially if the fecal thing contains giardia . In universal , when walking your darling or live with an indoor - only cat , be wise to bound contact with faecal matter as much as potential .
remove your shoes when recruit the house , wash the paws of dog who take the air out of doors and could pack feline or canine giardia into the house , and washing your paw when you return from a dog walk of life can help preclude the spread of giardia and other parasites in your surround .
