Best Treatment For Coccidia In Kittens

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Best treatment for coccidia in kittens. Vets usually prescribe sulfadimethoxine and trimethoprim sulfadiazine. If it is not treated over time it can cause damage to the lining of a cat s intestinal tract. Treatment of coccidiosis in cats. To treat coccidiosis in a cat clean out your cat s litter box every day and wipe it down with an ammonia based disinfectant twice a week so your cat is less likely to reinfect itself.

The merck veterinary manual suggests a treatment with sulfonamide antibiotics for a period of six days but depending on the infection your veterinarian may recommend a one to two week antibiotic treatment. You should also bathe your cat on the first and last day of treatment to kill any oocysts on its fur. Since adult cats rarely show coccidiosis symptoms unless they are ill or stressed you may have an underlying health problem to deal with as well. Coccidiosis is a parasitic type of infection caused by the coccidia parasite.

Probiotics prebiotics and special diets may also be needed but while coccidia is a very common parasite in cats many do not require treatment if they aren t showing symptoms. While albon sulfadimethoxine is the only fda approved drug the recommended dosing schedule is to administer it for 5 21 days which can be costly both monetarily and in staff time. The medication doesn t actually kill the coccidia but it keeps them from reproducing so they eventually die off. If your cat is very dehydrated from diarrhea your vet may administer iv fluids to bring him up to par.

In kittens it s the dehydration that s the most dangerous part of coccidiosis. Drugs such as sulfadimethoxine albon and trimethoprim sulfadiazine tribrissen have been effective in the treatment and prevention of coccidia however because these drugs do not kill the organisms but rather inhibit their reproduction capabilities elimination of coccidia from the intestine is not rapid. It most commonly causes watery mucus based diarrhea in animals. Your cat may also require treatment for dehydration.

By stopping the ability of the protozoa to reproduce time is allowed for the kitten s own immunity to develop and remove the organisms. Since young pets succumb to this infection if they re not treated promptly it s important to get the cat s feces examined for the presence of coccidia. Sulfa drugs are the primary treatment for coccidia infection though there are other options as well. Coccidia is a nasty little single celled organism that causes mucousy diarrhea in kittens and can be treated with the prescription drug ponazuril.

Treatment of coccidia in cats. Trimethoprim sulfa has also been used successfully but it is typically very unpalatable and the dosing schedule your veterinarian uses 10 days is longer than would be needed for treatment with ponazuril. Also steam clean your home to kill any oocysts that have been carried around the house by your cat. We do recommend ponazuril as the preferred treatment of coccidia in kittens in a shelter.

Antibiotics should take care of the coccidia. Giardia is another protozoan infection resulting in soft frothy greasy diarrhea which can be treated with panacur. The two most common medications that are prescribed to treat coccidiosis are trimethoprim sulfadiazine and sulfadimethoxine. Treatment for kittens affected by coccidiosis includes supportive care for example fluid therapies to combat dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea and antibiotic treatment.