Treating Coccidia In Kittens

In order to treat coccidiosis in a cat showing symptoms your cat will need a specific type of anti parasitic medication to kill the parasite.

Treating coccidia in kittens. If the sulfa drug is not effective other treatments are available. A follow up fecal examination within 1 2 weeks of the initial treatment will be needed to ensure that the parasite is no longer present in the body. Coccidia can easily be treated with a five day course of a particular antibiotic. Reinfection can easily happen so extra sanitation measures should be taken.

Be sure to isolate your adult cat or kitten from other cats during antibiotic treatment. Disinfect the litter boxes weekly using hot water and bleach. If there is a decline in its health you will need to return to your veterinarian to ensure that there is not a more serious underlying health issue that needs treatment. In addition a bland diet for a few days helps to nurse the gut along and allow things to settle down.

Baycox toltrazuril although unlicenced for treatment of cats eliminates coccidia within three treatment days and is available from veterinarians as a 2 5 solution. Also steam clean your home to kill any oocysts that have been carried around the house by your cat. Coccidiosis is diagnosed through an examination of the kitten s fecal material. Clean all litter boxes at least once a day.

Treatment of coccidiosis in cats. In addition to taking measures at home you should take your cat to the vet so they can prescribe medication. Usually a drug called trimethoprim sulfonamide is prescribed and given orally to your cat for about a week in order to treat the infection. A 5 solution is available but not in greece it is less alkaline thus less likely to burn the mouth or cause upset tummies.

The most common drug used to treat coccidiosis is a sulfa class antibiotic sulfadimethoxine. We do recommend ponazuril as the preferred treatment of coccidia in kittens in a shelter. 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. Happily there is a coccidia treatment for cats available.

There are also. You will need to administer the full course of prescribed medication as directed and monitor your cat for progress. 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. 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.

The two most common medications that are prescribed to treat coccidiosis are trimethoprim sulfadiazine and sulfadimethoxine. 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. 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. You should also bathe your cat on the first and last day of treatment to kill any oocysts on its fur.

Some formulations of this medication are pleasant tasting and most cats will readily accept them. 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. Keep in mind that hygeine is also an. Treatment for kittens affected by coccidiosis includes supportive care for example fluid therapies to combat dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea and antibiotic treatment.