Coccidia In Kittens Signs

If left untreated coccidiosis in symptomatic kittens can lead to death.

Coccidia in kittens signs. The primary symptom of a coccidial infection is watery mucous like diarrhea. These often cause an intestinal tract infection called coccidiosis 1 2. Coccidia are a group of single celled protozoa found within the intestinal lining of kittens and cats. If your cat is showing any signs of coccidiosis your veterinarian will check your cat s feces under the microscope to look for coccidia oocysts.

When the oocysts are found in the stool of a cat without diarrhea they are generally considered a transient insignificant finding. Coccidia are a group of microscopic parasites that can cause a disease called coccidiosis in kittens and cats. Signs that your cat is infected with coccidia include diarrhea that can be watery or bloody dehydration vomiting and loss of appetite. In kittens coccidiosis infection can cause watery and bloody diarrhea vomiting pain and dehydration followed by rapid weight loss.

This parasite is very tiny compared to other intestinal parasites and can be easily missed so a very thorough fecal analysis or multiple fecal analyses must be. Our recommendation for shelters who frequently see coccidia in kittens is to treat all kittens and puppies if applicable with ponazuril once upon intake as early as 2 3 weeks of age repeating at 7 14 days and then re treating based on clinical signs and fecal exams if needed 7. Diagnosing coccidia in cats. Kittens and older cats that are stressed or have a weak immune system are more likely to be affected by coccidia 1 2.

Many cats that are infected with coccidia do not have diarrhea or any other clinical signs. Infections occur in adult cats and kittens but are much more likely to cause serious disease watery or bloody diarrhea in kittens. Symptoms of coccidiosis appear almost two weeks after the initial infection. Watery diarrhea may contain blood.

Symptoms include watery stool with mucus or blood fever and in some cats neurological problems such as depression or convulsions. The stress of the weaning process can leave a kitten vulnerable to developing a parasitic infection. Signs to watch for are as follows. Kittens may start to show symptoms of coccidiosis from the ages of two weeks to six months.