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What is Giardia intestinalis?
Giardia is a common single-celled parasite that lives in the intestinal lining and can disrupt the normal functioning of the intestine.
Incubation period?
From the time the infection is picked up, it takes about a week before cysts can be detected in the stool.
Symptoms often come later, if they come at all, a cat may not have any symptoms at all.
What are the symptoms of Giardia?
Symptoms appear in the form of recurrent diarrhoea, weight loss (rare) and sometimes vomiting, especially in young cats where there are many cats.
The parasite often behaves as an opportunist, i.e. symptoms can appear in connection with stress, sudden feed changes or intestinal disturbances for other reasons.
As an opportunist, it takes the chance to reproduce when the cat's immune system is impaired for some reason.
Giardia occurs in both healthy and sick cats, and the cats can thus have giardia without having any symptoms whatsoever.
Giardia in itself rarely causes any weight loss.,
When the parasite comes out of the cat, a change takes place where it goes from its mobile form (trophozoite) to a form of cyst that is protected by a slightly thicker shell, it can then survive in the environment a little longer.
Above all, it is common for kittens to excrete cysts of Giardia in their feces.
These cysts are hardy and can survive for several months in a moist and cool environment, for example 1-3 months in 10°C water and 2 months in soil that is 4°C.
However, like other parasites, Giardia is sensitive to heat and dehydration. In a dry, warm home, you can expect the cysts to survive for a week or so.
If you close off a space (with normal room temperature), so that the cats do not have access to it for two weeks. Can you be sure that after this time the space is completely free of giardia.
If you need to clean something that is not easy to wash, you can therefore make sure to close these things in a room with normal or higher than normal room temperature for two weeks.
Freezing also kills the cysts, how long it takes depends on how low the temperature is. At -20°C the cysts die within a week.
The cysts are resistant to several disinfectants so mechanical cleaning is most important in decontamination.
Steam cleaning can help with remediation.
Wash textiles at 60° C. Don't forget traps, beds, pillows, stuffed animals, carpets, sofa covers and more that the cat has come into contact with.
You can also put things in "quarantine" for two weeks to allow the giardia cysts to dry out and die.
However, make sure it is normal room temperature and a normally dry environment.
Yes, Giardia is contagious, the cysts can be transmitted via the immediate environment if cysts are there.
As well as direct transmission, i.e. the cysts in infected faeces are taken up via the mouth, for example when the cats lick each other.
Ten cysts are enough for infection.
But also remember that a cat that ingests giardia cysts is able to get rid of them on its own under the right conditions.
It is when the number of cysts builds up in places where the cats like to sleep or move and they then ingest more and more cysts that it can eventually become too much and there is an outbreak with symptoms. A few cysts that the cat ingests and in an environment where the cat is free from stress and kept will usually heal on their own.
Giardia intestinalis is divided into different so-called genotypes or assemblages where cats usually have the cat-specific one that is not zoonotic, F.
How is Giardia treated?
Many times it may be necessary to give Axilur for 5 days, then have a break of three days and then again give 5 days and sometimes it may be necessary to repeat after 2 weeks.
Alternatively, one can treat with human medicine containing metronidazole, 25 mg/kg body weight (Flagyl) twice daily for five to seven days.
On the last day of treatment, it is an advantage if the treated group can be moved to a thoroughly cleaned environment, preferably after previous shampooing of the coat.
The recommendation of fenbendazole as the first choice is based on a shorter duration of treatment and fewer side effects than with the second choice metronidazole.
This especially applies to young cats. In the literature, there are several treatment proposals and dosages.
Affected cats should contact their veterinarian for assessment and choice of treatment.
ATTENTION! I am not a vet, I have no other evidence than words of praise from other breeders and that I myself have used with good success!
Unfortunately, due to healthy cats being treated over and over and over again, many cats, especially from abroad, have contracted Giardia, which is resistant above all to axilur, sometimes also Flagyl.
There is another very simple and effective medicine, however, I almost don't want to recommend it as I am worried about what will happen the day we have a litter of young individuals seriously affected by Giardia and we in our eagerness to "eradicate" an amoeba that has existed on earth since before man walked on two legs and in our attempts to have giardia-free catteries instead made Giardia resistant to just about every medicine available, what do we do then, I wonder.
Well the medicine I'm talking about is a medicine for TriTrichomonas in pigeons (NOTE there is NO point trying to treat TriTrichomonas in cats with it, it won't work), it takes Giardia in cats very effectively. Even very young kittens can be treated, kittens as young as 2 weeks old have been successfully treated.
Pantrix alt. Gambamix (10 mg Carnidazole per tablet): 1 tablet per 500 g of the cat's body weight (Pantrix are smaller but difficult to dissolve in liquid, Gambamix are larger but very easily soluble).
The exact dose is important for small kittens, so weigh the kittens to the nearest gram and dose so that you get the most accurate dosage possible.
Treatment schedule:
If you want to be absolutely sure, treat on day 1 and 6, i.e. twice.
In cases where the giardia outbreak has lasted for a long time or has previously been treated with Axilur or Flagyl, you should take medication on days 1, 3, and 6.
At a lot! severe attack with severe diarrhoea, the following schedule is used:
Give medication for three consecutive days, then take a six-day break, then give medication for two consecutive days, take another six-day break, and finally give another final dose.
However, this treatment regimen should really only be reserved for very severe cases.
- Treatment + shampooing of the animals in question
- Mechanical cleaning daily during treatment: scrub surfaces thoroughly to remove all remains of faeces, use for example soap and water.
Allow to dry thoroughly. To avoid cleaning an entire home, rooms can be closed off for 1-2 weeks so that any cysts dry and die. - Wash textiles, such as sleeping mats and blankets in the washing machine at 60°C, let dry. Things that cannot be washed can perhaps be put in the freezer at -20°C for a week.
- Wash food and water bowls in a dishwasher if you have one, let dry. Otherwise wash by hand and let dry, change the food and water bowl daily preferably more often.
- Underfloor heating and/or a sauna can be used to raise the temperature and dry items that cannot be washed in a machine.
- Remove faeces as often as possible, i.e. empty the boxes as often as possible.
In case of more extensive problems, the following may be relevant
- Steam wash (100 degrees for one minute) followed by thorough drying.
- Disinfectant for surfaces when they are cleaned and dry: Chlorine. In terms of experience, it has been shown that even Virkon can kill Giardia, however there is no documentation for this.
The three most important points to protect cats from infection:
- Establish quarantine for new cats entering the cattery.
- Limit the total number of cats in the cattery and establish smaller groups of cats without mutual contact.
- Have many litter boxes. According to the Swedish Agricultural Agency's animal welfare regulations, there must be at least one litter box per two cats. Clean them daily.
Therefore, if the cat(s) are very affected, many times it may be necessary to give Axilur for 5 days, then have a break of three days and then again give 5 days and sometimes it may be necessary to repeat after 2 weeks, alternatively treat for 21 days in a row.
Give probiotics in connection with Axilur as Axiluren itself can cause loose stomach, so some form of probiotics is good to give.
If they have an upset stomach, it can be helpful to shave the fur around the bottom to reduce the amount of hair that feces can get stuck in.
Remember to change food and water bowls 1-2 times a day, especially the water bowl.
Keep toilet boxes very clean, remove faeces as often as possible.
Have as good a sand as possible, i.e. a sand that creates very hard lumps very quickly and thus also dries out the faeces very quickly.
Try to divide the cats into smaller groups, preferably have a space that is allowed to be completely cat-free, where you can then move finished cats.
The self-tests today are often effective and can be advantageously used for random samples at home or to get a picture of whether the cats are free after treatment, remember to always wait at least a week before testing after finishing treatment. If the home tests are free, you can then send in a collective test (see test-taking instructions on SVA's website) to SVA for a final check. (SVA is for Sweden only but you probably got a lab in your country to send stool samples).
Remember that there is always a small risk of false negative test results.
Remember that it is not in the nature of the parasite's to kill its host!
A cat/kitten with giardia rarely shows symptoms such as emaciation or that they are otherwise unwell.
In cases where emaciation occurs, it is usually something secondary in the cat or in the environment that giardia can benefit from or that itself causes the symptoms without giardia's help.
The article has been read and corrected by a parasitologist (but not a veterinarian) from SVA to avoid inaccuracies up to this point in the article.
But I still think it's worth mentioning them so that everyone can read for themselves and form their own opinion.
Silver Water - Decifying
In the drinking water, have also seen that in some cases it is given orally, have also seen and heard about where they sprayed e.g. furniture, buttocks and furs with silver water for its decifing properties, whether this has an effect or not and whether it is harmful to give oral or not, I have not been able to find out.
Ozone machine
This absolutely works, but the question here is whether it is worth it for the average person to run out and buy their own ozone machine.
This of course depends on how you live and what your conditions are, in an apartment, relatively normal villa, well the advantage is perhaps that you can kill in a few hours rather than 2 weeks, but the question is whether you have the possibility to use it, an open floor plan is clearly a problem and there are some safety regulations with the use of an Ozone machine.
If you live in an older house with high humidity, where it can also be difficult to clean and you have many small rooms rather than an open plan, certainly then an Ozone machine can be of great help to you. But like I said, everything is relative and you have to look at your own circumstances, whether it's worth rushing out and buying one or not.
Low-carbohydrate diet
There is some evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet helps the cat to have a good stomach and to get rid of Giardia.
Whether it is that the cat gets stuck in the stomach and the intestine can be treated more easily that does it, or whether the reduced carbohydrates somehow affect the Giardia is difficult to say.
But this is absolutely not something that hurts to try. There seems to be some information on this if you look, and many owners of cats with Giardia have experienced definite improvement from feeding a low carb diet.
Sources:
https://www.sva.se/sport-och-sallskapsdjur/katt/smittskydd-for-katt/rekommendationer-vid-parasitorsakade-diarreer-i-kattbesattningar/
https://www.sva.se/amnesomraden/djursjukdomar-a-o/giardia-intestinalis-hos-katt/
https://www.esccap.org/uploads/docs/5hk9fztt_0701_ESCCAP_Guideline_GL6_v8_1p.pdf
By: Malin Sundqvist
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Introduction
Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) is increasingly recognized in cattery environments. As a result, it is pertinent that cat owners be aware of this parasite and what it means for the multi-cat environment. Let’s go over some of the most common questions associated with T. foetus.
What is Tritrichomonas foetus?
T. foetus is a relatively newly discovered single-celled parasite in cats. The parasite was identified in the United States in 1996, when it was isolated from cats with chronic diarrhea.
In catteries, T. foetus appears to be a fairly common parasite, where it is associated with diarrhea in especially young animals.
T. foetus "lives" in the large intestine, whose main function is to absorb liquid from the digested food; therefore, nutrient absorption, which takes place in the small intestine, is not affected, and does not result in delayed growth in kittens or emaciation in adult animals.
What are the symptoms of Tritrichomonas?
It is not unusual for T. foetus to be detected in adult, healthy animals without manifesting as a clinical problem.Occasionally, however, foul-smelling diarrhea is seen that resembles cow poo and may be mixed with blood and/or mucus.
The symptoms occur intermittently, and in more severe cases, can cause anal incontinence. The cats are often alert despite showing symptoms.
The older cats usually seem healthy and sound, apart from the cow-poop-like diarrhea, which tends to have slimy streaks. The diarrhea comes in periods and smells very bad, and some individuals leak diarrhea from a severely inflamed rectum.
T. foetus is most concerning in kittens, where symptoms vary. Some kittens get really sick and die from dehydration, while others stay healthy as long as they stay with their mothers, but only get sick when they move.
Survival in the environment: What kills Tritrichomonas?
T. foetus doesn't survive long outside the cat's body;therefore, infection does not build up in the environment in the same way as Giardia.
The organism survives up to a week in wet faeces at room temperature.
Survival for Tritrichomonas is:
- Water 30-60 minutes
- Urine >3 hours
- Dry food 30 minutes
- Wet food 2-3 hours
- Dry cat litter 0 minutes
- Filter paper 5 minutes
Is Tritrichomonas contagious to other cats?
Yes, T. foetus is very effectively transmitted via faeces, so it can be assumed that cats that share a box with one or more infected individuals are also/become infected; however, it does not live as long in the environment as e.g. giardia, thus is not as easily transmitted.
Can cats give humans Tritrichomonas?
T. foetus does not infect humans.
What percentage of cats have Tritrichomonas?
Studies show that T. foetus occurs in all types of cats.
The parasite has been detected in the USA (study 31 percent of cats at an exhibition),
Switzerland (20 percent of healthy cross-section), and Norway (21 percent of healthy show cats).
How is Tritrichomonas treated?
As far as it's known, there is currently no drug registered for treatment against T. foetus.
Ronidazole, which is available as a licensed preparation, often has a good effect.
However, due to the risk of side effects and potential neurotoxic and teratogenic effects in humans, ronidazole should be used with caution.The powder form of the drug should be avoided.
Treatment with diet and probiotics can have a positive effect on the symptoms.
Even treatment with metronidazole can provide a temporary improvement clinically.
In groups where the organism has been identified, consideration should be given to reducing the group as diarrhea that occurs with T.foetus infection appears to be clearly related to stress.
From the point of view of the spread of infection, it may be of value to investigate the effect of treatment with breath sampling.
Untreated cats usually become symptom-free within six months to two years but can continue to be chronic carriers and pass the infection on.
It is suspected that the presence of the organism for an extended period of time in the intestine paves the way for inflammatory bowel diseases.
What is recommended for remediation of the environment in connection with Tritrichomonas?
Since Tritrichomonas is sensitive to oxygen and dryness, today no special measures beyond normal surface cleaning are considered necessary in the cat's immediate environment.
However, you should clean the litter boxes thoroughly daily and preferably spray them and surfaces where the cats stay.
Textiles are washed at 60° C.
How can I prevent Tritrichomonas?
The three most important points to protect cats from infection:
- Establish quarantine for new cats entering the cattery.
- Limit the total number of cats in the cattery and establish smaller groups of cats without mutual contact.
- Have many litter boxes. According to the Swedish Agricultural Agency's animal welfare regulations, there must be at least one litter box per two cats. Clean them daily.
Does Tritrichomonas affect fertility?
There are indications that treatment with Ronidazole may have an impact on the animal's fertility for a longer period of time after treatment.
There are also studies that show that Tritrichomonas can occur in the uterus of females in cases where the cat is infected with the parasite, which can lead to difficulty getting the female pregnant and stillbirth.
Conclusion
T. foetus is a parasite that needs to be diagnosed and treated in a cattery environment, where it is most likely to adversely affect kittens. Cattery protocols should involve testing cats, quarantining, and regularly sanitizing surfaces and litter boxes. T. foetus treatment requires Ronidazole in compounded or tablet form, carefully administered due to the seriousness of the drug’s potential long-term effects.
Interesting discovery
A cattery sold a young cat, and when the new owner tested the cat who was quarantined in the new home, it was discovered that this cat had T.foetus.
The breeder who sold the cat then started testing all cats to see who was infected and who was not infected.
Worth mentioning is that cats F and G have been tested several times during a two-year period. Cat F has been tested free 5 times and Cat G has been tested free 4 times.
T - This means they met, and they have been living together either as adults or as kittens.
P - Means those cats have been mated with each other.
A "-" Means that those cats never met at all.
Red cat means that this cat tested positive for T.foetus.
Green cat means this cat is tested free, and no T.foetus has been found in the sample.
Green cell means there is no contamination either because the cats have not met each other or because both cats are free and are therefore not able to contaminate each other.
Blue cell means those cats have met, one is affected and still, the other cat has not been affected.
Red cell means that both cats are affected and they met.
The conclusion when all cats have been tested is that the source of the infection is Cat A and the only logical explanation is that Cat A been infected before arrival and has been carrying this since the arrival 4 years ago. For some reason, this cat did not get rid of the infection herself, which might happen in some cases.
Also worth mentioning is that none of those cats have any form of symptoms, they never had a loose stool, and they never had any particular smell, when collecting poop however a smell could be felt from one of the collections.
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Ringworm in cats is caused by ringworm fungi (dermatophytes), in the vast majority of cases by Miocrosporum (M.) canis.
Cats often spread the infection without showing symptoms themselves, and a single seemingly completely unaffected cat can infect an entire herd.
Fungal spores are dispersed into the environment, where they can live for months to years.
The clearest and most common clinical signs of feline ringworm include the following: circular areas of hair loss, broken and stubbly hair, scaling or crusty skin, alterations in hair or skin color, inflamed areas of skin, excessive grooming and scratching, infected claws or nail beds, and dandruff.
Cleaning up ringworm infestation in a home and in a group of cats is costly, demanding, and takes time. Under normal circumstances, however, it is not impossible to implement, if you invest wholeheartedly, plan, and carefully think through all the steps that need to be carried out. In total, a ringworm cleanup usually takes between two and six months to complete. The time varies depending on how many cats you have, how many have been infected, the age of the cats, any pregnant cats, and how the premises to be cleaned look like (for example, a home environment with textiles that can hide spores very well compared to tiled walls and stainless steel cages steel).
A successful cleanup requires:
- A strategic sampling of all cats.
- A careful environmental cleaning ensures the cats are not re-infected from the environment.
- External treatment in combination with general treatment. External treatment (including bathing) reduces the spread of spores. General treatment (medicine given by mouth) speeds healing.
- Preventive measures to prevent infection from re-entering the herd.
- Contact a treating veterinarian with an interest in skin diseases in cats for investigation and treatment of your/your cats.
Strategic sampling
- Culture samples are taken from all cats, even those without symptoms. Sample response time varies between one to two weeks depending on how fast the ringworm fungus grows.
- The fact that ringworm fungus is not found in a cultivation is no guarantee that the cat is free from ringworm. In order to make sure as much as possible that a cat is free of ringworm, you should take at least two, preferably three, samples with at least a week between the samples. If none of the samples show fungal growth and the cat has not been exposed to infection during and after the sampling period, the cat may be free of ringworm.
- It is important that the laboratory can answer which type of ringworm fungus it is dealing with, because it determines whether and how decontamination should be carried out. See also the document Ringworm (dermatophytosis) in cats.
- Pending test results, cats that appear to be infected, or are suspected of being infected, must be isolated in a space that can be disinfected. For hygiene measures when staying in the isolation room, read under treatment of the cats below.
Decontamination of the Environment?
Environmental remediation of ringworm infestation is usually costly, laborious, and time-consuming, but it is necessary to remove the infection. Infected cats' fur is full of spores that spread everywhere. Spores in the environment are a very important cause of poor treatment results and reinfection. Above all, this applies to infection with M. canis, as this type seems to release more spores into the environment than T. mentagrophytes.
Good planning is essential; how should the cats be grouped, isolated, and moved around and how should each room be cleaned and disinfected? Discuss the plan with your attending veterinarian before the cleanup begins.
- All rooms including those used as insulation must be sanitized.
- Clean or throw away (burn) cat brushes, cages, and the like. Wash at 60ºC and use disinfectant.
- High-pressure washing with hot water is good if you have the opportunity/access to it.
- All textiles, including for example curtains, clothes, and blankets are washed. 43.3ºC is given as the temperature at which spores are killed. However, washing at 60ºC is recommended, as one should have a safety margin so that entire textiles are exposed to a sufficiently high temperature for a long enough time. The mechanical effect in the form of rinsing/rinsing is also important in addition to the temperature.
- Vacuum all surfaces, preferably every day. Burn the vacuum cleaner bag every time. If this is not possible, spray it and seal it well and throw it in the garbage. Make sure that the filter in the vacuum cleaner is intact so that spores do not come out of the vacuum cleaner again. A central vacuum cleaner is an advantage if available. Clean/disinfect the vacuum cleaner brush carefully between vacuums.
- Clean surfaces, walls, moldings, and floors at least once a week!
Don't forget to clean the underside of table tops/benches, inside drawers, behind the element, car, and more. - Disinfectants are also used in connection with cleaning. Ask your veterinarian which agent(s) is best suited for your type of cat behavior. However, always check that the agent really kills fungal spores. Some agents that state that they are effective against fungi do not take the spores very well. Sometimes special guidelines are specified for specific spores, then follow these. Before using disinfectants, all surfaces must be properly cleaned, the agents have a worse effect on dirty surfaces.
- Carpets often have to be removed as they are basically impossible to get rid of spores.
- Repeat the parts of the environmental cleanup where there are no time indications once per month for the entire treatment period.
Ringworm-free group: Asymptomatic cats, that are culture negative (that is, no ringworm fungus could be detected on culture).
Bathe with means prescribed by the veterinarian. The cat must wear a collar so that it does not get to lick the fur before it has dried. Repeat the baths one to two times per week.
Infected group: Cats with symptoms, as well as culture-positive cats (that is, ringworm fungus grew in the culture sample).
- Must be isolated in small groups or kept individually.
- Shave the fur, and burn the hair. If there is no possibility of burning the hair, it should be soaked in disinfectant and packaged very well sealed before it is thrown in the garbage. The use of disposable gloves and protective clothing is recommended when clipping the infected animal. The cutting should be done in a well-ventilated room that can be disinfected afterward.
Mechanical scissors can be difficult to clean and disinfect properly and they can cause damage to the skin that can worsen the infection. An ordinary pair of scissors is easy to clean, but cutting a recalcitrant cat using ordinary scissors can both give rise to major injuries and be practically impractical. A professional groomer, for example at a veterinary clinic/reception/animal hospital, can be helpful. Many clippers can be set to "stump cut" so that the risk of skin damage is minimized. PLEASE NOTE, that the person who will receive one or more cats for clipping must be informed about the ringworm infection beforehand, so that measures to prevent the spread of infection to other, perhaps sick and particularly susceptible cats can be prevented. - Bathe with means prescribed by the veterinarian. The cat must wear a collar so that it does not get to lick the fur before it has dried. Repeat the baths twice a week.
- Start general treatment in the form of tablets, capsules, or a mixture prescribed by the attending veterinarian. Tell your vet if the cat is pregnant, as this affects the choice of preparation.
- Use protective clothing, including shoe and hair protection in the isolation area, and wash hands thoroughly before and after staying in the area. Ask the pharmacy, for example, if they can recommend a hand disinfectant as a supplement. Disposable gloves can also be helpful.
- New culture samples are taken from all cats, for example, three to four weeks after treatment has begun. After that, samples for follow-up can be taken at intervals of two to four weeks.
- Asymptomatic cats that have become culture-negative during treatment (and have been culture-negative on at least two, preferably three, sampling occasions in a row with at least one week between samplings) are released to the ringworm-free cats after they have been bathed one last time in some kind of lock between isolated and non-isolated cats.If the culture from a cat does not show infection (that is, the test result is negative) in test one, but fungus grows in test two, the cat is still considered infected even if a third test is negative. Continued sampling is thus required.
- Treatment in the infected group continues until all cats are symptom-free and culture-negative according to the point above.
Cats that never become culture negative:
Review the treatment strategy/technique/environmental remediation.
Keep the cat isolated (it can easily reinfect the entire cattery again)!
Unfortunately, euthanasia may have to be considered, if constant re-infection cannot be accepted.
You can tell that your cat has recovered when the skin clears up. Any marks should leave, and you'll notice the re-growth of your cat's hair. If you're dealing with a severe case, you may need to take your cat back to the vet every 2 weeks so a culture sample can be taken.
- New cats to be brought into a herd should always be quarantined for two to four weeks due to the risk of infection; not only with regard to ringworm. Please note that asymptomatic cats with ringworm infection, which have been bathed with shampoo effective against ringworm before coming to the new home, may have a delayed onset of symptoms. It may then happen that you discover that the cat is infected only after the quarantine period has expired.
- Use protective clothing, including shoe and hair protection in the isolation area, and wash hands thoroughly before and after staying in the area. Ask the pharmacy, for example, if they can recommend a hand disinfectant as a supplement. Disposable gloves can also be helpful.
- If it is suspected that the animal may be a carrier of ringworm, a culture sample must be taken. Initiation of treatment may be relevant even before the test result is received, talk to the treating veterinarian. Leave the cat(s) in isolation until the cultural response is clear (and negative). The fact that mushrooms cannot be found in the cultivation is no guarantee that the cat is free from ringworm infection.
- In the event of a positive response to culture (that is, ringworm fungus grows in the culture sample), measures are taken against infection and the spread of infection in consultation with the attending veterinarian.
