Recognizing and Treating Giardia in Cats

No one enjoys cleaning their cat's litter box. But the contents of your cat's litter box can provide important clues to your pet's health. For example, if you notice that your cat has diarrhea, she may have a Giardia infection.

Giardia is a parasite, a small one-celled organism. Your pet can become infected with Giardia by consuming the cyst form of the parasite, which often happens if your cat consumes feces or drinks water containing the cysts. The cyst passes to the cat's digestive system, where it breaks open to release a trophozoite, the active form of the parasite. The parasite swims around and eventually multiplies by dividing in two. After that, it forms a cyst around itself and is passed out through the feces to begin the cycle again.

Giardia cysts are quite sturdy they can survive outside the body for weeks, even months, in the proper environment. They like moist, cool environments, and are often found in parks or anywhere animals defecate, and frequently in kennels or other places were animals are boarded.

While the Giardia cysts are in the digestive system, they prevent proper absorption of nutrients and can damage the delicate intestinal lining. It is unsurprising then that when Giardia does produce symptoms, the most common one is diarrhea. The feces themselves are often paler than normal in color, appear somewhat greasy, and smell very bad. Your cat may lose weight, though her appetite may be unaffected.

Many cats carry the Giardia organism without experiencing any symptoms of infection. About 4% of cats are infected with the Giardia organism the rate is higher in younger cats, and in cats who live in multi-cat households or who are frequently boarded.

If you notice your cat experiencing Giardia symptoms, commercial test can now be performed to detect the parasite. Formerly, the microscopic examination of fecal material was required, which is less reliable, although some vet offices still rely on this method.

If your cat has Giardia, she can be treated with the medication Fendbendazole. This medication is generally effective and safe when used as directed. Care must also be taken to treat your pet's environment to prevent reinfection. This includes proper grooming of the cat for example, removing any hair that could be contaminated by feces as well as proper disinfection of the cat's environment.

Theres also a vaccine available that not only helps prevent the disease, but also helps reduce the shedding of cysts and incidences of diarrhea in cats that are already infected. If you have a multi-cat household with one cat thats been infected, it may be worth it to have your other cats treated with the vaccine.

As a side note, Giardia can also infect humans. Usually, humans get Giardia from other human contact or from contaminated water. However, cats can harbor the strain of Giardia to which humans are susceptible, although cat to human transmission has never been proven. To protect yourself, always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after changing your pet's litter box. Your pet's litter box should be completely cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. If you suspect your cat has Giardia, take her to your veterinarian as quickly as possible for evaluation and treatment.