The main thing for the owner is to help the pet get better as soon as possible. But when a doctor talks about the infectious nature of a disease, it is difficult for an ordinary person to understand the difference between viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Conditionally infectious diseases are divided into parasitic (invasive) and infectious. The simplest are unicellular parasites.

Diseases of cats caused by protozoa are called protozoa. Most of them are dangerous to humans.

Toxoplasmosis is recorded on all continents. The presence of natural foci and periodic outbreaks of the disease. In Russia, it is found in St. Petersburg, in the Leningrad region.

Toxoplasma is released from a sick animal everywhere:

• co;
• discharge from the eyes, nose, genitals;
• with urine and faeces.

Symptoms of the acute form of toxoplasmosis appear 2-3 days after infection:

• In females, an abortion in the first half of pregnancy, the birth of an unviable offspring, kittens with congenital deformities (hydrocephalus, underdevelopment of the limbs).
• Raising the body to 41 ° C, trembling and depression (the cat does not eat or drink).
• and purulent rhinitis.
• Persistent diarrhea with discharge of blood and mucus, vomiting, abdominal pain on palpation.
• Mucous membranes are pale or cyanotic.
• Tachycardia and rapid breathing.
• Convulsions, paralysis.

The acute form of the disease can lead to death. The chronic course is characterized by emaciation of the animal, diarrhea, unstable appetite and fever. In cats, toxoplasmosis can even run latently without causing any symptoms.

Infected animals shed immature oocysts in the faeces. They must "mature" in the external environment within 3-4 days, after which they become infectious. No intermediate host is required. Oocysts remain dangerous for up to 2 years, are resistant to disinfectants, so the disease is widespread.

Isosporosis symptoms appear one week after infection:

• with the release of mucus and blood, the characteristic sign is orange or red color of feces.
• The abdomen is painful and tense.
• Decreased or no appetite.
• Oppression, lethargy.
• Polyuria, urine dark, with an unpleasant odor.
• Severe dehydration and exhaustion.
• Temperature rise (not always).

Without laboratory tests, the doctor may confuse the acute form of isosporosis with or.

Aymeriosis (coccidiosis)

Coccidia of the genus Eimeria live inside the epithelial cells of the small intestine. Only kittens are sick, and adult animals may be asymptomatic carriers. Infection occurs with water or feed. The disease is more common in the south of Russia.

Symptoms usually appear 2 weeks after infection and are associated with mechanical damage intestinal mucosa and layering of secondary microflora. Digestion is impaired, absorption of nutrients becomes impossible, which leads to constant starvation.

Signs of coccidiosis are the same as in isosporosis, but young animals are sick, greatly lagging behind in growth, losing weight.

Giardiasis

The disease is caused by Giardia canis. Infection occurs with water and food. Giardia do not live inside cells, attaching to the intestinal villi from the outside.

Fecal examination for oocysts

Scatological examination (according to the Fülleborn or Darling method) is carried out three times, every 2-3 days, since oocysts are not shed regularly or in insufficient quantities.

Linked immunosorbent assay

To diagnose giardiasis, there is an express test (the answer will be in 5-10 minutes), feces are examined by ELISA.

Polymerase chain reaction

Treatment of protozoa

In addition to fighting the causative agent of the disease (protozoa), it is necessary to eliminate dehydration and nutritional deficiencies in the body.

• Apply subcutaneous or intravenous injections of solutions: Ringer's, 5% glucose, Refortan, Reamberin.
• With severe depletion, solutions for parenteral nutrition are shown, containing amino acids - Infezol, Dufalight. Apply multivitamins (Hemobalance).
• Inside, astringent and enveloping agents are prescribed - a decoction of flax seed, rice water.
• In case of severe damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, sorbents are used - Fosfalugel, Enterosgel, Polypefan.
• If the doctor suspects that a pathogenic microflora, provoked by damage to the intestinal mucosa, has joined the protozoan, an antibiotic or metronidazole (Trichopolum) is prescribed.

Diet

• If the cat has previously eaten an industrial diet, use special diets to maintain the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract: i / d; GastroIntestinal and others.
• If you are used to homemade food, use liquid slimy rice porridge with boiled beef, dairy products.

The feed should be easily digestible and not irritate the digestive tract.

Prevention of protozoa

1. Timely clean up feces, disinfect animal care items, keep the premises clean.
2. Isolation from stray dogs and cats.
3. Do not feed raw meat and offal.
4. Avoid eating rodents (house keeping, a bell on a collar when kept outdoors).

Conclusion

It is very important to differentiate diarrhea caused by protozoa from viral or bacterial enteritis. The sooner the necessary research is done, the faster the cat can recover.

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Entamoeba histolytica lives inside the colon, and sometimes there may be no noticeable symptoms. In other cases, the amoeba can invade the intestinal lining and cause inflammation, damage, and bleeding. Severe diarrhea can develop in a short time. The disease can be fatal to the cat, become chronic, or stop abruptly. With a prolonged course of the disease, cats can lose weight, lose their appetite, intense bowel movements or diarrhea are possible. Some of these signs may be constant or recurring periodically.

Coccidiosis in cats.

The most common symptoms of coccidiosis in severe cases are diarrhea (sometimes bloody), weight loss, and dehydration. For diagnosis, veterinarians use fecal analysis data, external signs of illness and intestinal disorders.

Usually cats do not need treatment, as the body is usually able to clear the infection itself. However, if necessary, sick cats can be treated with medication.

To prevent coccidiosis, it is very important to ensure good sanitary conditionsespecially in kennels or houses where several cats live. Litter trays should be cleaned frequently and contamination avoided food products and water with feces. Cages, utensils, toys and other cat accessories should be cleaned daily. Raw meat should be eliminated from the diet of cats. It is also necessary to treat the territory from insects.

Giardiasis in cats.

Giardia protozoa live and reproduce by attaching to small intestine cats. They form cysts that are excreted in the faeces. Transmission occurs by ingestion of a cat.

Treatment of giardiasis in cats is carried out with drugs that effectively act on protozoa. There are Giardia vaccines that relieve symptoms and reduce the number and length of time cysts are released into the environment. Your veterinarian may recommend a vaccine that is appropriate for your cat.

Diseases caused by pathogenic protozoa are very common in nature. Fortunately, this is more true for countries with warmer and milder climates, but we also have our own "microscopic villains." These are the ones that cause isosporosis in cats.

The causative agents can be two types of protozoa - Isospora rivolta / I.felis. These are the smallest unicellular organisms living in the intestines of cats, other domestic and wild animals, as well as humans (there are specific species for each species). In most cases, isosporosis develops in kittens younger than six months of age, as well as in old and weakened animals. Often this disease is secondary, developing against the background of some other pathological processes leading to a significant decrease in the immunity of animals.

Adult cats are resistant to isosporosis, but most often we are not talking about full-fledged immunity, but about carriage. At the same time, Isospora rivolta / I. felis become a kind of "conditionally pathogenic" intestinal microflora, which can manifest itself only in severe immunity disorders (including age-related disorders associated with aging of the body). Such carriers play the role of a kind of reservoir host, since isospore cysts enter the external environment with the animal's feces, infecting healthy cats.

Transmission routes

It must be emphasized that protozoa cannot overcome the placental barrier, and indeed they live exclusively in the intestines. And therefore, even a cat, in whose intestines is full of pathogens, healthy kittens are born (of course, if the mother does not show clinical signs).

Attention! Infection occurs very quickly: the cat constantly licks itself, maintaining the cleanliness of the coat, cysts spread over the entire surface of the body, including on the nipples of the animal. When kittens eat, infection occurs. The course of the disease is very severe in young animals. Often, young animals (especially in animal shelters) die from severe dehydration, which in some cases develops in a couple of hours.

Read also: Frostbite paws in cats: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Thus, being in the same room with other infected animals is the most common cause of this infection. But veterinarians warn that some types of isospores can be transmitted when cats eat infected mice and other "game". But still, such cases are much less common than the usual alimentary transfer. We emphasize once again that the disease is especially dangerous for kittens, since their the immune system has not really formed yet, and therefore cannot resist the causative agent of the disease.

Simply put, they live and multiply in epithelial cells, as a result of which the latter begin to die off and disintegrate en masse. Since the mucous membrane in the gastrointestinal tract plays the role of not only a "sponge" that absorbs nutrients, but also a protective membrane, the internal structures of the intestine quickly become inflamed. Of course, that actually digestive function organ is broken.

Onset of the disease, symptoms

It takes about 13 days from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first clinical signs. That is why the kittens initially look completely healthy. Because of this, many breeders believe that the culprit of isosporosis is another animal or person who has brought the infection. Of course, this also happens, but if your pet's kittens suddenly become ill with isosporosis, it is worth taking their mother to the clinic and checking the animal's feces for the presence of pathogen cysts.

The symptoms of isosporosis themselves in cats are very monotonous: the disease manifests itself as profuse diarrhea, and the feces look watery and, as it were, slimy. Mucus is quite understandable: it is thrown out millions of dead intestinal epithelial cells. Bloody diarrhea and vomiting testify to the progression of pathology. But you should not worry about diarrhea, but about a strong one. Its consequences are extremely serious. In severe cases, it is fraught with severe neurological seizures.

Important! Note that small kittens with coccidiosis can rarely survive more than two days, so with treatment in veterinary clinic it is better not to delay. Weak and old cats can also die. In any case, constant diarrhea will not add to their health for sure.

Diagnostics and treatment

In principle, a presumptive diagnosis can be made with a high degree of certainty at the sight of two-week-old kittens, but in any case, it is imperative to analyze the feces. Cysts are quite specific in appearance, so microscopic examination is usually sufficient for a definitive diagnosis.

(Coccidiosis)

A numerous and very significant group of diseases affecting primarily young individuals in which clinical signs can be relatively serious.

Coccidiosis

Coccidia are divided into Monoxenny (single-host)that do not need an intermediate host, and Heteroxene (multihomed)that need an intermediate host.

Monoxene coccidia

Monoxenous coccidia include pathogens Isosporosis and Cryptosporidiosis .

2.1.9.1. Isosporosis (Isosporosis, Cystoisosporosis)

(Cystisosporosis, Isosporosis, Cystoisosporosis)

A disease characterized by diarrhea, affecting primarily young animals, that is, puppies and kittens up to four months of age.

Causative agents

1. Isospora canis , synonym Cystoisospora canis

2. Isospora ohioensis , synonym Cystoisospora ohioensis

3. Isospora burrowsi , synonym Cystoisospora burrowsi

4. Isospora neorivolta , synonym Cystoisospora neorivolta

5. Isospora felis , synonym Cystoisospora felis

6. Isospora rivolta , synonym Cystoisospora rivolta

Master

Prevalence

Coccidia of the genus Isospora meet Cosmopolitan.

Morphology and developmental cycle

Dogs and cats Are invaded by sporulated cysts or When eaten by a paratenic host , which are most often mice and other rodents, as well as other mammals. Development cycle of coccidia from the genus Isospora (Cystoisospora) shown on the model Isospora Felis (see fig. 14). Sporozoites in these nonspecific hosts invade extraintestinal tissue, most often mesenteric the lymph nodes, less often the liver, spleen and skeletal muscles. They remain dormant for up to two years. Dormozoites are located in cells one at a time, sometimes they divide (therefore, the paratenic or transport host is not an intermediate host). In paratenic hosts, they do not cause disease and are not invasive to other transport (reservoir) hosts. When paratenic hosts are eaten by definitive ones, the prepatent period is usually shorter than in the case of invasion by simple oocysts, but the number of secreted oocysts is the same.

Pathogenesis and clinical signs

Invasion is pathogenic especially for Young animals... Most often puppies and kittens are affected from 4 weeks to 3 - 4 months. There is apathy, lack of appetite, Elevated temperature, diarrhea (sometimes bloody) and resulting from this Dehydration... In adult animals, invasion often occurs Latently or manifests itself only as a deterioration in the quality of the coat, which occurs as a result of reduced assimilation.

Any load that causes a decrease in immunity can lead to the reactivation of the extraintestinal stages. Most often, it is problematic to distinguish in vivo the pathogenic effect of isospores and the combined effect of other causes, such as different viruses and bacteria. Immunity after recovering from isosporosis lasts about 2 months.

Diagnostics

Impossible without microscopic examination of feces. Feces are examined by the flotation method once a day for 3 days to determine the dynamics of oocyst secretion.

Treatment

Treatment of adult animals is usually not necessary, as well as the accidental finding of single oocysts in the feces of young animals without clinical signs of disease is not a reason for radical therapy. In these cases, re-examination of feces is recommended. Treatment is advisable only when it comes to massive invasion and when the animals show clinical signs of the disease. Lowered immunity is the reason for the improvement in housing and feeding conditions.

Good results were obtained by using Toltrazuril (Baycox) at a dose of 10 mg / kg body weight. For dogs this drug is given within 3 days, for cats it is enough to give it within 2 days. It should be noted, however, that the use of this drug in small animals has not yet been licensed.

Can be used for dogs Sulfonamides in solution, tablets or paste, or in combination with trimethoprim. For example, sulfadimidine (commercial name Sulfakombin sol.ad u S. ve T.) was successfully used in a dose of 1 ml of solution per 1 - 2 kg of live weight orally for 3 - 5 days. Potentiated sulfonamides (for example, Biseptol) are given at a dose of 20 mg / kg of live weight orally at intervals of 12 hours for 5 to 10 days. Therapy must be individually modified according to the dynamics of oocyst release and the rate of decline in clinical signs.

Prevention

Observe the hygiene of the housing, especially when keeping young animals. First of all, it is necessary to ensure direct disposal of faeces and sufficient cleanliness. It is not recommended to feed the animals with raw meat (risk of invasion from paratenic hosts), but rather to use commercial diets. In the event that animals refuse food other than raw meat, which is often encountered in cats, it is recommended to feed raw meat, which was previously frozen for at least 3 days at a temperature not higher than - 18 ° C. the way the meat, as well as the viscera, the causative agents of protozoal invasions are reliably destroyed.

I. Canis

I. ohioensis

I. burrowsi

I. neorivolta

Forecast

Isosporosis has Favorable forecast. In adult animals, in most cases, the disease goes away without treatment. Also, in puppies and kittens, the disease can be easily cured by combining animal hygiene measures and appropriate treatment.

Note

Isolation of coccidia from the genus Isospora cats often have before or after oocyst shedding T. Gondii... This discharge is not associated with the pathogenicity of oocysts T. Gondii and I. Felis or I. Rivolta... This means that the finding of isospore-type oocysts, even if clearly not detected T. Gondii, indicates a possible parallel invasion of toxoplasmosis, which proceeds, as indicated, before or after the defeat of coccidia.

Protozoan diseases are diseases caused by protozoa (Protozoa), unicellular organisms that can only be detected under a microscope. Infection with protozoa usually occurs after ingestion of cysts, which, entering the intestines, when favorable conditions turn into mature forms there, causing disease.

3.1. Toxoplasmosis

Deliver accurate diagnosis toxoplasmosis can only be done with laboratory research feces.
Symptoms: redness of the eyes in a cat, emaciation, abortion, causeless diarrhea. When acute form disease, kittens have fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, drowsiness, swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, jaundice and central nervous system... If your cat has these symptoms, you should immediately consult a veterinarian.
Treatment cats suffering from toxoplasmosis are performed only by a veterinarian. Effective therapy with the use of chemcoccide, sulfonamides, as well as immunofan in combination with gamavit and clindamycin (inside for 2 weeks in a total daily dose of 25-50 mg per 1 kg of body weight).

3.2. Coccidiosis

3.3. Leishmaniasis

Symptoms: in the acute form, fever, anemia develops rapidly, appetite disappears, weakness increases, becomes inflamed, and then the mucous membranes of the eyes, eyelids, nose ulcerate, skin lesions are observed, renal failure... In the chronic form, more often - dryness and skin lesions.
Treatment: meglumine antimoniate (glucantim), allopurinol, fungizone, pentamidine, antimony preparations, gamavit.

3.4. Blastocystosis