Parasite Treatment

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This page contains information on -

Protecting your cat and family against worms

Heartworm

one of the most serious feline parasites

spread when infective mosquitoes bite cats and transfer heartworm larvae

cats are a resistant host and infection is often self-limiting

heartworm may cause -

	asthma like signs
	difficulty breathing
	gagging
	vomiting
	weight loss
	sudden death

Hookworm

can penetrate the skin when cats walk on or ingests contaminated soil

attach to and feed on cat's intestinal lining

hookworm may cause -

	internal bleeding
	anaemia

Zoonotic Potential (Potential Impact on humans)

	people may become infected with hookworm by touching or accidentally ingesting contaminated sand or soil
	hookworm cause itching lesions while penetrating and migrating through the skin

Roundworm

the most common worm in cats

infection occurs via ingestion of queen's milk by kittens and ingestion of infected eggs or infected hosts such as rodents

live in small intestine

roundworm may cause -

	diarrhoea or constipation
	vomiting
	dehydration
	stunted growth

Zoonotic Potential (Potential Impact on humans)

	humans, especially children, contract roundworm through the ingestion of contaminated dirt
	larvae migrate through the body causing sickness
	if larvae reach the eyes they can lead to vision problems - even blindness

Tapeworm

flat segmented worms

live in the small intestine

tapeworm may cause -

	weight loss
	diarrhoea
	poor coat condition

Types of tapeworm -

	Dipylidium caninum (flea tapeworm) - infection occurs when a cat ingests a flea that has eaten tapeworm eggs
	Taenia spp. - infection caused by ingestion of infected animals such as mice

Zoonotic Potential (Potential Impact on humans)

	flea tapeworm can infect humans via the accidental ingestion of infected fleas or contaminated soil
	tapeworm may form cysts in humans which infiltrate and damage vital organs such as the liver and lungs

Protecting your cat and family against worms

	Kittens should be wormed with a broad spectrum preparation fortnightly from 6 weeks until 12 weeks old.
	This is particularly important against roundworm, tapeworm and hookworm.
	Then, over 12 weeks of age - once a month until 6 months old.
	Cats over 6 months old - once every 3 months.
	Adult cats should be wormed 3 or 4 times a year with a broad spectrum tablet that also kills tapeworm.
	If a cat is diagnosed as having worms, it should be wormed fortnightly 3 or 4 times to break the life cycle of the worm.

We recommend worming with one of the following preparations -

Popantel

Drontal

Milbemax

Felex Plus Paste

Revolution

this is a spot on formulation applied to the back of the neck once a month, treats roundworm and hookworm as well as heartworm, and can be a easy way to treat cats that are difficult when giving oral medications.

Feline Tritrichomonas

This parasite, also known as T.Foetus, has been around in the world's cat population for many, many years, undetected until recent years.

At Oz Catz, we have researched this parasite over a period of time and sought professional advice from our two main vet clinics - Dr. Roz Fleay at Chirnside Park Vet Clinic and Dr. Carol Webb at Burwood Road Cat Clinic.

As we understand it, this is what is currently known about T. Foetus -

What is T. Foetus?

T. Foetus is a parasite that lives deep in the colon of infected cats. It is estimated that more than half of the world's cat population is infected with the parasite. For the past 10 years In the USA, a test has been in use to detect the parasite in cats. The test for detecting the parasite in cats has only been available in Australia for the past two years

What are the symptoms of T. Foetus?

The symptoms in a cat infected with T. Foetus vary. Some cats have bad smelling chronic diarrhoea with occasional signs of blood in the faeces, red and inflamed anus, weight loss. Other cats show absolutely no symptoms at all, with normal well formed faeces, good appetite, normal weight, and appear healthy and active.

How to test cats for T. Foetus?

Currently, there are three possible tests available -

Direct Fecal Smear Test. Fresh faeces are examined in saline under a microscope for the presence of trichomonads. This is the cheapest test, but results may be inaccurate.
Fecal Culture. A faecal sample obtained by a rectal swap or fecal loop is incubated in a growth medium, then examined microscopically. Cost is low to medium per culture. Reliability of results are improved.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A molecular biology test to identify trace amounts of T. Foetus DNA in the faeces. Cost is high. Results are most accurate.

What do the test results mean?

Positive Test Result. A positive T. Foetus test result from any of the above methods means that the tested cat has the trichomonads present in the colon - that is, the cat is definitely infected with the T. Foetus parasite.
Negative Test Result. A negative T. Foetus test result from any of the above methods does not mean that the tested cat is free and clear of the parasite. It only means that the T. Foetus parasite has not been identified in the sample tested.

What drugs are currently used against T. Foetus in cats?

Currently, the only known drug used to treat T. Foetus in cats is 'Ronidozole'.

Ronidozole is not FDA approved for used in companion animals and is currently banned for used in food-producing animals in countries outside the USA due to human hazards. Toxicity data is not available for Ronidozole.

If Ronidozole is toxic to cats, what are the possible side-effects?

Neurotoxicity has resulted in some cats treated with Ronidazole. Signs of toxicity include lethargy, ataxia (drunken-like behaviour) and seizures. These signs generally resolve if the drug is withdrawn immediately, but can last one to two weeks and may require costly and intensive emergency veterinary care. Cats need to be monitored closely while receiving Ronidazole for signs of neurotoxicity. If symptoms of toxicity are observed, owners should discontinue treatment. However, even after Ronidazole is stopped, the symptoms of neurotoxicity may continue to worsen for the next few days before slowly subsiding. Continuing treatment after signs of toxicity are observed will be very dangerous and life threatening to the cat.

How is a cat treated?

One course of the Ronidozole treatment takes the form of a capsule, with the dosage carefully graduated according to the weight of each cat, administered daily for 14 days.

Once a cat has been treated, will it be cured of the parasite?

The cat needs to be re-tested about 14 days after completion of the treatment.

If the test results are positive, then the cat needs to have the treatment repeated, followed by re-testing.

If the test results are negative, the cat needs to be re-tested again a further 14 days after the last re-test.

All cats should be re-tested at 4-5 month intervals for a period of up to 5 years until negative test results are repeated many times.

Even then, the cat may become re-infected if it comes into contact with another cat with the parasite.

Does that mean a cat may never be clear of T. Foetus?

It is possible that some cats will never achieve a negative test result. And even those cats who do have a test result that is 'negative' this does not rule out the presence of the T. Foetus parasite still deep in the cat's colon.

The only 100% accurate test result is a positive result. A negative test result is not conclusive. Only negative test results obtained on multiple occasions over a long period of time can claim negative infection or absence of T. Foetus in any cat.

Can a cat 'deal with' T. Foetus unaided?

Yes. It has been shown that many cats are able to eradicate the parasite from their colons naturally over a period of time. So a cat that has been infected with the parasite may be clear of it naturally after 2 or 3 years without any treatment.

What does the Cat Specialist Vet recommend?

Dr. Carol Webb, the veterinary cat specialist of Burwood Road Cat Clinic in Hawthorn says -

T. Foetus has been around in the world's cat population for many years, present, but undetected until relatively recently.

Insufficient research has been done to determine the overall negative impact on cats of T. Foetus

Ronidazole is toxic to cats and should not be used in the treatment of T. Foetus.

Further research needs to be done to ensure cats don't experience serious liver damage as a result of the use of Ronidazole in cats

If your cat does not show any symptoms of the parasite - do nothing!

If your cat does experience either chronic or occasional diarrhoea, treat the symptoms by -

	withdrawing all commercial dry cat and kitten food from its diet.
	then, if the diarrhoea persists, treat with an appropriate veterinary product for diarrhoea.

What does Oz Catz recommend?

T. Foetus has been present in the world cat population for many years without detection and without any apparent serious or fatal consequences.

None of our Oz Catz' Ocicats suffers from any form of diarrhoea. None of our Ocicat kittens ever leaves us unless they are in perfect health and with well formed faeces.

We are therefore not prepared to risk the long-term health of our cats at this stage -

	with a drug that is toxic to cats
	with a drug that is unproven in the successful treatment of T. Foetus
	without a test to accurately determine the successful treatment of T. Foetus

This is not a decision that Oz Catz has taken lightly. Our reputation as the best Ocicat breeder in Australia is important to us. However, we are not prepared to opt for the only currently known treatment for T. Foetus and thereby risk the health of our cats and kittens mindlessly.

Ronidazole is not a drug that has been specifically developed for use in cats for the treatment of T. Foetus. It is a drug designed to treat parasites in birds and has been grabbed off the drug shelf and promoted as being the only drug that has shown any impact on the parasite in cats, albeit not always successfully, nor without serious health risks to the cats treated.

Should there be any further advancement on the current understanding and treatment of T. foetus, Oz Catz will review the situation.

Oz Catz - your Specialist Ocicat Breeder

www.OzCatz.com nolakim@optusnet.com.au

Last modified: March 10, 2010