endoparasieten
Endoparasieten
Endoparasites, a collective name for all kinds of contagious diseases that we like to keep far away from us. Annoying parasites but fortunately usually treatable. Ectoparasites are living, animal organisms that live inside the host. This means that they use the host to survive. In some cases this is only for a small part of the life cycle. Among the endoparasites are; worms roundworms -> roundworm & whipworm flatworms -> tapeworm protozoa (single-celled animal) toxoplasmosisgiardiatritrichomonas fetuscoccidiosisWorms We know of several variants of worms. In case of a worm infestation, deworming should always be done. Use products prescribed by the vet for this. In this case, you know that these are safe products. Do not get products for worming and flea removal from, for example, powder keg or action. It may contain ingredients that are toxic to cats. They can contract a worm infection in cats while nursing. An infected mother cat can infect a kitten by larvae that live in the mammary glands. Contrary to what the vet will tell you in many cases, cats do not have standard worms. If a mother cat does not have worms, she cannot pass them on to the kittens!! Roundworms A roundworm is a zoonosis, which means that an infection can pass from animals to humans. An infection can already occur in a kitten at a young age. This happens (in an infected mother cat) while drinking breast milk. The roundworm eggs are absorbed and hatch in the intestines. Roundworms multiply and the larvae enter the bloodstream. When they end up in the capillaries of muscles, the brain or, for example, the optic nerve, they come to rest. If a kitten is infected through mother's milk, the worms are mature after about 3 to 4 weeks and an infection will develop quickly. In that case it is of course important to deworm properly. Tapeworms The tapeworm is also a zoonosis and we would like to prevent it in our animals because of its contagiousness to humans. Tapeworms are elongated flat worms with a head that has hooks or suction cups. The entire tapeworm consists of identical elements. All these elements together form the tapeworm in a "chain". The name for the elements are sections, these are actually bags full of eggs that come out through the faeces. This happens because the joints at the end of the tapeworm keep letting go and can move on their own and can crawl out through the anus. The bags with eggs dry outside the body and then look like a grain of rice. Depending on the species, the tapeworm infection can be spread via the flea. In that case, the flea is the intermediate host. A larva of the flea feeds on the parts of the tapeworm, they eat the bag of eggs. After this, the larva of the flea develops into a flea, while the worm egg develops at the same time. Because a cat will get itchy by the flea, it will scratch or lick and in this way bring the worm inside. The cat is then infected again. In the event of an infestation, it is therefore advisable to treat fleas at the same time to prevent a new infestation. Whipworms Whipworms are uncommon in cats. It is a worm that mainly occurs in young dogs and dogs that live in kennels. The animals are infected through eggs and cause appendicitis and anemia by sucking blood which the adult worms do. The eggs are excreted again by the adult worms and can lead to new infections. In the environment, infectious eggs can remain infectious for years. The eggs are also very resistant. They just can't stand dehydration, so keeping the environment where the animals stay dry is extremely important. protozoa Protozoa are unicellular primordial animals. In humans they occur as parasites (eg Cryptosporidum, Giaradia, Trichomonas). That is why it is also a zoonosis in this case. For example, an infection can cause severe diarrhoea, disturbance of food absorption in the intestines and intestinal infections. Toxoplasmosis We all know the unicellular zoonosis toxoplasmosis as a danger to pregnant women. During pregnancy, toxoplasmosis can cause congenital abnormalities to the baby's eyes and brain. Many cats are carriers of toxoplasmosis, which means they are infected without showing any symptoms. A cat only excretes eggs through the feces for 2 weeks after which they build up resistance. Only after 72 hours does the feces become infectious outside the cat's body and only then does it become dangerous for females. No reason to panic when the litter box needs to be cleaned if you do this neatly every day. An infection can take place by coming into contact with the infectious eggs or, for example, eating contaminated raw meat. When cooking meat, the eggs are killed and the danger is gone. Contamination can also occur due to Dirty hands after working in the garden or fruit and vegetables that have come into contact with contaminated soil. Almost everyone will come into contact with Toxoplasmosis at some point in their life. After contracting the infection, you build up antibodies and you become insensitive to the parasite. During the first pregnancy, 46% of women are no longer at risk. in short toxoplasmosis can be found in soil contaminated by cat feces / litter boxes / the garden toxoplasmosis can also be found in contaminated meat or soil contaminated with vegetables and fruit fresh stools pose no danger! only after 72 hours does toxoplasmosis become "dangerous" 46% of women have antibodies have already been built up before the first pregnancy and there is no danger anymore. Wearing gloves, preparing meat properly and washing fruit and vegetables is important. Ask your doctor for more information about the risks that apply to you. Giardia Giardia is a zoonosis and highly contagious. Giardia is a flagellate (= a protozoan parasite) and consists of a multicellular organism, which occurs in various stages of development. The animal infected with Giardia spreads cysts. These can infect the new "host" through the mouth. The sick animal excretes up to 100,000 cysts per gram of stool and only 10 cysts are needed for a new infection. Even without the animals showing symptoms, they can be infected. Cats with less resistance, due to stress or illness often become visibly ill. Both “groups” are contagious at times due to the cysts they secrete. Cats that come from a shelter, cattery, boarding house or farm are at greater risk of becoming infected due to a greater infection pressure. Giardia can become chronic if not recognized. It causes annoying complaints in the cat and often diarrhea for several weeks to months. This is not beneficial for the functioning of the intestines that become more and more irritated. We call it chronic if the cat still has diarrhea after treatment with medication and changing food. How to recognize Giardia Giardia is loose stools that often smell very bad. It is a (sometimes greenish) slurry that can contain mucus and blood due to the irritation of the intestines. The cat may be nauseous and cause vomiting. The appetite, on the other hand, often remains just fine. The cycle of Giardia Giardia comes in 2 forms. The parasite stage = trophozoite. Appears as a very small multicellular whip animal, which can only be seen with a high magnification microscope. Propagation takes place by dichotomy and therefore the propagation can be very fast. A cyst or also called oocyst arises from every trophozozite. This is the highly infectious stage. After excretion in the faeces, the cyst is contagious for weeks or even months under cool and moist conditions. The incubation period, the time between absorption and the onset of symptoms, is 5-16 days. The excretion of the infectious cysts begins 7 days after admission. And occurs intermittently for 4-5 weeks. This contagious period can last much longer if the animal reinfects itself. Diagnosis Visit the vet to determine the correct diagnosis. It is advisable to save stools for 3 to 5 days in advance and take them with you. Since giardia periodically excretes the cysts and therefore cannot always be found in the stool. Tritrichomonas Tritrichomonas fetus is a unicellular parasite of the cat. The parasite can cause prolonged and persistent colon diarrhea. The cat is generally not sick, grows normally and does not lose weight. Cats younger than 1 year seem more sensitive than older animals. Tritirchomonas is seen more often in Bengals and Siamese, possibly because they are kept in larger groups. Infection can be transmitted through the faeces of snails and from cat to cat. The parasite survives for a maximum of a few days in faeces & only a few hours in food, water or urine. Outside the body in a dry environment, the parasite survives poorly and will die quickly. Cats that appear to be completely healed, with no diarrhea, may continue to shed the parasite for several months. Tritrichomonas looks a bit like Giardia, but is much less persistent in the area. Symptoms associated with Tritrichomonas More frequent poopingSoft to loose stoolsSometimes fresh blood and mucus on the stoolSmelly stoolsSometimes painful defecation (complaining when defecating)Loss of stools outside the litter box/emergencyMost cats are otherwise healthy, grow normally and do not lose weight The vet can help you make the right diagnosis. A stool test will be performed for tritrichomonas. This is best done on the stool of 3-5 days and sent to the laboratory. These perform a test PCR test. This involves looking for the parasite's DNA in the stool. Since the parasite dies almost immediately outside the body, it will not be possible to make a correct diagnosis under the microscope in most cases. PCR also detects the parasite if it concerns dead parasites. The vet will prescribe the correct treatment if the test is positive. Pay close attention to (your own) hygiene to prevent contamination and further spread. Most cats make a full recovery and overcome the parasite. Coccidiosis Coccidia are small, single-celled parasites that live in your cat's intestinal wall. Coccidia are mainly found in kittens, but adult animals can also become infected. Coccidia almost always enter through the cat's mouth. Coccidia are in all those places that may be contaminated with cat feces. This can be the litter box, but also soil where the cat has defecates. Cats can also pick up small rodents that are infected after contact with cat feces. Cats old enough to hunt can eat these animals. The most common symptom is diarrhea which can be especially serious in small kittens. Dehydration can even kill an infection if not treated in time. In case of stool abnormalities, always contact a vet and have a stool examination performed.