Coccidia In Stray Kitten Need Advice

[Lbatton26]

ok so not sure if this is in the right category sorry if not. I’m just a bit freaked out by everything I’ve been reading online so far about coccidia. I found 4 kittens Monday with what looks like the mom dead near the road. I took all 4 home called rescues , shelters etc. and was told by all they weren’t accepting any kittens. Then called a few people I knew where considering adopting a kitten anyway long story short 3 found homes. So I’ve been considering keeping the 4th but after a vet visit we were told the poor baby has coccidia. The vet made it sound like it was no big deal but from what ive read this is something that never goes away which means at some point the kitten will pass it to my other cats which I’m not happy about. Their all healthy and happy cats so I really don’t want to be introducing them to something. I’ve had the kitten in a spare room which I guess now I have to spay down with ammonia and sanitize anything she touches. One thing I read even said I could pass it to my other cats if I hold the kitten and then my cats are around the clothes I was wearing !!! Anyway sorry so long just a bit freaked and worried my cats are in danger of catching it to. Any advice is appreciated or suggestions on cleaning products. I’m also wondering if I should try and find this kitten a home as an only cat so she won’t be passing this on to others. She’s a sweetie so I’d like for her to stay but again I really want my fur babies already in our home to be safe.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Here's a recent post that might help;
Protruding Rectum And Seemingly Uncontrolled Bowels

 

[molly92]

Coccidia can technically linger forever, you're right, but like your vet implied, it usually isn't a big deal.

Right now, while the coccidia infection is in full swing, the kitten should be on Albon (which you can get from your vet), or ponazuril if it's a stubborn case, and quarantined from the other cats, and surfaces should be cleaned with ammonia (10-20% ammonia and water solution is fine) and bedding and toys washed in hot water. It's easiest to keep them in a bathroom or mudroom of some sort for this reason. The cleaning and sanitizing is mostly to keep the cat from reinfecting herself so you can get the diarrhea under control as quickly as possible. Once you are through the infectious stage, everyone should be able to mingle just fine. Yes, she could still shed cysts once in a while, but adult cats have a developed enough immune system that coccidia doesn't have a great chance of multiplying and causing illness. Most adult cats that come in contact with coccidia never have symptoms. Coccidia is incredibly common in kittens, especially if the kitten was outside or born to a mother who was outside. If we controlled coccidia kitten adoptions so they only went to homes without other cats, half of kittens in shelters wouldn't find homes. But we don't need to, because coccidia kittens go to multiple cat homes all the time and, aside from a period of diarrhea in the kitten in question, everyone is fine.

Technically you could inadvertently spread cysts on your clothing, but the chance of that and the risk of anything happening if another cat did ingest it is so low that it's not worth worrying about.

 

[Lbatton26]

Coccidia can technically linger forever, you're right, but like your vet implied, it usually isn't a big deal.

Right now, while the coccidia infection is in full swing, the kitten should be on Albon (which you can get from your vet), or ponazuril if it's a stubborn case, and quarantined from the other cats, and surfaces should be cleaned with ammonia (10-20% ammonia and water solution is fine) and bedding and toys washed in hot water. It's easiest to keep them in a bathroom or mudroom of some sort for this reason. The cleaning and sanitizing is mostly to keep the cat from reinfecting herself so you can get the diarrhea under control as quickly as possible. Once you are through the infectious stage, everyone should be able to mingle just fine. Yes, she could still shed cysts once in a while, but adult cats have a developed enough immune system that coccidia doesn't have a great chance of multiplying and causing illness. Most adult cats that come in contact with coccidia never have symptoms. Coccidia is incredibly common in kittens, especially if the kitten was outside or born to a mother who was outside. If we controlled coccidia kitten adoptions so they only went to homes without other cats, half of kittens in shelters wouldn't find homes. But we don't need to, because coccidia kittens go to multiple cat homes all the time and, aside from a period of diarrhea in the kitten in question, everyone is fine.

Technically you could inadvertently spread cysts on your clothing, but the chance of that and the risk of anything happening if another cat did ingest it is so low that it's not worth worrying about.

Thank you so much for the information between what I read online and what the lady from the rescue was telling me I was freaking out.
The vet is putting her on albon which she will start today. I’ve also just picked up some of those throw away litter boxes so she has a new one each day. The only thing I’m having a problem finding in 20% ammonia. Non of the bottles that say ammonia on it say what % it is. I was wondering if simple green pro 3 plus cleaner would work for killing it in the environment.

 

[kashmir64]

You can mix ammonia with water to get the 20% mix. I personally only used a 10% mix and it is gone (mine had Giardia). It only lives in the environment for around a year, so you should be alright.
If your older cats are healthy, then you shouldn't have to worry about them. Coccidia only affects the young and the immune compromised, so a healthy adult will never show symptoms.
Instead of using throw away litter boxes, I used clay -non clumping- litter and cleaned the box everyday. Then scrubbed the box with antibacterial soap, sprayed with ammonia solution, and scrubbed again in antibacterial soap. This only took about 5 minutes, if that.
Launder bedding with HOT soapy water. Both Coccidia and Giardia die in HOT laundered items. Coccidia is species specific, so neither your other animals (dogs) nor yourself can get this (Giardia is different).
Be diligent in your cleaning and you will be fine.

BTY - NEVER EVER mix ammonia and bleach.

 

[molly92]

Good question, at the shelter I volunteered at I suspect we used something like this:PI Quat 20 Disinfectant

I would just go to a hardware store and ask for janitorial grade ammonia, which is 10%. It looks like the simple green is mostly alcohol based, which might work, but ammonia is a safer bet.

Shelter people do tend freak out about coccidia-it's so easy to spread in a shelter environment, and then before you know it you're having to clean up diarrhea for dozens of kittens!

 

[Lbatton26]

Good question, at the shelter I volunteered at I suspect we used something like this:PI Quat 20 Disinfectant

I would just go to a hardware store and ask for janitorial grade ammonia, which is 10%. It looks like the simple green is mostly alcohol based, which might work, but ammonia is a safer bet.

Shelter people do tend freak out about coccidia-it's so easy to spread in a shelter environment, and then before you know it you're having to clean up diarrhea for dozens of kittens!

Ok thanks just wanted to make sure I got the right stuff.
She freaked me out pretty bad especially since I do have a 5 month old and 6 month old kitten. They made it sound like I pretty much needed to burn down the room lol.

 

[Lbatton26]

You can mix ammonia with water to get the 20% mix. I personally only used a 10% mix and it is gone (mine had Giardia). It only lives in the environment for around a year, so you should be alright.
If your older cats are healthy, then you shouldn't have to worry about them. Coccidia only affects the young and the immune compromised, so a healthy adult will never show symptoms.
Instead of using throw away litter boxes, I used clay -non clumping- litter and cleaned the box everyday. Then scrubbed the box with antibacterial soap, sprayed with ammonia solution, and scrubbed again in antibacterial soap. This only took about 5 minutes, if that.
Launder bedding with HOT soapy water. Both Coccidia and Giardia die in HOT laundered items. Coccidia is species specific, so neither your other animals (dogs) nor yourself can get this (Giardia is different).
Be diligent in your cleaning and you will be fine.

BTY - NEVER EVER mix ammonia and bleach.

Thanks for the information I’m glad I went ahead and picked up a few different ones. I thought it would say a % on the bottle.
With the bedding and clothes I’m washing that on the heavy duty steam cycle that my washer has