How to check for toxoplasmosis in cats, symptoms and treatment, tests for the disease, photos

One of the most dangerous diseases, quite often diagnosed in cats, is toxoplasmosis. It is extremely important for breeders to know the main symptoms, routes of infection and preventive measures for toxoplasmosis, since the disease is classified as a zooanthroponosis (it can be dangerous not only for the animal itself, but also for the people around it).

Important! Toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous for pregnant women, since even if it is asymptomatic in a mild form, it can cause serious harm to the nervous system of the fetus.

Of course, this is not at all a reason to refuse to communicate with cats, but it is a more than compelling reason to carefully monitor the health of your pet and its hygiene. So, let's look at the main issues related to the disease and find out what veterinarians recommend for the prevention and treatment of toxoplasmosis.

Nature of the disease

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.
The pathogen is characterized by high prevalence, resistance to external environmental factors (remains viable for up to 1.5 years or more) and a complex development cycle. It can be found on any object or surface, as well as in the aquatic environment. Toxoplasma lives in the body of ⅓ of the world's population and more than ½ of mammals. In the process of its development, the protozoan goes through several stages, and for this it needs to change hosts. In the external environment, the parasite is contained in the form of a cyst. Penetrating into the body of an intermediate host - an animal, bird, human, the protozoan begins to multiply vigorously by simple division in two and spread through the tissues with the subsequent formation of cysts. When eating an infected rodent or bird, the cat becomes the definitive host, in which Toxoplasma reproduces sexually.

Reproduction of the protozoan causes numerous disruptions in the activity of all organ systems of the host, cell destruction, and severe intoxication. Cysts formed in the cat’s body are released into the external environment, where they wait for the next intermediate host.

5-6. Giardiasis and cryptosporidium.

These parasites, called protozoa, can cause intestinal diseases. Cats can be infected with these parasites without showing any symptoms. Direct contact with pets can lead to infection in humans.

Symptoms of intestinal diseases include watery diarrhea and cramps. Again, for most people the symptoms go away on their own after two or three days, but for people who have problems with the immune system, this infection can be fatal.

Children should be taught to wash their hands after playing with pets, as direct contact is the most common way these parasites are acquired in humans.

How can a cat become infected with toxoplasmosis?

An example of toxoplasmosis infection

How does a cat become infected with toxoplasmosis? There are many ways that lead to the disease:

consumption of raw meat products;
while catching mice, birds;
eating grass infected with protozoan cysts;
drinking water containing the parasite;
through scratches or wounds, for example, during a fight with another cat;
direct contact with a carrier animal;
through a human-infected infection (with shoes).

Very often, newborn kittens become infected during fetal development or during lactation. As a rule, most of the babies die. If someone manages to survive, then his existence is accompanied by severe damage to the respiratory system, liver, and central nervous system.

Ringworm.

Ringworm is a skin disease caused by a fungus. It is also known as dermatophytosis. Ringworm is an infection in the dead layer of skin, hair and nails. It can easily be transmitted from pets to people. Children are very susceptible to this infection.

Ringworm can be caused by several types of fungi, and they typically get their name from their location on the body, such as athlete's foot. Trichophyton and epidermophyton are fungi that can grow in warm, moist areas of the body, such as the groin or between the toes.

The most common sign of ringworm is a painful rash. Sometimes the rash peels off and may even form blisters. Ringworm usually appears on the legs, groin, scalp, and nails. There is also a form called body ringworm, which can develop anywhere.

Most of these infections can be treated with antifungal creams. It is important to follow the instructions carefully as they may recur if treatment ends too early. Decontamination and drying of infected areas is important. It is also important to treat cats and dogs.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in cats

Purulent discharge is one of the symptoms of toxoplasmosis

At first, after Toxoplasma enters the cat’s body, there are no symptoms. After a few days, the disease begins to manifest itself in a mild form. You can suspect toxoplasmosis in a cat based on the following signs:

lack of interest in the environment;
loss of appetite;
the animal becomes lethargic and breathes heavily;
vomiting and intestinal upset;
the eyes look inflamed, yellowing of the mucous membrane is possible (due to impaired liver function);
twitching of the tips of the ears;
feverish condition.

As the disease develops, the symptoms become more pronounced - the pathology enters the acute stage. Characteristic features are:

increased temperature, fever;
purulent discharge from the eyes and nostrils;
muscle cramps;
apathy, lethargy, indifference;
labored breathing.

During the acute period of the disease, the cat is a source of infection for surrounding animals and humans. During this period, timely, thorough treatment of the tray and cat care are of great importance. If the animal is an adult and has a strong immune system, then it can soon recover. Otherwise, the pet either dies or the pathology becomes chronic, which manifests itself in lack of appetite, weight loss and frequent muscle cramps.

Diagnosis and treatment

To confirm the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis or establish the fact that the animal has already been ill before, laboratory tests will be required.

Important! Stool analysis in this case is not informative, since the period of oocyst formation is less than 3 weeks and during this period the disease most often goes undetected.

Veterinarians recommend the following types of diagnostics:

serological blood test;
polymer chain reaction method;
diagnostics of material taken from a cat on a laboratory mouse.

Treatment of toxoplasmosis is a complex and lengthy process. It can last for months, years or even until the end of the animal's life. Often the parasite cannot be completely destroyed, since the protozoa, neutralized by the immune system, are in isolated capsules through which medications do not penetrate. T. gondii can remain in this state for an incredibly long time.

In most cases, treatment comes down to suppressing the inflammatory process caused by the activity of protozoa, suppressing the development of cysts and eliminating symptoms. To do this, the veterinarian may prescribe:

antibiotics;
anti-inflammatory drugs;
drugs that enhance immunity.

If a cat diagnosed with toxoplasmosis lives in the house, the following precautions should be taken:

Clean the tray daily.
Treat the tray with a 10% ammonia solution.
Perform these procedures wearing disposable gloves.
Wet cleaning of the house using disinfectants.
Regular hand washing after each contact with your pet.

How to treat toxoplasmosis

Not only does toxoplasmosis develop against the background of an already weakened immune system, it causes the development of numerous diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, and lungs in cats. If Toxoplasma is detected, the doctor will definitely prescribe antimicrobial, antibacterial and other medications.

A drug

Features of application

Sulfonamide

Should not be administered during pregnancy or given to animals with weak immune systems.

Pyrimethamine

Requires parallel intake of folic acid. Allowed during the period of gestation of kittens

Chemical coccide

Helps reduce the severity of symptoms during exacerbation of the disease

Clindamycin

Prevents the parasite from multiplying

The dosage of each drug is calculated based on the animal’s body weight, taking into account its condition and severity of symptoms. Additionally, it is recommended to give your pet sedatives, glucose (intravenously), anti-inflammatory and diuretic drugs.

With timely and correct treatment, the cat becomes noticeably better already on the third day. However, the course of therapy must be completed completely. After its completion, you should be tested again for the presence of toxoplasma.

Campylobacter infection.

This opportunistic bacterium causes intestinal infections and is easily transmitted from cats to humans. These bacteria also live in meat and poultry, untreated water and unpasteurized milk, so animal feces are not the only source of this infection.

Symptoms of this infection include abdominal cramps and pain, high fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), nausea and vomiting. All of this can lead to severe dehydration.

Typically, no special treatment is required. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. But this is another reason to avoid direct contact with feces from cats (and other animals). It is important to clean children's sandboxes regularly, wearing gloves when doing so.

Treatment with folk remedies

The use of traditional medicine to treat toxoplasmosis in cats is controversial regarding health safety. There are a number of methods that are suitable for people, but whether such drugs can be given to animals is unknown, since most of the medicinal components contain toxic substances.

For the treatment of toxoplasmosis, coffin, buckthorn, kupena and some other plants are used. The raw materials must be poured with boiling water in the following proportion: for one teaspoon of dry herb (or fruit, root) take one glass of boiling water. The mixture is placed in a “bath”, kept for a quarter of an hour, and after cooling, passed through a sieve. The cat is given a teaspoon of solution twice a day.

Before using such products, you should definitely consult your doctor. In addition, in order not to cause harm, one should take into account not only the symptoms, but also the age and condition of the animal.

Rabies.

This virus is spread primarily through bites and contaminated saliva, and affects the brain and spinal cord. This disease, although more common in dogs, can also be spread when rabid cats bite people. Rabies is fatal to animals and people, so the bite should be treated as a medical emergency.

Symptoms of rabies can take anywhere from 20 to 60 days to appear. They vary from person to person, but one in five people experience progressive paralysis. Symptoms are often flu-like: sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. Depression, anxiety and insomnia are also considered to be some of the associated symptoms of rabies.

Uncontrollable drooling, agitation and aggression are the next phase, followed by throat spasms and damage to the vocal cords. This happens because rabies affects the area of the brain responsible for breathing and swallowing. Trying to drink water can also trigger these painful cramps.

It is not easy to diagnose rabies in the early stages, especially if the doctor was not warned about the animal bite. Its symptoms may seem like those of many other diseases. To diagnose rabies, you need to examine the brain tissue of the animal that bit the person.

The animal must be observed by a veterinarian for ten days to determine whether it became infected with rabies through the bite. Viral tests are not effective, but both a skin biopsy and a blood biopsy can detect the virus. In the case of a blood test, this will only help diagnose the condition once severe symptoms occur.

You can vaccinate people against rabies. People who may come into contact with infected animals at work are usually vaccinated. The vaccine must be given every two years.

Immediate preventive measures should be taken immediately after the bite. It is necessary to wash the bite area with hot water and disinfectant. The rabies vaccine and tetanus injection should also be given immediately after the bite.

Before the advent of the vaccine, death occurred between 3 and 10 days and was usually caused by paralysis, asphyxia, convulsions, or exhaustion. People still die from rabies unless diagnosed and treated.

The best way to prevent rabies is to treat any animal bites as a medical emergency. To save life, it is very important to receive timely treatment.

Can a cat get toxoplasmosis again?

After suffering from the disease, cats develop immunity to toxoplasma for a certain time, so re-infection is not possible immediately (subject to complete recovery). The disease can be hidden, and the pet’s condition will remain unchanged. However, at the slightest weakening of the protective forces (for example, helminthic infestations, stress), toxoplasmosis will make itself felt with a corresponding clinical picture.

When a cat is re-infected with Toxoplasma, the protozoan is no longer released in the form of cysts into the external environment, but forms them in the internal organs of the animal, mainly in the hematopoietic (spleen, liver) and brain tissues. It is possible to completely get rid of the parasite only through long-term and persistent therapy under the constant control of antibodies.

What a person should know so as not to be afraid of infection

Toxoplasmosis is undoubtedly a very serious parasitic disease, but the danger of human infection from pets should not be exaggerated. What, unfortunately, many veterinarians still do, this only speaks of their unprofessionalism.

The cat owner should know:

A person will never become infected with Toxoplasma gundi from daily cleaning of the toilet. Sporulation of cysts that can infect humans occurs - important! - for 1-5 days.
Infected pets secrete cysts for no more than 3 weeks. That is, even theoretically, infection from feces (provided that they are removed every three days) is practically impossible. Cysts are found in the secretions of recently infected pets.
In the acute or subacute phase of the disease, cats are theoretically infectious. For example, if you inhale its secretions when sneezing or when your pet licks your hands (only if there are fresh bleeding scratches on the person’s skin). But you should remember that in the external environment, cysts die immediately.
In the chronic phase of the disease, cats are not dangerous to humans at all. All parasites are “clogged” in cysts; they are not found in biological fluids or even in the pet’s tissues.
But if a cat becomes infected again, then the acute and subacute periods are repeated, and for a short time it is contagious. Thus, the least theoretically and practically dangerous animal for humans is one chronically ill with toxoplasmosis.
In fact, the main routes of human infection are not cats. Dogs infect their owners much more often, since their bodies usually pick up the parasite through the oral-fecal route, while cats do not.
Children often get sick as a result of Toxoplasma infection from street dirt, for example, playing in a sandbox or eating unwashed fruits and vegetables.
In practice, infection of a person with toxoplasmosis from a cat is negligible.

Is the disease transmitted to humans and animals?

Despite the fact that a person or animal, such as a dog, is an intermediate host for toxoplasma, when infected, they may experience the same symptoms of the disease as a cat. Moreover, the protozoan poses the same threat to humans. If the immune system works well, the parasite can live in the human body for many years without causing suspicion. If the defenses leave much to be desired, toxoplasma can lead to serious health problems, including death.

Toxoplasmosis is very dangerous during pregnancy. An expectant mother can become infected from a domestic cat and not even know it. Weakening of the immune system as a result of hormonal changes leads to the fact that the protozoan easily overcomes the placenta and affects the fetal organs, causing abnormalities. In this regard, the diagnosis of toxoplasma at the stage of pregnancy planning is of great importance.

Development of the causative agent of toxoplasmosis in the cat’s body

The disease in the cat’s body progresses gradually. Toxoplasma larvae spend the main part of their life in the small intestine, where they develop and reproduce. But often pathogens also parasitize the hematopoietic organs - spleen, liver.

To survive in the environment after leaving the body with feces, parasites form oocysts - a stable life form covered with a dense shell. They can live in this form in the soil for a long time, easily tolerating cold and high temperatures.

Is there a vaccine against toxoplasmosis?

There is no vaccine against toxoplasmosis. This applies to both cats and humans, and is due to the peculiarity of toxoplasma. The essence of the vaccine is the introduction of an inactive agent into the body in order to produce antibodies. And toxoplasma, unlike viruses and other infections, inhabits the cells of organs, so it will not be possible to treat it in the same way.

However, this does not mean that the risk of developing the disease should be left to chance. Vaccination aimed at increasing and strengthening the cat’s immune system will help prevent toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma is found in the body of animals (and humans) under normal conditions, but in very low concentrations, so it does not manifest as an exacerbation. As soon as immunity drops, the number of protozoa increases sharply - the animal gets sick and becomes a source of infection for others.

An example of such a vaccine is Multifel, which is given once a year, starting from the age of six months.

Mr. Cat recommends: risk groups

The degree of damage to a cat depends on many signs:

Age. More often, adults, even older ones, pets or kittens in the womb are infected.
Gender. This sign is not obvious, but infectious disease veterinarians note that stray or free-roaming mature, uncastrated cats most often become ill. Although Toxoplasma is absolutely not transmitted sexually. Most likely, the high percentage of damage to these individuals is associated with their lifestyle.
The type of strain and the amount of Toxoplasma that entered the animal’s body during infection.
Path of infection. The disease is most severe in kittens that become ill in utero. They usually experience weakness, anorexia, breathing problems, and discharge from the eyes and nose. In case of death, extensive damage to the liver and lungs is diagnosed. Sometimes kittens can develop encephalitis. Babies sleep almost constantly, suffer from poor coordination of movements, and cannot eat. They die from exhaustion.
Stressful situation. As a result, the body’s immune forces are weakened and its response is lower.
Associated pathologies. The most severe toxoplasmosis occurs simultaneously with viral immunodeficiency, leukemia, mycoplasmosis, and panleukopenia.
Some types of drug therapy. For example, when treated with Cyclosporine antibiotics or with glucocorticoid injections.

Prevention of toxoplasmosis

To prevent toxoplasmosis in cats, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

Cat vaccination is one of the ways to prevent toxoplasmosis.

support your pet's immunity with vaccinations;
protect from contact with stray and unfamiliar animals;
timely treatment for helminths and fleas;
provide adequate nutrition with sufficient vitamin content;
prevent the catching of rodents and birds;
keep the tray clean;
do not feed raw meat products (allowed after long-term deep freezing);
eliminate stress;
undergo preventive diagnostics.

The owner should also ensure that the cat does not sniff outdoor shoes. It is also not recommended to pet animals and then pet your pet on the street. And although such measures cannot provide a 100% guarantee, the likelihood of infection with toxoplasma will be reduced to a minimum for both the cat and the owner.

Ways of infection of cats

The role of cats in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis is that only this species of mammal is capable of excreting oocysts in feces and, therefore, these individuals are the definitive hosts of the parasite (which does not mean that they are a dangerous source of infection).

The routes of infection of feline species, both wild and domestic, are as follows:

Food contaminated with oocysts. This can be any food containing sporulated oocysts (fruits, vegetables, raw meat, rodents, birds, any sick animals that act as prey for a predator).
Feed with bradyzoites. The most common form of infection, most often occurring when cats consume raw meat from mammals and birds.
Infection in the womb.
Colostrum. Very rarely, a sick mother can infect her newborns in this way.
Dirt and dust. Domestic cats are infected by their owners by carrying cysts on their clothes and shoes. Or walking dogs - on their paws.
Blood. This is the rarest type of infection - when this biological fluid is transfused into a pet from an infected donor.

The most common route of infection and the most dangerous for stray and street cats is their eating of infected and sick rodents.

Raw meat infected with oocysts is extremely dangerous for pets.

Cats cannot catch the parasite orally or through feces, but this is common in dogs.

Toxoplasmosis and HIV infection

Persons with immunodeficiency are poorly protected from various infections, and toxoplasmosis in the presence of HIV is not something special. According to statistics, 95% of HIV patients have a cerebral form of this disease.

Symptoms of pathology in such individuals are caused by damage to the central nervous system. In many patients, this disease leads to brain damage, with about 75% of patients experiencing mental problems, 33% with epilepsy and 72% being diagnosed with causeless fever and headaches.

How long does it take to treat?

The duration of treatment of toxoplasmosis with medication, as well as folk remedies, is determined by an infectious disease doctor. The following factors influence his decision:

form of the disease;
intensity of invasion;
the severity of symptoms and their number;
the presence of complications from parasitic infection;
parallel treatment of affected internal organs;
individual characteristics of the patient and more.

Antiparasitic therapy usually lasts from 5 to 10 days, depending on the doctor's prescription. For the same number of days, the patient is prescribed vitamins and folic acid. If antibiotics are available, probiotics and enzymes for the intestines are prescribed in parallel. Treatment with folk remedies also lasts no longer than 2 weeks, but not less than 3-5 days.

In what cases is diagnostics necessary?

In order for a person to decide to visit a doctor for diagnosis and diagnosis, he must be able to recognize the first and characteristic signs of such a disease. The most common reasons for consulting a doctor are the following:

increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees;
yellowness of the skin;
malaise, chills;
pain in the head, joints and muscles;
rash;
noticeable enlargement of the liver and spleen;
enlargement and pain on palpation of the lymph nodes in the neck;
changes in the area of the eyeball;
poor memory, insomnia, depression;
loss of appetite;
nervous tension, fears;
signs of intoxication;
epileptic seizures;
poor vision.

If a person has at least two of these symptoms, this is a signal that there are parasites inside the body. Only timely diagnosis and contact with a doctor will help cure toxoplasmosis without serious consequences.