Toxoplasmosis in cats: is it dangerous?

There are a number of diseases common to cats and humans. To them carry and toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis in cats is a contagious disease caused by protozoan parasites. It can become one of the causes of miscarriages, the birth of offspring with deviations, damage to vision, lymphatic, central nervous systems. The disease is spread all over the globe, and it is equally susceptible to all mammals.

The causative agent of such a serious ailment as toxoplasmosis in cats is the intracellular toxoplasma parasite present in the body in the form of cysts or trophosites. The latter multiply in the cells of the body, excluding erythrocytes, and can be detected in the acute stage of the disease. Cysts can last for dozens of years and contain thousands of parasites.

Infection of an animal can occur as follows: when eating a rodent or food contaminated with toxoplasmosis, the cat swallows cysts from which toxoplasma come out in the intestine and begin to multiply. After a while, cysts form again in the small intestine. They are allocated by the cat together with feces and serve as a source of infection for all those around.

Is it worth treating toxoplasmosis in cats, the symptoms of which may not appear? It depends on the clinical picture. The fact is that toxoplasmosis in cats can have a different course. So, healthy cats usually do not show any symptoms, having first encountered with the pathogen, and gradually form an immune response. With repeated infection, the antibodies are already successfully coping with the parasite. In the chronic course of toxoplasmosis, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting can occur, but after 10 days the symptoms disappear and the disease proceeds in a latent form. There is, however, an acute form of the disease in which digestive system disorders are observed, muscle tremor, general oppression, discharge from the eyes and nose. In addition, the temperature may rise. If a cat has become infected during pregnancy, acute toxoplasmosis often leads to spontaneous interruption or non-viability of the offspring. Usually, in this disease, the animal dies.

In view of the fact that the above symptoms are typical not only for toxoplasmosis, but also for a number of other diseases, the diagnosis can be made only by a doctor, having previously performed an analysis for toxoplasmosis in cats.

Treatment of this ailment consists in the use of antiparasitic and symptomatic drugs, the latter include cardiac, sedative and other means. Medications are prescribed depending on the severity of the disease. Needless to say, to treat toxoplasmosis in cats in dangerous stages should only veterinarian. However, in reality the current of toxoplasmosis of such severity, in which the doctor's intervention is required, is not observed very often.

As you know, preventing the disease is much easier than curing. Therefore, it is better to protect your pet as much as possible from infection. To do this, it is necessary to observe the sanitary conditions of keeping the animal, clean the toilet in time, and keep the premises clean. Cysts of parasites can be brought from the street on shoes, so when entering the apartment you need to take off your shoes and clean your shoes. In addition, it is necessary to exclude the contact of the pet with the stray animals, as well as with the rodents. Meat, which is part of the cat's diet, must undergo veterinary control.

Some people experience an exaggerated fear of infection with toxoplasmosis, which is why their pets can often suffer. It should be remembered that a person can become infected with toxoplasmosis only once, since further antibodies will protect him. For a pregnant woman, the real danger arises only if she first encountered the pathogen during pregnancy. Since the allocation of cat feces and maturation toxoplasm takes some time. Therefore, removing fresh feces, you not only do not become infected, but also protect yourself and your loved ones in the future. In addition, after three weeks after infection, the cat ceases to allocate cysts with feces and becomes uncontaminated. Thus, even if your cat has become infected with toxoplasmosis, it is by no means an excuse to part with it or, even more so, to put it to sleep.