Can a mother cat give coccidia to her kittens? She had kittens about 2 days ago and I think she might have coccidia. I am going to get medication for her. She is a foster.
Answers:
Hi there.A kitten is not born with the coccidia organisms in his intestine. However, once born, the kitten is frequently exposed to his mother's feces, and if the mother is shedding the infective cysts in her feces, then the young animals will likely ingest them and coccidia will develop within their intestines. Since young kittens, usually those less than six months of age, have no immunity to coccidia, the organisms reproduce in great numbers and parasitize the young animal's intestines. Oftentimes, this has severe effects.
From exposure to the coccidia in feces to the onset of the illness is about 13 days. Most kittens who are ill from coccidia are, therefore, two weeks of age and older. Although most infections are the result of spread from the mother, this is not always the case. Any infected kitten or puppy is contagious to other kittens or puppies. In breeding facilities, shelters, animal hospitals, etc., it is wise to isolate those infected from those that are not.
More info: http://peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=.
Yes she can. You have to clean the litter box and dishes and bottles everyday to minimize the impact.
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