How to Diagnose Giardia in a Cat

Giardiasis (Giardia infection) is a parasitic infection that not only affects cats but can also occur in humans. It is very important to always maintain strict hygiene habits when cleaning up after your pet, as Giardia can be passed to humans through contact with pet feces. Although Giardiasis often goes undiagnosed or unnoticed by cat owners, here are the most common signs that point to a Giardia infection in your cat.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Look for changes in your cat's feces, such as excessive amounts of mucus in watery or soft feces. Greasy, pale and foul smelling stools accompanied by acute, intermittent or chronic bouts of diarrhea are other signs of possible Giardia infection.

2. Check your cat's feces for blood. Although blood can be a sign of a variety of illnesses or that your cat has eaten a bone or other sharp object, blood can also be a Giardia infection symptom.

3. Weigh your cat. Cats with this type of infection often vomit and suffer from diarrhea, which often results in weight loss. The loss of weight can also occur as the result of Giardia interrupting the normal nutrient absorption process that occurs in the intestines causing malabsorption and nutrient loss.

4. Play with your cat. Giardiasis can cause fatigue or reduce your cat's normal energy levels.

5. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Your vet can test your cat's stool in a lab under a microscope for active and moving Giardia and for Giardia-containing cysts. Cysts are a form of transport that Giardia uses to move safely from an infected host into a new host.

Tips & Warnings

• This information should not be construed as medical advice. If your cat's symptoms are severe or persistent, contact your veterinarian immediately for diagnosis and treatment. Although mortality rates from Giardiasis are typically higher among kittens, older cats and cats with compromised immune systems, any cat can die from Giardiasis if it goes untreated.

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