When we decide to adopt a cat, one of the things that most worries us is that it could get sick, catch serious internal infections or there is a real risk of transmission to family members. It is very difficult for this to happen, however, there is a minimal possibility of contracting some parasitic diseases, such as cat toxoplasmosis.
But don’t be alarmed, we will explain below everything you need to know about this infection to prevent your cat from suffering from it.
What is toxoplasmosis?
It is a disease caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma Gondii. It belongs to the coccidia family and is characterized by the formation of cysts. In addition, it has the peculiarity that the cat is the definitive host of this disease and that it can transmit it to humans (zoonosis). Once the cat ingests the parasite, it follows an entero-epithelial cycle that is finally excreted in the feces after 10 to 14 days.
Main causes of toxoplasmosis
The usual thing is that our cat is infected orally by ingesting cysts found in tissues or feces of other animals, by drinking food or water contaminated with oocysts, by eating raw meat (live mice or birds) or through the placenta, in which case you can suffer serious liver or lung conditions that can cause death. Once the cat is infected by the parasite, tissue cysts begin to form in muscles, viscera, and the central nervous system.
Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in cats
The severity of the clinical signs that a cat suffering from toxoplasmosis may present will depend on the cycle in which the parasite is found. During the entero-epithelial cycle, our kitten may have mild symptoms, such as diarrhea or vomiting.
On the other hand, if the microorganism is in the extraintestinal cycle, cell necrosis can be generated, which would bring more serious consequences, such as dyspnea, fever, apathy, anorexia, seizures, ataxia, respiratory distress, jaundice, pancreatitis, uveitis, encephalitis, muscle pain, lameness, lymphadenopathy or retinochoroiditis, among other symptoms.
Can toxoplasma affect pregnant women?
Although there are cases in which pregnant and immunosuppressed women have been infected with the toxoplasma gondii parasite, causing serious brain problems in the fetus, the truth is that the risk of our domestic cat transmitting the disease to us is very low for the following reasons:
- The cat does not usually have access to the outside. Therefore, it is very difficult for it to ingest mice, birds, raw meat from other animals, tissues or feces infected with cysts, which would be the main sources of contagion.
- In case of ingestion, the cat will expel the oocysts in 5 days. If our cat is seropositive and does not have oocysts in the feces, there is no risk of infection either. On the contrary, if the cat is seronegative, then it will be necessary to reinforce hygiene measures at home to avoid transmission of the disease to pregnant women.
If we want to eliminate risks of contagion in humans, it is very important to use gloves when handling our cat’s excrement. In case of pregnancy, it is best to avoid cleaning your litter box to expose yourself as little as possible to the disease.
Effective treatments against toxoplasma gondii
If we suspect that our cat may have toxoplasmosis, it is essential that we go to your veterinary center as soon as possible so that they carry out the relevant diagnostic tests and thus proceed to administer the most appropriate treatment. Although the parasite cannot be eliminated from the cat’s body, the symptoms it entails can be eliminated by applying certain drugs. The most used by specialists are:
- Topical clindamycin. With this medicine, which is administered to cats suffering from toxoplasmosis, the symptoms quickly revert except for the eye problems caused by the parasite. It is recommended to give them a dose of 10 to 12 mg/kg every 12 hours orally for 30 days.
- Topical or systemic corticosteroids. In addition to the dose of clindamycin recommended above, in case of eye injuries such as glaucoma or lens dislocation, it is also recommended to add corticosteroid drops to your eyes, for example, prednisolone acetate, every 6 to 8 hours.
Prevention and vaccination measures
Toxoplasmosis infection occurs more frequently in cats that live in rural environments, as their hunting instinct leads them to eat the meat of mice, birds, and insects, which increases their risk of infection. However, if your cat is a domestic cat, the transmission of the parasite can be prevented by following some very simple prevention measures:
- Never give him raw meat.
- Vaccination. Another measure to take into account to prevent infection would be to inoculate the cat with the virulent toxoplasma strain. It is a vaccine that is not marketed and is in the experimental phase, so it is essential to consult your veterinarian about this option to find out if the treatment is appropriate.
- Extreme hygiene and environmental sanitation of the home.
