A recent study confirms that a parasite that causes chronic diarrhea in cats is more common than once believed, according to a new summary of the research.
The study, which analyzed fecal samples from cats living in homes, shelters and breeding catteries, found that the single-cell parasite, Tritrichomonas foetus, existed in over a third of tested cats with chronic diarrhea, the summary says. In catteries and shelters, detection rates for T. foetus ranged from 20 percent to 50 percent. Kittens were more likely to be infected than adults.
The Winn Feline Foundation, a New Jersey-based cat health research group, released the research summary June 21. The study was conducted by veterinary faculty at the University of Madrid in Spain and published in the journal Vet Parasitol in May.
The T. foetus parasite is more likely to be present in multi-cat environments, where litter boxes are shared. It is transmitted when cats step in infected feces and later lick their paws.
According to the petMD website, infected cats usually experience “a longstanding bout of loose, smelly stools, sometimes mixed with blood or mucus.” They also may strain to empty their bowels, have anal leakage, or have redness or pain in their anus area. Infected cats are often treated with ronidazole, a drug also known as RDZ.
