Home

>

Cat

>

Health & Wellbeing

>

My cat was diagnosed with giardia today, as he had a bout of diarrhea at the vet and they tested it. No symptoms til yesterday, unsure where he got it, unless he already had it (he had some contact with a stray a couple months ago, and I got him from a shelter last November.) So, I’ve deep cleaned his litter box with clorox wipes and soap and water, I gave him a bath, focusing on his backside, and I’m going to wash everything. He’s going on medication tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do?

My cat was diagnosed with giardia today, as he had a bout of diarrhea at the vet and they tested it. No symptoms til yesterday, unsure where he got it, unless he already had it (he had some contact with a stray a couple months ago, and I got him from a shelter last November.) So, I’ve deep cleaned his litter box with clorox wipes and soap and water, I gave him a bath, focusing on his backside, and I’m going to wash everything. He’s going on medication tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do?

Updated On August 10th, 2020

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 lbs

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

Cats with giardia can be asymptomatic before showing signs, so it may be Enzo had it from when you got him and is just now showing signs. Sounds like you are doing a great job so far! Keep him isolated from any other cats in the house until he gets a clear giardia test. Make sure he drinks enough water, and you can get a cat water fountain to encourage drinking. It encourages my cats to drink! Remove poop from his litter box as soon as he goes, and clean his food and water dishes as well. Wear gloves when cleaning his litter box and scooping it so you don't get it yourself. Finally, if he's allowed outside, keep him indoors at all time while being treated. I hope this helps!

Vote icon

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

See More Answers

Related Questions

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

Read More

Hi! My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s taking insulin and taking antibiotics for a Uti. It’s been 4 weeks and he wobles when he’s walking. He can’t jump up on the bed like he used to.He’s blood sugar is 250 it’s better than it used to. I don’t understand why he’s so wobbly.

Cats can develop what's called diabetic neuropathy, where their hindlegs become progressively weak. The best thing to do is try to get his diabetes under control as quickly as possible. Here is a link describing the conditon: http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Neuropathy.htm

Read More

My senior cat has metastized cancer.17 yrs old. My vet gave her predizone1 and one half tabs a day.i wanted to know if i can just stop the meds.

Is there a reason you want to stop the prednisone? I would recommend not stopping it and if you feel it is better to stop the prednisone then I would recommend weaning off of the prednisone. I would discuss how to wean the prednisone with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

Read More

My dog has an ear infection

Sorry to hear Marley isn't doing so well with his ears. It is not possible to tell from tge picture tve exact nature of the irritation but if it is indeed infected (typically red, hot, painful and smelly), he will need prescription medication from his regular vet. In the meantime I recommend gently cleaning tge outer war with cotton wool and a pet safe ear cleaner to reduce the build up of wax/discharge

Read More

My dog vomited a pinkish colour. Does this look like blood vomit? She doesn’t have diarrhoea or anything else. Yesterday i fed her plain chicken with rice.

That is very red vomit, however, this color could be linked to a number of things including blood in the vomit, inflammation of the GI tract, having chewed on a toy this color, eaten a food item this color, or gotten into a plant or other item this color. If the vomiting continues, worsens, or other symptoms appear such as a painful or bloated abdomen, diarrhea or blood in the stool, or severe distress, I would schedule a veterinary appointment right away to rule out more severe issues. In the meantime I would continue the bland diet for 24 hours, and monitor for any additional vomiting or illness symptoms.

Read More

My 3 year old long haired tuxedo female pees just fine in the litter box, but she preferred to poop on the bathroom rug or on the carpet behind the sofa. Then, she will go weeks and everything is fine only start pooping outside the box again. I have 4 litter boxes and 3 cats. I clean all several times a day. She is the youngest. I've put wee wee pads down and she lifts them up and poops under them. Any ideas to help? Thanks!

A good first step, if you haven't already, is to rule out any health issues with your vet such as arthritis that may be causing the accidents. Secondly, making sure none of the other cats are bullying her away from the litter box may also alert you to any issues. Thirdly, a good enzymatic cleaner may help reduce the smell/discourage use of these areas in the future. That said, if you've done the above and the issue is still happening, it's probably time to call in a veterinary or animal behaviorist that can visit in person to see what may be going on. They may be able to check for stressors that could be causing the accidents where they are, look for issues with refusal to defecate in the box, or see if there is a cycle that is happening that is triggering this reaction. From there they may be able to set up a more tailored plan to help reduce the accidents and encourage use of the litter box at all times. If you're in the US, you can use this website to help find someone available in your area: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

Read More

image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Filed Under

Sponsored