Introduction
Giardiasis, also known as giardia or Beaver Fever, is a tiny one-celled parasite that cats become infected with when they drink contaminated water. Many cats carry giardia without any symptoms at all. However younger cats or cats with impaired or stressed immune systems can develop symptoms such as diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, weight loss, and tiredness.
Treating Giardia in Cats
Fortunately giardiasis can be diagnosed through a fecal test, and then effectively treated with medications.
Metronidazole Medication
The antibiotic drug, Metronidazole, and the anti-parasitic drug, Fenbendazole, are the most frequently-used treatments for Giardiasis in cats. These drugs treat the parasitic infestation, but they also carry the risk of harmful side effects, such as liver damage. Many veterinarians will not prescribe these drugs unless there are clinical signs resulting from the Giardia infection. Metronidazole should not be used on cats that are pregnant, because it is suspected of being teratogenic (causing physical defects in the developing embryo). It has also been reported that Metronidazole has a very bitter taste, making it difficult for many pet owners to administer.
Panacur Medication
Due to the risk of side effects from Metronidazole use, and the fact that it should not be used on pregnant cats, the de-worming medication Panacur is sometimes used as another treatment option. Panacur is normally administered twice a day for 7 days, and it usually comes in a liquid form. In some reported cases, the killed vaccine for Giardiasis was given to cats with severe symptoms, and the severity of their symptoms was reduced.
Even with the above treatments, it is possible that only the cystic form of the organism is being removed from the feces, but the Giardia in the cat’s intestines remains. This would result in fecal exams for Giardia being negative, but the parasite would remain inside the cat’s gastrointestinal tract, making those cats a source of potential infection for other animals, or perhaps people.