I am fostering 3 kittens (since Tuesday). Their feces just tested positive for coccidia (and, of course, round worms). A search of the archives here came up with lots of conflicting information about cross species contamination.
Can my new chicks (arriving in 4-5 days) become infected by the coccidia that the kittens have? They will be in different quarters of course, but could I have contaminated the brooder when I was setting it up? I probably didn't wash my hands or change clothes after handling the kittens. Some sources indicated that coccidia are species specific and some indicate cross-species contamination. Does anyone have a definitive answer?
If it is a risk, what do I need to do to ensure that my new girls won't come in contact with the contaminants? The vet says to use 1 C. of Clorox to a gallon of water and wash down the pen the kittens are in once they go back to their original foster family on Saturday. What about the rest of the room -- same room the chicks will be using, but neither kittens nor chicks are free to roam. Both confined, but in different pens.
Can my new chicks (arriving in 4-5 days) become infected by the coccidia that the kittens have? They will be in different quarters of course, but could I have contaminated the brooder when I was setting it up? I probably didn't wash my hands or change clothes after handling the kittens. Some sources indicated that coccidia are species specific and some indicate cross-species contamination. Does anyone have a definitive answer?
If it is a risk, what do I need to do to ensure that my new girls won't come in contact with the contaminants? The vet says to use 1 C. of Clorox to a gallon of water and wash down the pen the kittens are in once they go back to their original foster family on Saturday. What about the rest of the room -- same room the chicks will be using, but neither kittens nor chicks are free to roam. Both confined, but in different pens.
