Tritrichamonas (TF)

[Patti]

I agree with others who have suggested you run a PCR for tritrich. You can run the entire diarrhea PCR but I think you can also just request the tritrich alone which is much less expensive.

If you find that tritrich is NOT the culprit then I think you should consider investigating IBD or IBS. I have a cat that was sent back to me because of IBD that is also incontinent of diarrhea. I ran a diarrhea PCR just to make sure and he tested negative. I am now aggressively treating him for IBD and he is feeling better, and although his stools are still loose he is rarely incontinent.

 

[AlphaZ]

I agree with others who have suggested you run a PCR for tritrich. You can run the entire diarrhea PCR but I think you can also just request the tritrich alone which is much less expensive.

If you find that tritrich is NOT the culprit then I think you should consider investigating IBD or IBS. I have a cat that was sent back to me because of IBD that is also incontinent of diarrhea. I ran a diarrhea PCR just to make sure and he tested negative. I am now aggressively treating him for IBD and he is feeling better, and although his stools are still loose he is rarely incontinent.

IBS is something I extensively looked into before I came across TF, however her symptoms much closer resemble TF than IBS. And in all honesty I'd rather her have something treatable than a lifelong debilitation. OUt of curiosity though how are you treating the IBD? The multiple sources I looked into said raw meat is best, which is what my girls have been getting for about three months now, and that substantially stabilized Juliet. It's really her skittish personality, which is one of those situations of what came first the chicken or the egg. Either she's anxious and that brings on the stomach problems, or the stomach problems are causing her to be anxious. Although, the first time I saw them at 2 weeks, and even then she was the shy one hiding behind her mommy.

 

[Patti]

I am treating with metronidazole, predinisolone, and added fiber to the diet. For the most part he does pretty well just on metronidazole 2-3 times a week, but if he has a flair I add back the predinsolone for a couple of weeks.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

It's really her skittish personality, which is one of those situations of what came first the chicken or the egg. Either she's anxious and that brings on the stomach problems, or the stomach problems are causing her to be anxious. Although, the first time I saw them at 2 weeks, and even then she was the shy one hiding behind her mommy.

If you think about it, when you don't feel well you don't tend to be relaxed and happy. So if you always felt yukky you might tend to be cranky or reactive?

I've had a kitten here that for most of his life (since 6 weeks old and he's six months old now) we've battled gastrointestinal issues with him...the opposite of what you are dealing with... and he's definitely a bit of a whiny kitten. I attribute it to just not feeling well, and the whining got my attention and generally that made him better... even rubbing his tummy would help him so he came to know if he climbed in my lap whining I'd take the time to give him a tummy massage...I can't blame him for being a whiny one, if I'd felt what he was feeling all the time I'd probably complain too!

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I should add that Babbage (my kitten) is doing so very well now and so his whining has decreased proportionately. He's a much more relaxed and happy kitty nowadays. He still knows if he yowls he gets attention but that's my fault. He's trained me well!

 

[Sue]

Even though I have 2 other cats, I only had Tink tested and only for TF since she was the only one displaying the symptoms. Also since we have 2 self cleaning litter boxes and the germ does not stay alive very long once it is exposed to air , I took a chance. I never had a problem before I got Tink and have not had a problem since she has been treated and rechecked. The known side effects of the ronidazole were a little scary but everything I read said to keep a close eye on the cat for the symptoms and stop treating if the symptoms appear. She weighed about 8 pounds and was 14 months old at the time. We had no side effects. I know she did not like taking the medicine even though it was flavored because of how long it would take to catch her and squirt it into her mouth twice a day. It took 2 of us to get her to run onto the screened in patio, we then opened the pool bath door and closed bathroom door to house. I would stand guard at the sliding glass door cat door and catch her if she tried to come in that way. My husband would chase her around the pool and eventually she would run into the pool bathroom and jump into the tub to hide. He would follow her into the bathroom, wrap her in a beach towel so that no one would be clawed and Iwould squirt it in her mouth. This went on for 2.5 weeks. During this time, my car key disappeared. I have a feeling she took and hid it and still have not found it. Sue

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

LOL! She hid your car key?

Our F2 Bobo has a heart condition that requires twice daily medication to keep him stable and alive... after over 9 years of medicating him there are still days we need to chase him like you describe...corner him and pill him. Some days he just acts like he thinks we are trying to kill him with the meds... it's not fun to feel like the bad guy but worth it when it helps them

 

[Sue]

It was during the summer so I was not going to school. I drove my car home on a Thursday and did not need to drive my car until the following Thursday. It was a single key on a leather key fob. Fortunately we had a spare key. It probably was on top of my open purse on a table near the door. We have searched and never found it. Sue

 

[AlphaZ]

Wow, you guys have made me feel so much better because i thought i was bordering on animal abuse when i gave her flagyl, and then every once in a while when I have to wash her hiney.

With Flagyl I had to hold her down wrapped in a towel, she would let out a scream straight from the bowels of hell, and then Isis would circle me and meow at me like I was killing her sister. One time she broke free, and as I instinctively tried to hold on to her, because in the commotion I forgot that she'll land on her feet - she went at me like a shredder. I still have a scar on my wrist to remember that darn Flagyl by, not to mention having to explain to people why I have a crooked scar on my wrist.

 

[Breheart]

Keljin had a ongoing case of TF for the first 4 months after I brought him home. It was terrible, and I had a hard time getting it diagnosed, but the symptoms sound spot on to me. He had leakage, blood and mucus in the stool, foul smelling stool, very often gassy. No matter what food and meds I tried, nothing got him better until I finally got my hands on some Ronidazole.

The first four months were terrible also because he was severely underweight, and was also fighting roundworms and tapeworms when I got him, so it was bouncing from diagnosis to treatment multiple times then finding out he was STILL sick was just heartbreaking. After those treatments it was just still a mystery to why he had such ongoing diarrhea issues, until I ran into these forums I finally found the help and advice and research that helped me cure Keljin Now he is a happy healthy boy, 8 months old and solid stools (finally! no more leaking!) I hope you can get to the bottom of your kitten's case soon whatever it may be, but the symptoms sound so similar!