We really need help. 2 young kittens with Coccidia for 5 weeks...

We recently got 2 kittens (16 and 12 weeks) from the breeder. One after another, they started having a bad diarrhea. Took them to a good vet (we were taking our in-laws cat to him for 7ys). 1st poop test showed nothing, after the second one we were told they have worms and Coccidia. They were given medicines to treat those and "just in case" against giardia as well... In 2 weeks we did the test again and were told no worms or giardia were present, but coccidia is still there, so we were to give them Albon for one more week... It looked like the older kitten was doing a bit better, but not the younger one... and one more week of Albon. When we alerted our vet that the health of the small one is getting consistently worth (he was the most playful of the two and then he started refusing to play, then walking funny with his back paws and getting weaker, and now mostly laying down) he said "coccidia treatment can take more then a month". I told him that the kitten is NOT better, diarrheaa is very smelly and now I saw blood in poop already twice and may be it's time to check for something else hesaidd that we can do an xray WHEN WE WOULD BE CASTRATING HIM (and we are not planning to do that for a LONG time before he gets MUCH better) We are on the grand total of 5 weeks now of coccidia treatment. The older kitten (he is 5 month 1 week) is doing better (knock on wood) and the small one (he is 4 month 2 weeks) eats - and lays down. Goes to the bathroom - and lays down. Diarrhea is still present. He would greet you ("fake been happy") and then lay down and looks very sad. Please, advice on what should we do! It can not go on like this! How can this be normal? Have anyone had this experience before?

Thank you very much for any help or any advice you may have!

God bless you,

A

First, I think it is time to find a new vet. After 2 weeks use of Albon with no improvements, your vet should have prescribed a new medicine.

For tough cases of Coccidia, Ponazril is the best medication. It *has* to be compounded by a compounding pharmacy. I can't remember how long the med has to be take; but, you should see improvement in 3-5 days of starting the med.

Yes, I have dealt with more coccidia then I can begin to say.........(I have a cat rescue group)

First of all coccidia does not always show up from fecal floats. So that is why a test can come back clean and not really be correct.

Next thing and the biggest, is that Albon is commonly used to treat coccidia, however it can take a very long time, months even to finally get rid of it.

This is because Albon will only inhibit the cysts so they don't grow/multiply, allowing the cat's own immune system to finally fight it off.

In cats/kittens with a strong case of it, it takes a long time.

That is why I use ponazuril.

Not all vets will have it or some even aren't familiar with it.

Ponazuril is water diluted Marquis paste made for horses who need coccidia treatment.

It works so fast it will amaze you.

That's because Ponazuril doesn't simply inhibit the cysts, it actually kills them.

3-5 days, up to 7 days given once a day and poof, it's wipedd out.

You will likely have to ask your vet for it or find a vet who has it for kitty.

It's not expensive either.

Hello Dear Catwoman707, CatPack! Most of all, thank you so much for your advice!

My husband just got of the phone with our breeder and she said that the other 2 of her kittens from the same litter got very sick as well... The owner of one of them (who went out-of-state) found out from their vet that it is Tritrichomonas that caused the poor thing to get so sick... We are not sure if our kittens could have it but it fits the description!.. Have you maybe had experience with it?.. It sounds really not good...

Thank you and God bless you!

If the cat tests positive for tritrich, ronidazole is the treatment.

Be sure the vet gives you the correct dose for each cat depending on it's weight.

Usually it is once per day for 14 days straight.

I recommend having a GI PCR test done on the kittens (combine fecal samples for both kittens and send off 1 test.) This way you know what you need to treat for.

Thank you very much, Catwoman707! We would do that ASAP!

Thank you so much, CatPack! We would do it!

My younger (now 5 months old) Norvegian forest kitten had been diagnosed with tritrichonema. He had it for over a months before finally being diagnosed. He was on Albon for almost a month (which didn't help, obviously). He is now on ronidazole. Even before ronidazole, about a week since he started to be sick (about 3 weeks before we finally had him diagnosed correctly) he developed a strange, hip swaying, waddling gait. It is getting worse. Two different vets checked his hips and spine and legs and said that there is NO damage. He is getting weaker and weaker. Makes few steps and lays down. He is eating okay, but mostly from my hands. In order to avoid dehydration we have him drink from the syringe about approx. 2ml 4 times a day. Especially AFTER administrating ronidazole. He is sleeping and resting a LOT (more than 18-20hs a day - he mostly sleeps without moving). Though he is alert, and can follow sound and/or image. He has no diarrhia, or constupation, though his stool is soft. His head is not jerking, his eyes are focusing correctly, his heartrate is NORMAL. What can be causing this strange, rickety, wobbly, weird gait and weaknes. He literally gets tired after 5 steps. His blood tests has only TWO problems. Eosinophils are 0% while the norm is 2%-10% and WBC count is 30.55 with norm of 5.5 - 19.5. His tests show NEGATIVE for Feline Leukimia and Feline Aids. Please, if anyone can help to save my kitten! I'm scared out of my mind. The older (allmost 6 month old) boy is ok, but the youger one is not... Please! Veterinarians just keep silence and I can not sleep!.. I'm so scared for my little one... Plesae, help with any information, advice you might have!

How much and what is he eating? Does he drink any water other than what you give him via syringe? He might not be getting enough. Are you checking to make sure he is not dehydrated?

He eats I/D prescription only (probably 45 grams like 3 times a day and that is only because I feed him from hands) He would lick a bit and go away to lay dow. I am following him with his plate and sit near him and give him a tiny pieces of food so he would lick them of my finger and then he would move again and I would follow and it starts all over again... He doesn't drink at all. Not a drop of water, and because he goes to the litter box very soft (not watery, like it use to be, but like sour cream in consistensy) I started giving him some water (like 2-2.5ml 3-4 times a day). We are on Ronidazole 100mg concentration /.6ml for 10 days now to treat TF (tritric). Kitty is very weak, he makes several steps and lays down or sits down leaning back. He would play but always laying down. He chased his brother in the morning a bit but then layed down and fell asleep and his brother was walking around surprised why the game was done so soon... It's so sad.

You know, something just hit me as I re-read this thread, because it's just not making sense to me that a teenager will be this badly affected by diarrhea, and something crossed my mind, and I'm sorry but it may very well be dry FIP.

I know, a terrible thing to say, but keeping it to myself won't do you any good either.

This may be something you will want to explore.

Good luck hun.

My last 2 kittens took 8 weeks to respond to the albon for coccidia. There is another drug used to treat coccidia that is not currently available in the US. It is called Baycox. 

It is not supposed to be sold in the US, but sometimes makes its way over here anyway.


More information on Baycox:

http://www.fanciers.com/cat-facts/c...pies/86-baycox-for-treatment-of-coccidia.html

You need to determine if he really has coccidia or tritrichomona. I would be going to another vet for a second opinion to make sure you are treating the right disease. It is possible he has both, but that is probably rare.

Baycox will not treat tritchomona, and the drug you are currently using will not treat coccidia. So you really need to know what it is you are treating!