Jophiel's fecal panel came back and there were several things found..

Hello all,

So Jophiel's fecal panel came back and there were several things found.

I go into the vet to discuss the results at 5 tonight and get some medication, but wanted to hear your thoughts first before goings in as I am a cat newbie.

Tested positive for:

Coronavirus

Clostridium

Campylobacter

I was worried about the Giardia and now I just don't know it all of these are any better.. I think they are though? they are bacterial infections right, not parasites? But it seems they are contagious from cat to human?

When I read about the Campylobacter inparticular, it says it can be sed for up to 4 months and kids are particularly at risk for contracting from an infected cat.. 

Does this also mean the Clostridium is contagious to humans as well?

does this mean I can not have my kids by the cats for 4 months?

do they almost need to away from the whole family?

This is very worrisome to me as my children sleep in my room almost every night and that is where the cat are living for the most part now. 

What all needs to be done at this point cleaning wise? 

The cats have been in my room and bathroom getting used to the house. they are all over my bedding and all over my room in general. 

I have been spending time bonding with Jophiel lots, he snuggles with me in the early morning for a good 20 mins. 

I don't want to stop bonding with these kitties, I already love them so much, am I putting myself at risk for contracting?

We did not get the test on Ariel as she did not have the diarrhoea like Jophiel had, but I'm pretty sure being litter mates they will both be treated, right?

You except to find coronavirus in cats. Almost all of them have it. As long as it doesn't mutate into fip then it's fine. They'll show no symptoms and be a carrier in the same way that the majority of the population carries chicken pox.

You also expect to find Clostridium or C. Diff in the colon of cats in lower levels. It's normally only a problem if they've been on antibiotics and the antibiotics kill off the good bacteria that fight it... If that happens, it's an issue. Probiotics aren't enough to keep c. diff in check but an FMT transplant can kill it off quickly and safely.

Campylobacter is of some concern. It can be passed through their feces to your food and from their make its way to an active infection. Make sure your kids aren't playing around the litter box, disinfectant it regularly, and make sure everyone washes their hands after playing with the Kittens and before eating. Also wash all food preparation surfaces before use.

Your vet went all out on the fecal panel... They don't normally get that in-depth. Talk to your vet about the levels found and about the risk of antibiotics and supportive care like sub-q fluid replacement and a high calorie diet.

MingsMongols said:

You except to find coronavirus in cats. Almost all of them have it. As long as it doesn't mutate into fip then it's fine. They'll show no symptoms and be a carrier in the same way that the majority of the population carries chicken pox.

You also expect to find Clostridium or C. Diff in the colon of cats in lower levels. It's normally only a problem if they've been on antibiotics and the antibiotics kill off the good bacteria that fight it... If that happens, it's an issue. Probiotics aren't enough to keep c. diff in check but an FMT transplant can kill it off quickly and safely.

Campylobacter is of some concern. It can be passed through their feces to your food and from their make its way to an active infection. Make sure your kids aren't playing around the litter box, disinfectant it regularly, and make sure everyone washes their hands after playing with the Kittens and before eating. Also wash all food preparation surfaces before use.

Your vet went all out on the fecal panel... They don't normally get that in-depth. Talk to your vet about the levels found and about the risk of antibiotics and supportive care like sub-q fluid replacement and a high calorie diet.

Click to expand...

thank you so much for your reply!

So if I keep the kids out of the area where the litter box is, is that okay for the them to play with the cats?

I have just been wondering, how the cat poops and covers, they seem smart enough to not get on there paw.. is that a concern?

So vets office called and said they there is no need to come into night but rather tomorrow 10am as the meds need to be delivered (as they are not used very often in the clinic , they had to special order) Dr is prescribing: Antirobe

There gonna get some on their paws, that's why you want to wash down your counters before preparing food. If everyones washing their hands regularly after playing with the Kittens then the chances of getting a campylobacter infection are lower. It's only mode of transmission is oral, most often the hand to mouth route or hand to food to mouth route.

MingsMongols said:

There gonna get some on their paws, that's why you want to wash down your counters before preparing food. If everyones washing their hands regularly after playing with the Kittens then the chances of getting a campylobacter infection are lower. It's only mode of transmission is oral, most often the hand to mouth route or hand to food to mouth route.

Click to expand...

thank you.

I went in and wiped down everything.

I did leave litter box for now as i just changed it yesterday, but will change again tomorrow I guess. 

Is it normal to go though almost 15lbs of litter in a week with cats? that can get quite expensive! I only filled two times but maybe I am putting too much.

oh dear, what if cat licks me, Wash right away? Do not let cat nuzzle me(around face)?

That's quite a bit of litter. What type are you using? If one has diarrhea then it can get pretty nasty fast.. otherwise it seems like alot.

I'm not sure about licking your face. It doesn't seem like it would be a big issue as it's not going into your mouth but I'd ask your vet tommorrow to be sure.

Hi Candice...haven't been online much.  Glad to hear you are not going through the Giardia nightmare.  After 14 days on Metronidazole our 3 kitties showed great sign of improvement until today.   Another relapse for us I am afraid. 

Regarding the litter....we were going through 70 - 80 pounds a week while all 3 were actively pooping soup!  It has been a constant job cleaning and disinfecting boxes, fannies, cages, floors, ourselves, well....you get the gist.   Extremely tiring and frustrating, as our pets are no longer pets, but a full time job for us running a kennel out of what was a normal home.

You cannot take enough precaution when it comes to anything that can contaminate you or your family.  Perhaps don't let the kitties have run of the house and keep them in an easy to clean area.  It is tough, but cats to manage to get into everything. 

I hope your situation gets under control quickly! 

When Pip was little, she had a fecal panel done due to very smelly diarrhea.  She came back positive for Coronavirus and Clostridium Perfringens (a "cousin" to C. difficile).  Plus she had a good case of feline herpes.  the shelter she was in kept all kittens in a communal kitten room - which was a delight to visit but I'm sure was just a huge trading post for every communicable disease possible.

i got a lot of great info on this site which really helped calm me down and get my kitten back to 100% health.  Took a few weeks.  Main thing:  ask your vet lots of questions and listen to their advice.

First:  keep things clean including the litter box.  While your cat is on antibiotics, i would change litter and scour the litter box daily (don't overdo it on the depth of the litter - youve already found that you are going thru it pretty quickly).  See if you can prevent Ariel and Jophiel from sharing the same litter box.

Wash hands, clean surfaces frequently.  What you are trying to accomplish is to keep from re-introducing the bug that might be present in the litter, on your hands etc.  And of course, you also want to keep your family healthy so they should all be hand-washing, being careful with food handling etc.

Do the full course of antibiotics - Pip actually had to go through a second round.  Consider a probiotic call S. boulardii - there is lots of info about it on this site.  Many hospitals use it for their patients with c.difficile.  I used it with Pip as well, she's quite happy to eat any probiotic mixed in with her food (but she despises forti flora, go figure!).  Read up on the timing of giving a probiotic when you are treating with antibiotics.

And ensure Jophiel doesn't get dehydrated.  Wet food,mixed with a little hot water is agood way to accompish that.

Good luck - \i hope Jophiel is feeling better very soon.  Lots of love and lots of cuddles help all creatures great and small get better.