Sick & Tired of this

I am sick & tired of watching my kitten get sick, start to feel better, get sick again, start to feel better again, and now get sick again. I do NOT understand what is going on with him and I don't understand how a vet can be so useless! He was on Albon, and did better for a week, when that ran out he got sick again within 1 day. So the vet decided he swallowed something and did an expensive round of xrays. Nothing. Put him on Metranoz.. something or other. Cleared up the symptoms within 24 hours. Now, not even a week later, he is sick AGAIN. Throwing up everywhere, not eating. I do NOT understand this, and I don't know what to do for him. He was tested for the cat sicknesses (FIV, fel leuk) which came back negative. I am just so upset about this, he has been sick for a month now.

I would find a feline specialist then, and get your kitty tested. Since they only concentrate on cats, they are a lot more knowledgeable when it comes to testing, symptoms and what to look for. My vet calls it the NDW stage (not doing well) When they are sick for a long time with an undetermined reason or have a fever of unknown origin-

Don't get discouraged and good luck-

Yea I agree with Hissy get another doc's opinion. My kitty was sick for a while and one vet had no clue what was wrong and I went to another place. But until this day nobody is sure what was wrong with her but she is all better now. But go get the 2nd doc's opinion Good luck! Let us know how it goes

Did your vet specifically refer to your baby's problem as coccidia? It kind of sounds like it may be that if he prescribed Albon ... Metronidizol (that may not be spelled correctly) could also be prescribed for coccidia.

It bears mentioning here that stress plays a key role in the development of coccidia. It is not uncommon for an otherwise healthy kitten to arrive at its new home and develop diarrhea several days later leading to a diagnosis of coccidia. The incubation period (from exposure to illness) is about thirteen days. If the kitten developed the symptoms shortly after coming to your home, then he/she had it before you brought this kitten home - if this baby has been with you for several weeks before developing symptoms, then the exposure most likely occurred after your kitten came to your home. Where did you get your kitten from? Did he/she have access or exposure to other animals which may be carriers? Does this baby have access to any other animals now? Does he/she go outside? Coccidia is normally contracted by grooming dirt which contains the feces of an infected animal from the fur.

Fortunately coccidia is treatable, however, it may be a very frustrating experience for both the kitten and for you. Drugs such as sulfadimethoxine (Albon) and trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (Tribrissen) have been effective in the treatment and prevention of coccidia. You should know that these drugs do not kill the organisms, but rather inhibit their reproduction capabilities - elimination of coccidia from the intestine is not a rapid thing. The drugs are used to stop the ability of the oocysts to reproduce, thus allowing time for the kitten's own immunity to develop and remove them. Drug treatments of five or more days are usually required, but in some persistant cases, treatment for up to a month may be prescribed.

Because coccidia is spread by the feces of carrier animals, it is very important to practice strict sanitation. You must remove soiled litter and thoroughly wash litter boxes several times per day and all fecal material should be removed from your home frequently. You need to make sure that food and water cannot become contaminated with feces. Clean water should be provided at all times. Most disinfectants do not work well against coccidia; incineration of the feces, and steam cleaning, immersion in boiling water or a 10% ammonia solution are the best methods to kill coccidia. Coccidia can withstand freezing.

Cockroaches and flies can carry coccidia from one place to another. Mice and other animals can ingest the coccidia and when killed and eaten by a cat, for instance, can infect the cat. Therefore, insect and rodent control are very important in preventing coccidia.

I share your frustration - it isn't easy to deal with a kitten who is always sick. But know that your diligence and excellent care are the best ways to kick this problem.

~gf~

Yes, he has coccidia. He didn't get sick until 5-6 weeks after he came home, so I don't think it was stress that did it. I'm wondering if it's related to the second kitten I got; they play like mad and love each other, but it was a couple weeks after we got her that he got sick. She seems healthy, could she have coccidia though without any symptoms? I have noticed that every now and then she sneezes but other than that she has no problems. She was vaccinated, wormed before I got her, and both her parent-cats were disease free and vaccinated against cat diseases. They were outdoor cats, though. So the main question is-- can a cat have coccidia but be asymptomatic? If she is why he keeps getting sick, then obviously I'll feel awful but at least might be able to nip it in the bud by treating her.

I also wonder if he didn't get sick last night because of something he ate. One of the other cats threw up, too, but since then they've both been eating and drinking fine and seem OK. I've been feeding him canned food and this other particular cat likes to sneak some of it, so they're the only 2 that had it yesterday, and I wonder if that wasn't the cause.

If it's definitely coccidia, you should go for another round of Albon. Since Albon doesn't actually kill coccidia (just keeps the organisms from reproducing), it can take a while for the cat's immune system to work well enough to take care of the infection. My vet treats with Albon for up to three weeks.

It would make sense that your cat gets better and then gets sick again because the remaining coccidia organisms would start reproducing again as soon as you stop the medication. Eventually, they'd build up enough that he would start having symptoms again.

Adult cats often tolerate coccidia with minimal or no symptoms. Their immune systems are better able to handle the infection.