High Clostridium

[Allaboutthecat]

Hello,

Does anyone have any experience or know about high levels of Clostridium bacteria? My cats vet prescribed Metronidazole and said to also take fortiflora to offset potential negative impacts with antibiotics. Is there anything else I should do for this? Does he have to take antibiotics or should I just wait until it goes away? Hes only 10 months old. Also last week he was on fortiflora and it gave him severe diarrhea. Thanks.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Clostridium can also cause diarrhea, so that may be the actual source of your cat's diarrhea, instead of the fortiflora. Antibiotics can often cause digestive upset, because they disrupt both 'good' and 'bad' bacteria - I imagine that is why your vet recommended fortiflora along with the antibiotics.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

i have not had direct experience with this, but others have. here is a thread with some of their "cures". https://thecatsite.com/threads/clostridium-difficile.405540/ I do think using S. Boulardi seems to help the most from threads I've read over the years. BTW, if you see Flagyl mentioned in that thread, it's the same medication as you've been prescribed (metro)

Clostridium Difficile

 

[daftcat75]

Clostridium is very stubborn and doesn't just go away. Do a full course of metro (flagyl) but it may not fix it. What really helped with my Krista was s. boulardii, a yeast probiotic. S. boulardii can and should be given with metro to help offset the effects of metro on desirable gut bacteria.

My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

 

[Allaboutthecat]

Hi. Clostridium can also cause diarrhea, so that may be the actual source of your cat's diarrhea, instead of the fortiflora. Antibiotics can often cause digestive upset, because they disrupt both 'good' and 'bad' bacteria - I imagine that is why your vet recommended fortiflora along with the antibiotics.

He also had a blood test and urine test which the vet said was abnormal. He has an abdominal ultrasound on Monday. He had a fever last week. Do you know if fevers are typically a symptom of Clostridium bacteria. I suspect my cat has an underlying condition and the high clostridium is a symptom. Is this possible? if anyone knows thanks!

 

[FeebysOwner]

As far as I know a fever is uncommon, so I would say there is something else going on. When you say blood test and urine were abnormal, do you know what the vet means by that?

Also, there is at least two different types of clostridium - perfringens and difficile (latter is commonly known as C-diff). Did the vet by chance tell you which form of the bacteria they believe to be the issue?
Clostridium difficile - Cat
Diarrhea Due to Clostridium perfringens in Cats

 

[Allaboutthecat]

I told the vet this but nothing seems to really be done. She suggested a blood test again but he had it about a month ago. Is there any other testing he should do. So far hes done blood, urine, PCR diarrhea and on monday abdominal ultrasound. His symptoms are chronic diarrhea as an infant, sneezing, sometimes has eye discharge but hes persian so it's hard to tell if it's just his normal eye discharge or not although to me it looks yellow sometimes which one vet said may be feline herpes. I just dont know what to do anymore its third time I've switched vets. I have attached his blood, urine and PCR. I'm not sure what kind of bacteria they just said "high levels of Clostridium.

 

[Allaboutthecat]

As far as I know a fever is uncommon, so I would say there is something else going on. When you say blood test and urine were abnormal, do you know what the vet means by that?

Also, there is at least two different types of clostridium - perfringens and difficile (latter is commonly known as C-diff). Did the vet by chance tell you which form of the bacteria they believe to be the issue?
Clostridium difficile - Cat
Diarrhea Due to Clostridium perfringens in Cats

Also thank you for the link!

 

[FeebysOwner]

The test results indicate a high level of Clostridium Perfringens. The Metronidazole would seem to be an appropriate treatment, from what little I know. And, although a few results on the blood work are either above or below the normal range, to me they don't appear that bad, but maybe why the vet wanted to run them again. Talk to the vet about why they want to re-test so soon - maybe that will help you to better understand what their goal would be in doing so.

I honestly have no suggestions on what other testing might need to be done. I gather they want to do an ultrasound to look for abnormalities in the intestines that might explain the high Clostridium level.

As far as herpes flare ups, ask your vet what they would recommend to help reduce them. There are anti-viral meds and a host of other types of treatments, such as lysine. A lot of vet don't seem to support products like lysine, but I know many members on this site give it to their cats, particularly those with herpes. Here are a couple of articles, one of which discourages the use of it, just to give you some information about it. Hopefully, other members who do use it will come along and offer their insight.
Lysine for Cats: What are the benefits? Learn more on Petfinder.com
Lysine and Cats: Why It is Not Recommended – The Barn Cat Lady

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

What were the results of the Urine test, since they said they were abnormal? Those aren't posted here. Plus I'm wondering if they want to do more bloodwork because of the BUN being high. That's unusual for a young cat, but could be caused from dehydration, which could be caused from diarrhea. Definitely a catch 22. Is he getting plenty of fluids, either in his food or is he drinking plenty?

Have you started him on the meds yets? At least the metro?

 

[Allaboutthecat]

The test results indicate a high level of Clostridium Perfringens. The Metronidazole would seem to be an appropriate treatment, from what little I know. And, although a few results on the blood work are either above or below the normal range, to me they don't appear that bad, but maybe why the vet wanted to run them again. Talk to the vet about why they want to re-test so soon - maybe that will help you to better understand what their goal would be in doing so.

I honestly have no suggestions on what other testing might need to be done. I gather they want to do an ultrasound to look for abnormalities in the intestines that might explain the high Clostridium level.

As far as herpes flare ups, ask your vet what they would recommend to help reduce them. There are anti-viral meds and a host of other types of treatments, such as lysine. A lot of vet don't seem to support products like lysine, but I know many members on this site give it to their cats, particularly those with herpes. Here are a couple of articles, one of which discourages the use of it, just to give you some information about it. Hopefully, other members who do use it will come along and offer their insight.
Lysine for Cats: What are the benefits? Learn more on Petfinder.com
Lysine and Cats: Why It is Not Recommended – The Barn Cat Lady

Thank you. I just bought l lysine today!

 

[Allaboutthecat]

What were the results of the Urine test, since they said they were abnormal? Those aren't posted here. Plus I'm wondering if they want to do more bloodwork because of the BUN being high. That's unusual for a young cat, but could be caused from dehydration, which could be caused from diarrhea. Definitely a catch 22. Is he getting plenty of fluids, either in his food or is he drinking plenty?

Have you started him on the meds yets? At least the metro?

No I haven't because I'm afraid he will lose even more appetite.

 

[Allaboutthecat]

He did a blood test today these are the results attached. His ultrasound showed a fatty liver so the vet wanted to do a blood test. She said the blood test looks great although the phosphorus is high but can be cause hes growing but to me the albumin is also reaching on the high side and I read online both of these when high are linked to liver disease. What do you think of them should I get a second opinion. My cat is getting more and more stresses after each vet visit i feel so bad!

 

[NT_Mama]

A Allaboutthecat I just wondered how this all resolved for you in the end! My cat (tested positive for Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin) also has had episodes of fever, did it end up being anything underlying for your cat?

 

[daftcat75]

A Allaboutthecat I just wondered how this all resolved for you in the end! My cat (tested positive for Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin) also has had episodes of fever, did it end up being anything underlying for your cat?

This thread is over three years old and this member was last seen Mar 2020.

That said, my Krista (who passed in 2020 unrelated to her clostridium infection the year before) had a summer of soup poops due to c. perf and the enterotoxin. Metronidazole helped for only a few days. Krista hated it and I hated wrestling it into her. What worked, and it took a long time to resolve (at least a couple of months) was twice daily administration of s. boulardii. I recommend the Jarrow brand because the MOS in it works synergistically like scrubbing bubbles (or like a decoy gut) to attract the c. perf and flush it out with the poop.

More information on s. boulardii:
My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

Jarrow brand of s. boulardii
Amazon.com

I recommend 1/4 to 1/2 capsule at least twice a day. Unlike bacteria probiotics, yeast probiotics do not colonize and are only effective as long as you maintain a steady state in their gut. That's accomplished with twice daily dosing. If it makes him/her constipated, reduce the dose. That's the only side effect of s. boulardii that I know of.