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thank you so much! they did prescribe her albon and it says for 10 days however we take her back for a follow up once the prescription ends to see how well it’s working! once we got home i made sure to do my research on coccidia so i could be prepared to help her to the best of my ability, should i request ponazuril when we go back to the vet if albon isn’t working for her now or wait until after the second round?What a joy! I'm so glad you rescued her.
Just know that parasites are extremely common, run of the mill diseases for rescue kittens. It'd be a surprise if she didn't have at least one. Coccidia is stubborn though, so be prepared for it to be a small challenge to kick completely. What medication is she on? Albon is the standard, but as it only inhibits reproduction and doesn't actually kill the parasite, it takes a while to work (I usually saw it prescribed for 21 days, so maybe that's not what you were given) and sometimes multiple rounds. There is another called ponazuril, which is more often used in horses so some small animal vets aren't aware of it yet, but it actually kills the parasite directly and is much more effective. Hopefully that's what you have!
Also importantly, bleach does not kill coccidia. You'll want to disinfect the litter box and any hard surfaces that she spends a lot of time on somewhat regularly (every few days or so) with an ammonium-based cleaner. And, sidenote, do not mix ammonia and bleach products! Any bedding you can wash with hot water to disinfect. This will reduce the chance of her reinfecting herself. Keeping her in a small, cleanable space like the bathroom will make this easier on you for now, and cats usually feel more comfortable in smaller spaces when they're adjusting anyway.
You have such a fun journey ahead of you! Poppy is going to be so attached to her people! Cats, especially those that had a rough start, know when they're being taken care of and will put up with a lot considering they don't really understand what's going on. But they know what being loved and and provided for feels like, and they're grateful in their own way.
Food is usually great for shy adult cats, but on average it seems that even more than food, kittens can't resist play time! She'll probably bond with you faster through play than anything else, so take advantage of that. It's so cute when they're obviously scared to come out...but that mouse toy looks like SO much fun that they just can resist chasing after it! Just avoid the temptation to use parts of your body as toys, or else you'll end up with a full grown cat that likes to attack ankles and hands.
i must admit i was a nervous wreck at the vets office, tears and all. i was so worried her potty issues were stemming from a horrible illness and was relieved when we learned it was a treatable parasite issue. from what i’ve been reading about coccidia, we decided to continue to keep her mostly in the bathroom because that’s where her box is and easy to clean floors! we also let everyone who got any of her siblings know so they could get their sweet babies tested and treated for it as well.
do you have any recommendations for ammonia based cleaners? and when i clean the bathroom every few days, how long should i wait after doing so before putting her back in there? i don’t want any chemicals to affect her somehow. and is still having some playtime in the living room okay? it’s carpeted so now i’m worried that because of the carpet she could end up getting reinfected later.
while reading about coccidia i saw it can survive on carpet for long and is resistant to disinfectant. perhaps steam cleaning the entire living room? i would do anything for her to stay healthy.
and thank you again, poppy is loved beyond measure. she’s quickly become the apple of our eye, our little princess! and not just us, even my grandmother (she’s the one who found poppy and the others) met us at the vet to make sure that she’s okay! she is one very loved little kitten.