Question for Breeders

[celestialrags]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Giardia (according to my vet) can be tracked into the house on your shoes from the outside.

I only had one experience with this (and lost a kitten to it). No one was sick in the house and at the time no cat was allowed outside. BUT there was a stream in the backyard and it was a "slow" stream. The vet told me it was quite possible that giardia was picked up close to the stream by us walking around in the area close to the water and then tracking into the house.

The kittens running around could have pick it up from the floor and gotten sick.

I don't mean to say that is the only way, and if some one like you (you seem very knowledgeable, and was probley a very respectical breeder, just from the things you have posted.) or other breeders had kittens that ended up with it, that it was because YOU had dirty water for them to drink out of, even though I don't know you personaly, I am pretty possitive you were an awesome breeder

. I don't doubt that the kitten you had that got it, had it tracked in by shoes from the stream by your house. But, I know that when you saw the kitten was sick you didn't ship it off for some unsuspecting new owner like happened to this person. The breeder may have not for certain known it was garadia, but they knew some thing wasn't right with the kitten and they sent it any ways. This breeder probley didn't track it in the house like happened to you, she most likely has cages full of kittens all stepping and sleeping in their own fecal matter, and has passed it back and forth. Like I said she may not have known what the kitten was sick with, but she knew it was sick, I think the first post said there were crust in the eyes and nose, and that was present when she shipped it, most likely. I was just making a point that for the most part, it is contracted by dirty water and for this kitten to have gotten it means the breeder is just a kitty mill with tons of caged kittens probley with mostly wild breeding cats all stuffed in cages and having genetic problems as well as any kind of kitten issue, (URI, worms, FIP, ect) I hope that if you (sphynxkitten or any one else) decides to buy a kitten from a breeder, you do lots of research, not only on the breed, but the breeder, there are lots of breeders who care for the breed they are raising and the kittens health, and would NEVER have allowed this kitten to have been placed while sick. Almost every breeder on this site has the animals health and well being as a top prority, and the whole expirience from the first meeting (or email) to the day the kitten comes home is a pleasant one. I have had two litters, and this is my third, and in my first litter a woman bought a kitten, and she liked me enough, and loved the kitten enough that she has boughten a kitten from the second litter, so she now has two of my babies, and now her mothers cat is dying of old age, and she is going to get a kitten from me too. I take great pride that my babies are loved so much, and has become a part of their family, that they came back to me to get their second, and now the mother is comming for one. Thats how it should be, any one can sell a person a kitten, but to have great kittens and do things right and have them come back for another one is just a great feeling!
I hope that your kitty (whats her name?) is feeling better. I hope if you ever get another cat it goes better, not every one is like that, it's too bad you had such a bad expirience with breeders.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Oh I didn't think you were talking about me as a breeder. And at the first or 2nd post I said that the breeder she got the cat from sold her a SICK kitten at the start - it was sick well before it was shipped.

I, personally, would not sell a sick kitten to anyone

Since she bought the kitten from out of state, she could not personally go and visit and see the conditions - if she had, I'm sure she would never had bought a kitten from that breeder.

 

[solaritybengals]

Not to say what the breeder did was right in selling the sick kitten...

But just so you know, there are many water sources in the US that do contain Giardia. The water companies will send letters to people in these areas letting them know, as the grade of giardia is not extreme to infect a healthy person. However, anyone that is immune-suppressed should not drink from the water.

I know a breeder that had to eventually switch to filtered water due to this reason and had a hard time with clearing it from the cattery. They eventually moved because this was such a huge problem and it has been eliminated.

Its kind of scary there are places like this in the US but its also good to know whats in your water supply.

The other really good treatment is metronidizole. I'm not sure if the kitten has to be older though to receive such a treatment but it is strong and will kill the giardia.

Regardless, its so sad the kitten went through this. It really could be from just really bad conditions and if it was then in some sense you might have saved this kitten, if the breeder didnt' care enough to cure him before sending him on. I hope your sphynx is getting better and I hope you post pictures when she is up and running again (well in the good sense of teh expression!)

 

[celestialrags]

Originally Posted by SolarityBengals

Not to say what the breeder did was right in selling the sick kitten...

But just so you know, there are many water sources in the US that do contain Giardia. The water companies will send letters to people in these areas letting them know, as the grade of giardia is not extreme to infect a healthy person. However, anyone that is immune-suppressed should not drink from the water.

I know a breeder that had to eventually switch to filtered water due to this reason and had a hard time with clearing it from the cattery. They eventually moved because this was such a huge problem and it has been eliminated.

Its kind of scary there are places like this in the US but its also good to know whats in your water supply.

The other really good treatment is metronidizole. I'm not sure if the kitten has to be older though to receive such a treatment but it is strong and will kill the giardia.

Regardless, its so sad the kitten went through this. It really could be from just really bad conditions and if it was then in some sense you might have saved this kitten, if the breeder didnt' care enough to cure him before sending him on. I hope your sphynx is getting better and I hope you post pictures when she is up and running again (well in the good sense of teh expression!)

That's really interesting, I hadn't known that, it's good to know. The breeder, like I said may not have known that is what the kitten had, and may have just been from the water suply, or carried in by shoes, and not her/his fault the kitten contacted it, like you said, but I still think they knew the kitten had a cold at the very least, and should have had it healthy before sending it. I think they knew it, and didn't care, and probley wont go good on this, but I don't know the breeder or the whole situation, and may replace it, but my guess is that the breeder is a back yard breeder, and shiped a knowingly sick kitten, but I am glad to know that the spreading of garadia is easier then I had first thought, which is from stagnant water (whether it is in a bowl too long for it to contaminate, or it came from and old pond/stream, or water suply and transfered by shoes.) thanx for that bit of info

 

[bengalbabe]

Originally Posted by sphynxkitten

Hi There--

I hope noone takes offense to my questions, as they are not meant to be offensive. I have great respect for you reputable brreders out there!
Here goes. Last month I adopted a shynx kitten. As per agreement, all health records, reg papers, and copy of the contract would be sent with my kitten when she was flown to us.
When the kitten arrived, she had crusty brown discharge all over her eyes, she had yellowish green crust around her nose, was sneezing, wheezing, had terrible gas, and by the next day or so, soft stools. She was eating, and drinking, but not kittenish at all. All she did was poo, sleep, and eat.
On our 3rd visit to the vet, the fecal exam showed she had Giardia. Previous exam said she had a virus. So now kitten is on antibiotics for the virus, probiotics for tummy(before finding Giardia)and just finished meds for the Giardia. Unfortunatley the symptoms for Giardia are still present. Vet says he may give her Panacur(not sure of spelling)for 7 days. My kitten pretty much hates me for all the meds I have had to force on her 3x daily the last couple weeks. She runs everytime she sees me coming. My kitten has also had a problem with stepping in her poo, box can just be cleaned, she poos, and steps in it. I have done everything possible to get rid of this bug. I cleaned disinfected with bleach, Clorox Everywhere. I use plastic bags in her litterbox, clean disinfect then daily, clean disinfect her food/water dishes. I wash her paws several times a day when I know she used her litterbox etc...nothing is helping. My 9 yr old daughter is home ill today with, you guessed it, a tummy ache, nausea, and mild diarrhea. Possibly Giardia! I have no spare room to keep the kitten in until this is gone. I just feel like I cannot risk the health of my family anymore.
Is it unreasonable to expect the breeder to step up and take the kitten back since she sent her to me with this disease?
When she sent the kitten, she did not send with any vet records, copy of contract, or reg papers. After several e-mails(no answers to phone calls)and begging her to at least send the vet records to maybe help find out what is wrong with my kitten, I finally got some papers. No copy of contract was sent, and no official vet records, just a pet health record booklet(from Revival Animal Health, online catalog)that anyone can order, with the dates of vaccines checked in the boxes. I have noticed that things the breeder had told me, do not coincide with the checked dates. For instance(I have ALL correspondence via e-mail saved, and went back and checked)she e-mailed me to tell me that my kitten was spayed (no spay certificate was sent either)on March 21st, and that she was doing well, aand her husband was picking her up. In this health booklet she wrote under Medical history, that my kitten was spayed in February. Then she e-mailed me saying that my kitten had her rabies shot the day she had her health certificate done, which was March 31st, but the box is checked and dated March 19th, when she had some other vaccines. She has still not sent me her rabies certificate, and it was not written on the health cert, and airlines have no record! If she had any fecals done, they are not listed in this booklet. I know things can happen, and that everyone gets busy, but isn't 1 month too long to make someone wait for health records when the kitten is sick?? And then to send no official health records from a vet? And no copy of the contract as agreed upon?
I also understand that animals can get bugs, and it is sometimes unnoticed, but when a kitten you adopt out is found to have an illness, especially one that is hard to get rid of, and can affect humans, do you do anything to help the new family, or offer to take the kitten back? Breeder has offered to pay for the Metronidazole, but not the several trips to the vet, or antibiotics, or probiotics, or fecal exams etc...or to take the kitten back. I'm just afraid that since my daughter is sick(unknown if it is Giardia, but dr may treat her for it since she was exposed)my other children may come down with this. Plus the kitten may still have it!
I hope I don't get flamed for asking these things. I do feel bad about all of this, and for my kitten! I do have to put my family first though.

Sorry to hear that you and your kitten are going through this, but at least it's curable and in time, she will get better. I don't think you want to send your little kitten back anyway, at least not for something that can be cured!
If it were me, i'd try putting the kitten on a raw meat diet to get her poops to firm up.

 

[sphynxkitten]

Originally Posted by bengalbabe

Sorry to hear that you and your kitten are going through this, but at least it's curable and in time, she will get better. I don't think you want to send your little kitten back anyway, at least not for something that can be cured!
If it were me, i'd try putting the kitten on a raw meat diet to get her poops to firm up.

I really don't want to send her back, but I do have a family to consider. Can't say for sure it was, but my daughter missed 2 days of school this week having symptoms of Giardia. My kitten has a habbit of stepping in her fecal matter which I believe is making it harder to get rid of this parasite, not to mention potentially spreading it throughout my home. Now she has taken up playing in her litterbox! My poor kitten has been on antibiotics for 19 days out of the 36 I have had her for the virus she came with, which is not wanting to go away either. Vet says this may be something she carries with her that can flare up and require treatments throughout her life, but so far has just not gone away. I still have to clean her eyes out twice daily, and she is still sneezing. The poops are not firming up because of the Giardia, that is one of the symptoms, but right now I'm trying the fish and peas. She has also been on Probiocin for 19 out of the 36 days that she has been with us, and a 5 day dose of Metronidazole that did not clear up the Giardia, now it's a 7 day dose of Panacur. Giardia is curable, but can be very hard to get rid of, and so far this has proven to be true. Also, there have been people that have actually lost a kitten to this parasite. My main problem is this kitten should have never been sold in this condition, putting my family and our kitten through this heartache. Thank you for your reply.