Ragdoll Cat Forums

First, sorry for the length of this, but I thought I’d share some information to those that may have issues with their kids regarding loose stools, diarrhea, etc. I’ve been reading and googling today in hopes of finding some help for my kids. Both now are currently having diarrhea, anything from super runny to mud and an occasional bit of formation on top of mud. It began with our newest and now Maddy started before we woke yesterday.

Our newest kid (yes, still not named) had her wellness check last Friday. They performed the fecal floatation test and of course it came out negative. It sounds like many parasites escape detection in this test but I guess the vet has to start somewhere. Before all my reading today, I guess I had the “impression” that it would find more then it does.

The vet decided she didn’t like the “looks” of the sample so she decided to take a sample from her directly and looked at it under a microscope. She said she thought she may have some spirochetes and prescribed metronidazole. I asked at that time should we dose all the kids if there was a problem and she said no.

Much to my distress, Maddy started having issues yesterday. I phoned the clinic when they opened yesterday to get an appointment to have Maddy looked at. I was told they didn’t need to see her, just drop off a stool sample and they’d check it. I informed them that that failed to show anything with no name and they did suspect something with her via the direct sample and prescribed meds. If it is contagious, then maybe Maddy should be seen and prescribed meds too. Well, too bad, just bring us the poo. So, we are once again looking for a clinic that cares about its patients. All of this has led me to search out a better technique or test to detect what’s going on in my kids guts. I thought I’d share what I found in case anyone else is having poo issues with their kids and are frustrated with negative test results.

Quote:Tritrichomonas foetus:

Tritrichomonas foetus is an emerging parasite of felines. It is a flagellated protozoan parasite of domestic cats that resides within the lumen of the colon and causes colitis and chronic, foul-smelling diarrhea. The infection is prevalent among cattery cats where transmission via the fecal-oral route is suspected. Infected cats may have persistent diarrhea for up to 2 years and can remain infected for their lifetime.

Testing for this parasite is still not routine at most veterinary clinics. T. foetus looks similar to Giardia when viewed under a microscope. Therefore, its misdiagnosis as Giardia is common. Fecal floats and Giardia SNAP tests do not detect T. foetus; a T. foetus-specific test must be performed to detect it.

Tritrichomonas foetus is well known as a venereal infection of bovines (cattle). It was first reported in cats in 1996, where it was found in the intestine and was associated with diarrhea. There is no evidence that feline T. foetus came from cattle, in fact, veterinarians don’t know how T. foetus made its way into the feline population.

T. foetus is common in purebred and shelter cats, with no particular breed being over represented. No breed of cat is known to be immune to T. foetus. Based on a survey of cats at an international cat show, approximately a third (36 out of 117) of the purebred feline population were positive with T. foetus. Geographically, T. foetus has been found in many countries.

Who should test for T. foetus? Catteries that currently or periodically have cats with bouts of diarrhea and that have passed tests for other parasites such as Giardia, Helminths (worms), and Coccidia. Catteries should also consider baseline testing their cats even if there has been no instances of diarrhea lately. All new cats coming into the cattery should also be tested for T. foetus.

How will T. foetus affect the health of my cat? Infected cats usually do not have their overall health adversely affected. Therefore, owners of infected cats often ignore the infection since their cats maintain body and coat condition. Unfortunately, such cats remain a source of infection for others. If left untreated, approximately ninety percent of infected cats will stop having diarrhea within two years. However, most of these cats will continue to carry the T. foetus organism, possibly for a lifetime. Single cat owners may find this outcome satisfactory if the cat remains healthy in other respects. However, if left untreated the T. foetus infection will perpetuate within their cattery and spread to other cats and catteries when kittens are adopted or animals are transported for breeding. Although many cats will eventually resolve their diarrhea, the prolonged presence of the organisms could predispose to development of inflammatory bowel disease later in life, but this has not yet been explored.

There is a lot of information on this parasite at this site:
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/personnel/gookin_jody.html

For those in the UK:
http://www.fabcats.org/breeders/infoshee...monas.html

Quote:Although most information on T foetus infection has come from studies of cats in the USA, we have identified several cases of infection in cats in the UK (mostly in young pedigree cats, and all from multicat households generally with more than one cat being affected), and it has also been identified in cats from Germany, Italy, Spain and Norway. In the UK, up to 30% of faecal samples from cats with diarrhoea are currently being found to be infected; with young pedigree cats (particularly Siamese and Bengal) being significantly more likely to be infected. The evidence therefore suggests that T foetus is probably quite widespread in cat populations, and infection is most likely where there is a high density of cats sharing the same environment.

Researchers investigate T. Foetus Infection in Catteries
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/documents/p...update.pdf

Researchers find a cause for chronic diarrhea
http://74.125.95.132/u/ncstatecvm?q=cach...s&ie=UTF-8

Texas A & M does the test and there may be others but Texas A & M is the only one I’ve found so far besides the NC State University. I’m making some phone calls tomorrow and see if I can find a vet to get the sample to send out. I think I’ll use Texas A & M since some vets in my area do send blood off to them.
https://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/assays/Tr...onas.shtml

I hope this may be of help to others struggling to find a cause for their kids loose stools or diarrhea. If I had listened to my doctors 9 yrs ago, I doubt I’d have recovered as much as I have when I became chronically ill. The internet and my research led me to a correct diagnosis which was eventually confirmed in the medical community. Knowledge is power and I hope for those still frustrated with poo issues, you may want to consider having your kid(s) checked for this parasite.

Thanks for posting that Diane. Let us know how it goes when you contact the places tomorrow - if you can send the poo off for analysis. I do hope this is not what it is as it says it can continue for 2 years, then stay in their system.

T,

There is a drug protocol now, better than it was when first introduced and another drug is being tested to see if it will irradicate it. So if that's what they have, I'll use a compound pharmacy and get them what is needed. It can't be good to let them have "d" all the time and worse yet have it remain all their lives. They "think" it may later develop into IBD so perhaps if some studies could be conducted it may prove that, but we all know how many furkids are now being diagnosed with IBD or food intolerance or allergies. Perhaps this may be an underlying condition that leads to all things in the gut? Could there be a connection? One never knows, but I want my kids to be as healthy as I can help them be. It's no fun having poo drip from the bum.

Since this has only been discovered in cats since 1996, and it's not "routine" to check for it, most estimate at least a third of felines have this from the small sampling that's taken place and the work done at NC State. I do know that a lot of cats are dumped in shelters or worse euthanized due to litter box issues and I'm sure chronic "d" rates up there for both. This could be one thing that is NOT being checked for as a cause of chronic diarrhea and maybe it could save some kitty lives. Maybe we should start a T. foetus awareness campaign and if necessary raise funds to help those that couldn't afford the testing to get it done. I'll find someone to do the test if I have to do the self help one that is on the NC State site.

Diane the treatment makes me nervious tho on less I;m messing some thing here.
This is what I copied off the site you posted.are there other treatments? I need to go back and reread this.
Ronidazole is not FDA approved for use in companion animals. It is currently banned for use in food-producing animals in countries outside of the United States due to human hazards. Due diligence is required for protection of humans from exposure to Ronidazole and veterinarians are advised to obtain informed consent prior to use of this drug in cats.

never mind you posted while I was writing
I no what your saying D...but it still makes me nervious.
It would be great to get cattrey to test for this like they do for HCM .

Why are you thinking of testing for this when the vet found an explanation and it is being treated? It may come time to test for other things, but you do not seem to have reached that point yet. One may not want to avoid vets who are careful about use of meds when they may not be needed. That is alone is not a lack of concern about the patients, but is a concern about developing microbes that will not be treatable at all - bad news for us all. Of course, one wants the vet to be sensible about it.

In terms of testing for t foetus, discuss it with your vet first. There may be reasons it is not high on the list of suspects.

Hi Diane,

I wish I had something helpful to say. I'm sorry your new girl and Maddy are suffering from the dreaded poo problems.

Just a thought re: vet care... Is there a vet clinic in your area that specializes in cats only?

Coral

I second the recommendation for a cat only vet.

As for t.foetus I doubt that it is the source of your troubles probably something far more pedestrian i.e. one of the usual suspects. See if the meds don't sort this for your cats before looking for a more exotic culprit.

Oftentimes, T. foetus is suspected if the usual parasitic tests/treatments do not clear up the diarrhea. Check these out first - using the freshest samples, do NOT refrigerate them - and go from there. Be careful, though, as T. foetus can look like giardia. Good luck.

Before I went and purchased my current kitten Marley I had been waiting on a kitten several months. The day before he was supposed to come home he was diagnosed with this. I spoke to an expert about this and if I recall he lived in NY. There is a lot of catteries out their that have this and don't know it or don't acknowledge it. Fortunately, for me this breeder did let me know that my kitten had this. When I spoke to my vet about it he recommended that I decline the kitten. As heartbreaking as it was, I decided not to take the kitten. I hope things turn out ok for you and hopefully more breeders will learn about this and try to get it out of their cattery.

KewlKat Wrote:First, sorry for the length of this, but I thought I’d share some information to those that may have issues with their kids regarding loose stools, diarrhea, etc. I’ve been reading and googling today in hopes of finding some help for my kids. Both now are currently having diarrhea, anything from super runny to mud and an occasional bit of formation on top of mud. It began with our newest and now Maddy started before we woke yesterday.

Our newest kid (yes, still not named) had her wellness check last Friday. They performed the fecal floatation test and of course it came out negative. It sounds like many parasites escape detection in this test but I guess the vet has to start somewhere. Before all my reading today, I guess I had the “impression” that it would find more then it does.

The vet decided she didn’t like the “looks” of the sample so she decided to take a sample from her directly and looked at it under a microscope. She said she thought she may have some spirochetes and prescribed metronidazole. I asked at that time should we dose all the kids if there was a problem and she said no.

Much to my distress, Maddy started having issues yesterday. I phoned the clinic when they opened yesterday to get an appointment to have Maddy looked at. I was told they didn’t need to see her, just drop off a stool sample and they’d check it. I informed them that that failed to show anything with no name and they did suspect something with her via the direct sample and prescribed meds. If it is contagious, then maybe Maddy should be seen and prescribed meds too. Well, too bad, just bring us the poo. So, we are once again looking for a clinic that cares about its patients. All of this has led me to search out a better technique or test to detect what’s going on in my kids guts. I thought I’d share what I found in case anyone else is having poo issues with their kids and are frustrated with negative test results.

Quote:Tritrichomonas foetus:

Tritrichomonas foetus is an emerging parasite of felines. It is a flagellated protozoan parasite of domestic cats that resides within the lumen of the colon and causes colitis and chronic, foul-smelling diarrhea. The infection is prevalent among cattery cats where transmission via the fecal-oral route is suspected. Infected cats may have persistent diarrhea for up to 2 years and can remain infected for their lifetime.

Testing for this parasite is still not routine at most veterinary clinics. T. foetus looks similar to Giardia when viewed under a microscope. Therefore, its misdiagnosis as Giardia is common. Fecal floats and Giardia SNAP tests do not detect T. foetus; a T. foetus-specific test must be performed to detect it.

Tritrichomonas foetus is well known as a venereal infection of bovines (cattle). It was first reported in cats in 1996, where it was found in the intestine and was associated with diarrhea. There is no evidence that feline T. foetus came from cattle, in fact, veterinarians don’t know how T. foetus made its way into the feline population.

T. foetus is common in purebred and shelter cats, with no particular breed being over represented. No breed of cat is known to be immune to T. foetus. Based on a survey of cats at an international cat show, approximately a third (36 out of 117) of the purebred feline population were positive with T. foetus. Geographically, T. foetus has been found in many countries.

Who should test for T. foetus? Catteries that currently or periodically have cats with bouts of diarrhea and that have passed tests for other parasites such as Giardia, Helminths (worms), and Coccidia. Catteries should also consider baseline testing their cats even if there has been no instances of diarrhea lately. All new cats coming into the cattery should also be tested for T. foetus.

How will T. foetus affect the health of my cat? Infected cats usually do not have their overall health adversely affected. Therefore, owners of infected cats often ignore the infection since their cats maintain body and coat condition. Unfortunately, such cats remain a source of infection for others. If left untreated, approximately ninety percent of infected cats will stop having diarrhea within two years. However, most of these cats will continue to carry the T. foetus organism, possibly for a lifetime. Single cat owners may find this outcome satisfactory if the cat remains healthy in other respects. However, if left untreated the T. foetus infection will perpetuate within their cattery and spread to other cats and catteries when kittens are adopted or animals are transported for breeding. Although many cats will eventually resolve their diarrhea, the prolonged presence of the organisms could predispose to development of inflammatory bowel disease later in life, but this has not yet been explored.

There is a lot of information on this parasite at this site:
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/personnel/gookin_jody.html

For those in the UK:
http://www.fabcats.org/breeders/infoshee...monas.html

Quote:Although most information on T foetus infection has come from studies of cats in the USA, we have identified several cases of infection in cats in the UK (mostly in young pedigree cats, and all from multicat households generally with more than one cat being affected), and it has also been identified in cats from Germany, Italy, Spain and Norway. In the UK, up to 30% of faecal samples from cats with diarrhoea are currently being found to be infected; with young pedigree cats (particularly Siamese and Bengal) being significantly more likely to be infected. The evidence therefore suggests that T foetus is probably quite widespread in cat populations, and infection is most likely where there is a high density of cats sharing the same environment.

Researchers investigate T. Foetus Infection in Catteries
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/documents/p...update.pdf

Researchers find a cause for chronic diarrhea
http://74.125.95.132/u/ncstatecvm?q=cach...s&ie=UTF-8

Texas A & M does the test and there may be others but Texas A & M is the only one I’ve found so far besides the NC State University. I’m making some phone calls tomorrow and see if I can find a vet to get the sample to send out. I think I’ll use Texas A & M since some vets in my area do send blood off to them.
https://www.cvm.tamu.edu/gilab/assays/Tr...onas.shtml

I hope this may be of help to others struggling to find a cause for their kids loose stools or diarrhea. If I had listened to my doctors 9 yrs ago, I doubt I’d have recovered as much as I have when I became chronically ill. The internet and my research led me to a correct diagnosis which was eventually confirmed in the medical community. Knowledge is power and I hope for those still frustrated with poo issues, you may want to consider having your kid(s) checked for this parasite.