Another Coccidia Question

[sivyaleah]

We brought home our 17 week kitten Maine Coon kitten this past Tuesday and she was brought to her first vet visit Friday, along with a stool sample.

Overall she the checkup went well, she looked great, bright eyed (a little bit of dirt at the corners but nothing the vet was too worried about), no fleas, well fed, good coat, energetic, friendly, etc. However, the stool sample came back and tested positive for Coccidia - even though her stool is perfect looking. She's been pooping perfect looking tootsie rolls quite regularly in fact - so at least the parasite hasn't effected her intestines (yet). My understanding is there might be a form of this where it does not.

Whatever the case, obviously she has to be treated so she's been given a 10 day course of Albon to take - we're using pills and hiding them in her food, 1/2 a pill once a day for 10 days. Thankfully she eats like a champ, and literally licked her bowl clean pill and all.

Anyway, I'm not so worried about that end of it since I understand what has to be done. We happen to be using disposable litter pans since she's currently in a "safe room" being kept from our resident cat and it just seemed easier to use those anyway. I've been diligent about cleaning up the box twice a day even before we found this up and have been tidying up in her playpen area as needed all day long.

Plus we had really hoped by this weekend we'd be able to start making introductions between Cocoa and Luna but now that's on hold.

However, now I'm worried about one thing. Do we have to worry about all the bedding in there? We've been letting her on the bed with us, to hang out. Is it possible that this parasite can somehow attach itself to us, and then we pass it to Cocoabean? That is kind of freaking me out a bit. Or should we not worry so much since I also read older cats don't seem to get effected by this as much? And when they do more likely it's passed through sharing a litterbox because of it being in the feces?

I haven't even mentioned this to my husband. He's already bummed enough; I had taken off this past week to be home to help acclimate Luna to our house, never even thinking that something like this might crop up and I have to be back to work Monday. So, he's now stuck at home all week kitten sitting alone (he's retired) and I feel awful about that. I mean, you can't leave a kitten alone in a room all the time so he's really got to be in there with her a good portion of the day or she'll be so bored and lonely!

Ok I digressed a bit there. Any info I can get about how much cleaning is needed here to avoid passing it to Cocoa from anyone would be helpful here.

 

[bitkit]

I was just wondering why vets still prescribe Albon when toltrazuril and ponazuril are available.

 

[sivyaleah]

I was just wondering why vets still prescribe Albon when toltrazuril and ponazuril are available.

I think the toltrazuril is meant to be used if there is already symptoms present such as diarrhea. Luna is asymptomatic.

As for the ponazuril I believe it's used primarily in shelters/rescues because it works quickly and is more cost effective, which is needed in that type of situation.

Albon is FDA approved, where as the ponazuril is not. I'd think vets in private practices would be more inclined to stick with an approved medication than not. Just guessing of course but I'll probably ask since the question was raised - I have a very good relationship with our vet.

EDIT: One or both of these may not be easily available in the USA? I'm reading conflicting info on this which may also have something to do with why the Albon was prescribed.

 

[white shadow]

Any info I can get about how much cleaning is needed here to avoid passing it to Cocoa from anyone would be helpful here.

Hi sivyaleah.

I think the very last paragraph in this reliable reference will ease your mind......and likely your back (considering all that cleaning work which, it seems, will be unnecessary!): Coccidia Infects Intestines of Cats and Dogs - Veterinary Partner - VIN

Now, have you posted any of the required pictures yet?
.

 

[sivyaleah]

Hi sivyaleah.

I think the very last paragraph in this reliable reference will ease your mind......and likely your back (considering all that cleaning work which, it seems, will be unnecessary!): Coccidia Infects Intestines of Cats and Dogs - Veterinary Partner - VIN

Now, have you posted any of the required pictures yet?
.

Thank you so much for that! I already knew we didn't have to worry about ourselves, but really had concerns for Cocoabean even though they aren't sharing a litter box yet. We started doing scent exchanges and had taken a small blanket from Luna's area that she's been using since day 1, for Cocoa to start getting a whiff of and was worried that this parasite could possibly be carried on it if there was any fecal matter on it, although, I'm positive there isn't being that Luna isn't experiencing any bowel issues at all. This article absolutely put my mind to rest on that.

Hopefully the Albon will do the job, which I expect it will since like I said, she's asymptomatic. I'm assuming she must have just gotten infected right before we picked her up since according to that article it take about 5-13 days for the parasite to reach a point where the body starts showing signs and she's been here for 5 days now with no signs at all and clearly she was ok while at the breeder too. Or, she has the type of infection that causes no symptoms. Either way - I feel a lot better and it seems manageable enough. It's just my poor husband who is going to get the short end of the stick in this I think

 

[kysa]

Our Balinese kitten had coccidia and was given Ponazuril 2doses a week apart. We kept her separated from our other 2 cats for a couple weeks so no litter boxes shared. After two more stool checks coming out negative we let them be introduced.

 

[sivyaleah]

Our Balinese kitten had coccidia and was given Ponazuril 2doses a week apart. We kept her separated from our other 2 cats for a couple weeks so no litter boxes shared. After two more stool checks coming out negative we let them be introduced.

Thanks.

I also spoke with the breeder so she's aware and can treat the remaining kittens in the household. She said that most likely Luna's natural immunity was kicking in which is why she was asymptomatic. She's now on day 4 of the Albon, will be done with it Monday morning and is doing fine. Since she was separated already from our resident cat, and would have been anyway for at least a week it really hasn't change much for us, just extended the period of us introducing them a bit longer than we hoped for.

The vet said once the medication is completed, it would be ok to have them meet being that the kitten had no symptoms. We already have an appointment to go back for her rabies vaccine next weekend and will be bringing a stool sample and I'm expecting it will be negative based on the information I've been given.