Tritrichomonas Foetus

midnightbride

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Hello. Does anyone have any experience with their cat being successfully cured of this horrible parasite? My 5 year old is almost finished with his dose of Ronizadole and doing well. I hope it lasts. My 13 year old tested positive as well but with no symptoms. He has a week to go on the meds.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I hope to God it doesn't come back. The poor cat has suffered long enough.

They are both Abyssinians obtained from the same breeder. I sent her a (nice) email about it and she never responded which makes me angry. The courtesy of a response would seem to be in order, especially since this just cost me $850 between the two cats! Guess I will have to find a different breeder next time.
 

vwdewaal

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We cured our kitty use Ronidazole. We did the treatment twice. The first time twice daily with 30mg for 2 weeks and that didn't work. Then we switched to 70mg once daily for 2 weeks and that did the trick.

She's been clean for 4 months now, but just this week has developed a runny tummy again. We'll monitor her for a week before taking any additional action. Can't be sure it's TTF at the moment, as she seems to be in good health. We're putting it down to something she ate.

Good luck. Our final vet bill for TTF treatment stopped at £650.

George
 
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midnightbride

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Thanks so much, George! That's not encouraging. Wow. I had two cats to medicate. Only one had symptoms though. He finished meds (30 mg) a month and a half ago. Had watery diarrhea one time and then it's fairly normal again. I pray it does not come back! The other cat was nearly impossible to medicate. What a nightmare. Please keep me posted.
 

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Just saw your thread. Pipsqueak had it when I adopted from a shelter four years ago as a four month old kitten. It took quite a few tests to figure out why he was having such terrible diarrhea. He was treated with Ronizadole and it took two back to back treatments. I just went and looked up the records and he was really on that medication for over a month
But he was totally cured of it after that.
 
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midnightbride

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Thanks for the info! When he was on it back to back, was it the second or first time he took the Ronidazole? I can't imagine getting it in my one cat for that long. How did you do it? Part of the problem is I live alone. Very difficult.

I will certainly tell my vet about that if it does come back. So far so good except for the one incident.

Question. So he NEVER had diarrhea at all once he was cured? Mine had it once a month and a half after treatment and now has been good for almost two weeks now.
 
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midnightbride

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One more question... what did you do regarding the litter box? I replaced it midway through the treatment. Brand new box, litter and scooper. I hope that was sufficient!
 

feralvr

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Originally Posted by midnightbride

Thanks for the info! When he was on it back to back, was it the second or first time he took the Ronidazole? I can't imagine getting it in my one cat for that long. How did you do it? Part of the problem is I live alone. Very difficult.

I will certainly tell my vet about that if it does come back. So far so good except for the one incident.

Question. So he NEVER had diarrhea at all once he was cured? Mine had it once a month and a half after treatment and now has been good for almost two weeks now.
His stools were definitely normal after he was cured. Now, other than some other issues we have had early on with diet and diarrhea, he finally has very firm poops. Going grain-free was finally the best for Pipsqueak.

Pipsqueak was a nightmare to pill too. I used a plunger and had to scruff him first, lift him up by the scruff, and then plunge. He always had treats on the counter after that, so actually he started just accepting it after a few times. Much luck
 

feralvr

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Originally Posted by midnightbride

One more question... what did you do regarding the litter box? I replaced it midway through the treatment. Brand new box, litter and scooper. I hope that was sufficient!
At the time, I was using a non-clump cat litter, Tidy Cats. So I dumped and bleached the box the box every three to four days. I would then take the bleached box and put it outside in the sun to completely dry. I had other boxes I used in it's place. And the next three to four days I would just rotate the boxes. I never threw out a box and never had an issue with any of the other cats getting it either. Since plain Tidy cats is pretty inexpensive, it didn't cost me that much to replace litter that frequently for that one month. Good luck and don't worry you kitty will be just fine. You are doing a great job.
 
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midnightbride

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Thanks so much for the reply! Unfortunately, my other cat did test positive as well. He may have been the carrier all along. I had a cat that passed away BEFORE I acquired the little guy and she had "issues" that eventually cleared up. She came from a shelter back in the mid-90s, so it's possible SHE had the parasite all along. In any event, he's still "iffy".. a little soft but not terrible. If need be, I suppose he will have to get another round of the Ronidazole.

Thanks again for the encouragement!
 

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My cat was on it for two weeks then off one week then back on for another two. This is what the vet told me to do and it did work for my cat. I bet you are right about the other cat being the carrier. It is quite possible that your other cat whom is passed on had it too. It really is not a very well known and talked about parasite by vets and back then was overlooked and it is not as common as the other typical parasites cats can have. I do worry about this parasite still ......but it is treatable and you can get rid of it
. Much luck to you and for your cats too
 
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midnightbride

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Wonderful! So far, the little guy is OK. No other episodes other than the one time. Will definitely tell my vet about that series of treatment if he has to go back. Good luck to you as well!

I've been telling everyone I know about this awful parasite. Hopefully, it will diminish over time if more cats are treated. I hate to see them suffer like mine did. It's terrible.
 

feralvr

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Yes, I think this parasite is more prevalent than we know, unfortunately..... And much luck to you too with your kitties
 

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I have 2 cats that are showing these symptoms, one started 2 months ago and I took him to the vet for a bunch of tests that all came up negative.  They did everything they could do there and wanted me to go to a Specialty Hospital for an ultra sound, but this had already cost me $800.00 in just a couple weeks, so I tried changing his food.  He will not eat the I/D which I found out is not so good anyway and he won't go raw so I am feeding him Friskies Sr. which I know isn't the best, but I have very few options where I live and found out through this site some other foods that are better, but I have to wait until I can go get the food (it's way out of town).  Anyway now I'm thinking something else is going on because another cat started having diarrhea a few days ago, slowly but surely it has developed into a very similar situation as the first, but the first one is eating ravenously and the other doesn't.  The first one has also lost a ton of weight, so far the other one hasn't but it hasn't been that long.  What are the symptoms of this parasite?  I am starting to think this could be it because of both of them getting something.  I have a 3rd cat too and I need to keep her protected, but it's very hard to keep her completely isolated because she doesn't like it.  What should I be doing here, this is awful. All these cats have always been healthy and tolerated their food just fine.  The oldest and sickest is approx. 12 and the other one that's sick is about 7 or 8.  Both I found outside, so I don't know for sure.  I'd appreciate any advice on this and I heard there's a lab you can send their stools in yourself, but I don't know where it is or if there's site about it.  I hope someone can help.
Yes, I think this parasite is more prevalent than we know, unfortunately..... And much luck to you too with your kitties
 

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Tritrichomonas Foetus is a new parasite that I just had to deal with in 2006. It’s only symptom is cow-pie, soft serve stool, or mucusy diarrhea. It was misdiagnosed for over a year as giardia because the two parasites are so similar. But the drugs for giardia were not helping. Once I got the true and correct diagnoses, I had my entire cattery of breeders and kittens tested and found it to be quite overwhelming. About 70% of my breeders were TF positive. Every cat and kitten was treated with Ronidazole and two weeks after treatment, everyone was re-tested and ALL were TF negative. The Ronidazole works. I plan to retest every few months to be absolutely sure it does not come back. If you have a cat or kitten that suffers from chronic diarrhea and no treatment has worked, consider learning more about TF. I have found that there are tooooo many vets that are not experienced with this parasite; therefore, they are misdiagnosing many cats. I posted a very long story about how I found TF in my cattery on December 15, 2006. Within a two month time period, I had received over 25 phone calls or emails from pet owners across the country whose kittens had the same problem and were being misdiagnosed as giardia, irritable bowel syndrome and so on. I am so grateful that my vet was open-minded and willing to look at the research I brought her to positively diagnose and treat my kitties. I am happy to report that we have been TF FREE for over a year now and don't expecant don't expect that to ever return. For more information on TF go to http://www.cvm.ncu.edu/mbs/gookin_jody.html

Source:http://www.sunsetexotics.com/health.php
 

dawn harvey

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My first sick cat (the first one that got sick) has cow like piles, but it started out with watery diarrhea and I mean watery plus he vomits and eats ravenously and continues to lose weight.  He had all these tests and all came back negative and I think you're right the vet I went to is inexperienced in this.  He also had an x-ray which only showed air in his intestines.  His feces smells terrible.  I now have another cat starting the symptoms, watery stool, throwing up, but she seems to have lost her appetite to a small degree so far.  Hers started about 4 days age.  Have you heard of a cat throwing up and eating ravenously with this?  I would appreciate any info. I can get.  Thank You.
Tritrichomonas Foetus is a new parasite that I just had to deal with in 2006. It’s only symptom is cow-pie, soft serve stool, or mucusy diarrhea. It was misdiagnosed for over a year as giardia because the two parasites are so similar. But the drugs for giardia were not helping. Once I got the true and correct diagnoses, I had my entire cattery of breeders and kittens tested and found it to be quite overwhelming. About 70% of my breeders were TF positive. Every cat and kitten was treated with Ronidazole and two weeks after treatment, everyone was re-tested and ALL were TF negative. The Ronidazole works. I plan to retest every few months to be absolutely sure it does not come back. If you have a cat or kitten that suffers from chronic diarrhea and no treatment has worked, consider learning more about TF. I have found that there are tooooo many vets that are not experienced with this parasite; therefore, they are misdiagnosing many cats. I posted a very long story about how I found TF in my cattery on December 15, 2006. Within a two month time period, I had received over 25 phone calls or emails from pet owners across the country whose kittens had the same problem and were being misdiagnosed as giardia, irritable bowel syndrome and so on. I am so grateful that my vet was open-minded and willing to look at the research I brought her to positively diagnose and treat my kitties. I am happy to report that we have been TF FREE for over a year now and don't expecant don't expect that to ever return. For more information on TF go to http://www.cvm.ncu.edu/mbs/gookin_jody.html

Source:http://www.sunsetexotics.com/health.php
 

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My first sick cat (the first one that got sick) has cow like piles, but it started out with watery diarrhea and I mean watery plus he vomits and eats ravenously and continues to lose weight.  He had all these tests and all came back negative and I think you're right the vet I went to is inexperienced in this.  He also had an x-ray which only showed air in his intestines.  His feces smells terrible.  I now have another cat starting the symptoms, watery stool, throwing up, but she seems to have lost her appetite to a small degree so far.  Hers started about 4 days age.  Have you heard of a cat throwing up and eating ravenously with this?  I would appreciate any info. I can get.  Thank You.
I have heard of cats eating ravenously, yes. Not throwing up. However, it sounds like, symptoms, very greatly.
 

dawn harvey

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I wrote to Jody Gookin and she actually wrote me back.  YEAH!!!  She said his symptoms did sound like that with the ravenous appetite and diarrhea, but she said nothing about vomiting.  She also said she cannot advise me via email or any other way, but she can speak with my vet, if the vet is willing.  I think I am going to have a lot of problems with any vet around here going straight to that test without doing other things first on the second cat, although I really believe that is what's going on here.  I was thinking about how they could get this and my husband helps a friend out on his farm (with cattle and pigs) once in awhile and could this have been brought into my home that way? I just don't see how they could get that any other way since I do not have a shelter and they are indoor cats.  I mean it's just odd to me.  I'd appreciate any insight into the farm part.  Thank You.
 
 

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I wrote to Jody Gookin and she actually wrote me back.  YEAH!!! 

That is great news
.

She said his symptoms did sound like that with the ravenous appetite and diarrhea, but she said nothing about vomiting.  She also said she cannot advise me via email or any other way, but she can speak with my vet, if the vet is willing. 

Yes, Jody Gookin doesn't want to be responsible, for a misdiagnosis. Hence, can't advise you in any of the above manors. I am sure, you, are aware of all that. I am very very glad, she, will talk to the vet. I really hope, he/she, is willing to listen. Please let me know, how this part goes
.

I think I am going to have a lot of problems with any vet around here going straight to that test without doing other things first on the second cat, although I really believe that is what's going on here.

Any idea, what, your vet wants to do first?

I was thinking about how they could get this and my husband helps a friend out on his farm (with cattle and pigs) once in awhile and could this have been brought into my home that way? I just don't see how they could get that any other way since I do not have a shelter and they are indoor cats.  I mean it's just odd to me.  I'd appreciate any insight into the farm part.  Thank You.
 

I do think it is possible. I would recommend, you, ask Jody Gookin that question. Since, she is the expert and all
.
 
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