Really? My vet said there's no treatment for this?!

Please please elaborate!

He seems happy and good in himself, playing eating and drinking.

He's coming off the antibiotics now they know its TF, it was when he came off them before he stopped drinking :/

Ronidazole is the treatment for TF.

He needs 30mg - 50mg per kg per day in one dose for 14 days. It needs to be made up especially for him and the dosage is very important. Ronidazole can have some nasty side effects when given at too high doses. These have been greatly reduced since the dosage has been refined to what i quoted.

Give the capsules whole. Do not split them as the powder is very bitter and considered a carcinogen.

Give at the same time each day.

Play with him at the same time each day with a toy that helps assess his neurological status. Like DaBird or Feather Frenzy. You will be able to detect if he is less co-ordinated quite quickly by this. Feather wands are also useful. If his co-ordination becomes poor, stop giving the Ronidazole.

The side effects are usually reversible once the treatment has been stopped.

Finish the full 2 week course, do not skip any doses.

Make sure you clean the litter tray regularly throughout treatment so he cannot transmit it back to himself. TF lives in wet poo so scoop poo as and when it happens if you can.

This is an excellent fact sheet which is quite precise. I printed it out for my vet when my cats had TF:
http://www.fabcats.org/breeders/infoshe ... monas.html

Left untreated, TF can cause irreversible damage to the intestines. It can also lie dormant ready to reinfect when stressed or infect another cat.

_________________
Lollo

Cockburns Vets in Coalville are the ones that dealt with my cats when they had TF. Bit far for you but your vets could always call them if they want advice.

Feel free to message me if you want any advice or ask questions. Willing to help in anyway i can. I'm not a million miles away from you

_________________
Lollo

Thanks so much guys, my vet actually sent me the fabcats link to explain TF.

She mentioned Ronidazole but said she would not give it to Dylan because of the horrible side effects and that it wan't licensed. I feel a bit torn now because I really want him to get better, and although spritely most days I know he isn't 100%.

He's also very stubborn and will wait until I get home from work before going to the toilet, which considering the diarrhoea this can't be pleasant for him.

How was your experience with the drug Lollo? As Dylan is so young do you think he would be able to handle it (I know the literature states over 12 weeks and he's 15 now).

From how the vet spoke this wasn't a viable option, but I'd be willing to try if it could make him better.

(Also at some point, perhaps in a year or two, I'd like him to have a companion - which I couldn't do if he had TF).

Thank you again, I can't tell you how great it is being on this forum!!

I'd be willing to travel to Coalville to be honest, Dylan is very good in the car :)

So your vets won't give you the medication Dylan needs to make him better? New vets are in need in my opinion! I'd be calling local vets explaining the situation and see if they will help!

The drug is a lot safer now that the dose has been refined. They recommend sticking to 30mg per kg of body weight in a once daily amount for younger kittens like Dylan.

It is unlicensed for cats but there is no other treatment for TF. It was thought that TF resolves itself if left untreated but this is out of date and not backed up by any findings. TF is known to go into dormant phases but can resurface at times of stress. It can also cause the gut wall to be smooth losing its absorption properties. One of my cats has IBS as a result of long term TF infection.

Ronidazole ones have nasty side effects. Neurological ones. These can be detected early if you follow my previous advice. Plus, chances of side effects are much lower than previously due to refinement of the dosage. If detected soon enough and Ronidazole discontinued, side effects are not usually permanent.

I treated 4 cats. Two adults and two kittens around 6-8 months. I had no issues at all.

I would always treat. But it is a personal decision really. You have to decide yourself. Bare in mind though that you could run into problems in the untrue if you want to add another cat to your house.

I would inform the breeder as well. Would mr tan likely have come to you with this. Whilst TF spreads easily, it is killed quite quickly when poo dries out so more difficult for transmission via shoes etc....

_________________
Lollo

My partner and I have discussed this at some length and we are both in agreement that we should try the drug for Dylan, following your advice to minimise any risk associated with the drug.

I think I should wait a month or two until Dylan is a little bit bigger and stronger, as I imagine he'll need a lot of strength.

He's 15 weeks now and we were looking to get him neutered in the next few weeks, so should I wait until after the drug, or prolong this and have him snipped first? There isn't really an immediate rush, but as we live in rented accommodation it's important that we try our best to prevent any spraying etc.

I'm going to phone the vets in Coalville (you gave me the name in another thread which I gave to my friends locally), was there a particular vet who dealt with your treatment?

I agree Sazza, it's difficult as I have never had any issues with these vets currently until now. I'm sure as she wasn't experienced in treating TF she just didn't want to administer a non-licensed drug to a kitten.

Thanks again everyone, I'm growing more concerned as now and then there is blood in his stool, I know this is one of the effects of TF but its quite distressing to see!

I don't think the vet is still there that treated mine at the time. Diane is a nice vet there though who loves Bengals. I try and see her now if I have to take mine other than for boosters.

Personally I would treat before having him neutered. The surgery, although quite easy for boys, is stressful and so he could get more sick from the TF as a result.

How heavy s Dylan? My two kittens were 2.5kg and 3.2kg when they were treated with Ronidazole.

You could try giving him a little raw meat to help firm up his poo a bit. Or try a dry food with hairball remedy. I wouldn't normally advise this but if you are going to treat him when he's a tiny bit older you may be able to minimise the runny poo a little. Didn't work for my Toby though, he was really bad with it and had anal leakage all the time... Not pleasant for him or us

_________________
Lollo

Hi guys,

Sorry it has been a long time posting, but here are the updates.

I went to Cockburns and saw Diane. It was the best vet experience, truly. She really got the time to know Dylan.

He went onto the Ronidazole and within 3 days there was already a huge improvement. We gave him a lot of fuss and attention throughout the course (we do anyway but especially). Lots of play time after he took the drug to access his coordination.

He completed the course without any complication and he's now TF free :).

Thank you again everyone, so so much. You have made my poorly kitten happy and healthy again!!

Jessica, I am so happy to hear things have gone really well for Dylan. It has been an interesting couple of months for you and I know you've had your work cut out for you, but at least Dylan has healed at this point and you've learned A LOT!!! Sometimes changing vets can be a God send. The important thing is Dylan and how he's feeling and I'm thankful he's doing so much better.