Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Joyce Whitehead — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 09:44:38 GMT

Weekly B12 injections for 4 weeks might be worth adding too.

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Bob Russell — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 09:42:58 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Andrew Kent"] Corona virus is another one that causes very chronic diarrhoea in some kittens.[/quote]

But the commonest, by far, is a dietary intolerance, classically milk, but could be anything, although I've never known chicken or fish to be a cause.

Although milk is the commonest by far, diagnosis by identification is almost a forensic interrogation as owners don't realise that "just a bit" is enough.

The prepared commercial elimination diets may be fine but I preferred a single discreet food to be absolutely sure; boiled chicken or fish and water after 36 hours of water only, fixed the vast majority of cases in cats or dogs otherwise healthy.

Only if those failed did I explore the rarer causes.

[/quote]

Before we had the in house Giardia test (I know it is not the only cause!) we used to admit the kittens for a few days so the environment was fully controlled. Worm + Forgastrin until the poo was black. FeLV/FIV done at an early stage.

This sorted the vast majority although some relapsed when they went home (back to feeding them things they shouldn't have?).

Investigate if not getting better. I reckon we sorted out 90% this way. The 10% were the real nightmare!

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Anthony Todd — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:42:23 GMT

[quote user="Andrew Kent"] Corona virus is another one that causes very chronic diarrhoea in some kittens.[/quote]

But the commonest, by far, is a dietary intolerance, classically milk, but could be anything, although I've never known chicken or fish to be a cause.

Although milk is the commonest by far, diagnosis by identification is almost a forensic interrogation as owners don't realise that "just a bit" is enough.

Only if those failed did I explore the rarer causes.

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Andrew Kent — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:14:57 GMT

I assume that was a fasted bile acids? In a stunted kitten with diarrhoea I would do a bile acid stim if possible as a shunt would be a possibility. Corona virus is another one that causes very chronic diarrhoea in some kittens.

Andy

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Bob Russell — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:28:50 GMT

I make up a mix of light diet (chicken/rice etc) and add 1/4 teaspoon of Forgastrin with each meal. In addition a good course of Fenbendazole monthly. We seem to have a big giardia problem here!

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Dagmar Steele — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:28:28 GMT

yes, even with Giardia you cannot rule out an infection unless you have at least three different days included! If you only do testing for parasites T.fetus wouldn't be included AFAIK, but it ma be different with your lab, I am based in Germany.

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

James Laidlaw — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:25:13 GMT

Idexx do a feline diarrhoea panel (and other labs too I assume) with tritrichamonas, giardia, crypto, toxo, salmonella, clostridia, FeCoV and panleuk. I think an excellent starter for chronic d+ cases. Are the rule outs and previous tests on single samples or pooled 3 day samples? That can make a difference too as far as I am aware.

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Tom Ward — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:41:48 GMT

crypto has been ruled out, tritrichomonas has not specifically been ruled out - it looks like pCR is the best bet for ruling this out.

Re: Chronic D+ 6m old kitten

Dagmar Steele — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:26:47 GMT

Have Tritrichomonas tetus and Cryptosporidia been ruled out?