Our story started when we decided to start up a Bengal breeding program in 2005. We purchased 4 cats in two months from local breeders. One kitten in particular—Bechira—came to us with nasty stinky diarrhea. The other cats had it on an off, and in varying degrees. We took fecal samples to the vet for testing and they found Giardia ( often TF is misdiagnosed as Giardia ). We treated everyone but of course the diarrhea continued. Further tests were negative. We tried several other types of antibiotics, medications and treatments for diarrhea. We tried changing foods. We continued to spend $$$$ on tests and treatments with no results. Thankfully, although Bechira had chronic liquid diarrhea, she was otherwise healthy and was gaining weight, was active and healthy looking. The other cats continued to cycle off and on. I was becoming very frustrated with all the extra cleaning and horrid stink resulting from the diarrhea.

The cats were now of breeding age and we still had no answers. But they needed to be bred and so our first litters started to appear. Bengal kittens often will get diarrhea during the weaning process and so it came as no surprise when our kittens got the stinky liquid diarrhea---except that it is a bit more serious when young kittens get liquid diarrhea as dehydration can occur very quickly in such young kittens. We tried them on various antibiotics which seemed to help, but once the antibiotic was discontinued, the diarrhea came back. It was a full day’s job just cleaning up after the mess that these cats and kittens were making as a result of the diarrhea. It was everywhere---the adults splattered it up the walls and the kittens stepped in their poop and tracked it all over everywhere. Kittens needed to be bathed constantly and the house stank!!!! It was a nightmare and I was extremely frustrated as was our vet!!!

Then I read on an email list about TF. The email was from Dave at Highgait Paws in response to another person’s problem with chronic diarrhea in their cats. Everything that this other person was experiencing was exactly what I was also experiencing!!!! I read Dr Jody Gookin’s article on TF and any other info I could find. I mentioned the possibility of TF to my vet and, although she had heard of it, she said it was HIGHLY unlikely that this was causing our problems. I told her that I wanted to order the TF test pouches anyway and asked if she would examine them for us. I gave her the link to Dr Jody Gookin’s website for her to learn more about TF.

I contacted Dave at Highgait to learn more about how to use the pouches. He was extremely helpful and gave me all sorts of suggestions regarding incubation and how to read the pouches. Our pouches arrived a few days later and we started to collect samples from the adults. We incubated them for 3 days in a cat warming bed that doesn’t exceed 101 degrees which shortened the incubation period. Then off we went to the vet with our samples. Needless to say our vet was AMAZED to see the pouches literally teaming with TF protazoa. She was quite shocked as she truly doubted that this was the problem. She let me and my husband look and we too were amazed at how packed with protozoa the samples were. SO NOW WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS!!!

Our vet immediately ordered the Ronidazole as recommend by Dr Gookin and we treated the adults and kittens that were old enough. It took several months to clear the TF out of our cattery since not all cats could be treated at the same time. Some were pregnant or nursing and we had to wait before treating them. Kittens had to be 12 weeks old before being treated.

There were two kittens that we were keeping back to be our future breeders. Gemma and Embers contracted TF from their mother Damisa even though we tried to keep their litter boxes separate by raising Damisa’s litter box up on a table where the kittens couldn’t get to it. But TF is just so contagious and Gemma and Embers got it anyway. They were only 8 weeks old at the time and we had to wait till they were at least 12 weeks to treat them.

The most important thing is a cooperative vet who does HIS research---especially reading Dr Gookins article very carefully with regards to treatment. Treating kittens is very tricky because the dosage range is so narrow that the kittens will literally grow out of the dosage before the treatment is done. We calculated the dose based on their projected weight gain over a two week period. So they actually started their treatment at the high end of the scale, but by the time the two weeks were done, they had grown and were now at the lower end of the scale. If the vet prescribes according to the weight of the kitten at the beginning of the treatment period, then the kitten will have grown out of the dosage by the end of the two weeks and therefore the treatment may fail. Dave pointed this out to me before we started treatment. We actually had one dosage compounded for week 1 and then a new dosage compounded for week two. Your vet needs to be on the ball to get this calculation right---to little won’t kill the TF but too much may cause side effects---very tricky.

All of our adults responded immediately to the RDZ and finally, after one year of non-stop liquid diarrhea, Bechira had finally firmed up. We couldn’t believe it---we were thrilled. The kittens responded well too and we did not experience any of the side effects that can happen with using RDZ.

We continued to test our cats for several months after treatment using the TF pouches, just to be sure that we had indeed got every last protazoa. We purchased our own microscope which worked very well for us and I was able to make a positive ID with this simple student quality microscope. I am so thankful that we have cleared TF out of our cattery. It was a nasty experience that I never want to have again!!! Since then I have sounded the TF horn and put the word out regarding TF. Several breeders emailed me to ask advice and I shared all that I had learned. I now have info on my website regarding TF as well as the link to Dr. Gookin’s article.

I know there is still more research being done with regards to TF. I am so thankful to Dave at Highgait Paws who was so helpful with advice and suggestions. He and Dr Gookin are doing a great service with their continued research. I hope some day all catteries can be TF free.

Cheers,

Joy James.

For the latest information on diagnosis and treatment of TF please read: AN OWNER'S GUIDE TO DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CATS INFECTED WITH TRITRICHOMONAS FOETUS.