Toxoplasmosis Help!

[ratchet22]

Okay here I am again, you guys are awsom with this stuff, well I have a kitten and she has really gone down hill, the worst part are tremors, stiffness cant walk ect ect. the vet suspects FIP, i refused to put her down and after 3 vets and a whole lot of research we put her on clidamycin 2 days ago, and her stiffness is getting better as well as her tremors, which my vet assumed maybe she has toxoplasmosis, so we started her on the meds to see, she was getting worse and worse and no time to test, we had to try something. did a blood panel everything fine, did everything we could think of and every thing was fine. Anyways now that she is starting to look and act better, I ASSUME we are looking at this disease, she still has her hard times but is showing better results than she has all month, no diarrhea, eating well, just neurological and tremors ect. With this said I have a million unanswered questions.....anyone know?

1. Since she has had neuroloigcal problems from this, tremors stiffening ect, will she ever completely recover?

2. Are my other cats at all at risk to getting it from her?

3. Will there still be a chance I could loose her?

4. The clidamycin seems to be making her nausuas, is there anything I can do with this med to help her not feel that way, this is a 21 day dose thing, I feel bad for her?

5. I hear that once a cat has this they always have this, any one know about this, especially since they all have it, doesnt make since?

will have more but lets start here

By the way, Casey did not have to redo his surgery and is doing great, he is a little snot,,,and rowdy as ever!
carrie

[rosethecopycat]

I am not that familiar with Toxo, but I do know something about helping the side effects such as nausea.
1/4 pill Pepsid BID (twice a day)
Check with your vet about the weight of the kitten and the dosage.

I think other cats and humans can catch Toxo as it is shed through the litterbox.

The kitten should be isolated, the litterbox should be bleached often.

I do believe you might still lose him, but you might not. Which is not the case with FIP which is always fatal.

If you really think it's not FIP then help him. If there is a fluid buildup in the abdomen or chest, the kindest thing to do would be let him go.


When you get a chance, we want to see pix of Casey.


Thank you for caring.

I will cross post your inquiry on another site.

[catmandu]

I wish I had some answera but I will leave that to PTERS more expert than I.
All I can do,is offer prayers from the Found Cats that you will be able to help Casey,and that he will be all right!!!

[ratchet22]

thanks guys, I will check with my vet tomarrow, I leave for vegas monday will return wed night, and have lots to do prior to going, will do what I can to get pics soon, Sasha doesnt seem to have any fluid, she is chubby but always has been, just a poor quility kitty, but yet so precious, hey rose where do I buy this stuff you are talking about for the nausua

thanks

carrie

[rosethecopycat]

Pepsid (Pepcid) not sure of the spelling, is the over-the-counter human antacid.

Please, concurr with your vet, before treating the kitten.

[rosethecopycat]

Carrie,

The clindamycin is NASTY tasting stuff. I always ask for ANTIROBE capsules as a substitute. (you can empty the capsules into food, if the cat is eating)


Here is more info on Toxo

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasi...oplasmosis.htm

Sections from another article:

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with feline toxoplasmosis are anorexia, weight loss, lethargy, dyspnoea (due to pneumonia), ocular signs (iritis, chorioretinitis) and pyrexia. Other less common features include gastrointestinal signs (vomiting/diarrhoea), neurological signs, lymphadenopathy, jaundice, myositis and abortion.

Diagnosis of feline toxoplasmosis**
The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is problematic and a definitive diagnosis rests on demonstration of the active form of the organism in tissues taken at post mortem examination or in biopsy samples. Laboratory tests may also be used as diagnostic aids and these are outlined below:
Treatment of feline toxoplasmosis**
In the past, treatment for toxoplasmosis has been based on a combination of sulphadiazine and pyrimethamine. However, recently, clindamycin used at doses of 25-50mg/kg/day (divided into two or four doses) has been suggested as the treatment of choice in feline toxoplasmosis. Although it has been proposed that the use of clindamycin obviates the need for concurrent pyrimethamine therapy, studies in man suggest dual therapy is still required to maintain efficacy. The situation in cats is unclear, but combining clindamycin with pyrimethamine (at 1mg/kg/day) may provide more effective therapy. Pyrimethamine therapy is often associated with myleosuppression and, to avoid this, cats may be given folic acid at 5mg/day for the duration of treatment.


The entire article:
http://www.fabcats.org/toxoplasmosis.html