I thought you folks would like to know a little more about TF. It is really scarey to me, to think that this has been around for so long.....going undetected.....




Sallyanne Smith wrote:
Hey Dave,

Sallyanne Smith here. On Friday, I will be dropping Miley off at my vet's along with a few TF kits to be tested for TF. She has had stool issue for years now, off and on, but now mostly on! So, knowing that she was diagnosed with Girardia as a wee kitten, when I first brought Graemer and Miley home, I thought it would make sense to have her tested for TF. The other cats are fine, stool wise.

Dave's Answer:
How was Giardia diagnosed? If microscopically, it may have been TF as TF and Giardia look alike. If Giardia was diagnoses by a snap test then it was likely Giardia. We haven't had a instance or Giardia although TF may have been in our cattery for a while. No way to know for sure.

Cats can be asymptomatically infected, if one is positive test all


1. Is it better to spend the $100 for the first test? rather than do the $5 kit? or is there no difference? Did you go with the more expensive test first?

Dave's Answer:
The InPouch TF test is fine, more than capable. Don't spend the extra money.


2. Do you have any advice for my vet on how to collect the sample or view it? Since you are doing your own testing, I thought might have some advice. My vet is very nice and smart I just don't know if she will know what to look for. The instructions for the kit are included, so I think she will be fine.......

Dave's Answer:
Have your vet use Dr Gookin's technique. Use a fecal loop lubed with a sterile water soluble jelly. Also to guard against bacteria overgrowth I suggest you inoculate two pouches. One with the recommended amount (i.e. peppercorn) and the other with half that amount. The pouches can be incubated at room temperature but the TF doubling rate is slower. Keep and examine for the full 12 days. Alternatively I incubate at 37C. I get responses within 48 hrs but my risk of bacteria overgrowth is higher. I have one advantage though, I have the new feline pouches which I am field testing for BioMed. These will be released for sale July 7th. They have the same growth medium as the current pouches but a better mix of antibiotics for felines. This limits the risk of bacterial overgrowth


3. Miley weighs around 7 lbs. If she does test positive, what is your experience with the dosage? I would use the lab Westlabs in Fla. If Miley is positive, and since my vet is not familiar with this TF thang, may she call you? or call your vet?

Dave's Answer:
You can have your vet call in a scrip to Westlab which compounds ronidazole (RDZ) into capsules (#4 gel caps) or you can get RDZ compounded into a flavored liquid at Roadrunner (http://www.roadrunnerpharmacy.com/). I prefer capsules since you know the cat got all of the dose. Other pharmacies are carrying RDZ now also.

Your vet can call me. In a weird twist of fate I an one of the TF experts now. When I first found out about TF (Jan), tested and then announced our TF positive status I thought other breeders would post their experiences. They didn't. Currently breeders are reluctant to go public so instead they email me privately. I have hundreds of emails and I spend 2-3 hrs a days answering them. Two days ago I got an email from Israel, TF is everywhere. Besides working with BioMed I am now working with Dr Gookin. Our adult males are not responding to treatment like our females. Dr Gookin didn't use males in her RDZ test. I don't know if our situation is unique or common. Frustratingly almost no one performs post treatment tests and the 1 or 2 that have may have done them wrong. All I know now is that one other intact male (not ours) has also failed treatment. I've send cultures to Dr G and today I'm sending swabs and urine samples. I didn't think I would end up doing TF research in my retirement.

All the best, keep in touch,
Dave


Thanks so much.

Sallyanne