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Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats
What are Tritrichomonas foetus?
Tritrichomonas foetus typically accumulates as protozoa in the small intestine of cats. The organism that causes the disease will reproduce by shedding, creating an ever growing population of parasites that will continue to endanger your cat’s health without appropriate treatment.
Tritrichomonas foetus in cats is a highly contagious disease that tends to affect cats that live in catteries, shelters or other areas with multiple animals. Given Tritrichomonas foetus’ ease of travel between affected felines, it can spread rapidly in contained environments. If one cat in a household is diagnosed with Tritrichomonas Foetus in, chances are all of the household cats, or cats that share the same litter box, are affected. This is true regardless of whether the other cats are showing symptoms yet.
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Symptoms of Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats
While some cats suffering from Tritrichomonas foetus can remain asymptomatic, meaning they show no symptoms of disease, there are common signs you should watch out for. These may include:
- Diarrhea
- Loose stool
- Stools may be smelly
- Weight loss
- Dehydration
- May affect younger or immunocompromised cats more frequently
Causes of Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats
Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats is caused by a parasite that shares the same name as the condition. Technically, Tritrichomonas foetus is a protozoan. Protozoa can be parasitic, and this is the case in Tritrichomonas foetus. Protozoa are single celled organisms which multiply by shedding off additional cells which grow to form new organisms.
Tritrichomonas foetus is transferred from cat to cat, typically through use of a shared litter box. Cats will step in litter affected with the parasite and then will become affected themselves when they groom, or lick their paws. Tritrichomonas foetus can survive in the stomach and grows and reproduces in the intestinal tract. Many times, there will be no outward signs or symptoms of Tritrichomonas foetus in healthy, adult cats. Younger cats tend to display symptoms of infection more frequently. It is important to note that just because the symptoms may resolve, this does not mean your cat is cured of the condition.
Diagnosis of Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats
To start the diagnosis of Tritrichomonas foetus in your cat, your veterinarian will first complete a physical exam. You vet may go over in detail the stomach area of your cat and palpate, or gently press on the abdomen. This will help determine any areas of particular sensitivity and rule out other conditions.
Your veterinarian will also want to run a test called a fecal smear, in order to positively identify Tritrichomonas foetus and differentiate the infection by this protozoan from other organisms. Tritrichomonas foetus can often be confused with symptoms of an infection by Giardia, another parasitic organism. Treatment of Tritrichomonas foetus is different than the treatment of Giardia, and it is important that your vet uses the fecal slide and analysis to determine which parasitic infection, if any, your cat may have.
Treatment of Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats
The treatment of Tritrichomonas foetus in your cat will typically involve medication. Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats will be treated with drugs in a class called antiprotozoals. These are different from antibiotics or drugs used to treat parasitic infections with similar symptoms but different causes.
The most common antiprotozoal drug used to treat Tritrichomonas foetus in cats is called ronidazole. The medication has few side effects and will begin to take effect in as little as several days. Ronidazole works by eliminating the protozoan’s ability to shed or reproduce, thus stopping the cycle of infection. During treatment, infected cats should be kept separately from non-affected cats. You should consider taking all cats in a household with a diagnosed case of Tritrichomonas foetus for veterinary examination given the contagious nature of the infection.
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Recovery of Tritrichomonas foetus in Cats
While Tritrichomonas foetus in cats is highly contagious and can produce serious side effects, the good news is that the condition is highly treatable and offers a positive prognosis for full recovery. During the initial stages of treatment with an antiprotozoal medication, your cat may still display some symptoms of disease.
As the medication begins to take effect, your cat’s loose, smelly stools will begin to subside. When the last of the organisms are no longer able to produce and have died off, your cat will be fully cured. It is important to have the other cats in the household examined that could have been exposed to Tritrichomonas foetus. Even if you successfully treat one cat in an affected household, if another is infected they may pass the protozoan on to healthy, recovered cats, after treatment with medication has been finalized.
Tritrichomonas foetus Average Cost
From 309 quotes ranging from $300 - $500
Average Cost
$250
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Tritrichomonas foetus Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Domestic shorthair
Chestnut
7 Weeks
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
I have three cats. One is 14 yrs. Old with early kidney issues. The other is 5 yrs. Old. We recently added a 7 week old kitten. The first 3 days,we had him he had formed stools.Then my vet gave him Clavomox for a place on his chin. Shortly after that he came down with diarrhea. We stopped Clavamox,and then he was put on Albon. Fast forward 2 weeks and he still has diarrhea. So the vet had me collect a sample to send away to test for Trichimonas. I have not gotten back the results yet.However I am concerned about two things. #1 He has already infected my 2 other cats. They have used the same litter box,because my vet said my adult cats were immune
Internet research says otherwise.#2 The internet says the PCR test is best.I have no idea which test my vet sent out for. Plus he told me to put sample in frig until I could bring it in. The internet says NOT TO.Which is correct and will I most likely get back a false reading?
Thanks
Aug. 29, 2018
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Bengal
Willow
5 Months
13 found this helpful
13 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Gas
Blood In Stool
Greasy
Insatiable Appetite
Dribbling Stool
My Bengal kitten arrived with severe diarthea. After many different tests my vet finally found tri trich. She had by then infected my 4 other adult cats. All 5 were placed on ronidazole and the 4 adult cats responded well. Unfortunately the kitten did not. At first she seemed to have a slow response (darkening and thickening of the stool) however, 3 days prior to the end of her 14 day treatment all symptoms returned, and worse than before. She is now on a second round of treatment and we increased from 60mg to 65mg 1 x a day. We are 7 days in and there is still no visible sign of improvement. My vet has not treated this before and is not sure what we should do next if she doesn’t respond within this next week. What are the options for treatment when a cat is resistant to the medication? How long can we keep treating her? She also eats like a horse but isn’t gaining any weight and I’m worried with how severe this is she will soon experience dehydration.
Aug. 7, 2018
13 Recommendations
It is important to test again for Tritrichomonas foetus since the protozoan parasite may cause severe inflammation of the colon which may persist causing diarrhoea for weeks after the parasite has been killed; this means that it may appear that Willow is still infected when she isn’t, just has an inflamed colon waiting to heal causing diarrhoea. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
https://cvm.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ownersguide-to-feline-t-foetus.pdf
Aug. 7, 2018
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Tritrichomonas foetus Average Cost
From 309 quotes ranging from $300 - $500
Average Cost
$250
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