Got it
To summarize my experience and put it in perspective
for you:
1. Albon is very seldom a good remedy unless nothing else is available
and often aggravates a cats digestive tract in addition to not
being effective.
2. Baycox is often available and effective even where Ponazuril
suspension is not and by accounts (I have only used Ponazuril
and Albon) is effective in dealing with coccidia which can be
underdiagnosed and a source of chronic diarrhea in young
kittens
3. Boiled or broiled chicken cut or ground into little pieces
with rice can aid in limiting diarrhea.
4. Raw food served as ground chicken breast with a vitamin
mineral supplement or just once a day can help limit diarrhea
in cats and often is a better alternative and more effective
than special diets.
5. Remedies for diarrhea are often given a long time by vets to work,
my experience is that they work or not within a few days. In a full blown
wet diarrhea outbreak, just be sure to keep the kitten or cats fur cleaned
up.
6. Probiotics are often available at pet food stores and can be tried
and should be used in all cases at least after treatment.
7. Find a vet that will work with you and listen to what you say.
Vets who ignore the result often have misdiagnosed the actual
problem, or are too rigid in their view of treatment to get consistent
results in trouble cases (they do fine with HEALTHY cats!)
8. An older kitten (several months old) is usually in no great discomfort
or danger from loose stool or occasional diarrhea (wet). However it
is no reason to not try something to get it handled. A kitten
under 3 months old can be in some danger and all available methods
to deal with it should be tried, keeping track of results so as
not to overtreat for something that is not the problem.Some
digestive problems resolve themselves as a cat gets older
(6-12 months old) and this should not be confused with a long
drawn out inconsistent treatment having "finally worked".
9. frequent drastic changes in diet itself can be bad for the digestive
tract of cats, so only do 1 change at a time and where possible
slowly introduce the new diet by feeding mixed or only once a day.
Keep track of what happens after any change.
10. (Last but not least)Worming especially for Round or Tape worms is
often overlooked and hard to diagnose and should be
the first thing done prior to any other extensive treatment or diet change.
As far as pilling an uncooperative or foamy cat -
try grinding up the pill and then mixing it with a small
dab of butter or margarine. Then put it on the front
top of the paw, rubbing it in enough to keep her
from shaking it off. She will then lick it off
fairly quickly. I have one girl who would still
throw this up in bits but mainly it works.
You can try also putting it in a little treat
or favorite food. There are store bought treats to pill
cats too. Also try to feed after a meal or at the beginning of one
as some medicines irritate digestive tracts when given alone.
As far as losing sleep and being overly worried please
take it from someone who has had a good deal of experience
with this: so long as the kitten is active otherwise and
maintaining her weight and gaining weight she is in no great danger.
One of my mixed (rescue) cats had loose stool till he was
a year old and has had no great problems since. One other
rescue had coccidia till she was 7-8 months old with treatments of
albon and flagyl and albon etc and only came out of it with raw food
but survived and thrived despite the constant problem to
the extent she would not use the litter box! She was very fortunate
to survive ME but did not ever reach a point of being at deaths
door otherwise, although she did suffer from the coccidia.
With albon and food treatment only you should expect
to wait until the cat matures.
Also it might help you with a purebred cat to contact the breeder
for any other successful approaches in the family line.
Good luck and let me know what happens
Gary
Red Girls Maine Coons
http://redgirlsmainecoons.blogspot.com/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:(Response to a question on a Bulletin Board)
Hi
Low cost flagyl can be ground in a hand pill grinder and measured and even put
in water for your cats and can be found here: (best to dissolve with a dropper
or syringe measured amounts of flagyl and application is oral. However for
ferals who will drink the water you
might try putting it in wet food or water)
Dosages should be verified with a vet or at least in the literature on line.
http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/2450-Fish-Zole.aspx?feed=GoogleProductSearc\
h&gdftrk=gdfV2457_a_7c543_a_7c1841_a_7c821_d_161
Use this and follow up as possible according to this link:
http://redgirlsmainecoons.blogspot.com/2009/04/advice-to-friend-about-norweigan-\
forest.html
Additionally fenbendazole can be bought cheaply at most pet stores in the form
of dog wormers, dosages generally being the same per pound cats seem indifferent
to eating it and it worms and treats giardia. Mix it in with soft food or with
butter rubbed on the top of their paws.
Coccidia is found in soil and can also be a considerable problem with treatment
consisting of ponazuril in suspension. It is not very expensive but does cost a
bit in suspension or in large volume is a bit pricey as Horse wormer, but handles many diarrheas and is often used in
rescues as preventative.
http://www.sheltermedicine.com/portal/is_parasite_control.shtml
also a compounding pharmacy for cat meds:
http://www.roadrunnerpharmacy.com/
Good luck
Gary B
Red Girls Maine Coons
http://redgirlsmainecoons.blogspot.com/
.JPG)
.JPG)