Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tritrichomoniasis in cats: ABCD guidelines on prevention and management.
- Journal:
- Journal of feline medicine and surgery
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Gruffydd-Jones, Tim et al.
- Affiliation:
- European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases. Tim.Gruffydd-Jones@bristol.ac.uk · United Kingdom
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Tritrichomonas foetus is a tiny organism that can infect cats and cause diarrhea, especially in young cats living in homes with many other cats, like breeding catteries. Cats with this infection often have frequent, foul-smelling diarrhea that may contain mucus and fresh blood, but they usually stay bright and don’t lose weight. To diagnose the infection, vets typically look at fresh stool samples under a microscope, although a more sensitive test called PCR can also be used, but it needs careful interpretation. The recommended treatment is a medication called ronidazole, which should be used cautiously since it’s not officially approved for cats and has a narrow safety margin. While untreated cases often resolve on their own, it can take several months for the symptoms to go away.
Abstract
OVERVIEW: Tritrichomonas foetus is a protozoan organism that is specific to cats and can cause large bowel diarrhoea. It is distinct from other Tritrichomonas species and not considered to be zoonotic. Infection is most common in young cats from multicat households, particularly pedigree breeding catteries. DISEASE SIGNS: Affected cats show frequent fetid diarrhoea, often with mucus, fresh blood and straining, but generally remain bright and do not lose weight. DIAGNOSIS: Diagnosis of infection is usually based on direct microscopic examination of freshly voided faeces. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is more sensitive but may detect infections unrelated to diarrhoea and, therefore, requires care in interpretation. TREATMENT: The treatment of choice is ronidazole, which should be used with care as it is an unlicensed drug for cats with a narrow safety margin. Clinical signs are generally self-limiting in untreated cases, but may take months to resolve.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23813833/