Kitten recovering from coccidia - experience? What to expect?

Question

I have an almost-5-weeks-old kitten who is currently on Albon treatment for a pretty severe case of coccidia. We've dealt with minor cases before, but this was the worst I've seen. Im' honestly so grateful that she's alive. She was extremely lethargic Tuesday-Wednesday, but she seems to be improving now and has plenty more energy. Thanks to anti-diarrhea medication and mixing baby rice cereal into her food, her stool is a little more stabilized and no longer basically liquid like it was.

I'm mainly looking to see what the next few weeks, months are going to be like for us, if anyone's ever had experiences with bad cases like this. We've read that the coccidia can still be shedding alive for about another week, and diarrhea might still be an issue to get under control after that. Any hints on how long that might last? Will this stunt her growth, seeing how young she is? Anything factual or in the lines of advice besides the obvious things like quarantine and watching her fluids/diet? I'd appreciate if anyone else has any experiences I could learn from!

J C · Accepted Answer

All of the really nasty cases of coccidia I've seen have been in kittens - they just have such an immature immune system.  They tend to be on the Albon longer than the adults, and the get treated for 3 days past normal stool.  Albon can be safely given for as long as 30 days.  A probiotic like bene-bac will help the stool to return to normal, too.  As long as you're treating it, and seeing that she doesn't dehydrate, etc. it won't affect her long term. The biggest issue with coccidia is the severe diarrhea, and the risk of dehydration.  And it seems like you've got that under control!

? · Answer

Coccidia Treatment Cats

Dog Section Regular · Answer

I just treated my foster kittens with Albon for coccidia. Not fun! 

Make sure you keep the litter box, and the area around it very clean, and sanitized. I used Clorox or Lysol wipes, and would use 409 to clean the litter box. 

I would mix some unflavored Pedialyte with some canned food and warm it up, and try to get your kitten to eat that. The Pedialyte will help keep your kitten hydrated during bouts of diarrhea. 

No, it won't stunt her growth, Coccidia is VERY common, and fairly easy to treat. Keep up with the Albon, but the most important thing is that your kitten eats. Good luck!

Julie D · Answer

The rescue group I work with has had some experiences with this. We've seen young kittens recover nicely and grow up healthy. Stay with the albon, watch the fluids, call the vet quick if something new comes up, and give the little one's gut time to do its job. It's just immature. I think in a couple of weeks you will be amazed at the change. I don't think you're looking at months of the kitty being sick.

Kitten recovering from coccidia - experience? What to expect?

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