Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline intestinal trichomonosis causing chronic diarrhea in cats
By Gookin, Jody L et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The conundrum of feline Trichomonosis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat with chronic diarrhea was diagnosed with trichomonosis, an infection caused by a parasite called Tritrichomonas foetus. This condition is known to be resistant to most common treatments, but the medication Ronidazole has shown effectiveness in clearing the infection, although it can be risky for some cats. Unfortunately, many cats may still experience ongoing issues even after treatment, and the infection is often found in places like shelters and catteries. Understanding and managing this infection can be complicated, and more research is needed to improve diagnosis and treatment options.
People also search for: cat chronic diarrhea treatment · feline trichomonosis symptoms · Ronidazole for cats diarrhea
Abstract
Practical relevance: Trichomonosis of the large intestine of the cat was described as a cause of chronic diarrhea over 20 years ago. The trichomonad was identified as Tritrichomonas foetus, with a genotype that is distinct from venereal T foetus of cattle. Clinical challenges: Despite multiple means for diagnosis of the infection, including light microscopy, protozoal culture and PCR amplification using species-specific primers, tests with even greater sensitivity are needed. Feline trichomonosis is resistant to all commonly used antiprotozoal drugs. Ronidazole is currently the only drug demonstrated to be effective in eliminating the infection from cats; however, this drug has a narrow safety margin and clinical resistance is increasingly recognized. The more we learn about trichomonosis in cats, the more complicated and controversial the infection has become, ranging from what we should call the organism to whether we should even bother trying to treat it. Global importance: Feline trichomonosis is recognized to occur worldwide and is regarded as one of the most common infectious causes of colitis in the domestic cat. The infection is widespread in catteries and shelters; and, while remission of diarrhea may occur over time, persistence of the infection is common. Evidence base: This review provides a comprehensive examination of what is currently known about feline trichomonosis and pinpoints areas, based on the authors' opinion, where further research is needed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28245739/