6mnth old kitten with possible Toxoplasmosis

Hi Hayley,

Thats wonderful news, I am very pleased! In answer to your question, Ollie was about as badly affected as they can be, so she has done exceptionally well and I hope she continues to improve.

Cat

***********GOOD NEWS***************

Ollie is coming home tonight....I am so so happy....considering 4 days ago she was paralysed with whatever she had and I was in bits thinking I was gonna lose her.
Thanks for your comments again and thanks to Cat for her info :o)

Hayls xxx

Hi all,

Thanks for you comments :o)

Ollie is looking better and moving about more which pleases me...she is also eating and peeing...lol

Cat can i ask, when you say badly affected young cats....how badly affected do you mean? On Monday ollie was paralysed but now she has more movement back.....does it get worse than paralysis? I think she is fighting it with the help of the drugs...she is my little baby and I have been praying and begging for her every day and night and am hopeful my prayers have been answered :o)
When they have toxo can they appear to get better then go downhill again? I really hope not as I don;t think i could go thru the past few days again :o(

Thanks for your posts....very much appreciated :o) xx

Hi Hayley,

Toxoplasma is a very common parasite and most cats will be infected or exposed at some points in their life. However, usually cats when infected will quickly clear the parasite because their immune system will fight it off. Most cats who become poorly with Toxoplasma are either young or immunosuppressed so they cannot clear the infection and it affects their systems.

Diagnosis of Toxoplasma is made by finding rising levels of anti-bodies designed to fight the infection in the blood. However, in order for the results to be accurate the blood tests have to be taken about about 2 weeks apart, so the vet can compare the levels. Therefore in practice, especially when faced with a very poorly cat that has symptoms suspicious of Toxoplasma, vets will start treatment before they have conformation of the disease. A definative diagnosis can also be made at post-mortem, but of course, this is of no use to the individual cat but can be helpful in a multi-cat household.

The symptoms of Toxoplasma are very variable and can range from a general lethargy, high temperature and loss of appetite to more serious symptoms such as jaundice, pneumonia, sore eyes and collapse. If the Toxoplasma has infected the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) the cat can become wobbly when they walk, have a head tilt, develop tremors and become paralysed.

Treatment of Toxoplasma is difficult and sadly in badly affected young cats the prognosis can be very poor, but this is no reason not to try and treat them. Essentially the parasite cannot be killed, so the treatment aims to stop it reproducing and then relys on the cats own immune system to fight off the infection itself. This treatment can involve up to three different drugs. This is why there may be a delay between the start of the treatment and any signs of improvement. As for how long to continue with her treatment, you will have to take your own vets advice, they will keep you posted on her progress and I am sure they will be happy to arrange visiting times for you.

It is also important to realise that Toxoplasma can infect humans but again, disease is only usually caused in the very young or the sick. It can also be damaging to developing foetuses, which is why pregnant woment should take care to not handle any cat faeces, the accidental ingestion of which is the most common way peope are infected.

I hope this helps you, if you have anymore worries or concerns, let me know but the best person to talk to about your own cats individual condition is your vet.

Cat

No advise, No experience but just wanted to send you some positive thoughts and wishing your cat a speedy recovery!

Hi i dont know much about toxoplasmosis personally but did find this through searching on the net:
"Can toxoplasmosis be treated?
Most cats that have toxoplasmosis can recover with treatment. Treatment usually involves a course of an antibiotic called Clindamycin. Other drugs that are used include pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, which act together to inhibit T. gondii reproduction. Treatment must be started as soon as possible after diagnosis and continued for several days after signs have disappeared. In acute illness, treatment is sometimes started on the basis of a high antibody titer in the first test. If clinical improvement is not seen within two to three days, the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis should be questioned. No vaccine is as yet available to prevent either T. gondii infection or toxoplasmosis in cats, humans, or other species. "

Hope that gives you some comfort and i hope your cat pulls through.