It's good to hear she's doing better, but damn that giardia! Is it in the water? One of our city's supplies was infected with that a few years ago and everyone in the area was advised to boil then cool the water before drinking it. Maybe you could try that if you haven't already. Keeping the prayers coming!

Daneerie wrote:She's a tough little fighter! Thanks for the prayers!

The damn giardia (or a similar parasite) is back. At least this time we know how to recognize the signs. The vet said reinfection is very common, even with the extreme hygiene we're doing to prevent it. We immediately started her on the drug the vet had recommended before, but had told us to wait to see how she'd do before starting it. One dose was enough to get her asking for her favorite treats. Her gums and paw pads are still pink. We have to watch that carefully because that damn parasite caused the anemia the last time.

She still needs to get her strenght back. Poor thing is all wobbly when she walks, she's skin and bones. But we're feeding her religiously. We'll try making her gain some weight and some of her strenght back. She wasn't able to walk because she was too weak like a week ago so that's an improvement too!

I would donate a hundred pounds if I could, but will donate my prayers instead. I will also continue swapping out on my healing spirits and entities as well.

jellybean wrote:It's good to hear she's doing better, but damn that giardia! Is it in the water? One of our city's supplies was infected with that a few years ago and everyone in the area was advised to boil then cool the water before drinking it. Maybe you could try that if you haven't already. Keeping the prayers coming!

That's a good point. Our city water supply dealt with this some years ago, and they advised anyone who is immune-suppressed to use bottled water.

If the local water supply is going through something similar, using it without boiling it could be reintroducing the giardia into her system. Do you have ready access to bottled water, or some empty bottles so you can boil the water and set it aside for her water bowls, etc.

Indeed the water is something to consider because I honestly can't think of anything else. They said my dog could have brought them in because she was a stray, but she was dewormed and hasn't been going for walks lately. She tested negative for giardia and other parasites... same as with my other two cats. So either she got that from the other vet hospital where she was admitted or she's doing something the other cats aren't. I also started cleaning her paws after she uses the litter box. Maybe that's how she got the reinfection. Now she can groom herself without the risk of a reinfection because her paws will always be clean.

They say the water here is treated with chlorine and fluoride before it gets to us, and the building also has an independent treatment station before the water gets to the home itself... still, if it was totally safe to drink from the faucet, we wouldn't have a filter installed. She loves drinking from the faucet but I won't let her. I'll get her a cat fountain instead. Better safe than sorry!

She's walking well again and is rehearsing jumping again. I want her to give me a hard time again chasing her all over the house

You never can be too sure when it comes to city water. In our town, the inlet is below the waste outlet, so my thoughts are that city water is filthy. I love my well water because I have fewer stomach issues drinking it. It is cleaner than the city water. I would have it tested for Giardia anyway.

An update: Gaby's condition continues to deteriorate... we have no idea why the diarrhea comes and goes, no matter what we do. Sometimes it gets back to nearly normal, then it's all bad again. In the meantime, she continues to lose blood and nutrients...

She can barely walk again. We don't know if it's general weakness or if it's a side effect that seems to be common from a medication called ronidazole. Either way the vet told us to stop the ronidazole because it doesn't seem to be helping.

They'll do a culture to see exactly what type of bacteria or parasite they're dealing with... if it's that at all. She's terribly weak. We're giving her lots of love and everything she wants, she gets.

One of the tests came back. She still has giardia. Nothing works against it. This thing is killing my cat no matter what we give her to treat it We've been paranoid about cleaning. There's absolutely no way she can be reinfecting herself. I feel absolutely horrible that a parasite is taking my cat's life.

Daneerie wrote:An update: Gaby's condition continues to deteriorate... we have no idea why the diarrhea comes and goes, no matter what we do. Sometimes it gets back to nearly normal, then it's all bad again. In the meantime, she continues to lose blood and nutrients...

She can barely walk again. We don't know if it's general weakness or if it's a side effect that seems to be common from a medication called ronidazole. Either way the vet told us to stop the ronidazole because it doesn't seem to be helping.

They'll do a culture to see exactly what type of bacteria or parasite they're dealing with... if it's that at all. She's terribly weak. We're giving her lots of love and everything she wants, she gets.

My phoenixes say they are working hard but she is so weak and fragile. They are working is shifts and need something of a higher power. I am sending my sterling angels back there. They came home when I got sick, and now that I am some better, they are ready to go back to her.

This blasted giardia. I'm talking to my magick-using spirits, to see if they can add some spells that will help knock it out. My healing spirits are doing shifts between Gaby, my aunt, and some downtime so they can recharge.

If you have any reason to believe it's in the water, don't give her any tap water that hasn't been boiled for at least ten minutes. Even big cities aren't immune from these issues cropping up in the water system (as we found out here a few years ago). Or maybe you can use bottled water or, if the vet agrees, distilled water.

She really is very fragile. And I'm pretty sure it's the ronidazole that's causing this... but I don't know if the effects will clear fast enough. She's intoxicated from it. She can't relax and sleep... her heart is pounding. And all of this wasn't even enough to clear the infection.

I'll definitely use bottled water... I'm not going to take any chances. All cats will have to be treated and we'll bath them all if Gaby has to take a new drug. I'm also going to ask the vet for something to make her immune system stronger... we're taking her off the pred because it's probably supressing it.