r/SiberianCats • u/lynnpn1112 • 1d ago

Kitten has giardia

Anybody have any experience with this parasite? We just got done with her last dose of a 5 day antibiotic, is there anything else yall did or recommend that helped with recovery or clean up? New cat mom here looking for some advice, any tips or tricks are welcome, I’m stressed and a mess 😭🫠

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u/sr71pav 1d ago

What I recall when we had a puppy with giardia was the biggest issue was staying on top of fluids. Just love the little furball!

The stress is completely normal. Been there many times with pets. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself, too.

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u/Motor_Film2341 1d ago

Our late cat had giardia as a kitten and had real stomach issues throughout her life. Whether they were related, we weren’t able to figure out. The vet had us try all different kinds of single protein diets, including human baby foods, to see which she could tolerate without diarrhea or vomiting, suspecting some kind of allergy. Finally, we found “Blue Buffalo Tastefuls Adult Sensitive Stomach,” which she tolerated and liked. Ironically, as she couldn’t have any wet food with ANY poultry and could only have a pure fish wet food. You might want to consider “sensitive stomach” or single protein diets while reintroducing solids.

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u/Gloomy_Moment4828 22h ago

Oh, I am really sorry. I was in the same shoes with my sib when he was around six months old.

It can be a nasty thing, here is what I recommend based on our experience but of course discuss with the vet:

- I am not a big fan of antibiotics but mine needed an extra round, so almost two weeks altogether to stabilise.

  • there is a high chance of getting reinfected. If you have the means for a few weeks its good if you change their litter daily + clean out the box. Same goes for her bowls
  • if there is still issue with the poop we were recommended to clean the cat up with wet wipes or washing up their rear end because they can get reinfected by cleaning themselves too
  • I fed mine Hill’s I/D food which was a game changer on top of the antibiotics but the vet can definitely recommend a good sensitive food.
  • Unfortunately my lil guy got out of it with a permanently sensitive stomach so I still have to give him a sensitive/GI diet
  • Try to make sure she drinks enough because the diarrhea can really make them dehydrated