I do love Trixie and even if I didn't it is not like I would ever want another kitten from that breeder anyway. We did a full month of metronidazole with no change so we are off it now.
This is what I found when searching the test they are doing

Once the PCR process begins, a specific process called amplification begins.
1.Denaturation, the DNA heats to 194 degrees F to separate the DNA into two strands.
2.Annealing, a pcr test is specific to the disease it is looking for. Therefore, each disease or parasite has a primer that binds to the DNA strands. Then the DNA cools to about half the temperature it was in Step 1. When step 2 is complete the lab has two separate strands of DNA. Then, the sequences marked by primers and ready to begin again.
3.The extension begins again. The temperature rises again. This time to 161.5 F. Starting where the primers marked DNA Polymerase (enzymes that produce copies) is added. After the completion of ‘extension,’ there are two identical copies of the original DNA.
4.The cycle starts over. Each time doubling the exact copies of the original DNA. After thirty to forty cycles more than one billion copies of the original DNA have been made.

The entire process is automated and completes very quickly.

PCR amplification is only part of the identifying test, however. Once the amplification completes, the amplified segments are compared to other nucleotide segments from a known source (for example, dna from giardia).

There is Feline PCR test available for the following diseases and parasites at labs in the United States and Europe.
•Bordatella
•Calici Virus
•Campylobacter
•Chlamydia
•Clostridium
•Coccidia
•Cryptosporidium
•E. Coli
•Feline Corona Virus
•Immunodeficiency Virus
•Feline Infectious Peritonitis
•Feline Leukemia Virus
•Giardia
•Herpes virus
•Mycoplasma
•Panleukopenia
•Salmonella
•Toxoplasma
•Tritrichomonas



The benefits of a PCR test includes a lower chance of false negative results and early detection of infections. In addition, PCR tests are highly sensitive since they differentiate pathogen strains that appear similar.

Please ask your breeder for proof of PCR testing, it is important to know the health of your kitten.

WOW, a lot goes into that testing. I'm not really sure where we are going to go next for Raiden. His B12 level was 298 and the normal range is 290 to 1500. We'll find out today if we need supplement him and whether to increase the dosage of the Metronidazole or try something else. It is really frustrating for all of us, including our babies.

I guess that is why they want to do this first before an ultrasound, it might find an infection or parasite that hopefully is curable. But the waiting really sucks and I wish they would have done this test last month. I am going to be devastated if it is some incurable illness.
Good luck with Raiden it sounds like you have been through a lot too.

Well, Raiden has an incurable disease. Inflammatory Bowel Disease cannot be cured. The issue only started early last year -- and maybe once we get all the medication dosages right, he will be better. It's not easy to deal with -- and certainly not fun for the kitty. We can only do what we can do and hope the veterinarians have suggestions that will work. As you know, finding what works takes a while.

Sorry I meant one of those deadly viruses/diseases for which there is no treatment

We got our results from that diarrhea panel. She was negative for everything except for one bacteria that I can not spell or pronounce, but even though it was positive her number was 60 and they say nothing less than 300 would be considered a problem that could cause diarrhea. There was a note at the bottom that antibiotics could cause the number to appear lower than it is, but the doctor doesn't think it is that because she had been off the antibiotics for more than a month when she was tested. And I guess the breeder has officially abandoned us, because I emailed her over 2 weeks ago to let her know we are not doing very well, and she ignored me. You would think a breeder would have wanted to know the test results or cared that one of her kittens is doing poorly.

I am sorry about your breeder. Really, most breeders care very much about the kittens they place. And most of the time, things so smoothly and there are no complications. For those rare cases, the breeder should care. But, most breeders have moved on to other litters and are dealing with dozens of more owners and you said your breeder chooses to breed every few months, so it is obvious she doesn't care about the health of the litter.

It sounds like Trixie is still having diarrhea. Mine continues to have that problem despite the fact we have doubled the dosage of the medication. We may try something else here shortly.

I hope that's the ONLY thing wrong with Trixie. I know you got her early and she has struggled with gaining weight. It sounds as if you've done about all you can do without invasive testing, which I never like for a cat. I'm so thankful you got Trixie because another owner might have given up and who knows what would have happened to her.

Even though she is still a little small for her age they said her weight is ok for her size. She will be 5 months old in a few days and weighs 4.4 pounds now. They said our next step is a different blood test that she will have to fast before hand. I hate the thought of not feeding her. It is some sort of GI bloodwork that checks her pancreas and other things that can cause difficulty with digestion. I haven't scheduled the test yet because quite frankly I am broke at the moment. we have spent a lot of money and some had to go on a credit card. I won't be able to schedule it for a few weeks because you have to pay as soon as you go. It is the tests after that where it gets more invasive. I am not keen on making her go through a biopsy. I looked up pancreatitis but that doesn't sound like her trouble. It said the most common signs are lethargy and weight loss. she is very playful and has a lot of energy. she has not gained weight quickly but she does keep gaining. I'm starting to feel like these tests are never going to give us a diagnosis. She has had some good days with no diarrhea and then some awful days where it just pours out of her like yellowy/brown water. I have changed her food to a crazy expensive freeze dried raw. it has probiotics and pumpkin in it and I have my fingers crossed that it will be easier for her to digest. I gave up on the prescription canned food but she does not mind nibbling on the prescription dry.

KrazyCatLady,

Grr, sorry things have gone so poorly with your new kitty. I've been trying to encourage people to get pet insurance from day 1 if they can, because that first year with a kitten often can be costly, even when nothing very major goes wrong. But you're sticking with it and doing everything you can, so props to you. I think trying the raw is an excellent idea. By it's nature it's very "limited ingredient" and for many people this has helped. I'm hoping that your kitty gets well soon and this whole thing can be more of a joy and less stressful.

_________________
The little monsters 3

Thank you
Have you ever heard of a product called Pectillin? it is sold over the counter and has good reviews on amazon. It supposedly coats the GI tract and stops cramping and diarrhea. I kind of want to try it but I am kind of afraid it may not necessarily be a safe product. people claim it is good for IBD in cats and dogs

I went online and read some reviews. Naturally, there are reviews where the product doesn't work and some where it works great. I wasn't familiar with the product until now. The whole diarrhea thing gets tiring because I hate cleaning it from the litterbox and I know Raiden doesn't like having to deal with either.

Chewy.com is selling this for $5.99. The only review says it doesn't work. The description clearly says for "minor" diarrhea. Also, it sounds as if Pectillin should be given for 2 to 3 days only. So, it doesn't sound as if it is something that should be given long term. A temporary fix for minor diarrhea, but chronic is going to require other medication.

There are a lot of reviews for it on amazon and in one of the negative reviews they mention another product with a similar name that they say worked better for them. That product has more reviews on Chewy than the one I asked you about. I might give it a try but I guess if it is for minor problems it will probably not help. It was Vetoquinol Pro-Pectalin Oral Gel for Dogs & Cats

I am kind of at my wits end. Trixie was finally about to be vaccinated because I told the vet she was doing well. But as usual every time I say she is doing well I jinx it and she has started the explosive yellowy brown water again. There was a lot of diarrhea during the night to the point that she decided to go next to the box instead of in it. She left a big puddle of diarrhea on the floor and then she attempted to be a good girl by burying it under a ton of kitty litter that she kicked out of her box. so that was fun to deal with before I even had my morning coffee. I know how you feel having to clean it up. I have taken to using disposable litter boxes so that when she gets poo all over the box and not just in it I can throw the whole thing away. But that is expensive too and we are limited on how much trash we are allowed to have here, so I have to pay 6 bucks a week extra for to use town overflow bags. Her appointment to be vaccinated is Tuesday but the vet has already said vaccinations can only be done on healthy cats. They don't consider her healthy when she has explosive diarrhea.
I never did report the breeder but I did decide to go ahead and leave a review on her FB page. the only reviews there are from her FB friends, and I think people should be aware of our situation.