Need help for a possibly dumb situation

Ok well Ive got this friend who recently got a kitten. Hes feeling bleh and acts like he has the kitty flu. She called her vet and he said that there is nothing they can do except rehydrate him if he gets dehydrated. I recently had a bout of strep going thru my kitties and it took Hercules a mth to get back to normal and at that time he just laid around and only got up to potty and drink. He only ate wet cat food at the time also. I told her to relax and breath that he will be ok. Now her vet told her that Gizmos intestines could fall out from pooping. Maybe its just me but I would think this would be an extreme situation for a cat. Hes only been sick for a lil over a week and I went a checked on him to see how he was and IMO he doesnt seem any diff then when I had him at my house. He has been a lazy lil boy since he was born. He likes to hide and only comes out when he deems it is needed. But this being his usual behavior has my friend stressed out. Ive tried to tell her that hes going to be ok hes just being a cat. And Gizzy is a hidey hole lil booger. He is eating and drinking ok and has the poo's but other that the poos he is just like his normal self. Is she over reacting, this being her first cat in yrs, or am I just not reacting enough. Im at a loss as to what is going on I just want to realize that just because something or someone has the sniffles doesnt mean they need to go to the hospital right away cuz they might die. Maybe Im just being harsh!! I dont know!! Im just trying to make sure she doesnt screw herself over because she has to have surgery soon and if she drains her bank over a kitty cold then what is she going to do when shes off work for 6 wks or longer!!!!

If the vet used those actual words I think it's very alarmist - he probably means that the kitty could suffer a rectal prolapse, which is where a tiny bit of the bowel pokes out through the anus. That can happen if a cat has ongoing digestive problems that cause him to poop a lot, has diarreah, or is constipated.

I would advise your friend to seek a second opinion, if the kitty has diarreah that has been going on for more than a couple of days he probably needs treatment to rehydrate him at least.

Originally Posted by WhosaMyHercules

Now her vet told her that Gizmos intestines could fall out from pooping.

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We used to have a local ER vet that largely employed vets fresh out of school. They tended to make comments like this. The office was considered by most local animal people to be a place you only took animals when you had zero other choices and you only let them stabilize the pet until you could get to a "real" vet. Thankfully, we have a great 24 vet's office now so no more crazies when you need sane.

I agree that a second opinion would be worth its weight in gold. Once my father-in-law's dog was shot by a flower delivery guy. The crappy ER vet immediately began telling my father-in-law that they'd have to amputate the leg. They had not even looked at x-rays. He was considering putting the dog to sleep until I got to him. He took the dog to another vet the next day for a second opinion and that vet did put the dog in a cast for about 6 weeks but today you'd never know anything was wrong with the dog. Happily, the good vet who actually helped the dog is now our 24 hour (along with a few others!) vet.