long term loose stool

I really hope it works for you.

I just read something Sharky mentioned in one of your other posts. She said if egg is the problem to avoid chicken. If the CN chicken and rice does not help I would try the CN herring and sweet potato.

I probably sound like a broken record on this forum, but my cat had diarrhea for months until I put him on Wellness Grain-Free canned. The vet said it was IBD and wanted to put him on daily meds. But I started the grain-free and eliminated all dry food from Little Kitty's diet, and after 3 or 4 days, all his problems cleared up. It's been about a month now and he's doing great. Maybe give that brand a try.

Originally Posted by kitytize

I just read something Sharky mentioned in one of your other posts. She said if egg is the problem to avoid chicken. If the CN chicken and rice does not help I would try the CN herring and sweet potato.

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I'm not sure why sharky thinks that. Chicken eggs and chicken meat are very different things. My brother is allergic to eggs but he can eat chicken just fine. Of course that is an allergy not a digestive problem but still..

Anyway, when I did the elimination diet I think I established that chicken is not a problem although I *am* questioning everything now.

Originally Posted by mrsbrak

I probably sound like a broken record on this forum, but my cat had diarrhea for months until I put him on Wellness Grain-Free canned. The vet said it was IBD and wanted to put him on daily meds. But I started the grain-free and eliminated all dry food from Little Kitty's diet, and after 3 or 4 days, all his problems cleared up. It's been about a month now and he's doing great. Maybe give that brand a try.

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I've already tried it. It made mattters worst. I think because of all the fruits and veggies in it.

...Supposedly an all wet diet is better for this kind of problem...

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My 2 cents, my belief...and my experience:

Is there anyone here who would dispute that, were all of our kids fed 1-3 mice a day, NONE OF THEM WOULD BE EXPERIENCING ANY OF ALL THESE TYPES OF GASTRIC PROBLEMS?

So, why is it a "supposedly" issue at all? (no offense intended to the user of "supposedly")

I am convinced that, if we were to feed our kids according to this "formula" http://www.catnutrition.org/catkins.html from DAY ONE, there would be no threads on this forum discussing gastric problems.

'Problem is, for 50+ years, "we" have been conditioned to believe that the Pet Food Industry knows all about animal nutrition and puts all we would ever need in a convenient form: can, cardboard box or lately, a pouch.

Well, guess what, folks......THAT'S BS

This industry dresses up grainy crap with the help of PR firms, so that it comes out sounding oh-so "with-it" and oh-so in tune with pop culture...and, lo and behold, we are sucked in by its trendiness. They all sound so good, no? "California-this" "Nutra-that"

My "latest addition" came from the shelter with consistent, ongoing "soft-serve" type, orange stools. (Now, this is a longhair tabby, so you can just imagine the condition/appearance of his anal area.) This was a few months before the food recalls began, and before his parents began educating themselves about the whole feline nutrition thing. In March the lightbulb went on and, over the next couple of months, out-the-door went the "Iams-for-life" grainy crap, the Purina Fancy Feast wet grainy types. The wheatgluten-free FF stayed on the shelf, those cans were supplemented with better quality ingredient types, and in came a dry product, Orijen (grain-free, high protein and fat). Well, very soon that tabby was pooping like a healthy cat. Another one of my five had, forever, been producing only small buttons of feces....that, too, soon changed to more normal size.

Yep, Orijen has a trendy-type name too. But, I guess if they had called it Champion Cat Food, it might have been a harder sell.

One more observation. My cats are seemingly no longer "hungry all the time". That's based on the following. Under the old food menu, even if there were still dry food in the dishes, whenever my cats heard me taking down the dry food canister to replenish the dishes they would come running - and "screaming". This doesn't happen any more. I take that to mean that they no longer have that hungry feeling and are nutritionally satisfied.

Oh yeah, much less volume of food is going into those bowls too.

Originally Posted by BLAISE

My 2 cents, my belief...and my experience:

Is there anyone here who would dispute that, were all of our kids fed 1-3 mice a day, NONE OF THEM WOULD BE EXPERIENCING ANY OF ALL THESE TYPES OF GASTRIC PROBLEMS?

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I agree. I think there is plenty of evidence that most commercially produced cat food (probably other pet food also, but I wouldn't know) is not well formulated to meet the total needs of cats. But, as you pointed out, there are high quality foods available. If people would stop buying the junk foods they would disappear from the shelves.

Another possibility is arrowroot, its used as a thickening agent in foods, just like cornflour and so on. As the name suggests its from the arrowroot plant. Anyway, humans use it also as a binding agent when they have loose motions, it also works well with cats. You can't however give the cat too much or too often otherwise you will end up with a constipated cat (trust me, thats more worrying than one with loose motions).
Now working on my own theory that your cat is about 18mths give or take (correct me if I'm miles off) so I would recommend 1 teaspoon mixed with his/her wet food every other day, for a week, then reduce it to 1/2 teaspoon.
If your cats stools appear to be quite solid in less than a week I would reduce the amount of arrowroot.
Oh one last thing, this should only be a temporary measure.



Disclaimer: If your cat has allergies this may have an adverse effect.

She is about 22 mos.

Thanks for the suggestion. At the moment I am still hoping to find and eliminate the cause of the problem rather than just treat the symptom. I assume the arrowroot is just a temporary solution? Or are you suggesting it might permanently eliminate the problem?

Originally Posted by DIEGO

Another possibility is arrowroot, its used as a thickening agent in foods, just like cornflour and so on. As the name suggests its from the arrowroot plant. Anyway, humans use it also as a binding agent when they have loose motions, it also works well with cats. You can't however give the cat too much or too often otherwise you will end up with a constipated cat (trust me, thats more worrying than one with loose motions).
Now working on my own theory that your cat is about 18mths give or take (correct me if I'm miles off) so I would recommend 1 teaspoon mixed with his/her wet food every other day, for a week, then reduce it to 1/2 teaspoon.
If your cats stools appear to be quite solid in less than a week I would reduce the amount of arrowroot.
Oh one last thing, this should only be a temporary measure.



Disclaimer: If your cat has allergies this may have an adverse effect.

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A bit off topic, but I was interested to hear about the Orijen. I just changed our cats over to that about 4 days ago. Bijou has been gaining much too much weight on all the other foods we've tried and I haven't been giving them cheap, poor quality food. He weighed in at a hefty 17.5 lbs at his check-up last Saturday and that's a big Siamese.

My understanding of the pumpkin was that it was good for either - loose or firm stool, hence my suggestion.

BTW - Sharky is very knowledgeable on nutrition, so I would consider anything she suggests.

I hope you get to the bottom (no pun intended) of this soon - it must be very frustrating for you and the kitties.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

BTW - Sharky is very knowledgeable on nutrition, so I would consider anything she suggests.

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I'm considering everything everybody suggests.

the chicken and eggs issues is that the eggs used commonly are chicken ... sorry to pun but which came first the chicken or the egg... the protein in the egg is easier to digest but chn meat has a very similiar make up... Many People who are allergic to eggs are also allergic to chicken...

Before I give some very strange advice are you willing to try oriental medicine??? I used it with Kandie and she stayed at stage to crf for 4 yrs ... I am using it with Gigi and her pre cushings is starting to subside ... I recently purchased and read cover to cover a great book written by a vet on oriental medicine and dog s and cat s

Have you tried PROBIOS>>???

Pumpkin might work but I only use it for constipation....

Did you try each food for 8-12 weeks without any other treats , supplements or other foods?? I only ask since I messed up one allergy trial by continuing treats

You won't solve the problem without eliminating the causation.

That said, while you decide on/obtain appropriate foods, you might want to consider using something natural, Slippery Elm Bark. There's info on the following link (ignore the fact that the website deals with cats with kidney disease - this remedy isn't limited to CRF cats)
http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#SEB

Originally Posted by BLAISE

You won't solve the problem without eliminating the causation.

That said, while you decide on/obtain appropriate foods, you might want to consider using something natural, Slippery Elm Bark. There's info on the following link (ignore the fact that the website deals with cats with kidney disease - this remedy isn't limited to CRF cats)
http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#SEB

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I also use slippery elm... I just use a human powder mixed in with food

Originally Posted by sharky

the chicken and eggs issues is that the eggs used commonly are chicken ... sorry to pun but which came first the chicken or the egg... the protein in the egg is easier to digest but chn meat has a very similiar make up... Many People who are allergic to eggs are also allergic to chicken...

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Remember we aren't talking about an allergy here. There is no histamine reaction.

Before I give some very strange advice are you willing to try oriental medicine???

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At this point, probably not. But if I get desperate enough...

Have you tried PROBIOS>>???

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You mean supplemental digestive enzymes and cultures? I tried Eagle Pack Holistic Trasitions powder but she wouldn't eat the food I mixed it in. I don't blame her, it has a funky smell.

Did you try each food for 8-12 weeks without any other treats , supplements or other foods?? I only ask since I messed up one allergy trial by continuing treats

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I stopped all treats during the elimination diet and I have never used supplements. My 'bedrock' food was Natural Balance Venison and Green Pea. Her loose stool cleared up immediately when on it. I then added back foods until I found ones that caused a loose stool. I fed the food for several days. 8-12 weeks is the time period usually given for testing for food allergies and is the time it takes the body to develop and then clear a histamine reaction caused by an allergen. I may be wrong but I don't believe that time period applies when testing for digestive intolerances.

I may not have fed the 'loose stool causing' foods for long enough, that is why I have started questioning my results. I would like to go back to the NB & GP but it is part of the recall. I've been trying to find a limited ingredient food to substitute but until kitytize suggested the California Naturals I couldn't find one. Not a dry one anyway. My guys like the canned NB & GP but they will eat a dry food for every meal for weeks but not a wet one.

I'm not discounting the possibility that chicken is the problem but during the elimination test one of the first foods I gave her was Sheba canned chicken. She didn't have a loose stool with it (but it isn't a complete food so I can't just give her that).

I have MANY MANY intoerences and following allergy protocal has saved my life... Remember what the chicken ate can also cause intolerence ... Have you tried RAW meat?

Vension is close to lamb you may want to try a lamb based food like Natures variety

Whether intolerence or allergy the proteins being similiar will be a problem ... I think I will send you a PM later ...

Probios is a tasty probiotic ... I personally use human with my girls but Probios is easier to feed...it is found at the feed stores

Originally Posted by mschauer

My guys like the canned NB & GP but they will eat a dry food for every meal for weeks but not a wet one.

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I would think that about mine, too...but there's something magical in that NB venison/pea Have you tried feeding that one over and over? As much as I prefer to offer variety, one of my girls won't each much besides the V/P canned, another doesn't do well on other foods so she eats it @ every meal, and another *strongly* prefers it but she's a pig so she'll eat the variety anyway.

What I'm saying is that the V/P seems to be different or more addictive than average, maybe.

Originally Posted by beandip

I would think that about mine, too...but there's something magical in that NB venison/pea

Have you tried feeding that one over and over? As much as I prefer to offer variety, one of my girls won't each much besides the V/P canned, another doesn't do well on other foods so she eats it @ every meal, and another *strongly* prefers it but she's a pig so she'll eat the variety anyway.

What I'm saying is that the V/P seems to be different or more addictive than average, maybe.

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Interesting. No I haven't tried it. Maybe I will after I see how she does on the CN.

Thanks for the tip!

is she the Bengal-looking cat in your siggy? They are prone to having issues, I know one person with Bengals who had to use Royal Canin Sensitivity wet for a year, and then one day he could suddenly eat normal cat food with no issues.

Hmmm...Bengals do have sensitive tummies, I'm told...Penny gets loose stools if she finishes off the wet food that Ginger and Ferris eat.

If she stays away from their wet, she's fine, nice solid stools.