Wet food and diarrhea....ugh.

eliot'smom

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Well, I went to the vet yesterday for a routine kitten check-up and vaccinations, and got a serious lecture about how I am doing my cat a disservice by feeding him dry food only...but here's the deal: every time we have tried him on wet, he gets awful, awful diarrhea....pure liquid and stinks up the house and completely fouls the litterbox, too. Not to mention the awful cat farts! (Sorry if TMI) I have tried from expensive to cheap, and even just a little bit every day gives him the runs. Now, if he is on dry food only, he has firm, dry, non-stinky poops, and a clean bum, to boot. So, here are my questions:

1. I am totally willing to keep the faith with the wet, and I can afford to keep him on a totally wet diet...but how long can I expect the diarrhea to last? Days, weeks? Should I stick with only one type of wet while he gets adjusted? He only will eat the "chunks in gravy" types--he likes Fancy Feast, Nutro Kitten, and LOVES Meow Mix pouches. I have been trying to give him half a pouch/can twice a day, with dry food (Wellness) out all the time. Just that little bit gives him the runs.

2. Is keeping him on a high quality dry food without any wet THAT awful for him?

3. We really do not want to do a raw diet. Would it be ok to have him have mostly dry and give him plain cooked chicken a couple times a week, in place of wet food?

Thanks for any/all input...BTW, he is 15 weeks, checked out completely healthy at the vet(no worms, weight is good, etc)....and is otherwise a completely normal kitten. I am just tired of washing his butt, his back paws, and cleaning "poop drips" off of my carpet, floor, bedding, and boyfriend.

Karin
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Eliot'sMom

Well, I went to the vet yesterday for a routine kitten check-up and vaccinations, and got a serious lecture about how I am doing my cat a disservice by feeding him dry food only...but here's the deal: every time we have tried him on wet, he gets awful, awful diarrhea....pure liquid and stinks up the house and completely fouls the litterbox, too. Not to mention the awful cat farts! (Sorry if TMI) I have tried from expensive to cheap, and even just a little bit every day gives him the runs. Now, if he is on dry food only, he has firm, dry, non-stinky poops, and a clean bum, to boot. So, here are my questions:

1. I am totally willing to keep the faith with the wet, and I can afford to keep him on a totally wet diet...but how long can I expect the diarrhea to last? Days, weeks? Should I stick with only one type of wet while he gets adjusted? He only will eat the "chunks in gravy" types--he likes Fancy Feast, Nutro Kitten, and LOVES Meow Mix pouches. I have been trying to give him half a pouch/can twice a day, with dry food (Wellness) out all the time. Just that little bit gives him the runs.

2. Is keeping him on a high quality dry food without any wet THAT awful for him?

3. We really do not want to do a raw diet. Would it be ok to have him have mostly dry and give him plain cooked chicken a couple times a week, in place of wet food?

Thanks for any/all input...BTW, he is 15 weeks, checked out completely healthy at the vet(no worms, weight is good, etc)....and is otherwise a completely normal kitten. I am just tired of washing his butt, his back paws, and cleaning "poop drips" off of my carpet, floor, bedding, and boyfriend.

Karin
1. I am totally willing to keep the faith with the wet, and I can afford to keep him on a totally wet diet...but how long can I expect the diarrhea to last? Days, weeks? Should I stick with only one type of wet while he gets adjusted? He only will eat the "chunks in gravy" types--he likes Fancy Feast, Nutro Kitten, and LOVES Meow Mix pouches. I have been trying to give him half a pouch/can twice a day, with dry food (Wellness) out all the time. Just that little bit gives him the runs.
Awful no ... many have lived healthy long lives on dry alone of varing quality ... wet food mimics a cats natural diet .... To rip off a quote from JCAT... Have you ever seen a kibble tree in the wild?? kibble is balenced with all the stuff needed to sustain life but wet food is more likely to help with thriving
.. try the wellness pouches they have only oat fiber no wheat , corn , soy or other grain or grain like thickeners
... Looks like I answered 2 in 1 ...lol...
wet could possibley always cause issue till you find the right one...

gluten free pouches
by nature
wellness
sheba in the gold tub
may help

2. Is keeping him on a high quality dry food without any wet THAT awful for him?

3. We really do not want to do a raw diet. Would it be ok to have him have mostly dry and give him plain cooked chicken a couple times a week, in place of wet food?
plain chicken is a great treat ... but IT is JUST a treat as muscle meat is NOT complete for a cat ... treats should make up no more than 10% of total diet .. wet food is far more balenced and most are complete so no a treat does not = wet food
 
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