Diarrhea

heatherita510

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This is more of a vent than anything... My kitty has been dealing with diarrhea pretty much ever since i got her. (she's a little over a year old). I didn't bring her to the vet, because I didn't have the money, and didn't like the vet I was using. I was hoping it was dietary, but after trying a couple of different foods (switching gradually), she kept getting worse, not better. I still don't have the money for vet bills, but I finally brought her to a new vet. She was given metronidazole in pill form and in 5 days, i was able to get one pill into her system. (she's a huge brat). Back to the vet, and i was given Panacur to sprinkle on her wet food for 5 days (She's on Prescription Diet I/D can and wet right now... she was eating Wellness Core before). Today's day 5 and when i scooped the litter box, there have been absolutely no changes. She's still having yellowish diarrhea and I've noticed that her fur isn't as soft as it always was before. I'm calling the vet tomorrow but i was just wondering what everyone else's experience with diarrhea has been and how long it took to clear up. Thanks!
 

sharky

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Has she been checked for parasites ??
 
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heatherita510

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The vet was able to get a very fresh fecal sample (Martini got sick in her carrier and then rolled around in it trying to avoid the vet..). I was told they found bacteria, but thats pretty much all i know!
 

twokatz

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What kind of bacteria? If it is Clostridium then Metronidazole is the right drug and there is a flavored liquid which is much easier than a pill. If it doesn't clear up check with your vet about testing for Tritrichomonas, you can get the pouches and have your vet help you with the test, that is the cheapest way. Her fur may be looking bad because she is not getting the proper nutrition out of her food because of the diarrhea.
 

kclark

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Hi,
Sorry to hear your kitty is sick. My little Mow had diarrhea for a while when I first got her, it was unpleasant. Except after taking her to multiple vets, with multiple tests, nothing was ever found wrong.

One thing that did help with the pills for her was a pet piller. I got one at my vet for around $3. She was an awful stinker with pills, even worse with liquid medication. Or just recently my current vet told me to coat my kitten's tapeworm pill in butter or baby food to cover the bitterness. I didn't have any troubles with him, but maybe that's because he eats anything.


I hope your kitty feels better soon!
 

laureen227

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my Java had horrible gas
+ diarrhea when i first got her [who knows WHAT she'd been eating as a stray!] that took 2 rounds of antibiotics + a round of probiotics to completely eliminate... i can't remember how long it took, tho.
 

strange_wings

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Just how long has she had diarrhea? You gave her age, but not how long you've had her.

I sort of doubt it could be Clostridium if she's had this for several weeks or months. It produces a toxin that builds up in the system and can be deadly. A week and a half of it put me in the hospital - I don't want to think about what a month or two would have done, and certainly not what it would do to a cat. (Note: plenty of people naturally carry clostridium, so wash your hands with soap and water even before handing your pet's food and keep the toilet lids down. )

You need to have the vet do some basic blood tests, CBC and electrolytes shouldn't be too difficult to have done. Cost should be around $100 (USD), depending on the cost of living in your area. She's very likely low in her electrolytes at this point, and that must be treated as well.

I second the probiotic use. Bene-bac shouldn't be too hard to find, or you could try Eagle Pack's Holistic solutions - it's a powder with probiotics and digestive aids. I used that for my Tomas, who like a lot of foundling kittens, had a touchy GI - and horrible gas. After a couple weeks the gas went away as did the diarrhea. Though, I did take him to vets three times over the diarrhea. Neither could find a cause other than a native bad bacteria being a little high.

Also, flagyl (metronidazole/panacur) will wipe out a lot of GI flora, not just anything bad. So a probiotic to help rebuild that is a really good idea.
 

twokatz

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Probiotics are good and you can use human which is cheaper than Bene-bac, just use a good quality one from a health food store,your vet can give you the dose. A lot of vets are using Forti-Flora from Purina. There is another bacteria Cocci (not Coccidia) as in Coccous that requires a different antibiotic. I would find out just what bacteria your vet found. My cats have had Clostridium for over two years because of the Tritrichomonas, which is a parasite that feeds on the normal bacteria. Clostridium infection is an overgrowth of bad bacteria and does not always have the toxins variety. We have had the cats tested for that also as it can be very dangerous and makes them very ill. Metronidazole actually is better on the GI trac and does not destroy the natural bacteria like other antibiotics but probiotics are good anyway as the good bacteria needs to be replaced. Unfortunately mine will never be rid of the problem and we have to make sure the dogs don't visit the litter box at just the wrong time (YUCK).
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by twokatz

Metronidazole actually is better on the GI trac and does not destroy the natural bacteria like other antibiotics but probiotics are good anyway as the good bacteria needs to be replaced. Unfortunately mine will never be rid of the problem and we have to make sure the dogs don't visit the litter box at just the wrong time (YUCK).
Really? My doctor told me that metronidazole and vancomycin (which I ended up having to take) were more of a "shotgun" type drug, wiping out a lot of bacteria and the reason it didn't produce the GI side effects other antibiotics do is because it's taking care of the bad bacteria that they normally leave to over grow (which is why a lot of antibiotics cause diarrhea in the first place). Maybe I misunderstood these medications strength somehow..

One needs to be careful using human probiotics as sometimes human supplements can have ingredients that are harmful to cats (and other pets).
 

zorana_dragonky

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My kitties have had diarrhea pretty much constantly since I brought them home in early June. I have been to my vet many times over that period and we have tested them for giardia, coccidia, worms, and bacteria. They had an upper respiratory infection originally, and we thought it might have been the antibiotics, but that has been ruled out. We discussed the possibility of it being dietary, also. We didn't think it was that. My vet was about to rule that they either had some kind of viral stomach disorder or IBD (irritable bowel disorder) when I started researching information on Tritrichomonas foetus based on information about other people's kitties from this forum, including twokatz.

You can read about Tritrich here: http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/personnel/gookin_jody.html

Anyway, with the help of my vet we ran the pouch tests and my kitties definitely have Tritrich, which is a parasitic organism that causes diarrhea. My vet had not even heard of it before, but was very helpful in considering it as a possibility and helping me run the tests. We haven't started treatment yet, but we are planning on starting it soon.

I just wanted to point out that you could read Dr. Gookin's website and get information about this particular parasite. If you and your vet can't find a reason why your kitty has diarrhea, please consider that Martini might have this lesser known parasite and talk to your vet about it.
 

twokatz

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Really? My doctor told me that metronidazole and vancomycin (which I ended up having to take) were more of a "shotgun" type drug, wiping out a lot of bacteria and the reason it didn't produce the GI side effects other antibiotics do is because it's taking care of the bad bacteria that they normally leave to over grow (which is why a lot of antibiotics cause diarrhea in the first place). Maybe I misunderstood these medications strength somehow..

One needs to be careful using human probiotics as sometimes human supplements can have ingredients that are harmful to cats (and other pets).
I agree many human probiotics do have stuff in them that may not be good for people or cats. My vet recommeded the human pro-biotics, the ones she uses are from Metagenics(dairy free) and PB8, These have no added stuff in them. I thought the same way about Metronidazole killing good bacteria but my vet said no so I did a bunch of research. Metro does not kill Lactobaccillius bacteria, the good guys. The Clostridium that produces enterotoxins is called CPE from what I have researched and the Vancomycin is not used much as Vancomycin resistance is a problem. By the way according to my vet Clostridium bacteria love carbohydrates and hate protein & fiber. I am definitely not a vet and the information I give has come from my vet and literally months of research trying to help my kitties. People may get tired of me suggesting testing for TF but it is a much bigger problem than thought. I spent thousands of dollars and a lot of tears trying to figure out the diarrhea issue, for two years, I would like to spare others that nightmare and spare some kitties being misdiagnosed and treated inappropriately. Hope Heather finds an answer and some help for her kitty.
 

twokatz

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Originally Posted by heatherita510

The vet was able to get a very fresh fecal sample (Martini got sick in her carrier and then rolled around in it trying to avoid the vet..). I was told they found bacteria, but thats pretty much all i know!
How is your kitty doing?
 

twokatz

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Originally Posted by zorana_dragonky

My kitties have had diarrhea pretty much constantly since I brought them home in early June. I have been to my vet many times over that period and we have tested them for giardia, coccidia, worms, and bacteria. They had an upper respiratory infection originally, and we thought it might have been the antibiotics, but that has been ruled out. We discussed the possibility of it being dietary, also. We didn't think it was that. My vet was about to rule that they either had some kind of viral stomach disorder or IBD (irritable bowel disorder) when I started researching information on Tritrichomonas foetus based on information about other people's kitties from this forum, including twokatz.

You can read about Tritrich here: http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/personnel/gookin_jody.html

Anyway, with the help of my vet we ran the pouch tests and my kitties definitely have Tritrich, which is a parasitic organism that causes diarrhea. My vet had not even heard of it before, but was very helpful in considering it as a possibility and helping me run the tests. We haven't started treatment yet, but we are planning on starting it soon.

I just wanted to point out that you could read Dr. Gookin's website and get information about this particular parasite. If you and your vet can't find a reason why your kitty has diarrhea, please consider that Martini might have this lesser known parasite and talk to your vet about it.
Thank you for posting your experience and helping to spread the word on this disease. I hope it goes well for you and the treatment works, I will be interested in your progress and wish you well. I hope mine outgrow it or start to manage it as it is not fun for anyone.
 
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heatherita510

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thanks for all your feedback! unfortunately i had to work late today so i couldn't call the vet. I actually do have a probiotic (the purina one, cant think of the name off the top of my head) for Martini, but it had fallen to the bottom of the bag and I forgot I had it. I gave it to her tonight with her wet food (oh and to answer another question, she's currently eating Hill's Prescription Diet I/D... before that I had her on Wellness Core.. and before that it had been natural ultra mix and natural balance). I saw her use the litter box tonight and she is definitely still very very sick...I could hear her stomach gurgling as she went. I should also mention that I also have a kitten now (about 4 months) who is starting to develop diarrhea... the vet is also treating the Midori as well. I'm hoping when I call the vet tomorrow they can just prescribe something else that I can just pick up without having to bring Martini in. She's an absolute monster at the vet, and I think she's going to need to be tranquilized before i bring her again!

Martini acts normal (oh and i've had her since she was 12 weeks old), and she's very active (in fact i can hear the 2 of them chasing each other around upstairs). When I call tomorrow, I'll make sure to ask if they identified the bacteria.... and see where we go from there.

thanks so much for all your help! i'll keep you all updated!
 
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heatherita510

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oh and i also wanted to mention that while she's always had some form or another of loose stools, sometimes its worse than other times. lately it hasn't been formed at all... but other times it comes out a little formed, but still loose. in the past it would seem like she might finally be getting better and then she'd get sick again... i'm not sure if she's stressed with the new kitten (turns out martini probably would have been better off as an only kitten but she's adjusting) so im not sure if that helps or not!
 

mschauer

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Originally Posted by twokatz

People may get tired of me suggesting testing for TF but it is a much bigger problem than thought. I spent thousands of dollars and a lot of tears trying to figure out the diarrhea issue, for two years, I would like to spare others that nightmare and spare some kitties being misdiagnosed and treated inappropriately. Hope Heather finds an answer and some help for her kitty.
Please continue to post about your experience whenever you think it might help. Coco had diarrhea for the first 6 mos I had her. I felt horrible for her. Her stools would sometimes be liquid and there was frequently blood in it. I came to those forums for help when I ran out of ideas and my vet wasn't helpful. If everyone had gotten tired of suggesting probiotics I wouldn't have discovered Eagle Pack Holistic Solution which fixed her right up within days. The EP isn't a just a probiotic but researching probiotics lead me to it.
 
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