Anti-diarrheal?

Tolly has been having a cycle of diarrhea and vomiting now for over 48 hours. He has has this problem before, I know the cause is fur coating his insides, but it has never gone on this long before.

I've been in contact with my vet, and been giving Tolly sub fluids at home to prevent dehydration, and doses of laxatone, this is how I always handle it.

But this time it's not stopping! My vet said if there was no improvement by this morning I should bring him in. So I have an appointment for him this afternoon. My vet is not in today, unfortunately.

It's the diarrhea that needs to be stopped. Is there an injection for that, does anyone know? My vet and my second and third choice vets, are not in today. I took an appointment with my second to last choice vet. He's an experienced vet, but his "bed side" manner leaves a lot to be desired.

Tolly is perfectly fine in every other way. He's alert, playing, loving, happy. The sub q LR fluids are keeping him hydrated. But after 48 hours with no food, where is the diarrhea even coming from?

I just wondered if anyone knew what is usually used in these cases to stop diarrhea.

There is something that they can give them for the diarrhea, but I don't remember the name of it. I always add a bit of acidophilus to my kitties' food if they are having bowel problems. I start with 1/2 tablet, crushed, in their wet food twice a day.

Thanks Stephanie. I've been giving him probios, but it has had no effect. And he is not eating. No food in over 48 hours now, he's not even asking for it.

He is getting 75 ml lactated ringers sub q every 12 hours.

He's keeping his medications down, (denosyl and phenobarbital) thank goodness for that, the last thing we need is to be dealing with seizures on top of this. He also keeps the laxatone down.

Peeing normally.

Like I said, I've been through this with him before, several times. It happens when, for whatever reason (this time a heavy work schedule and new kitten, lost track of days), I drop the ball on his hair ball remedy regimen. Knowing it's my fault is no comfort.

My Nan's kitten, Annie, had the same issue last week. She called the vet and they suggested plain yogurt mixed with cooked white rice. Worked like a charm! Might be worth a try. Good luck!

Thank you Kailie. I can't give him anything, as he is vomiting. Usually when he does this, I start him on plain white chicken meat (I keep some, cooked, in the freezer at all times for this) after 24 hours, but he can't keep any food in him.

The fluids are keeping him hydrated, but he can't go on like this.

The vet he is seeing is an experienced vet but he's more of a "dog" vet, and as much as I am trying to feel confident about seeing him, I can't help worrying he won't know the proper thing to do to stop the diarrhea. Which is silly, I am sure he is a competent vet.

Tolly really needs an injection, since anything going through the digestive tract is just either coming back up or being pooped out.

He's been acting perfectly normal up until just now, this time when he went down to the box, he cried, which makes me want to cry too.

After his next fluids, and once I'm sure he's kept his phenobarbital down, I'm going to go out and do some grocery shopping, I'm sure my fussing over him isn't helping matters.

Isn't Fortiflora good for diarrhea? I know it's not given in a shot, but rather is a form a probiotic also, I think. Is that what you've been giving him? Or Benebac? Otherwise, I don't know. Didn't Snickerdoodle have this problem with Boo, and whatever the Vet did, ended up causing more issues down the road?

Originally Posted by mrsgreenjeens

Isn't Fortiflora good for diarrhea? I know it's not given in a shot, but rather is a form a probiotic also, I think. Is that what you've been giving him? Or Benebac? Otherwise, I don't know. Didn't Snickerdoodle have this problem with Boo, and whatever the Vet did, ended up causing more issues down the road?

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Than you for your reply.

Fortiflora is good for diarrhea, I've used it in the past. I've been giving him probios, that is the probiotic I use.

However, Tolly is vomiting along with the diarrhea, and has not had anything to eat in over 48 hours. He is getting sub q Lactated ringers 75 ml every 12 hours to prevent dehydration.

This is not a new issue for Tolly, it's just never gone on this long before. It is invariably caused by hair balls, or rather, the fur kind of coats his digestive tract and intestines. The hairball remedy will eventually shift it all for him, but this diarrhea is really just taking it's toll on him.

I was asking about injections, because of the vomiting, every time he has another bout of diarrhea he vomits again. It's just bile coming up. I was just hoping to go in there with something to ask for.

I shouldn't have so little faith in this vet, I know many people (doggy people) love him, but the last time I saw him was when Ootay had an emergency. She was 15 at the time and I was not overly impressed with the way he kept telling me "she's old, you can't expect her to thrive at this age". Ootay went on to enjoy 3 more years of excellent quality of life, so you can see why I have reservations.

I wonder if this is something other than fur related? (in which case you can stop blaming yourself for it ).

Does he have a fever? I've had one of mine vomit and get diarrhea from an overgrowth of bacteria in the GI. He also lost his appetite. (been through this myself, you feel terrible) Other GI issues, stress, and even other health issues can make this happen easily.

Since he's not eating, have the vet do some blood work just to be sure his liver is ok. Ask for a fecal test, too.

Thanks for your reply. No fever, thank goodness. Judging by the color of the diarrhea and the pattern (me missing his scheduled dose of hairball remedy, and also he hadn't been getting his daily hair removal brushing) I am pretty sure it's his same old trouble, but I am bringing a stool sample too, to cover all the basis.

The vet will probably want to check his blood, some of you may know that Tolly does have liver issues from the phenobarbital he's been on for over 8 years. He is on denosyl and that has been keeping his numbers within normal range for the last five months (he is actually due for blood work again in October)

If the vet feels x rays are necessary to check for foreign objects, I will agree to those, too. What the heck, it's only money, and all my money seems to end up at the vet anyway.

The lactated ringers is keeping him hydrated, and he doesn't even feel as though he's lost any weight yet, but this just cannot go on.

With his liver issues that could be a big part of it. When I was sick the worse my liver numbers looked, the more nausea and vomiting I had.

Good to know that there's no fever. Hopefully that doesn't happen and you and the vet can get to the bottom of this and get it dealt with.

Thank you. I have to stop this fruitless wishing my own vet was available, she is out the rest of this week.

I really do appreciate everyone's replies and am sorry if I sound like I am playing "why don't you...yes but". Every comment is welcome, since someone may come up with something I haven't thought of.

Less than 2 hours before I can take him in. He's sleeping now. Had his fluids at noon.

PS no jaundice. And I've been checking almost obsessively.

Be careful. I don't know about your vet, but yes like Mrsgreenjeens mentioned my old vet gave Boo Amforal, which was a yellow pasty substance in syringes administered orally. It is NOT to be given to cats with any type of kidney impairment and here is a link to the info that I have been using: http://www.peteducation.com/article....+1451&aid=1430

I can't prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it hurt Boo's kidneys anymore than it did but it is explicitly listed against using on cats with kidney disease. It is the Kanamycin that does this. The other ingredients may very well be absolutely harmless. I know they can give this as a sub-q injection too, so... just read that link and be careful. I was not informed of any of the risks of this medication before Boo was given 5mL of it over 5 days.

It DID stop the diarrhea, but at what cost, you know?

Hoping Tolly will be ok Otto I understand your worry.

Thank you very much for this information. I am bringing in a stool sample so they can check for a possible bacterial infection, though I am pretty well positive it is his same old trouble.

Tolly doesn't have any kidney trouble, thank goodness. Blood work today will not give accurate kidney numbers, even if he was developing some, because he's been getting the LR.

Tolly has just this moment gotten up from his nap and is sitting in his Meal Spot. He does that when he is hungry and it's the first time he's done it since all this started. So that is a good sign.

Amforol works wonders (since Tolly doesn't have kidney problems, it is ok), and of course metronidazole. Even if he throws up, at least if it is in his system for a while - an hour or so, it would be enough for most of it to get absorbed I think.
You might want to give him some Pepcid for nausea about an hour or so before giving the Metro just in case.
Hope your vet has a good solution for you

Well, well, it looks like he's passed the culprit. I ran out to walmart and when I cam back there was more diarrhea, with something very strange in it. Yes, I poked and pulled at it:

HAIR. Tolly's hair, specifically. A long flat mat of it. He may improve now, but I will keep the appointment anyway.

Originally Posted by Carolina

Amforol works wonders (since Tolly doesn't have kidney problems, it is ok), and of course metronidazole. Even if he throws up, at least if it is in his system for a while - an hour or so, it would be enough for most of it to get absorbed I think.
You might want to give him some Pepcid for nausea about an hour or so before giving the Metro just in case.
Hope your vet has a good solution for you

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Thank you Carolina. I've held off on the pepcid up until now, on vet recommendation. She felt he would do better getting the laxatone in him instead, and it did help, the two times he had diarrhea shortly after the laxatone, he did not vomit after leaving the litter boxes.

In my above post (must have been writing it when you posted) I told how his last bout of diarrhea contains a long flat mat of his fur. I'm sure that's what's been the problem all along, I should have been dosing him more frequently with he laxatone than I was these past two days, but no sense in flagellating myself.

I'll update when we get back from the vet.

Glad he passed the fur and I was only mentioning the Amforal because in a response to a complaint I've got going on, the vet said he was using it "off-label" on Boo and felt there was no need to tell me about anything about it, since it is not "common practice" for him to tell people about using drugs for off-label uses. I am just extremely wary of all drugs now

Hope Tolly is doing ok <3 <3

Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle

Glad he passed the fur

and I was only mentioning the Amforal because in a response to a complaint I've got going on, the vet said he was using it "off-label" on Boo and felt there was no need to tell me about anything about it, since it is not "common practice" for him to tell people about using drugs for off-label uses. I am just extremely wary of all drugs now

Hope Tolly is doing ok <3 <3

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Oh I completely understand! Any and all info is always welcome, even when members' advice and experiences directly contradict one another, it is all useful to me in forming my own conclusions, you know?

We are back from the vet already. Judging by his history with this problem, and the hair found in the fecal sample I brought in, the vet felt Tolly has passed his crises.

I am to continue dosing once a day with laxatone for 48 more hours, then go back to his normal schedule.

I am to continue the sub q for 24 more hours (75 ml every 12) pending his returning appetite.

I am to begin feeding him this evening(per vet) and will start with his white meat chicken from the freezer for the first few meals (per me)

Vet did not feel he has sustained any liver damage from not having any food, upon examination Tolly had no fever, no tenderness in his abdomen, no anemia, empty bladder, clear bright eyes. No dehydration, o course since I've been doing the sub q.

They didn't find anything in the fecal exam except the fur. Funny thing about that. They have a student working for the summer and the tech let him do the fecal. The poor kid was mystified by the hair "what the heck is that?" she said he said, until he pulled it apart. LOL!

While I was pretty sure the passing of that hair was the corner turned for Tolly, I kept the appointment, just to ease my own mind.

My thanks to everyone who replied.

Otto, I know you are against fiber supplements, but it has worked wonders for Lucky's hairball problems - I would say it cut it 90% of it.
I use the plain fiber, but maybe you can look into adding some pumpkin to his wet food to see if it helps...
Anyways, just wanted to throw that out there - I know your point of view in the matter, but maybe the pumpkin could be a good form of fiber/compromise?

Originally Posted by Carolina

Otto, I know you are against fiber supplements, but it has worked wonders for Lucky's hairball problems - I would say it cut it 90% of it.
I use the plain fiber, but maybe you can look into adding some pumpkin to his wet food to see if it helps...
Anyways, just wanted to throw that out there - I know your point of view in the matter, but maybe the pumpkin could be a good form of fiber/compromise?

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Thank you Carolina. I have tried pumpkin with Tolly. Tolly does not tolerate his food messed with at all. And you do know me well! I'm not going to start shoving psylium down his throat, and of course I know what it would do to the size of his stool, which are already pretty large to begin with.

However, would you tell me again what the fiber is you use for Lucky. I'll keep it in mind.

As long as I stick with his hair ball remedy regimen and the daily brushing he doesn't have any problems. It's when I slip up that these things happen. I do try to be so vigilant, but sometimes life just gets crazy, and in spite of me keeping careful records, sometimes I mess up.

It's harder now, because I used to just dose the hairball stuff first thing in the morning, an hour before their breakfast. But Tolly gets his Denosyl first thing in the morning now, so I have to do the hairball medicine at a different time of day. However that's no excuse, I need to pay better attention.