Anti-diarrheal?

For the next time slippery elm or apple pectin

Originally Posted by otto

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.

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This is the one I use: Vetasyl.
It is 95% psyllium and 5% Barley malt extract powder (flavor). I just open a capsule and mix 1/2 in the morning food (dry), close the capsule and mix the other 1/2 on her food at night. The kitties love the taste, and the capsule just coats the food very lightly, so there is no chocking risk.
Anyways, it's been great here, and vet approved for both my kitties IBD and hairball issues.

I'm SO glad he seems to be past this crisis! that he stays in track now and is already feeling much better.

Poor Tolly. He's not done passing that nasty hair yet. He is feeling a bit better, and even ate a small amount of chicken.

But he also had more diarrhea, with a few more mats of hair in it, and some blood.

The blood is most likely from all the irritation, I'm sure his bottom must be terribly sore.

I am not overly worried about seeing the blood, though it was a shock at first. He has no tenderness at all when his abdomen is palpated. His bottom is just raw.

However he did keep the chicken down, even after the last bout of diarrhea, so there is something to be glad about.

Thank goodness this happened while I am on vacation.

Originally Posted by Carolina

This is the one I use: Vetasyl.
It is 95% psyllium and 5% Barley malt extract powder (flavor). I just open a capsule and mix 1/2 in the morning food (dry), close the capsule and mix the other 1/2 on her food at night. The kitties love the taste, and the capsule just coats the food very lightly, so there is no chocking risk.
Anyways, it's been great here, and vet approved for both my kitties IBD and hairball issues.

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Thank you Carolina. Tolly does not love the malt taste. But I will keep it in mind. Too bad they don't sell smaller bottles, so I could try it without being out $17 +.

Originally Posted by mrsgreenjeens

I'm SO glad he seems to be past this crisis! that he stays in track now and is already feeling much better.

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thank you! I posted an update just above this post.

Thanks to everyone replying in this thread for all your support and contributions to Tolly's crisis. It all helps, a lot.

What always worked for me is boil a bit of rice in lots of water til the rice grains are jelly like and dropper feed the rice water gruel. Mix a bit of grated apple no skin. Be careful it may plug them up.

There is a "stop now" injection but a last resort as it works by slowing intestinal motility.

Originally Posted by otto

Thank you Carolina. Tolly does not love the malt taste.

But I will keep it in mind. Too bad they don't sell smaller bottles, so I could try it without being out $17 +.

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If you ever want to buy it, I get it from Amazon for $13.75, free shipping. Here is the link. If they don't use it I can buy it from you - I use it daily and would be glad to... Anyways, just if you want to give it a try - I can be the way out

Just ensuring you have lots of suggestions til your vet visit! I am sure this is out of the qusetion for Tolly (perhaps not, chorophyll?) Here's what Soleste NoBaby uses for her dire-rear, the grass helps her vomit up hair sometimes (once a month) after eating it, and feels much better. The vet had told me no laxatone because of her bloody dire-rear only recently did it clear up, but she never lost her taste for grasses. She begs to go outside first thing, she munches on the grasses, and if I don't let her go out,when she finally does got out, she refuses to come back in. She will not really eat the indoor grown grasses for long, she wants the real deal, so I planted tons of various grasses for her. They have two cat-safe "salad bars"

This is Pennsetum or Purple Fountain grass and it's on the OK list.

PS OOPS I missed your post he is OK now... oh well.

So glad there's improvement with Tolly and things seem to be moving along. I think only other cat lovers would understand the relief that comes with things passing as well as investigating the output.

I've been reading a lot about Miralax for constipation-type problems. Wonder if something like that would benefit Tolly? On the CRF list, I know lots of people use slippery elm.

Thank you everyone for all your input and support. I've made note of all suggestions in the cat journal (I keep on the table and write in daily) for future reference and to talk over with my vet.

Tolly was hungry this morning! He has had several small servings of white breast of chicken (I keep chunks already cooked, and frozen in my freezer for just this type of thing)

He's had a tiny bit of diarrhea this morning but I do think he's drying up, and has passed all the fur. He'll be getting laxatone today and tomorrow to be sure, then back on his regular hair ball remedy schedule. I don't think he needs any more LR fluids, he had his last 50 ml at midnight last night.

Last night, after the sub q fluids he gave me a tummy massage with purr while I read on the couch, and then curled up on me for a nap. Later he went over to the Chair, and proceeded to give himself a nice long bath.

I love watching Tolly bathe himself, he licks himself so lovingly, occasionally dozing off, then waking up to carry on with the ablutions.

I'm so glad this happened while I was on vacation, so I could spend all my time caring for him.

Cat grass and adding dried cat nip to his wet food (couple pinches) is an option if he'll eat those. Catnip should be more than safe if grass tends to cause vomiting or doesn't pass well.

Looking closely at Tolly's pics, he looks like a fluffier DSH like my Sho and Blann are. They shed moderately (on good foods) and have never had hairballs. I try to groom them a couple times a week with the furminator, too, though lately Blann gets too worked up and I dislike doing that because it triggers his coughing. I'm still trying to figure out how to trim his claws this week without that happening..

Have you already tried fish oil supplements with him?

Ahh a "CATCATION"!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cat grass and adding dried cat nip to his wet food (couple pinches) is an option if he'll eat those. Catnip should be more than safe if grass tends to cause vomiting or doesn't pass well.

Looking closely at Tolly's pics, he looks like a fluffier DSH like my Sho and Blann are. They shed moderately (on good foods) and have never had hairballs.

I try to groom them a couple times a week with the furminator, too, though lately Blann gets too worked up and I dislike doing that because it triggers his coughing. I'm still trying to figure out how to trim his claws this week without that happening..

Have you already tried fish oil supplements with him?

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Thank you strange wings!

Tolly is not allowed to ingest cat nip. My vet cautions against it because of his liver issues. She has no scientific basis, its just something she feels strongly about, and there really isn't any reason for me not to comply on this issue, he can have catnip toys instead, and there are plenty of those around. She mentions it every time we talk about Tolly, so I know it is something she feels is important.

He won't eat the fish oil. Tolly will not touch food that has been messed with, his one exception is the l-lysine. He actually appears to like the salty taste of that, but nothing else is to be added to his food, ever.

I bought fish oil for Tolly some time ago, but he refuses it. Mazy likes it though so she gets it three times a week.

He does eat grass when I take them out, then vomits it back up. It has been raining for five days straight, and the sun is trying to come out today, and they all want to go out in their yard. I'm not sure though... Tolly definitely does not need to be doing any more vomiting, so I don't think I will take them out for a few more days.

Tolly has gossamer medium length fur. It is so fine and soft it just floats off him as he walks, in spite of daily brushing, and several sessions with the furminator every week. That fur forms mats in his guts, it just coats the lining of his stomach, digestive tract and intestines, and what shifts it is laxatone. When I slip up on the laxatone regimen is when he gets this trouble.

I am tempted to try the vetasyl but I really don't think he will tolerate it. His system is just so delicate I really have to think deeply about any change, and talk it over with my vet.

She is open to suggestion, and does her own investigations when I bring up ideas with her, and then we make a decision together. When I go against her suggestions, she always turns out to be right.

That right there gives me a good feeling of trust in her competence, knowledge and judgment.

I realize I am still playing "why don't you...yes but" but I don't mean it to sound that way. I am making notes of all suggestions generously given to me here, and will go over it all with my vet when she gets back from vacation.

I do appreciate every single one of you for taking the time to read this thread and the effort to post your thoughts, and for all your support. It means so much during trying times like this.

Originally Posted by 2furgirls

Ahh a "CATCATION"!

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LOL! Yes indeed, and really it's the best kind, after all. I actually have been unwell all this time, too. Now that Tolly's crises is over, and I am starting to feel a little better I will enjoy the rest of my vacation with local day hikes, and having a friend over. I didn't get to have my nieces, because of my own illness, they were supposed to stay with me for a few days, I always have them while I'm on vacation. But my sisters didn't want them exposed to my sickness.

You could try the cat grass. Just grow your own and don't let him eat large amounts of it. Vomiting that back up is actually one way cats shift anything that's sitting in their stomachs, like fur.

With mine, since I have so many cats, I'll just trim the grass off with the scissors and cut it into 1"-ish pieces, then toss it on the kitchen floor. But your three wouldn't be as bad as seven.

I'm glad that at least the other cats like the stuff he refuses.

I do know that cats like to vomit, and they like to eat grass because it makes them vomit. However all that vomiting Tolly has been doing is very bad for his teeth (and esophagus). And he wasn't drinking any water, or eating at all, so nothing was cleaning the bile off his teeth all that time.

I am happy to report that he has had no diarrhea (or vomiting) in almost 24 hours, and has a good appetite, so I think I can breathe easier now.

My thanks and appreciation to all of you.

Originally Posted by otto

I do know that cats like to vomit

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Is this a cat stereotype/misinformation that I've never heard? Cats like vomiting as much as we do - which is to say they hate it. Every vomiting cat I've seen is at least somewhat distressed.

A little cat grass acts as fiber, and is why cats will nibble a little here and there. A lot is eaten if the cat already feels sick or can't get a hairball to vomit up. Though there are the house cats that, not used to having grass available to them all the time, will over do it and eat too much - likely because the grasses used, when young, taste somewhat sweet and have a nice texture.

So again, try offering him only a tiny amount - only a pinch of a few blades.

Vomiting is actually not good for kitties because the acid that comes up deteriorates their teeth. I don't ever thing it's a good thing for a cat to vomit unless they've eaten something they should have and it's one way to get it out of their system. I hate cleaning up cat barf!

In other news, how's Tolly today? Things still moving along well?

Glad you're feeling better, too!

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Vomiting is actually not good for kitties because the acid that comes up deteriorates their teeth. I don't ever thing it's a good thing for a cat to vomit unless they've eaten something they should have and it's one way to get it out of their system. I hate cleaning up cat barf!

In other news, how's Tolly today? Things still moving along well?

Glad you're feeling better, too!

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Yes, that's right. And I am very concerned about the damage Tolly may have sustained on his teeth over the past few days. I just couldn't bring myself to brush them when he was feeling so poorly.

He wasn't drinking or eating either, of course, so there was nothing to help clean the acid off. He is almost due for a dental anyway, it's been almost 3 years now. The brushing has slowed down the need for them as frequently, but he still needs them occasionally. No resorptive lesions in all that time either.

Tolly is all better thank you, and has a convalescent appetite. I don't think I've ever seen him eat so much in one day. I'm spacing the meals out of course, but he is really hungry!

That is awesome news!