Louie acts perfectly fine, but I know something is up!

Louie is almost 6 months old. He is not yet neutered but that is something we are planning to do ASAP.

Ever since we got him about 2 & 1/2 months ago he has gone back and forth with slightly runny nose & eyes, but it goes as quickly as it comes it seems.

About a week ago he pooped near the litter box twice, and then the third time it was diarrhea which he also did on the floor instead of the box.

We took him to the vet on Wednesday. He was given Primor and Clentine. The vet did not take his temperature as he had a sore bottom, but said he had a fever based on feeling his ears? So he gave him wormer "just in case" and antibiotics.

I am having a very hard time getting him to take his meds. Whenever I hold him and put them in his mouth like the vet showed, he then starts hacking and coughing up lot of mucus and getting the pills out. I have also been recommended against crushing them up into food and he's refusing to eat it in food anyway, so that's a mute point. I have called the vet 2x now for advice and I am still waiting on a call back from them.

It did look like a worm had passed in his stool this AM.

While we were at the vet the vet kept saying how shocked he was how healthy and happy Louie acted for having such an upset tummy. Of course, Louie was great at the vet, rolling all around, purring, etc.

My spouse & I are just going to continue to worry until we know what is up. Something just seems "off" with him. I have wondered if maybe I need to have him tested for FIV, but spouse says he doesn't think so. My Mom once had a cat with FeLV and I remember how he was perfect up until the very end. Of course we are also concerned about our other cat, Keebler. We don't want him to get sick too.

Any advice? Does it seem simply like he had worms and he should be doing great so long as I figure out how to get his meds in him?

I apologize for the length and how I probably bounced around - My 13 month old just woke up from her nap so I'm trying to hurry! Thanks in advance everyone!

Get him tested for FIV/FeLv. It's a quick snap test that should cost around $35-40. If you want to get another cat in the future it's vital that you know your current one isn't going to be a risk.

Funny thing about worms in a well cared for cat. Aside from a bit of butt scooting or the occasional loose stool, there's usually no outward effects from it. A deworming should take care of any worm issue. BUT if it's roundworms you'll need to repeat the deworming in a couple weeks and clean. This means dumping out litter completely, scrubbing the box, vacuuming more, etc so as to get any possible roundworm eggs in the environment.

Your vet should carry pill pockets for cats. If you're going to be piling a fussy cat, they will make things so much easier - the cat thinks it's just a treat.

The next time he has runny eyes try to get him to the vet ASAP and have them test it. There are some viruses in cats that never go away, the immune system usually keeps them under control but stress can weaken it.

He has an appointment for tomorrow to go back. The vet wants to give him shots and possibly keep him overnight. I am taking both of our cats tomorrow just to be sure. I'll probably be broke after this, but hey! They're family too...

A FIV test will be $40? Wow. I'll ask the vet about it tomorrow.

FIV and FeLv. Separate they likely cost less, but I've never seen the point of testing just for one when they have to go through the trouble of getting blood.

I hear you about the vet bills... I went to pick up some pills earlier and got caught by a surprise charge of an extra $130 for a test that had only just came back from an independent lab.

I took both Louie Bob & Keebler to the vet this AM. Keebler is fine, just down because his buddy isn't feeling well.

However, the vet kept Louie. This morning and last night Louie started to pee on the rugs in our house, not a lot, just tiny bits here and there. The vet is thinking that he has formed some crystals and they are causing problems... He's also concerned that there may be an infection so since he wouldn't take his pills they wanted to be able to give him shots.

The vet is talking about special diets if this is the case but really didn't specify...

They eat Taste of The Wild Now... What sort of diet would I be looking at if he's having a crystal issue and would it be OK for Keebler to be on the same thing?

Keeby has been looking all over the house for Louie Bob. And my 13 month old DD isn't too happy that her kitty isn't here either. This is going to be a long weekend!

The vet may be thinking of a prescription diet like Hill's CD - but he'll talk to you about it. My boy has been on Hill's CD (wet and dry) for over a year now and, thank goodness, all has been good - although the fishy wet upset his tummy. We don't buy that one anymore.

I asked the vet whether my girl could eat the same food, as they're both nibblers. She said it was ok. So far, my girl has been perfect (they both had their first senior panels in May - go in January for the next round).

You guys are good parents -and I hope the vet can diagnose something specific, and very treatable, quickly.

BTW, pill pockets are great - at least for my two.

I saw the Hill's diet today while at the vet.. I wonder how much that sort of diet costs. Gulp.

Is a wet diet generally better for cats with an issue like this? Is a wet diet better for a cat in general? I may be in the wrong forum to ask these questions... I apologize if I am.

Just remember that no one here is a vet - always consult with your own vet who has examined your cat regarding dietary or supplement issues. That said, many of us here have had cats with UTI issues. My boy had struvite crystals, but was about seven years old at the time.

Usually wet is recommended, if your cat will eat wet - not all will. My girl likes wet, but my boy doesn't care for more than a smidgeon a day. Thus, I'm very happy there's a dry version.

Also, a lot of people, and vets, will recommend getting a water fountain (I have the Drinkwell 360 - I think it was about $60 at Petsmart). The idea is that a lot of cats like moving water, and the more water they drink, the better. But don't panic if that's not in the budget there are different fountains at diferent price points, and just make sure that your cats have access to clean water at all times no matter what you use. A lot of people will just make sure water is in several rooms so kitty drinks wherever he likes.

I had my two on Nutro prior to the switch to prescription food. In all honesty, it's not that different pricewise, in my experience. The CD tends to be high calorie - I worked with the vet to figure out how much to feed them. I think a 7 pound sack of dry CD lasts about a month or so for my two cats - and is about $22. The wet probably runs around the price of a premium wet. The big deal is if your cat does have crystals, a prescription food may be the one best way to treat it - and just money wise, the food will be way cheaper than treating a blocked cat - assuming you can get him into surgery fast enough to save his life.

But, I suggest talking with the vet about all this - most vets are well aware that people have financial constraints and they'll work to find the best way possible to keep your pet healthy. I'd even take a a can or bag of your current food in for the vet to look at. Even though most vets are not certified nutritionists themselves, they are well trained in treating illnesses - and a lot of times diet is a big part of the treatment.

And right now you're still in the diagnostic stage - believe me, my wallet hurt a bit with Dante - even a minor visit to the E-vet is not fun. I really hope the vet can find something quickly and get it treated successfully.

The Hills Prescription is probably less than the TOTW. I have four cats, one is on Hill's prescription c/d and it's the least expensive food in the house.

I'm glad your vet is taking a proactive stance and keeping him in for proper testing and medicating. It's not clear to me why FeLV/FIV testing has not been recommended to you by your vet. Really, it should be the FIRST thing a vet tests for. At my vet the SNAP FeLV/FIV/Heartworm test is $34.

Herpes eyes can cause the kind of come and go URI symptoms you are seeing, that also is an easy test, and can be controlled (not cured) with the l-lysine supplement.

I am assuming your other cat is up to date on vaccinations, right?

Welcome (back) to TCS, and please do keep us updated on your Louie.

Originally Posted by otto

The Hills Prescription is probably less than the TOTW.

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It's not. A 5lb bag of TOTW is around $9-10, a 4lb bag of C/D is around $15. 15lb bag of TOTW costs me $23, 17lb bag of C/D is $47.

I've not seen the 7lb bags of C/D before.

Yes, both kitties could eat it provided that there's no issue with the ingredients. I can't feed it to all of my cats because it would cause vomiting in two and diarrhea in another. (they've sneaked into Sherman's dish, so I already know the outcome)


But if you have to use a urinary food, there's nothing you can do about it. Expensive food is better than more vet bills or a dead cat.

I'm really kind of irked right now, so if this seems venty I'm really sorry.

The vet called today to let me know how Louie Bob was doing. He said that he has been using the box there fine and his been his normal lovey self. (this is the cat who gets to the vet and jumps from table to table rubbing and rolling all over to be loved). He said that he doesn't think it's crystals but he should still be on a urinary health diet due to them being male cats.

He said he's not really sure WHAT is up with him... But he wanted to keep him tonight as his stool is still not as firm as he'd like it to be and he wants to see if he can get it firmer before I pick him up tomorrow... I really feel like the vet doesn't have a clue what is wrong and is sort of milking me at this point. Though this is the vet that I like and trust, I feel like he has hit a dead end and doesn't really know.


Thanks for all the information, Darlili. I really appreciate it. Glad you mentioned the fountain - funny thing is that they drink regularly out of our betta fish bowl. The fish comes right up to them and they don't bother him but they do drink out of there quite frequently but I will definitely look into some sort of fountain.

Otto, I asked the vet about FIV/FeLv testing. He said that at this point he doesn't see the reason to but in his next sentence he says he could pile a room with cats that didn't look like they were positive but were. We have had a FeLv + cat and so I know that they do not look like anything is wrong until the very end most of the time. He said that I could come back at a later date and have a tech test him since I told him if he did not really think it was needed at this time that I didn't have another $40 on top of all of the vet visits this week and that Louie Bob needs to be neutered ASAP.

My other cat is UTD on vaccines, btw.

And, for what it's worth TOTW costs me about $23 for 22lbs. But I am a firm believer in a good food keeps the vet away... So if they need a special diet than so be it, I think keeping them healthy will cost less than all these vet bills!


If the peeing on the rug and the few stool accidents outside of the litterbox is not due to crystals, does anyone have any idea what it could be and how to fix it? I thought hormones, but he seems so young still... I'm at a loss, really.

Originally Posted by Bex__

If the peeing on the rug and the few stool accidents outside of the litterbox is not due to crystals, does anyone have any idea what it could be and how to fix it? I thought hormones, but he seems so young still... I'm at a loss, really.

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It could be any sort of pain or a litter issue. Cats are odd sometimes in how they manifest their behaviors. If there has been an ongoing issue with soft stools (or even off and on) that could be it.

And sometimes it's like that with an animal. They can't tell you what's wrong so the vet has to use what they can observe, tests, and follow hunches.


Where are you finding 22lb bags of TOTW? I've only seen them up to 15lbs online and at Tractor Supply.

The soft stool is been about a week now back and forth. I'm hoping tomorrow he comes home and there are no more problems.

Woops, just saw that typo on the cat food! I meant 15lbs for $23, sorry about that. We buy it at Tractor Supply. I wish I could find a bigger bag of it somewhere, but haven't been able to.

What do you mean the vet "doesn't think" it's crystals? It's not a case for opinion; a urine culture is done and he either has them or he doesn't.

I still find it odd that a vet doesn't recommend testing a cat with an unknown history for FeLV/FIV. I would insist on it.

You might want to look into another vet clinic.

Thank for the info on TOTW prices, strange wings, I didn't know it was so inexpensive, not having ever fed it. As you may know my Mazy cat is on Hill's prescription c/d it's $28 for an 8 pound bag (they don't make the 10 pound bags now, only 4#, 8# and the larger one, not sure what it is).

I pay $21 for a 4 lb bag of Innova cat/kitten kibble (for snacks, my other cats are on canned diets, which cost WAY more than the c/d kibble! )

Originally Posted by Bex__

Woops, just saw that typo on the cat food! I meant 15lbs for $23, sorry about that. We buy it at Tractor Supply. I wish I could find a bigger bag of it somewhere, but haven't been able to.

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You had my hopes up for a minute. I don't think any of the premium foods really make anything larger. Cheap foods come in 18-22lb bags for cat food. And dog food can go up to 80lbs. I just wish I could find something in the middle... like 30lbs for cats but that would mean charging less per lb - I think the manufacturers like to keep the price up on the premium cat foods because of the meat content (which can be lower in dog food).

I think the largest C/D is 17lbs, I have a bag in that size.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cheap foods come in 18-22lb bags for cat food. And dog food can go up to 80lbs.

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The farm store has cheap junk cat food in a 40-pound bag. I mean really cheap junk---I won't even feed it to my ferals, not even in a pinch. It's not really much cheaper per-pound than Cat Chow from Sam's Club anyway. I've never seen an 80-pound bag of dog food....I think the largest I've seen is 55 pounds.

But yeah. I definitely wish they sold larger bags of cat food. It would be a lot more convenient.

Originally Posted by Willowy

I've never seen an 80-pound bag of dog food....I think the largest I've seen is 55 pounds.

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I can't remember what kind it was - it was something my DH work was letting them take home free. (we don't have any dogs, so we'll give extra food to family).

Could you imagine what 50 or more pounds would cost at or near $2 per pound? If you had a lot of cats it would be worth it, but I think we'd all cringe at a $100 bag of food.

In any case, that puts trying a $15 bag of C/D in perspective if the OP thinks about it.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Could you imagine what 50 or more pounds would cost at or near $2 per pound? If you had a lot of cats it would be worth it, but I think we'd all cringe at a $100 bag of food.

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Not only would I cringe at a $100 bag of cat food, I would have a really hard time trying to figure out where to put it.


Louie Bob is home from the vet today! He was so hyper when I picked him up, I think he thought we had abandoned him like his old (foster) "family". Him and Keebler have been glued to each other since we got home, lots of licking, playing, cuddling..

The vet isn't sure what is up, really. I'm not sure why a urine analysis was not done, I told the vet to do whatever it took to find out what was going on with Louie, just to please call me before any large things were done and keep me UTD on him. The way it seems was that he wanted to monitor his output and that's why they kept him and when he was using the box there he saw no reason to do a urine check.

It is frustrating really, but I can tell the vet feels badly that he hasn't been able to give me a farther answer. Louie seems a lot more like himself today but if he continues to have runny stool or pee on the rugs I will take him back to the vet and if they can't take it any farther I will take him to another. I also plan to take him back to the vet with my husband's next paycheck and have him FIV/FeLV tested.

This is the vet that treated a puppy we had adopted who had parvo and even though everyone said to put her to sleep & the other local vet said he could not and would not help her, we knew she would make it and he did wonderful things for her and she lived... Which is why I adore this vet so much and would really like to stay with him.

He also did not charge me very much at all. Louie got 2 shots (antibiotics) while he was there this weekend and the vet only charged me for 1, he also only charged me for boarding for 1 day instead of two, as well as did not charge me the $28 recheck fee. He did not charge me anything for checking Keebler, either. So my bill today was $34 versus the $100+ it could of been. I was shocked!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Could you imagine what 50 or more pounds would cost at or near $2 per pound? If you had a lot of cats it would be worth it, but I think we'd all cringe at a $100 bag of food.

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Ah, well, it costs me $100 every time I go to the feed store anyway, it doesn't make much difference if it's in 1 bag or 5 bags, LOL! I don't like carrying 55-pound bags anyway. 35-40 pounds is much more manageable. But I doubt there's much of a market for huge bags of cat food. Most cat owners have 1-3 cats, more than 20 pounds would go stale before they could use it up.

Glad to hear they couldn't find anything glaringly wrong with Louie. Hope the mystery is solved soon!

Originally Posted by Willowy

Ah, well, it costs me $100 every time I go to the feed store anyway,

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I am so glad to hear that we're not the only one who spends this much in feed... LOL. My husband raises poultry and we spend about $130 every month in feed.