Can antibiotics cause constipation?

homemommy

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We just had a nightmare of a Christmas. I wanted a kitten for Christmas so we went down to the local shelter to pick out a kitten. We chose a little boy kitten and after we signed all the papers and were putting him in the carrier, the lady at the shelter said, "Oh, I am so glad he is getting a good home after being brought back. He is lonesome and having diarrhea. He hasn't been playing or grooming himself." That should have sent red flags up, but I just thought he needed love. We brought him home the Sunday before Christmas. He came home and sat next to the heater in the living room. By that night, he was throwing up and having watery, sick-smelling diarrhea that just poured from his bottom. I took him to the vet the next day and they said he had roundworms. They treated him for worms and gave him an injection for diarrhea. He just got worse and worse. He just sat. Never played, never groomed himself. He only moved when he went to the litter box.

I also committed the cardinal sin of letting my other cat around him. I didn't set him up a room to himself, (BIG MISTAKE) and two days later, my other cat, Azrael started throwing up and having the same diarrhea. I took her to the vet and her fecal smear was negative. They started her on Panacur, Albon and Flagyl, and Forti-Flora to put the good bacteria in her system. They said whatever she has had nothing to do with worms. She has been on antibiotics for 6 days now and she hasn't pooped for 2 days now. What should I do? She is acting fine, hasn't thrown up for 5 days.

BTW---I called the shelter after 5 days of him being sick and they sent him to their vet. The vet suggested I give him back. I cried all day but I knew it was the right thing to do. They are not sure what is going on with him and he is still in the hospital. When we brought him home, he weighed 2 lbs 7 oz, in 5 days, he lost over a 1/2 lb. Poor little guy.
 

gardenandcats

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I would give your vet a call and see what he thinks about your cat not pooping for 2 days.The Flagly might have stopped his diareah as thats what it is supposed to do .To be safe give your vet a call.. Poor little kitten I hope they can get him fixed up. I;m sure you did the right thing in bringing him back even though it was hard for you to do..
 

stephanietx

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Antibiotics can cause both constipation or diarrhea, just like in humans. Is Azrael eating wet food? If not, adding wet food will help get things moving as will adding about a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to her diet. If you use pumpkin, get the plain kind, not pumpkin pie filling.

As for the other guy that you returned, sounds like the little one had giardia or some other type of parasite. I can't believe they'd adopt him out knowing he was sick!
 
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homemommy

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I don't think I've ever been this excited over poop!! Right after i called the vet about Azrael's diarrhea, she had the biggest poop ever and it was normal as normal can be!! Yipee!!! She is acting like herself again. Eating and drinking like normal.


About the kitten: I called the shelter and they said he was still in the hospital and wasn't doing so good.
but they didn't have specifics.)

So, I called the hospital, for the third time, and the girl who answered said "Let me check" and came back and said, "We are treating him." I asked "For what?" She said she didn't know. I asked her who it was that she asked about his condition. She said, " One of the staff". I said, "Look, I need to know what he had because I had a sick cat and would like to know what is going on." She said, "Take your cat to the vet." I said, "I did and she is on three anitbiotics and they are treating every thing under the sun." She said, " I can't tell you anything." I said. "I'll call back tomorrow."

Grrr. Why do they have to be so hateful?
 
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