Hobbes had diarrhea

calvin&i

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So yesterday he completed his 10 day course of azythromycin for URI and today he has diarrhea. Sorry for being graphic but his poop is brown and pretty soft - not watery, but not worked either. Being the digger he generally is, he did not cover the poop today.

There can be the following things I can think of:
1) coccidia - they found grade 1 7 days or so ago but he had no diarrhea and so the vet did not want to treat. I called the vet and they want me to wait and see if it's a one off thing and perhaps on Monday take a sample over, if things do not improve. This is provided Hobbes has NO other symptoms.

2) They've been on l-lysine 500mg for 10 days now. Is it too late to be sick from that?

3) 3 days ago I reintroduced dry food to their diet, since we had to stop dry food due to Calvin's tummy issues. They are on about 1/8-1/4 cup of Acana now. Hobbes does not eat much of that at all really. So could a little bit of new dry food cause it?

I really hope it's not stress - he seems to be pretty inquisitive and checking out the house. Calvin is chasing and wrestling him and he's mostly holding up on his own.
He's 7 months old and been with us for 11 days.
Thanks for any advice/ anyone weighing in.
 

feralvr

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Three things come to mind. One, I don't think it is because of the antibiotic, since he is done with that now and didn't have any upset while on it. But it would be a great idea to get him on a probiotic. You can use people probiotics in the capsule and just twist the capsule apart and pour one half capsule into the wet food. This will help regulate the healthy bacteria in the gut that the antibiotic has killed off.

Two, I would drop the dose of L-Lysine to a maintenance dose of 250 mg. per day now. the 500 mg. could be causing the start of loose poops for Hobbes.

And three, it definitely could be the new dry food. Even a little change can cause some loose stools in their diet. I would just add a few kibbles to the food and increase just slightly over the next week. BUT, first I would try the first two things and see if that clears up his loose stool. Just keep the Acana to a few kibble at the moment.

Also, with the coccidia, I would just bring that sample in on Monday and have it checked again according to your vet. Hope this helps, but if it gets really bad, the diarrhea, I would call the vet and he might need metronidazole. An intestinal antibiotic for severe diarrhea. My kittens all had to be on that and it cleared up the severe diarrhea immediately.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by Feralvr

Also, with the coccidia, I would just bring that sample in on Monday and have it checked again according to your vet. Hope this helps, but if it gets really bad, the diarrhea, I would call the vet and he might need metronidazole. An intestinal antibiotic for severe diarrhea. My kittens all had to be on that and it cleared up the severe diarrhea immediately.
Your kittens didn't have coccidia, though. Metro does not treat it and because it can cause serious (neurological) side effects and the possibility of causing resistance, it's not a drug to be used unnecessarily.
----

If you do decide to treat the coccidia, there are a few drugs to slow it down. But as I keep saying over and over again. You cannot cure it. You have to rely on the cats own immune system to handle it. This is likely part of the reason why the vet didn't wish to do anything after discovering it.

BTW, I haven't kept up with your intro thread. Are you using feliway diffusers in your home to help with stress?
 
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calvin&i

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Your kittens didn't have coccidia, though. Metro does not treat it and because it can cause serious (neurological) side effects and the possibility of causing resistance, it's not a drug to be used unnecessarily.
----

If you do decide to treat the coccidia, there are a few drugs to slow it down. But as I keep saying over and over again. You cannot cure it. You have to rely on the cats own immune system to handle it. This is likely part of the reason why the vet didn't wish to do anything after discovering it.

BTW, I haven't kept up with your intro thread. Are you using feliway diffusers in your home to help with stress?
Thanks for weighing in- it really is greatly appreciated!
i am familiar with metro since we had to give Calvin flagyl for diarrhea when we first got him. They thought it may be worms. Later they had to give him some panacur, too.

Yeah, its the reason why his vet did not want to treat Hobbes for coccidia initially, unless he had any symptoms since all you can do is treat symptoms.

Yes, we do have a feliway diffuser in Hobbes's room and I am using the spray for the rest of the house. I am wondering how potent feliway is, though. Can it be addictive? The reason I ask is that Hobbes is hiding under the bed in my bedroom now - which is on the 2nd floor and does not have feliway sprayed there. He was much braver on the main level and was playing. But for the last hour or so he's hiding in a non-feliway-ed room. Or maybe he's just tired and Calvin has not figured out where Hobbes is and searching at all the wrong places and so he's enjoying the quiet.
 

mrblanche

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

If you do decide to treat the coccidia, there are a few drugs to slow it down. But as I keep saying over and over again. You cannot cure it. You have to rely on the cats own immune system to handle it. This is likely part of the reason why the vet didn't wish to do anything after discovering it.
You can't cure it with any drug on-label for cats in the U.S. An important distinction, there.
 
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calvin&i

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Originally Posted by mrblanche

You can't cure it with any drug on-label for cats in the U.S. An important distinction, there.
Do vet's use it off label? I know for humans they often do that and many drugs are actually very commonly used off label. What about the drug for coccidia, though?
 

ldg

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I'd have to go hunting for the post, but I'm pretty sure what Mike is talking about is that there is a drug approved in Australia that actually treats the coccidia.
 
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calvin&i

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Originally Posted by LDG

I'd have to go hunting for the post, but I'm pretty sure what Mike is talking about is that there is a drug approved in Australia that actually treats the coccidia.
He did respond to my post about Hobbes having coccidia and gave the name. He said here they use it for chicken. But I am curious to know if the vets are comfortable prescribing it or do it routinely. Our vet is rather conservative, which I like, but then he may be one who will not prescribe it since he's old fashioned but other younger vets are routinely doing it. I just hope this resolves on its own and is rather due to the new food than coccidia.
 

strange_wings

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You may find that rural vets vs city vets are more likely to do it since they would actually know about and have the drug in the first place. (not many city vets see chickens...) But again, since it's off label there may be a very short list of vets that even use it. And since I assume all of us posting in this thread are in the US... you're not going to get it cured.
 
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calvin&i

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

You may find that rural vets vs city vets are more likely to do it since they would actually know about and have the drug in the first place. (not many city vets see chickens...) But again, since it's off label there may be a very short list of vets that even use it. And since I assume all of us posting in this thread are in the US... you're not going to get it cured.
Makes perfect sense. Plus I would not suggest/ want my vet to administer a medicine that is not commonly used off label and he/ she is not comfortable prescribing it. I was interested in knowing if it was used frequently to treat coccidia off label (as some allopathic human drugs are - they are used off label but nearly all physicians are comfortable prescribing them) and you have definitely answered my question. It would have been nice to be able to cure for their sake but since there are no major symptoms yet, I will not worry too much. I am giving both Calvin and Hobbes L-lysine and hope that will boost their immune system and keep any flare up at bay.
 

strange_wings

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I'm sorry you're stuck dealing with this.
Chronic issues a no fun and so very frustrating.
With luck you can keep this in check with excellent care and a good diet.


(Trying to type a post on my phone and suddenly getting a call really messed up my post lol )
 
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calvin&i

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@ strange_wings: We will try to prevent as best as we can future outbreaks but our special boy will need special care. And I totally get you about the phone: I can hardly do any multi tasking - hardly even know all the tasks.

@ LDG: he had the vomit/ hairball episode and was quiet in the morning. Decided to stay under our bed and did not habe their 12 noon meal - was untouched. I got him down at around 5:30 and he eat and seems ok. Played with DH. Except Calvin, who was sweet to him this morning and did not bother him, is all over him with ridged back, all fluffy tail. No poop since yesterday's bad poop. dropped l-lysine to 250mg.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by Calvin&I

@ strange_wings: We will try to prevent as best as we can future outbreaks but our special boy will need special care. And I totally get you about the phone: I can hardly do any multi tasking - hardly even know all the tasks.
No, I meant I was typing a post on my phone (cause my internet was out earlier) when it rang and the screen went to the call screen but for some reason it didn't lock the touch screen and it added some letters and posted for some reason.


Both kitties will need special care, actually, since your other cat will likely eventually pick it up. It may help to have more litter boxes than you need for two cats (5 instead of 3) and some side by side in their favorite places so as to spread out poops so they're less likely to step in each others poop.
With 7 cats of my own I can honestly tell you not having another one come in and step in another cat's soft stool before you get to it is very important... unless you like cleaning up poopy pawprints.
 

mrblanche

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Originally Posted by Calvin&I

He did respond to my post about Hobbes having coccidia and gave the name. He said here they use it for chicken. But I am curious to know if the vets are comfortable prescribing it or do it routinely. Our vet is rather conservative, which I like, but then he may be one who will not prescribe it since he's old fashioned but other younger vets are routinely doing it. I just hope this resolves on its own and is rather due to the new food than coccidia.
The drug is Baycox, made by Bayer. It's used in the US for chickens and other farm animals. It's used for cats in some other countries, Australia is just one.

We have a member from Australia here on TCS who has used it.
 
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