Probiotics?

So I had a crisis with my barely 4 year old, black and tan, delight of my life tabby cat due to a urinary blockage. Rushed her to the Emerg. vet 2/27, she had surgery 2/28 to remove about 6 stones the size of peas or small rocks, and many more smaller stones. Peanut is doing just beautiful. Rainbows and sunshine. Incision is healing well, no more pee issues.

Buuuuuut ... isn't there always a but? Relating to cat butts! Peanut's digestion is messed up, from the antibiotics probably. She's on Zeniquin. As I understand it, it's kitty cat Cipro, or in the same class of drugs anyway. (Those humans with recurring kidney/UTI's know about Cipro, lol)

Pretty strong stuff there! She surprised me with some mud-pies in her litter box last night and today. One semi-solid from either yesterday morning or the night before. It doesn't look like "diarrhea", just poos that never fully firmed up.

With that said, any suggestions? Leave it alone to err away from over-treating? I have never had the need to consider probiotics for the furry kids. I hesitate to start something on an already frail kitty that I've never given a test-run on them. I know the probiotics help the issue in humans, not to give TMI

Oh! Believe me truly - if your frail cat is on antibiotics, the probiotics will absolutely help to make her feel better!

Whenever my cats have had to go on antibiotics, I have always given them probiotics as well! It doesnt' mess with the antibiotics, just protects the cat's immunite system.

Has your cat, or did they give your beloved cat have an "anal expression" while at the vet? This is a very inexpensive procedure that can be done in minutes. It's painful for a short time that they are doing it for the cat, but they feel sooooooo much better afterwords, and you will notice a big difference in the poo, too.

Sometimes it comes out thinner like that because the anal sacs are packed and haven't been pushed out. For a cat with no anal sac issues, the regular poo will push out all that's in those sacs. For some cats, it gets stuck in there and can be painful and many cats "scoot" because their anal sacs need to be "expressed". (They push up and out on the anal sacs and the putrid smelling packed sacs are emptied). It's not generally a part of a normal check up, so you have to ask. They suggested it with 2 of my cats and *Bam!* Fuzz was packed, and poor Graciela they said had about 3 years worth stuck in there. I hadn't known about this procedure before then.

Also, it's only about $16 - $20.00 to have it done (here in Central Coast of California, anyways). It is painful for them to have, the procedure to get the junk out is painful, but then... ***bliss***.

Unless a vet recommends otherwise, depending on the cat's situation, I've always used probiotics and no vet has ever told me not to.

Warmly,

Julie O'

Originally Posted by cazlee

So I had a crisis with my barely 4 year old, black and tan, delight of my life tabby cat due to a urinary blockage. Rushed her to the Emerg. vet 2/27, she had surgery 2/28 to remove about 6 stones the size of peas or small rocks, and many more smaller stones. Peanut is doing just beautiful. Rainbows and sunshine. Incision is healing well, no more pee issues.

Buuuuuut ... isn't there always a but? Relating to cat butts! Peanut's digestion is messed up, from the antibiotics probably. She's on Zeniquin. As I understand it, it's kitty cat Cipro, or in the same class of drugs anyway. (Those humans with recurring kidney/UTI's know about Cipro, lol)

Pretty strong stuff there! She surprised me with some mud-pies in her litter box last night and today. One semi-solid from either yesterday morning or the night before. It doesn't look like "diarrhea", just poos that never fully firmed up.

With that said, any suggestions? Leave it alone to err away from over-treating? I have never had the need to consider probiotics for the furry kids. I hesitate to start something on an already frail kitty that I've never given a test-run on them. I know the probiotics help the issue in humans, not to give TMI

Click to expand...

Absolutely!! This is the one both my vets recommended for my cat Bugsy: Proviable-DC. It is very very strong... Good stuff. They sell at the vet's office too, but it is $80 at the vet's so I but it online for less than 1/2

With re: glands - Any time I drop them off e.g. dental cleanings, I always specifically request that they check the glands and express if possible. They usually go in twice a year, earlier in the year for routine shots/check up, then later in the year for cleanings.

Thanks for the reassurance on probiotics.

Btw I re-read my post and should clarify, her poo's aren't stinky, I meant the antibiotics are strong! oops.

Yeah, I was never told or taught about the anal glands and how they can get clogged! I, too, will be asking every single time I go to the vet to check the anal glands and definitely have them expressed. I mean, my one girl they said must have been clogged for, like, 3 years! It was the most they'd ever seen.

Glad to hear somebody (probably everyone but me, lol) had known about it!

You're a great cat-maw!

Warmly,

Julie O'

Originally Posted by cazlee

With re: glands - Any time I drop them off e.g. dental cleanings, I always specifically request that they check the glands and express if possible. They usually go in twice a year, earlier in the year for routine shots/check up, then later in the year for cleanings.

Thanks for the reassurance on probiotics.

Btw I re-read my post and should clarify, her poo's aren't stinky, I meant the antibiotics are strong! oops.

Click to expand...

My understanding is that probiotics can affect the antibiotics. They should be given several hours after and several hours before any antibiotics are administered.

I'm not familiar with the probiotcs Carolina uses, but with all the issues her kitties have had, she knows her stuff. Some use Fortiflora, and that's what our vet recommends for probiotics when kitties GI systems are being affected by antibiotics. But our experience with it is that it's made things worse. I purchase an acidophilus/bifidus combo from the health food store, and started by sprinking 1/2 a capsule onto kitty's wet food (they eat it right up!), and increase as needed.

I do the same thing, 1/2 capsule sprinkled on the food. I just get the people probiotics at the grocery store. I usually keep Pipsqueak on the light probiotic often, it has help tremendously with his IBD issues, which are all gone now (KNOCK ON WOOD OR HEAD ). Glad your kitty is better after having those awful stones removed

I don't think there are any good studies on cats, but its probably safe to assume the same rules as people apply.

So as was mentioned its ok to take pro and antibiotics at the same time, but they should be spaced apart as much as possible.

You can't really overdose on probiotics, but if you give too much it can give people gas, and so the same likely applies to our feline friends. No other harm though other than waste of money.

You can go to the healthfood isle and pick up human acidophilus, and just get the weaker or childrens type and crush up half a capsule or so into wet food (should have no flavor), or what I had ordered online which cats seem to find tasty are the Purina Fortiflora Feline which would be good for a sick kitty who doesn't have much hunger drive due to the yummy flavoring. Some also add a teaspoon or so of canned pumpkin (not pie filling obviously) into wet to act as a fiber matrix to firm things up provided kitty doesn't mind the taste (mine seem to like it).