Ragdoll kitten STILL has loose stool.. need advice

My kitten is getting closer and closer to adulthood- almost 8 mo. I really need to get him neutered! He's been to the vet twice for his loose stool. He has taken Albon for coccidia and Strongid for worms. I brought him to a different place each time and they both looked at his stool. Both said they didn't find anything. Every time I see him defecate, it's loose to some varying degree. Sometimes it's liquid and sometimes it starts firm and turns softer as it comes out.This has been going on for about 5 months now.

He is a healthy weight and eats well. I switched his food twice to higher quality foods and nothing changed. I'm about to start him on a boiled chicken diet before I bring him to the vet yet again. 

I need some advice from anyone who has gone through this process or knows about it. Does this sound like a food sensitivity? I've been told that tritrichomonas foetus is common in purebred cats, but the breeder said he hasn't seen it in his cats before. He also told me that I should treat the kitten with liquid Panacur and an antibiotic. If my kitten was already on Strongid, is the Panacur worth it if they didn't find anything under the microscope? I'm thinking not, but it does treat the remainder of parasites that it could be. Also, if he seems healthy, would it not be okay for him to be neutered? I know he'll need a pre-neutering checkup so I'll find out anyway. 

I've been having a hard time trusting the vet to get down to the real problem. Thank you so much for reading. Any comments, concerns, and questions are welcome and encouraged.

I don't know if this will help but I had a similar problem with one of my cats. I brought her home from a shelter. I tried the same brand food that she had there and diarrhea developed. I called the shelter and they said to just give her time....it was from nerves. I then tried a different brand of cat food and after a few days, the diarrhea was gone. I do believe that any cat can have a reaction to a certain brand of food. Have you tried different brands??

felinemama said:

 I do believe that any cat can have a reaction to a certain brand of food. Have you tried different brands??

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Yes, he has been on three different brands of food. Professional dry kitten, Iams dry and wet kitten, and is now on Purina Pro Plan dry chicken and rice. Unfortunately none of these have changed his inconsistent stools even though he was slowly introduced and on them for months each. Thank you for your input.

Has his stool been checked for Tritrichomonas foetus?

http://fabcats.org/breeders/infosheets/tritrichomonas.html

What are you feeding him?  Have you talked to the vet about a Rx food?  We were trying to feed Tumbles a grain free diet when he was a kitten and it turned out to be too rich for him, so the vet put him on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal HE and he's been perfect ever since.  He was about 8 mos old when we went through the cycle of loose poops/meds/loose poops.  Now we feed him grain free wet and a combo of 50-50 grain free dry and the Rx food and he does great!

Try a high quality protein, low carb, grain free food. Grains have a habit of doing this, they are pure sugar.

OrientalSlave said:

Has his stool been checked for Tritrichomonas foetus?

http://fabcats.org/breeders/infosheets/tritrichomonas.html

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It has not been tested for this. I know there are two different tests for it and am unsure if I can afford the PCR test. It is supposedly expensive but far more accurate. I am trying to swap his diet before I can conclude he has some other issue and ask the vet to test for this. Also, as I stated in my first post, the breeder said he has not seen T foetus in his cats before.

stephanietx said:

What are you feeding him?  Have you talked to the vet about a Rx food?  We were trying to feed Tumbles a grain free diet when he was a kitten and it turned out to be too rich for him, so the vet put him on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal HE and he's been perfect ever since.  He was about 8 mos old when we went through the cycle of loose poops/meds/loose poops.  Now we feed him grain free wet and a combo of 50-50 grain free dry and the Rx food and he does great!

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finnlacey said:

Try a high quality protein, low carb, grain free food. Grains have a habit of doing this, they are pure sugar.

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I have not yet been able to talk to the vet about an Rx diet. They just assumed it was a parasite or infection so far. I have heard good things about a grain-free diet. I have him on a protein diet for now- about 2 parts cooked chicken breast and 1 part tuna. I will start giving him some plain yogurt for probiotics. It appears to be working because his latest poop was very firm and darker so I am feeling relieved. I am guessing he's been having some sensitivities to the food or had some bad bacteria feeding on the sugars/carbs. Hopefully the grain free food will produce the same results as your kitty, stephanietx. 

Thank you so much for the feedback guys! 

I would be careful about using too much fish as it contains a lot of mercury and toxins. And also, he'll need his vitamins like taurine. An Rx diet unfortunately is not grain free at all. But there are tons of very good grain free foods out there! It works for a lot of kitties, it's a start and eliminates a lot of the issues.

Has he been tested for Giardia? I would have that checked before switching foods again and all of that. It is not detected in a standard fecal test.

finnlacey said:

I would be careful about using too much fish as it contains a lot of mercury and toxins. And also, he'll need his vitamins like taurine. An Rx diet unfortunately is not grain free at all. But there are tons of very good grain free foods out there! It works for a lot of kitties, it's a start and eliminates a lot of the issues.

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Yeah he won't be getting tuna in his food for much longer anyway- I am aware of the bad side effects of a tuna diet. This protein-only feeding is temporary to help firm up his stools and help his digestion become more regular if the cause was sensitivity to something in typical cat food. I will ask the vet whether or not he should go on an Rx food or grain-free. Thank you.

AlleyGirl said:

Has he been tested for Giardia? I would have that checked before switching foods again and all of that. It is not detected in a standard fecal test.

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I have read that Giardia is visible with a regular compound microscope, which is how they "test" the fecal sample. I did see that there are other tests to determine its presence in the intestines so it is still possible that he has it. I've been seeing some good results from the new chicken diet though so I will have to keep an eye out. I appreciate the advice!

Just know that not all vets are supportive of a grain free diet instead of an Rx diet. And sometimes an Rx diet does work but I always suggest trying the grain free one first because it's healthier for them. A lot of vets are indeed coming around to the grain free diets though, it's taken quite a few years.