Food suggestions for senior cat with digestive issues - otherwise fully healthy per vet tests

Hi all,

This is my first post on these forums, so I hope someone could help me out.

I rescued my cat from some neighbors who were neglecting him a number of years ago, so I don't know his actual age.  I believe it is around 15 years.  I switched him to Natural Balance LID chicken/pea dry food a couple of years ago and never had any issues until last year when he got a urinary tract problem.  The vet put him on clavamox for 2 weeks and I switched his diet to the canned version of LID.  Ever since then he has has loose stools.  Vet suggested Fortiflora which seemed to help a bit, but were still a bit loose.  

A couple of weeks ago, he developed a respiratory issue which was tested as mycoplasma and they put him on doxycycline for 2 weeks.  After finishing up his last pill, his stools became really watery.  I tried switching his food to Soulistic Chicken which does not have any guar gum or carrageenan, but didn't seem to help.  Tried Fortiflora again, but didn't seem to help, so vet prescribed metronidazole and Hill's I/D which seems to be working.  I'm still giving him the Fortiflora too.

My main question is:  What type of food should i be looking at for my kitty?  Are there any other bland food diets out there that don't require a prescription?  He is not a picky eater other than he will not eat any dry food anymore.  

Thanks for any help and suggestions!

First of all, welcome to TCS! And aren't you a love for rescuing this boy!!!! :heart2:

It sounds to me like what's happened is the antibiotics wiped out the friendly flora in his gut. :nod: The Fortiflora is a pet probiotic, yes, and some people have used it with good results. BUT... ( ) .... most "pet" probiotics don't have very many colony forming units (CFUs), and what CFUs there are, are dead (fermentation product). Fortiflora additionally has some ingredients that aren't very healthy, and for a kitty with GI trouble can cause enough problem that if offsets the benefit.

I had a rescue kitty with diarrhea, and the Fortiflora made it much worse, poor boy. We found a holistic vet, and she recommended we use a human probiotic, one with at least 10 billion CFU, and told us to look for "the best acidophilus supplement we could find." So we went to the health food store, asked for their best acidophilus supplement, and this is what we came home with:
This really helped.

And smart kitty for not wanting kibble! This is actually best for him. If you'd like to understand why, this is a great place to start, and it's written by a vet: http://www.catinfo.org

So something like that (or that!) is a good place to start. The use of a probiotic can really help any kitty: it keeps the healthy gut flora... healthy, and thus boosts their overall immune system function. If he's still on the metro, just make sure to give it at least two hours before or after the probiotic (as with any antibiotic, they should not be given at the same time).

The Soulistic is actually quite a good food. But other foods to consider would be By Nature organics. These also have no carrageenan. Another food to consider is Nature's Variety Instinct. I know they don't have carrageenan, but I'm not sure about the guar gum. I do know that the By Nature organics and Nature's Variety Instinct canned foods are high protein, low carb, which is just what kitties need.

I'm sure others will chime in with other suggestions.

I'll also see if I can find the thread where foods without carrageenan were identified (though you'd have to look at the foods to see if there's guar gum).

Found a thread that consolidates all of the information! :lol3: The person who started the thread was looking for a low phosphorus canned food, but wound up looking for a low phosphorus canned food without carrageenan: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240614/help-me-find-a-low-phosphorus-canned-food

Hope this helps! :cross:

Thank you very much for the advice about the probiotics.  I was wondering why it didn't seem to be working for Moose, but now that you told me that it can cause more issues I will look for some human stuff the next time I'm at the store.  Luckily the Metro seems to be finally kicking in.  His stool is actually formed again!

When I do try and transition him back to his normal food, how much of his regular food should I be mixing into his prescription food?  Like a tablespoon a day?

Also, is it a good idea to give him probiotics every day or just when needed?

Thanks again for all of your help!

I think the tablespoon a day sounds like a good plan. :nod:

As to the probiotics... that's a matter of opinion, really. I give my cats probiotics daily, and DH and I take them daily. In the wild, they'd get a dose of probiotics with every meal, as they eat the entire prey, and that would include the gut flora. But many people use them only as needed.

Given that our GI system is really the largest part of our immune system, I personally think GI health is imperative, and I believe that daily probiotics helps boost immune system function. :rub:

I just wanted to post an update on Moose...

I started to give him some probiotics which seems to be helping with his loose stools.  They actually looked fairly normal this morning and I praised him for it!  

I've also begun the transition from his icky Hill's prescription diet to raw using Rad Cat and he LOVES it!  I've started with about a tablespoon per meal, but probably will have him fully converted by this weekend or early next week unless he decides to have a relapse.

One question about the raw though.  I am going to feed him only foods that are without added veggies and such and was wondering if I have to do a transition between different brands but the same protein?  Like if I wanted to feed him both Rad Cat Chicken and S & C freeze-dried chicken?

Thanks again for your help!

Oh that's great news! SO glad he's feeling better! Good job, meowmy!

...as to the transition question, especially with a kitty with a sensitive tummy, it's always best to go slowly with any new food. I'd just play it safe, and introduce a new brand, even if the same protein, gradually. :nod: