Diarrhea and Hair loss

Hello there cat owners

I would like to know what should I do to get rid of my cat's diarrhea problem? shes had it for weeks now. I gave her the medicine that the vet told me about but its not working. It went for a bit but then now her poop is all runny again.

Ive been giving her boiled potatoes mixed with other cat food since i heard its good to stop dirrhea

The other problem Im facing with my cat is hair loss. Her hair is falling and flying everywhere more than she was younger. Is that natural? I give her vitamins. Do cats lose more hair as they grow? Is there anyway to minimize it?

Note:

I brush her hair on daily basis

Hi there! Sorry to hear about your kitty's problems. There are several ways to treat diarrhea in cats, but the most important this finding out WHY she is having diarrhea. Has she had a fecal exam and blood work done? How old is your kitty and what does she eat?

As to the hair loss, are there patches of hair missing where you can see her skin without separating the fur? Does she scratch a lot?

No no checks done. I did take her to the vet. He just gave me medicine.

shes 4 months and half.

She eats cat food..canned one or dry cat food. but thats only sometimes.

I cook for her boiled vegies and put peices of boiled chicken with it.

Sometimes rice with chicken or meat.

I try to avoid giving her tuna and fish. She only had tuna and fish twice or three times ever since i got her.

About the hair loss 

No there are no patches. Her hair is thick everywhere. But just the hair is flrying everywhere and when I carry her the hair is all over my clothes..that used to never happen when I first got her.

It drives me crazy with her hair gets into my mouth and its impossible to spot out that little white hair lost in my mouth but tickling my tounge argh.

I dunno if thats a season thing and whether itll go or stay forever?

she sometimes scratches under her chin and near her ears

I'm guessing he was checked for the usual causes of diarrhea...worms, guardia, etc.?  Did you actually take her to the vet, or just call, since your initial post says you gave her the medicine the vet "told you about"?  First, I would call the Vet back and tell them the medicine is NOT working.  What was it, by the way?

Next, potatoes, as far as I know, do Not help diarrhea in cats.  I have never heard that.  Now rice, on the other hand, can be helpful for diarrhea.  Here is what I would do:

Give her a really easy-to-digest food: boil chicken with no spices or herbs added, and make some white rice. Give her meals of shredded chicken in the boiled chicken water broth (no bone!) with some white rice mixed in. This is not a balanced diet, but for 3 days to a week, it may help settle her tummy until the vet can get her on the proper meds.

I'd also get her on a good human probiotic - an acidophilus supplement. If you can get to a health food store, just ask someone there for the best human probiotic they have.  Mix one capsule into her food once a day.  AND, if your Vet ends up prescribing an antibiotic for your furbaby, just be sure to give the probiotic and antibiotic at different times, at least a few hours apart

BTW, cats do not need vegetables in their diet.  Normally they don't need any grains either, but when they have diarrhea, rice can be helpful.  All that being said, however, just plain meat is Not nutritionally balanced either .  because it is lacking in taurine, calcium, etc.  Several of us on TCS feed our cats raw, which is what cats in the wild would eat (think tigers, lions, cheetahs )  If you want to learn more about that, check out the Raw Forum under Nutrition.

that your furbaby gets rid of her diarrhea quickly

Oh, I forgot to address the hair loss.  I'm thinking that her diet may be causing some of that, simply because it sounds like she isn't getting a complete and balanced diet.  I know she is getting canned and kibble SOME of the time, and that's good, but when you are boiling up vegies and putting in pieces of chicken or meat in with it, since that's not a balanced diet, it's not helping her .  It IS the beginning of shedding season too, so that's adding to the mix, even though you are brushing her every day.

Ditto on the probiotic. I'm a big fan of an good multi-strain probiotic for overall intestinal health in cats. I, too, think she really needs to be checked for the things that commonly cause diarrhea. If there is something specific causing the diarrhea, then an anti-diarrheal medicine will only temporarily mask it.

I have a short-haired buff-colored cat who sheds significantly more than my other two. He's been this way all his life, and it may have something to do with his genetics/breed. My long-haired cat hardly sheds at all, ironically enough.
 

My cat was having the same problem when I brought her home from the shelter. The vet and other cat owners recommended canned pumpkin. It worked, but not well enough because Effie's diarrhea was so severe. The Vet then prescribed a higher fiber food. She prescribed Royal Canin Satiety Support. She loves it, but it's expensive. I know there are cheaper brands out there. But it works so I don't want to switch. I also do give her probiotics everyday. They really help. I highly recommend it. It's about $22 a month and I get it autoshipped so I don't have to think about it. 

As for the hair loss, my cat was losing hair on her tummy too. She does have feline herpes and the vet seems to think it was the result of a lowered immune system and/or allergies. She recommended lysine and it worked. Her hair is growing back. She also said my cat was "easily stressed" and the health problems are a result of that.