Sulfasalazine

tabbysia

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Has anyone given their cat sulfasalazine for loose stools, and if so, how long did it take for it to start working?
 

katluver4life

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Sulfasalazine is primarily used to treat IBD or colitis. It is an anti inflammatory. Did your vet prescribe this? It is not usually given for simple loose stools.
 
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tabbysia

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It was prescribed by the vet as a last resort. This is the second time that she has prescribed it. He has always had loose stools, and diet change, Amforal, and Metronidozale have never worked. The only thing that has ever worked is the Sulfasalazine. When I gave it to him last time, the loose stools cleared up in about 3 days, after everything else had failed to work for months! His stools were loose again within a couple of weeks of being off the medication though. This time I have been giving the Sulfasalazine for about a week with no change yet.
 

irinasak

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I am currently giving to one of my cats Sulfasalazine but for colitis, not for loose stools.

When one of the other cats had chronic loose stools he had Florentero probiotic and Entero Chronic. He had to have them for 2 months I think, but it cleared up eventually. He was also mostly fed with Royal Canin gastro intestinal wet and dry, but as he appears to love food more than anything, he stole other foods, without severe consequences on his stool.

What are you feeding him?

Do you know what is the underlying cause of his loose stools?
 
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tabbysia

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I didn't mention before that he was on probiotics for a few months too. They didn't really seem to help. I'm not sure what the probiotic was called. I was feeding him Royal Canin Gastrointestinal and then Hill's W/D for a while. Neither food seemed to work, and both foods made my other cat vomit. I am currently feeding him Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Fish and Potato Formula. The vet suggested the Blue Buffalo and told me to keep feeding it to him. I'm not sure what the underlying cause is yet. The vet has suggested Irritable Bowel Disease as a possibility. I have another appointment scheduled for him in a few days.
 

irinasak

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I am sorry to hear about his problems and the lack of response to the treatments.

I hope some more experienced members with IBD (or IBD-like symptoms) and who tried elimination diets can share their experiences with you.

The only two things that come to mind are:

1. Is Blue Buffalo wet or dry? I am asking because dry foods are more likely to upset the GI than wet foods (I found Kattovit limited ingredient wet food worked for Harley, I am sure there are plenty similar foods available).

2. maybe you can research something like Entero Chronic and dygestive enzymes.

Regarding the Sulfasalazine, I am not sure how that could help normalize the stool. I mean, it is recommended for colitis, and one of the symptoms in colitis is loose stool, but not always. I don't remember reading anything about that on the prospect. However, I did read that one of the side effects is lack of appetite, and my cat has had this side effect.
 

katluver4life

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It does sound like IBD. I hope your vet can get you a more definitive diagnosis. This website may help you in the mean time. http://ibdkitties.net/

Have you tried giving him pumpkin? Has to be pure pumpkin, not pie filling. This has often fixed loose stools.
 
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tabbysia

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I haven't given him pumpkin, but I have considered it. I'll have to ask the vet and make sure it is okay first. When I was in Petsmart, I noticed that Simply Nourish has a couple if canned varieties that have pumpkin in them. He doesn't eat canned though (he likes canned but vet said no), and I have never tried this brand.
 
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tabbysia

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She said to canned because I just started him on this new food, and she wants to see how he does on it before I try something else. She doesn't want to give him too many different kinds of food at once, so she can rule out any ingredients that could be causing problems, even though she had said several times that she doesn't think his diet is an issue. She is really stuck on Blue Buffalo Basics dry and thinks it is the way to go. I have been giving him just a little bit of canned in order to get the pills in him. I squish the pill in a little bit of food and feed him the little piece like a treat. He always cries for more but does still eat the dry. I asked her today if I increase the canned. She said that I could give him just a little bit of canned as a treat but not a lot and that he doesn't really need it.
 
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