Switched older cat to wet food, now need help managing her diarrhea!

boarder-cat-mom

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I've been boarding a cat who's about 15 years old. She was fed Blue Wilderness duck but she's been throwing it up every day. undigested.  Poor thing lost 18 oz since I got her 11 months ago.  I tried other dry foods but she wouldn't touch them.

So, I brought home 10 types of canned food and she will eat one, and only one, kind.  It's Nutro senior soft pate chicken.  And she loves it!  But she's gone from being completely stopped up to the runs.  I'm thinking about: grinding up some of the dry food and mixing it in.  Or adding some white rice.  Any suggestions?

I travel a lot and so I am leaving this problem to a 9th grader to deal with starting on Sunday.  I need a quick fix.

Thanks so much for any ideas you can share!
 

2cats4me

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I've been boarding a cat who's about 15 years old. She was fed Blue Wilderness duck but she's been throwing it up every day. undigested.  Poor thing lost 18 oz since I got her 11 months ago.  I tried other dry foods but she wouldn't touch them.

So, I brought home 10 types of canned food and she will eat one, and only one, kind.  It's Nutro senior soft pate chicken.  And she loves it!  But she's gone from being completely stopped up to the runs.  I'm thinking about: grinding up some of the dry food and mixing it in.  Or adding some white rice.  Any suggestions?

I travel a lot and so I am leaving this problem to a 9th grader to deal with starting on Sunday.  I need a quick fix.

Thanks so much for any ideas you can share!
Pumpkin ( plain pumpkin not the pie filling kind ) works very well for diarrhea . Just start out with a very small amount mixed in the wet food ..  Here is some info I googled ..

Benefits of Pumpkin


Pumpkin is a gourd-like squash that is high in vitamin A, potassium and fiber. Yes, that's right: fiber -- but for loose stools? Despite fiber's stellar reputation to help ease constipation, the easily digestible fiber in plain, unsweetened canned pumpkin puree -- not pumpkin pie filling -- effectively treats feline diarrhea. That's because canned pumpkin contains a soluble fiber that helps to absorb excess water in the bowel, and consequently firms up your cat's stool.

How to Administer


Simply pick up a can of plain, puréed canned pumpkin at the grocery store. Pie filling and plain pureed pumpkin aren't the same: canned pumpkin pie filling contains sugar, which is not good for your cat. Add a teaspoon or tablespoon to your cat's food -- wet is best, but dry will work, too at each meal. Cats usually love the taste, but if your cat refuses, squash also works.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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If she wont eat the food with the pumpkin, you can also try what is detailed in the 2nd post of this thread, just keep using the food she likes rather than the food discussed in the post:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/262749/chronic-diarrhea-and-peeing-pooping-outside-the-box#post_3388185

Adding white rice does sometimes help, although normally we suggest cooking up a boneless chicken breast with no salt or spices or anything, then cooking the rice in the chicken broth, and feeding that chicken and rice mixture for a few days to give the intestines a break rather than simply adding rice to their food. 

Did you try Nutro's canned DUCK?  (I'm guessing you did, but it's possible whatever store you went to didn't have it).  It's very possible your old girl can't tolerate chicken. 
 
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boarder-cat-mom

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Thanks for the suggestions.  I did try the duck (because i picked up the wrong can one morning) and she wouldn't go near it.  That really surprised me since she had been eating the Blue Wilderness Duck for a long time.  As a vegetarian, it's hard to have meat in my house--the cans are bad enough. I hope I don't have to start cooking meat. I will try the pumpkin first, maybe mixed with ground dry food, then plain rice, then the magic potion if all else fails. Will report back if I'm successful.
 

lisahe

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If the cat won't eat the food with pumpkin mixed in, you could try either Soulistic's or Weruva's foods that have chicken with pumpkin. Soulistic has canned and pouch versions; Weruva's is a Cats in the Kitchen pouch. Our cats love all three versions and I swear one of them resolved one cat's diarrhea.

Good luck!
 

nightwriter

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Sorry if this diverts from OP's original question, but I have seen pumpkin recommended often for loose stools. I was just wondering if it 'fixes' the loose stool, or is something you need to give long term?
 

LTS3

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Sorry if this diverts from OP's original question, but I have seen pumpkin recommended often for loose stools. I was just wondering if it 'fixes' the loose stool, or is something you need to give long term?
Pumpkin (plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling) has fiber which firms up the stool. A trip to the vet is always recommended if your cat has loose stools just to rule out any underlying medical issue.
 
If the cat won't eat the food with pumpkin mixed in, you could try either Soulistic's or Weruva's foods that have chicken with pumpkin. Soulistic has canned and pouch versions; Weruva's is a Cats in the Kitchen pouch. Our cats love all three versions and I swear one of them resolved one cat's diarrhea.
Weruva alaso  makes a pouched pumpkin fiber supplement: http://www.weruva.com/pumpkin-patch-up.php
 

momto3cats

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Nutro also makes a soft loaf turkey variety. If she's sensitive to chicken, maybe the turkey would work better (if she'll eat it, of course).
 
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boarder-cat-mom

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Thanks all for your suggestions.  I will keep them for future "crises".  Kitty seems to have adjusted fairly well and is still willing to eat the chicken soft pate (spoiled kitty) but now is a bit stopped up.  A bit of Laxitone every couple days seems to help.  I had to remove the dry food since she was still nibbling and then throwing up.  Hard to get used to taking care of someone else's cat but she seems happy and purrs all the time.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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So she went from diarrhea on canned to stopped up?  She's definitely got some digestive issues, doesn't she?  Have you thought about adding some probiotics to her food?  Might help get her gut flora in shape!

I give all my cats probiotics every day, just like WE take them.  We all need happy gut flora
 

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Thanks all for your suggestions.  I will keep them for future "crises".  Kitty seems to have adjusted fairly well and is still willing to eat the chicken soft pate (spoiled kitty) but now is a bit stopped up.  A bit of Laxitone every couple days seems to help.  I had to remove the dry food since she was still nibbling and then throwing up.  Hard to get used to taking care of someone else's cat but she seems happy and purrs all the time.
My cats eat wet only and poop tiny amounts every other day!
 
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