Gertrude the kitten has horrible gas!

darren7481

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This is an old pic, Morty is now all grown up:)
Gertrude is about 6 months old, I rescued her when she was about 4 months old. Ever since I've had her she has had awful stinky poots. She's been fixed, de-wormed & had all of her first shots. She's healthy & very active, she just smells really bad sometimes. Her poop's pretty much the same on the stink-level as my other Siamese-mix cats, it's firm & normal kitty poop. I just got her some goat's milk & Solid Gold Seameal today, can someone please give me some advice or tips? Bless Gertie's little heart, she's smellier than any dog! Help?
 

stephanietx

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I would have her checked again for parasites and tape worms.  It's very common for parasites to take more than one round of worm medication to be completely eradicated.  The most common indicator is gas.  If she's all clear on worms, then I'd look at what you're feeding her.  I don't think she will need any form of milk.  I'm not sure where you live, but a good kitten food should help her tummy settle down.  I would feed more canned food than dry food as it's better for them overall.  What are you currently feeding her?
 
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darren7481

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This is an old pic, Morty is now all grown up:)
Thanks for your reply- I'm not a fan of wet-food, it's fine as a treat, but I like my kitties to crunch their food- Siamese type cats are prone to plaque build up on their molars. Will look into de-worming again, but I've always had cats & this is just one of those things. Some people just stink, some pets just stink!

What I'm really hoping for is someone w/the best gut-microbe changing advice.

I had a wonderful kitty, her name was Spootie {w/awful poots} & she lived to 16 as an indoor/outdoor cat. She had 'mustard gas farts' her whole life. The one thing these two kitties have in common is that they were weaned too soon from their mommys' milk, I think that may be a big contributor to the 'evil death toots'. Does anyone sell enzymes from mother cats' milk? I only ever adopt so I don't have access to Gertrude's mom. Has anyone one else experienced this w/kittens taken too young?
 

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In my experience (have a rescue geared specifically to cats) with what you are describing, if the cat is medically cleared, there is a problem with the food. Either a grain/gluten intolerance, a protein intolerance or something along those lines. I've even had cats that simply cannot tolerate dry food of any kind.

What are you currently feeding Gertrude?
 

catpack

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Also, the goat's milk is fine. Raw is best, fresh or frozen. This acts as a good probiotic. But, keep the amount to no more than 10% of her overall diet.
 
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darren7481

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Poor Gertie has normal poops, she's way active & bright-eyed and has a healthy coat & normal kitten breath, she's 6mnths old. She pees normally too, but bless her little Siamese-mutt heart.... she poots like a 50yr old football fan eating day-old chili burritos & raw sewage:( That's sugar-coating how bad it smells when she cuts one loose, it's wayyyy worse. I really think it's a gut issue & she needs to balance her enzymes/bacteria. She doesn't have worms/parasites. I had a long-lived kitty B4 w/awful gas- Spootie just pooted her life away & luckily she was so adorable that my family tolerated it for almost 17yrs. I don't want Gertrude to have to be the 'Smelly Cat' if I can help her not to be!
 
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What brands of food are you feeding your cat? Cheap brands filled with fillers and junk tends to wind up as horribly smelly poop and gas. Higher quality foods are more digestible and less winds up in the litter box.
 

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What brands of food are you feeding your cat? Cheap brands filled with fillers and junk tends to wind up as horribly smelly poop and gas. Higher quality foods are more digestible and less winds up in the litter box.
I second this! And will add that our vet told us to be sure to feed our Siamese mixes grain-free, low-carb wet foods, no dry, because Siamese are prone to digestive issues. We figured out early on that one of our two got very gassy and smelly (vomitous, too) from potato, which is a common filler ingredient in all kinds of food, some of which are even low-carb. We also avoid peas, carrots, and other carby vegetables: Edwina's nice and fresh without all those!
 

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Thanks for your reply- I'm not a fan of wet-food, it's fine as a treat, but I like my kitties to crunch their food- Siamese type cats are prone to plaque build up on their molars. Will look into de-worming again, but I've always had cats & this is just one of those things. Some people just stink, some pets just stink!
All cats have some tartar and plaque build up. Some breeds are more prone to dental issues than others. No dry food keeps teeth healthy and clean. It's a huge myth. Regular home dental care and professional dental cleanings are the only ways to keep a cat's teeth healthy. Brushing with pet toothpaste is best since you are manually scrubbing plaque and food particles off the teeth.

Cheap brands filled with fillers and junk tends to wind up as horribly smelly poop and gas. Higher quality foods are more digestible and less winds up in the litter box. An allergy or sensitivity to a certain ingredient may also cause stinky poop and gas.
 
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jennyr

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All cats have some tartar and plaque build up. Some breeds are more prone to dental issues than others. No dry food keeps teeth healthy and clean. It's a huge myth. Regular home dental care and professional dental cleanings are the only ways to keep a cat's teeth healthy. Brushing with pet toothpaste is best since you are manually scrubbing plaque and food particles off the teeth.
This is correct. Some research even goes so far as to claim that dry food sticks to the teeth like sweets and can actually cause decay. Wet food is far healthier all round as a general principle, though most people feed a mix.
 

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Thanks for your reply- I'm not a fan of wet-food, it's fine as a treat, but I like my kitties to crunch their food- Siamese type cats are prone to plaque build up on their molars. Will look into de-worming again, but I've always had cats & this is just one of those things. Some people just stink, some pets just stink!

What I'm really hoping for is someone w/the best gut-microbe changing advice.

I had a wonderful kitty, her name was Spootie {w/awful poots} & she lived to 16 as an indoor/outdoor cat. She had 'mustard gas farts' her whole life. The one thing these two kitties have in common is that they were weaned too soon from their mommys' milk, I think that may be a big contributor to the 'evil death toots'. Does anyone sell enzymes from mother cats' milk? I only ever adopt so I don't have access to Gertrude's mom. Has anyone one else experienced this w/kittens taken too young?
Wet food is overall healthier than dry food. Wet food helps protect against UTI's as it puts moisture into their bodies and helps to keep them hydrated. Dry food wouldn't help keep plaque away as effectively as brushing or using some kind of dental aid. Cats normally (at least 8 of the 9 I've had in my life) don't normally chew the food, they just swallow it. Any cat, or animal for that matter, is prone to plaque build up or tartar build up if the gums aren't stimulated and if that stuff isn't whisked away. I personally use TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel on my cats. 

As for the gas, It could be the food you are feeding. My kitten (7 months) has some stinky farts if he eats Halo dry food. I feed both of my cats blue buffalo but I do Halo as a treat food for my 14 year old and Instinct for my 7 months old (because of the gas he gets from Halo). They also get a balanced diet of wet and dry food. Dry in the mornings and wet in the evenings. You might just need to experiment with the food to see which one best fits all of your cats as a group (after you make sure your kitty doesn't have any other health issues - as I see someone may think there may be a parasite). 
 
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darren7481

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This is an old pic, Morty is now all grown up:)
I'm feeding her a mix of Purina Indoor cat chow & Science Diet dry food, 1/2 of each, she gets the same filtered water that I drink. My other cats are on the same food/water & have no issues w/ smelly poots.
 
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darren7481

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This is an old pic, Morty is now all grown up:)
Thanks, she is 100% healthy, no parasites, just super stinky. I'll have to experiment w/the food, it'll be tricky because my senior kitty & 7+yr old are awesome w/the food I give them. I don't want to separate them, but from the advice I'm getting here, that seems to be what I have to do. Swear I'm not getting teary eyed! Sniffles & grabbing a tissue....
 
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darren7481

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This is an old pic, Morty is now all grown up:)
I totally agree w/the regular check-ups & dental cleaning, 100%, I'm a Dental Lab Tech. I know teeth. I just don't get this movement for wet-food for kitties. It makes sense if you have a cat that won't drink water, but my kitties have several water dishes (& one bucket in the bathroom) & they all drink constantly. The 3 of them all have healthy poops/pees. I give them people tuna about 2x a month, but only a Tbsp each- when I make tuna-salad for myself, lol!
 

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I'm feeding her a mix of Purina Indoor cat chow & Science Diet dry food, 1/2 of each, she gets the same filtered water that I drink. My other cats are on the same food/water & have no issues w/ smelly poots.
Well, just because that food is good for your other two and does not give issues, doesn't mean it agrees with your kitten. I'd suggest a healthier food than Purina to mix with the Science Diet. I wouldn't even recommend Science Diet because no cat or dog should have corn in their food. I'd actually recommend Wellness, Halo or Instinct.
 
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darren7481

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I'm a Dental Lab Technician, I work w/teeth every day. I've even seen dental prosthetics for dogs.  I 100% agree that regular check-ups & cleanings are a must for any pet or person. This myth that wet food is better for normal cats is frustrating to me. If you have a kitty that won't drink water, then YES, go for wet-food to hydrate your kitty. But for most kitties, that drink a normal amount of water- feed them dry food! Crunching dry food is like crunching bones. It's good & natural & does help clean your kitty's teeth.
 
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darren7481

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Wow, just saw your post & it may be helpful, my other Siamese-mix kitties are fine w/a half/half mix of Purina Indoor & Science Diet, maybe Gertie needs just a non-grain chow. The frustrating part is that she has always been smelly, I adopted her & she stank, de-wormed her & she still stank, fixed her & gave her all the first shots w/a check up & she still poots. Bless her siamesish heart!
 
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darren7481

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This is an old pic, Morty is now all grown up:)
Thanks for the advice, I can't afford anything better than what I'm feeding them now. Do you know of a chow that is in the same $ range as my 1/2 mix? I'd be happy to try if it's affordable! Thx
 
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