Please help!--kitten w/ recurring diarrhea despite many visits to vet, changes in diet, and medicati

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #21

anjayenunciates

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
69
Purraise
29
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
Well...nothing to update with really, and unfortunately.

Monty had a check up today.  While he is still having liquidy poo, he has gained weight and is eating normally.  The fecal test came back negative for everything.  The vet wants him to stay on the probiotic and wet Rx food for another week and have another check up at the end of the week.  

Our only other option right now is for Monty to have an ultrasound, which will cost $400.  I feel like we have been spending so much money for so few answers.  I just want him to get better.
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
I'm sorry to her you weren't able to get any answers from the vet visit and tests. Digestive issues can be so frustrating. It does sound like there's been some improvement, right, that at least his poop is more solid than it had been (at least relatively speaking)? The fact that he's eating well and gained some weight is good. And he sure looks good in your photos in your other thread!

Which food, exactly, is he eating now? (I think there are a few Hill's i/d foods, aren't there?)
 

angels mommy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
6,899
Purraise
6,906
Location
Wilmington,NC
I agree w/ @LisaHE, It's good he has gained weight.  I can not believe they said an ultrasound would be $400.00!!!  When I read that I said "WHAT?" that is crazy!  Angel had many ultrasounds over the years & they were only around $40.00-$45.00.  (his bladder when he had cystitis, & his abdomen when he had the cancer, & my vet's is a full hospital, they do it all, just not after hrs./ ER)

 I wonder why so high? That just doesn't sound right.

I hope he improves even more this week with the Rx wet food, & probiotic. Maybe he will since he will be getting all of the probiotic in him.  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #24

anjayenunciates

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
69
Purraise
29
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
Hi!

There has been some improvement with the new food--we aren't seeing blood in his stool anymore, and he has not been "leaking" for days now.  He's always been gaining weight, drinking water, and eating (except when the probiotic was on the dry food), so it is likely the new food is why things have been getting better.

Hills does have other Rx foods, but the i/d is specific to digestive health.

I talked with my boyfriend and he actually miscommunicated some information to me (he took Monty to the vet while I was at work).  It seems that the vet did advise some changes be made to Monty's diet yesterday.  She wants us to feed Monty 3/4 a can of Hills i/d (wet) mixed with a new Rx food, Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Fiber (dry) for a week.  We are supposed to continue with the probiotic (Advita) for the next week or so, after which we are supposed to phase it out (no refills).

The good news is...drum roll....Monty had two solid bowel movements today, so we are definitely on the right track!  However, they still smell really, really bad, despite changing his litter to something more fresh smelling (I'm starting to wonder if I am just sensitive to cat poo smell because I am so used to dog poo smell, which to me is not as potent).

If Monty's poo continues to be solid, we are supposed to cancel our check up appointment for next weekend.  Unfortunately, it wasn't made clear to us whether Monty will be on this diet forever, or for the time being, so I think I will take him in next weekend anyways.
 

angels mommy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
6,899
Purraise
6,906
Location
Wilmington,NC
That's wonderful news!!!! YAY!    I'm sure it won't be for the rest of his life. They will probably have you taper back & wein in a regular food, after a while, but for now, it's great its working! 

Yea, maybe you guys need to both go to all appointments. LOL!
 

paiger8

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Messages
574
Purraise
163
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
 
However, they still smell really, really bad, despite changing his litter to something more fresh smelling (I'm starting to wonder if I am just sensitive to cat poo smell because I am so used to dog poo smell, which to me is not as potent).

If Monty's poo continues to be solid, we are supposed to cancel our check up appointment for next weekend.  Unfortunately, it wasn't made clear to us whether Monty will be on this diet forever, or for the time being, so I think I will take him in next weekend anyways.
It might just be the food that's making his poo smell so bad. Hill's I/D has  Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, & Brewers Rice for fillers. Royal Canin Gastro has  rice, powdered cellulose, rice hulls, ground corn, wheat, corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, and brewers dried yeast in it. Fillers especially grains and corn tend to contribute to litter box smell. Cats aren't meant to have all that in nature, so their bodies tend to digest it differently than meat. Or it may just be his gut healing, and the smell may get better over time. 

But if the food is working, I'd definitely keep him on it for now. I'm guessing once everything is okay, you'll be able to slowly transition him to different food. 

Thank you for not giving up on Monty. Most people would have taken him back to the rescue by now. I'm super impressed that you stuck it out! 
 
 
Last edited:

stewball

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Messages
11,747
Purraise
809
Location
Tel Aviv
This is a fascinating thread.
Come on Monty. Stop with the smelly poos.
How's his ears?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #28

anjayenunciates

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
69
Purraise
29
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
This is a fascinating thread.
Come on Monty. Stop with the smelly poos.
How's his ears?
Lol, Monty's poo is now world famous!  His litter box appreciates you following this thread. 
  I ordered some new litter that is supposed to seal in smells better, but it hasn't arrived yet.  We also added citrus magic linen scent to the litter, which has helped in terms of preventing the poo smell from lingering in the room post poo (the window is always cracked--we are in CA), but is no help in hiding the smell when the poo is fresh.

After I posted yesterday, Monty's next poo was thickish, but not necessarily solid. It was more like fudge in consistency.  I think we are still on the way to consistent solids though--thick poo is much better than liquid. However, it really still smells awful.  Sometimes he accidentally steps in when he is burying his poo maybe because he is a kitten and is not paying as much attention as an adult would?

Thanks for checking in on Monty's ears!  The vet says they are back to 100% (yay!).  Today is the last day of our 10 days of ear drops.  He's looked pretty funny over the past week.  The ear drops are super greasy and it definitely shows on the fur on and around his ears.  I am so ready to wash his little face tonight and get the grease off of him! 
 
Last edited:

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
i think you might be right.  However, the original food we had Monty on, Blue Buffalo, was completely grain free--no fillers--and his poo was really horrible smelling then (even worse than now).  I'm to the point that I think he just has something really foul in guts and they are slowly being cleaned out.
I agree with Paiger8 on all points! And I'm glad to hear that things are taking a turn for the better for Monty, that's great news.

anjayenunciates, does the Blue Buffalo food you were feeding Monty happen to have potato in it? I mentioned potato in an earlier post on this thread: we had to totally cut it out of our cats' diet because potato causes extremely odiferous gas and vomiting in one of our cats. I think Paiger8 also found it caused issues in one of her cats, too. After figuring out the potato problem, we don't feed any potato, peas, or other carby vegetables to our cats. They're used as fillers and just add empty carb calories to the foods... cats don't digest them well, either, which just increases the problems they can cause!
 

molly92

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Messages
1,689
Purraise
1,565
Location
Michigan
What a mystery! Well, whatever the problem is with poor little Monty's digestive system, I think stress probably had a lot to do with aggravating the condition. Even good or neutral stress (being adopted, change in environment, change in food, etc) can cause latent issues to come out in full force. Him acclimating to his new environment, plus the probiotics, is probably helping a lot. Whenever you change something (like food), doing it gradually is likely going to be best for him.

Giving food with more animal protein and no to few plant fillers will definitely help with the smell, and he'll be healthier as well. Canned food is usually a lot better for this since they don't need to use carbs to bind it together like with kibble, but you still have to read labels carefully because a lot of canned foods sneak fillers in too. Stepping in his business is definitely a kitten thing.

The good news is by now, Monty and Panda are very acclimated to each other's scent and existence, so the introductions should go pretty smoothly.
 

stewball

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Messages
11,747
Purraise
809
Location
Tel Aviv
Lol, Monty's poo is now world famous!  His litter box appreciates you following this thread. :crazy:   I ordered some new litter that is supposed to seal in smells better, but it hasn't arrived yet.  We also added citrus magic linen scent to the litter, which has helped in terms of preventing the poo smell from lingering in the room post poo (the window is always cracked--we are in CA), but is no help in hiding the smell when the poo is fresh.

After I posted yesterday, Monty's next poo was thickish, but not necessarily solid. It was more like fudge in consistency.  I think we are still on the way to consistent solids though--thick poo is much better than liquid. However, it really still smells awful.  Sometimes he accidentally steps in when he is burying his poo maybe because he is a kitten and is not paying as much attention as an adult would?

Thanks for checking in on Monty's ears!  The vet says they are back to 100% (yay!).  Today is the last day of our 10 days of ear drops.  He's looked pretty funny over the past week.  The ear drops are super greasy and it definitely shows on the fur on and around his ears.  I am so ready to wash his little face tonight and get the grease off of him! 
Once his tummy settles so should the smell. I hope.
 

angels mommy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
6,899
Purraise
6,906
Location
Wilmington,NC
Oh my goodness! He is just so adorable!!  I want to kiss, kiss, kiss that cute little face!  I remember how that stuff makes the ears look. Despite eating grain free, Angel would sometimes get yeast in his ears, so he had some gel that we put in there. I'm so glad he's doing better, & yes, hopefully things won't be as pungent anymore, once his system clears out. The probiotics should really help with that. 
 

punkysmom

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 15, 2013
Messages
61
Purraise
91
Ohhhh he is absolutely gorgeous! Those big round blue eyes just melt the heart and I love his markings. I'm sure he will be happy to be done with the ear drops. I hope his poop keeps improving, too.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #36

anjayenunciates

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
69
Purraise
29
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
 
Seriously, he's adorable. I love blue eyed kitties. Reminds me of my Himalayan. 
 
Oh my goodness! He is just so adorable!!  I want to kiss, kiss, kiss that cute little face!  I remember how that stuff makes the ears look. Despite eating grain free, Angel would sometimes get yeast in his ears, so he had some gel that we put in there. I'm so glad he's doing better, & yes, hopefully things won't be as pungent anymore, once his system clears out. The probiotics should really help with that. 
 
Ohhhh he is absolutely gorgeous! Those big round blue eyes just melt the heart and I love his markings. I'm sure he will be happy to be done with the ear drops. I hope his poop keeps improving, too.
Thank you everyone!  We are officially off of the ear drops, and I have made attempts to wash of all the ear grease, but haven't succeeded entirely yet.

He's not having completely solid poos, but they are definitely much thicker than they have been.  My boyfriend and I have been cracking up because when you pick Monty up, he farts.  Literally every time.  They're not gross or anything, just loud.  Poor baby.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #38

anjayenunciates

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
69
Purraise
29
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
Monty went to the vet for a check up today and he definitely had his world rocked (poor guy!).  He has been having almost entirely solid poos for about a week now.  At this point, the vet feels as though he likely just has a sensitive GI system, and it will be trial and error for his food until we find the right combo.  So, weekly, we will be trying out different Rx foods--dry and wet mixed--until we find the best one for Monty, that gives him solid poos, and as little gas as possible.

I mentioned to the vet that Monty has been scratching his ears again, and some swabs were taken.  The swabs came back as positive for another bacterial infection, which is going to be treated with another 10 days of ear drops.  After that, we have been told to clear his ears once a week for a month, twice a month for the next month, and then monthly for the following month.  We are scheduled to see the vet again on the 30th to check up on his ears.

Post exam, hating the world:


On the upside though, Monty was finally able to get his rabies vaccine, and is scheduled to be neutered at the beginning of May.  He has also met his canine big sister, and things have been going relatively well so far (she just plays with him a little roughly).

Monty and Panda:

 

punkysmom

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 15, 2013
Messages
61
Purraise
91
. He is so adorable. Poor little guy, back on eardrops. I hope they do the job this time!  Love your  photos! 
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
How is Monty doing, @anjayenunciates? I saw your new photo on your "what kind of cat do I have" thread and wondered if his digestive system is feeling any better! I hope so!
 
Top