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

angels mommy

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He really is such a cutie! Love the videos!! :D. I hope everything clears up soon. Poor little guy has has a time of it.
 

barbarag42

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LDG I just saw this post and like Monty my little girl (she's not so little anymore, she's a year old) has the same issues. I've had her since she was about 8 weeks old and she's been treated for Giardia as well as many other parasites that cause diarrhea. Her stool has never been well formed and firm and after a round of antibiotic she'll go a couple of months then start with the drippy poop. I've been focusing on her food and what I give her, (I have 3 cats, her, her brother and a senior) thinking that she needed more fiber in her diet.  One thing I discovered is that all three of my cats bet loose stools with the fish foods.  I currently have them on Canida (chicken) and Blue "Duck" flavored. They love the duck and I'm so frustrated with the diarrhea I was thinking I needed to change to a cheaper food that might have more fiber in it.  Then I saw your post about Coccidia  and I thought OMG perhaps that's what the trouble is. So.... my question to you is... where can I obtain this probiotic with yeast? perhaps this will clear up this problem once and for all.  Thanks
 
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anjayenunciates

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Updates!

Last night my boyfriend witnessed Monty having the longest, most solid poo he has ever had.  It was so solid and long Monty meowed a bit, lol.  So, we are going to keep him on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Fiber dry, and Hills Feline i/d wet for now. :)

Today, Monty got neutered and everything went really well.  While he was under, they microchipped him, clipped his nails, and checked his ears.

*drum roll*

Monty's ears apparently look fantastic, and his labs were perfect.  My little guy is finally at 100%!

Well, except for the whole walking normal thing...


Apparently, he has to wear the "cone of shame" for about 10 days, then he is free to roam without it.

Thank you to everyone who has been posting in this thread and helping Monty and I along on his journey towards better health.  We couldn't have done it without you!
 
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zed xyzed

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How many more days does the cone need to stay on? Some people find that the soft cones are better tolerated. He certainly is a cutie 
 
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anjayenunciates

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How many more days does the cone need to stay on? Some people find that the soft cones are better tolerated. He certainly is a cutie 
They vet says 14 days--7 for it to heal closed and another 7 to protect against bacteria (since cats groom themselves).  I just ordered a soft one off of amazon prime because I agree, I think the firm one is problematic for him.

Major bummer too, it seems as though Monty's poo is now more liquidy than it has been.  The vet says its common for cats to have loose stool post-anesthesia though.  Regardless, he can't clean himself with the cone of shame on, so when I went in the room this morning, he had liquidy poo all down his backside.  He's all cleaned up now--I used a super mild oatmeal shampoo and tried my best to keep his surgery area dry while cleaning everything else.  However, I am now covered in scratches--he's not feeling too jazzed on me right now (I feel like he thinks all I do is put him through scary things and take him to the vet).  I just gave him first first dose of pain medication/anti-inflammatory, closed the blinds, and left the room.  Hopefully he will take a nap and have some time to just chill out.  I feel so bad for him. 
 

maggiemay

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Just a thought - have you tried mixing a little canned unsweetened pumpkin in his food?  Pumpkin helps to curb both diarrhea and constipation, as strange as that may seem.  Sometimes the simplest things work when all of the veterinary treatments haven't.  Another thing that I swear by, especially for digestive issues, is a syrup made of slippery elm bark.  Slippery elm soothes the entire digestive system and reduces inflammation. Monty is still on several medications, and slippery elm can interfere with the absorption of meds, so you would have to give it several hours after meds are given.  If you're interested in reading about Slippery Elm, go to the Little Big Cat website and do a search for slippery elm.  This is a holistic vet's website and there is lots of good info as well as a recipe for the syrup itself.  I'm new and can't post links yet, sorry.
 
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anjayenunciates

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Just a thought - have you tried mixing a little canned unsweetened pumpkin in his food?  Pumpkin helps to curb both diarrhea and constipation, as strange as that may seem.  Sometimes the simplest things work when all of the veterinary treatments haven't.  Another thing that I swear by, especially for digestive issues, is a syrup made of slippery elm bark.  Slippery elm soothes the entire digestive system and reduces inflammation. Monty is still on several medications, and slippery elm can interfere with the absorption of meds, so you would have to give it several hours after meds are given.  If you're interested in reading about Slippery Elm, go to the Little Big Cat website and do a search for slippery elm.  This is a holistic vet's website and there is lots of good info as well as a recipe for the syrup itself.  I'm new and can't post links yet, sorry.
Hi!  I have tried pumpkin with Monty before--very early on the journey to remedying his GI system.  We saw a little benefit, but saw the most with the combination of probiotics and Rx foods.  Nonetheless, I am going to read up on slippery elm (haven't heard about it before) and consider trying it with Monty, should his GI system not recover in the next few days.  I am really hoping his loose stools are a result of being on an IV and anesthesia at this point.
 

maggiemay

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If you do try the Slippery Elm, I use the capsules from Swanson Vitamins.  I trust Swanson's quality.  Very inexpensive and they work for so many things.  Poor little guy, something's got to work!
 

stewball

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Updates!

Last night my boyfriend witnessed Monty having the longest, most solid poo he has ever had.  It was so solid and long Monty meowed a bit, lol.  So, we are going to keep him on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Fiber dry, and Hills Feline i/d wet for now. :)

Today, Monty got neutered and everything went really well.  While he was under, they microchipped him, clipped his nails, and checked his ears.

*drum roll*

Monty's ears apparently look fantastic, and his labs were perfect.  My little guy is finally at 100%!

Well, except for the whole walking normal thing...



Apparently, he has to wear the "cone of shame" for about 10 days, then he is free to roam without it.

Thank you to everyone who has been posting in this thread and helping Monty and I along on his journey towards better health.  We couldn't have done it without you!
Poor baby.
 

maggiemay

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@Stewball, thinking about it, mine didn't either, not when they were neutered.  10 days seems like a long time to have a cone on a kitten.
 

lisahe

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So not needed for the male or 2 days maximum.
Is it different for males and females? Our two 10-month-old females were spayed on a Monday and we adopted them on a Thursday, no cones.
 

maggiemay

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Is it different for males and females? Our two 10-month-old females were spayed on a Monday and we adopted them on a Thursday, no cones.
Actually, Lisa, the surgery for females is more complex.
 

blueyedgirl5946

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I adopted a cat from the pet store in December. He had a diarrhea problem so they put him on a turkey based dry cat food for a sensitive stomach. It was not grain free. They finally called and said he was cleared up and we could get him. He was fine that day, but that night he exploded everywhere. He had major problems. I had him tested again at my vet's office for worms and parasites. Nothing showed up.
On my own, I decided to switch his food to a limited ingredient diet. I chose Natural Balance, grain free, green pea and duck formula. I mixed it one part new, two parts old. I kept increasing the new and decreasing the old. I went very slowly and sprinkled Forti Flora, a probiotic on his food the whole time until he was eating the new food one hundred percent. His problem is totally solved. His poops look like little logs in the litter box. I don't know if it was the grains in the food or the turkey, but something did not agree with him. I chose the duck because I was just about certain he never had it before. I also think a grain free diet is best. I am going to leave him on it for good unless he has other problems.
 

lisahe

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Actually, Lisa, the surgery for females is more complex.
Is the cone recommendation different for males and females? (I should have phrased my question that way in the first place, sorry!)
 

maggiemay

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Is the cone recommendation different for males and females? (I should have phrased my question that way in the first place, sorry!)
I've had both neutered and have never been advised by my vet of many years to use a cone.
 

stewball

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Have you been told to bring your babies back to remove the stitches? If not then they used dissolving stitches so no real need to worry. If they did then you must just keep an eye on them that they don't open their stitches. The cone is very depressing for them.
 
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