Introducing Mulan - need help!

Hello everyone

I adopted 2 kitties from a no kill shelter almost 3 months ago and the little one has had nothing but problems from the start. Within 2 hours of getting her home, she went potty and had loose stool with fresh red blood. I called the shelter immediately and she said it could be stress and to just monitor her. They did send me home with a bag of purina dry food which I believe might have been the issue. After 2 weeks of soft poops ( blood was only 1x ) I took both in for a full exam and work up. We checked poops and the results were clear, no parasites. Blood work was all good for both. THe vet said she had an ear infection and treated for that and also gave her a convenia injection. Re check 2 weeks later showed she still had ear infection so we switched to tresaderm drops 2x per day for 10 days. I also switched both to a completely raw diet, RAD cat was my choice of food. Poops seemed to resolve and went to formed and the correct brown color. I thought I was out of the woods until she had another incident of soft poop with fresh blood and mucus. The vet put her on a de wormer for 5 days, panacur and also flagyl 2x per day for 14 days. I was giving her the flagyl in pill pockets.
There are multiple issues so please stay with me. She was also NOT spayed, she was supposed to be but wasn't, long story so we had her spayed 1 month ago today. When I adopted her she was a kitty who cleaned ALOT. I asked the vet if this was considered excessive and she said no, because she wasn't causing bald spots, it was nothing of concern. We had the spaying done and immediately she wanted to lick the area. I put a doggie t shirt on her and would literally follow her around for 10 days and slept on the floor with her in my office. When the stitches came out 10 days later, there was some stabbing so they said leave her shirt on for a couple days and then it should be healed up okay. I removed her shirt and she started cleaning and made scabs all over her tummy from where the stitches were. I put her shirt back on and hoped it would heal but it was still looking bad so last Friday, back to the vet. They gave her an antibiotic injection again, convenia, and an anti itch injection that was going to last 2 days, I"m assuming it was a steroid of some sort. We kept her shirt back on. Stupid me, I thought the scabs looked loose so I picked some off, bad idea so that just set us back again. She has been trying to lick her tummy and ends up just licking the t shirt. Yesterday I discovered that she is now licking her left thigh and on the inside and outside she has about 8 total scabs. Ugh....

I am a member of another group and they said that rad cat might not be the best because it contains egg and that some cats are allergic to egg. True?
I am also looking at the instinct brand raw bites in the rabbit formula, that does not have egg in it, I wonder if I should switch her food? I have checked all over and she does not have fleas on her. The other cat does not scratch at all so if we had a flea issue I'd assume the other cat would be itching as well right?
I don't know what to do....

I can say when she had her spay surgery, 2 days later she got this huge sausage looking thing under the incision, it looked like a piece of human stool. I called the vet and they said it was a reaction to the internal stitches. It's since gone down flat but I wonder if she's having some allergic reaction still internally to the internal stitches? I don't know if it's the rad cat food, I do feed the raw chicken flavor, which I just learned that chicken is a trigger so once I"m done with this container, I will only feed her the lamb, or the turkey but both still have the egg in them.

I am at a loss. Also, when I was giving her the flagyl 2x per day for the last 14 days I was using pill pockets and just realized that those have wheat in them...maybe that caused something and that's why she's licking like mad making these scabs on her legs? She never had any scabs prior to her spay surgery, yes, she cleaned a ton but never made scabs.

Hope someone here has some insight for me...

Thanks!

I'm not experienced with allergies, but I can maybe provide some insight into what was happening the diarrhea issue. Kittens get parasites a lot, especially in shelters, and they're often misdiagnosed because vets don't see kittens as much, and in-house stool tests very often give false negatives. There are a few really common microscopic parasites that live in the gut and cause diarrhea, and they all respond really well to carbohydrates. So, cats with parasites who are fed a low-carb, high protein diet will have less diarrhea than those fed something like Purina with a lot more plant material. But that does not mean the parasites are entirely gone, so it's really great the vet went ahead and prescribed the panacur and flagyl. That amount of treatment should wipe most things out. There are a few exceptions, but I'm assuming the diarrhea issue is now resolved? I think a parasite would have been the most likely culprit, just because of how incredibly common it is in shelter kittens.

Flagyl is especially great because it has antibiotic properties as well which can reduce general inflammation and soothe an irritated digestive system. However, since she did take it for two weeks and has had further antibiotics since then as well, her levels of "good" bacteria might be pretty depleted. It might be just a generally good idea to give her some probiotics for a little while. Not floriforta, which isn't that great, but other pet-formulated probiotics or even many human probiotics do just fine. You can ask your vet and see what they think about that, but lately I've noticed that probiotics can be a big help with a lot of medical issues, and even if you didn't see any results, it'd still be a good idea to get some in her just to replenish her microbiome a bit.

If you can be sure that she won't lick it off (having the shirt cover it), a basic cortisone cream can be use to help soothe the itching. My aunt (a vet) has recommend that to me for my cat before when she had a tender area. I don't know that it would hurt her if she licked some of it, but it mostly just wouldn't be effective if it was licked off.

Food allergies can be incredibly variable depending on the cat, and as far as I know the only good way to determine an allergy is to eliminate an ingredient and see if the malady improves. It can take weeks for the effects of the allergen to decrease, though, so it can take a good deal of patience and experimentation. Egg is a pretty common allergen for cats, along with poultry and carb fillers like wheat and corn. I've read that it can even come down to certain parts of the egg, for example, cats that are allergic to the yolk but not eggshell, etc. Not having first hand experience with a food allergy though, I don't know if her licking and scabbing are typical. It would certainly be something I would look into. Hopefully someone else can give you some more insight into that!

I'm assuming your cat is a kitten. About how old is she?

Hi Molly!

She is a year and a half.  The shelter records say that she received only 1 round of de wormer and I have learned that usually 2 rounds are required about 2 weeks apart.  We are just starting the 2nd round of 5 packets of the panacur just to ensure that IF the issue was from worms, we have delt with that head on.  Since we have done the flagyl and the 1st round of de wormer, she's totally fine.  I have to say, her poops are gummy in texture but I was looking over the rad cat ingredients and it contains gelatin so I'm wondering if that's why the stool is gummy and chewy feeling if I squish it in the bag.

The vet did put her on steroids yesterday.  We are doing a round of 5 full pills 1x per day, then 1/2 pill 1x for 5 days and then 1/2 pill every other day until we have used them up.  I'm hoping this resolves her itching skin.  I did notice last night that she was cleaning significantly less after the steroid had been in her system for afew hours.

I'm not well versed on foods and stuff but say for Rad Cat - someone pointed out that it doesn't have fiber in it for the gut. Her comments were:

In the Rad Cat, more than egg (which is a *possible* allergen) is the definite lack of suitable fiber for the gut bacteria that cats host.

Those are yet more bacteria that won’t be getting fed due to lack of suitable fiber in Rad Cat. Think of it as continuing to purchase chicks rather than feed the chickens one already has

I really don't understand any of this.  I thought a raw diet is one of the best things you can feed your cat.  I am also using a probiotic it is the Animal Essentials Brand Plant Enzyme & Probiotics.  I figure this was a good thing to add into the raw food.

Cat princesses said:

 
Hi Molly!

She is a year and a half.  The shelter records say that she received only 1 round of de wormer and I have learned that usually 2 rounds are required about 2 weeks apart.  We are just starting the 2nd round of 5 packets of the panacur just to ensure that IF the issue was from worms, we have delt with that head on.  Since we have done the flagyl and the 1st round of de wormer, she's totally fine.  I have to say, her poops are gummy in texture but I was looking over the rad cat ingredients and it contains gelatin so I'm wondering if that's why the stool is gummy and chewy feeling if I squish it in the bag.

The vet did put her on steroids yesterday.  We are doing a round of 5 full pills 1x per day, then 1/2 pill 1x for 5 days and then 1/2 pill every other day until we have used them up.  I'm hoping this resolves her itching skin.  I did notice last night that she was cleaning significantly less after the steroid had been in her system for afew hours.

I'm not well versed on foods and stuff but say for Rad Cat - someone pointed out that it doesn't have fiber in it for the gut. Her comments were:

In the Rad Cat, more than egg (which is a *possible* allergen) is the definite lack of suitable fiber for the gut bacteria that cats host.

Those are yet more bacteria that won’t be getting fed due to lack of suitable fiber in Rad Cat. Think of it as continuing to purchase chicks rather than feed the chickens one already has

I really don't understand any of this.  I thought a raw diet is one of the best things you can feed your cat.  I am also using a probiotic it is the Animal Essentials Brand Plant Enzyme & Probiotics.  I figure this was a good thing to add into the raw food.

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Animal Essences Enzyme & Probiotics is an excellent supplement to add to any food.  The problem with all high-protein diets is that without at least some carbs (mice are 3% carbs, just to give you an idea), the beneficial flora in the gut is not fed.  That's what the commenter was trying to tell you in the bolded post above.  However, you are giving her the Animal Essences which should solve that problem because of the grasses in it, as well as the probiotics.  I don't feed raw, so I can't advise you on that, but go to the search box above and you can find the Raw Food Forum here on the Cat Site.  They are very knowledgeable.  One thing I would like to mention is that this vet seems to like to give the Convenia shot.  I avoid that.  It stays in their system far too long, and if they have a reaction to it there is very little you can do.  Give the liquid antibiotics via dropper or syringe, or the pill-form antibiotics in a pill pocket if your cat will take them.  I use only the liquid.  Often, antibiotics alone will cause diarrhea.  I would do everything I could to balance her system. You might want to give her more of her probiotic supplement until the Convenia is out of her system.  Steroids for any use other than a few weeks are another thing I avoid.  Steroid use in an allergic cat of mine led to diabetes.  Your girl is allergic to something, it sounds like, but that something may be a household cleaning product, something in her water, in her litter, in her food, any number of things.  I highly recommend giving only filtered water to cats.  I won't drink unfiltered tap water and I don't allow my cats to drink it either.  It's awful to have an allergic animal, but I'm sure you know the typical food allergies.  I commend you for feeding a raw diet and that great supplement.  There is a holistic website called AskAriel that may be beneficial to you as you try to discover her particular allergy.

Thanks! I do only use bottled water, never tap water. I use the expensive red bag of dr. Elseys litter and that has the cat attract in it.

Cat princesses said:

Thanks! I do only use bottled water, never tap water. I use the expensive red bag of dr. Elseys litter and that has the cat attract in it.

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There is simply no way to tell what she is allergic to except by withholding a certain ingredient or product.  Some of the most costly things have some of the worst allergans, strangely enough.  So you know her water source is pure.  You might want to try another litter just to be sure that isn't it.  What about cleaning products?  Any cleaning product that her skin comes into contact with can have a reaction, such as dusting products, carpet cleaning products, glass cleaner.  Anything from scented candles to room deodorizers to scented oils can also trigger an allergic reaction.  It is strictly trial and error to determine what it is, and you may never know.  We never found out what my little girl was allergic to, and she went through an allergy series at a cat hospital.  No one could tell me what it was.  I changed everything in her environment and it made very little difference.  I wish you far better luck.

Cat princesses said:

 
Hi Molly!

She is a year and a half.  The shelter records say that she received only 1 round of de wormer and I have learned that usually 2 rounds are required about 2 weeks apart.  We are just starting the 2nd round of 5 packets of the panacur just to ensure that IF the issue was from worms, we have delt with that head on.  Since we have done the flagyl and the 1st round of de wormer, she's totally fine.  I have to say, her poops are gummy in texture but I was looking over the rad cat ingredients and it contains gelatin so I'm wondering if that's why the stool is gummy and chewy feeling if I squish it in the bag.

The vet did put her on steroids yesterday.  We are doing a round of 5 full pills 1x per day, then 1/2 pill 1x for 5 days and then 1/2 pill every other day until we have used them up.  I'm hoping this resolves her itching skin.  I did notice last night that she was cleaning significantly less after the steroid had been in her system for afew hours.

I'm not well versed on foods and stuff but say for Rad Cat - someone pointed out that it doesn't have fiber in it for the gut. Her comments were:

In the Rad Cat, more than egg (which is a *possible* allergen) is the definite lack of suitable fiber for the gut bacteria that cats host.

Those are yet more bacteria that won’t be getting fed due to lack of suitable fiber in Rad Cat. Think of it as continuing to purchase chicks rather than feed the chickens one already has

I really don't understand any of this.  I thought a raw diet is one of the best things you can feed your cat.  I am also using a probiotic it is the Animal Essentials Brand Plant Enzyme & Probiotics.  I figure this was a good thing to add into the raw food.

Click to expand...

Great that the diarrhea is taken care of! I don't think a gummy texture is a sign of anything serious. That might be from her food or from medications she's been on.

I'm not super familiar with steriods. It's good that she seems to be getting some relief, but do be careful about long term use with any medication. If you notice that your vet is very quick to throw medications at symptoms rather than trying to address the source, it might be good to get a second opinion.

You can find several sources that claim cats need fiber... but I'm with you on this. There are some cases where adding a little of the right fiber to a problem cat's diet can help, but it's not something cats would "naturally" eat in any significant amount. Fiber from plants is entirely useless for a cat because they are obligate carnivores. Gut bacteria do feed on fiber, however in the "wild" cats would get a very good portion of healthy bacteria with each meal by consuming a prey animal's intestine. Since feeding fresh intestines to our pet cats isn't really feasible or safe, adding probiotics to their food is a great alternative. And so many "fibrous" additives in cat foods are potential allergen sources. Since you're trying to find an allergen, feeding as few ingredients as possible seems the way to go.

If the steroids don't fix the problem and allergies seem to be the likely culprit, focus on one variable at a time both so you don't get too overwhelmed and so you can know for sure what helps or makes things worse if you notice a difference. For example, start with just her food, feeding maybe an LID canned from a novel protein source for a few weeks. If you notice absolutely no difference at all, you can try changing environmental factors.

You're doing a really great job giving these cats a high level of care that they were not receiving before!

Thanks Molly! She seems to be doing really well today the steroids are working! Agree, steroids are only for a short period I think this will resolve her issues. I don't believe she has allergies, I could be wrong. I think she just really likes to clean her whole body and with having the doggie t shirt on her she couldn't clean her whole body. I made a judgement call last night and removed the shirt. Today her belly looks so much better. Could be the steroids but regardless the area is healing nicely.