Pudding Poop

Our 9 month old Ruby has had soft poop for a couple of months but otherwise seems fine.

She tested negative for parasites but was treated to be safe. She eats Fancy Feast Classic (based on reasonable cost at Wal-Mart). She had been eating one 3oz can of Fancy Feast and Iams kitten dry food and had drippy loose stools and gas. Her and her sister Abby now both get 4.5oz per day and no dry food. Now she has the pudding poop which is an improvement.  

Has she been dewormed and has she had the PCR Diarrhea panel run on her stool?

I'd def keep them off the kibble. Low quality dry food is terrible and is at the very least contributing the issue. You want want to look at adding some probiotics to their wet food to help.Soft stool is common in kittens and probiotics can really solve the issue if its just digestive sensitivities. 

http://www.ibdkitties.net/probiotics/

I personally don't like Iams but I have a kitten (just about to turn 1) who is prone to bad gas and diarrhea too.

Changing her food tends to set her off. I buy 3 different brands but only 1 flavour in each. Even changing the flavour of fancy feast from her usual chicken can set off an episode of diarrhea or gas for days. 1/2 a tub of applaws chicken in broth, while not balanced, keeps her diarrhea in check (a whole can will clog her up).

She does well on Royal Canin dry (along with her 3 wet meals a day, I'm not anti dry I just don't feed a lot of it. I make sure to limit the protein to chicken for her).

It took me a few goes to figure out what causes her issues. Do check for fish, it is a common ingredient that causes digestive issues in kittens (and cats in general)

You could start her with a 12 hour fast (you don't have to do this if her diarrhea is only once a day).

Follow it up with 2-3 days of nothing but boiled chicken. If things get solid you can start to re-introduce the fancy feast. Pick 1 flavour only and make sure there's not fish in it. See how she goes over the next couple of days. You could then start to branch out with other foods/flavours but might be worth a trial if she clears up to give her 1 with fish and see what happens.

Good luck, I hope you get it sorted

Today one of them left several plops of runny poo and did not try to bury it. They have both been dewormed and share litter boxes so I don't think its parasites. I will try sticking to one flavor of Fancy Feast to see if that helps. I am going to watch today to be sure this mornings poop was Ruby and then I need to take her to the vet or try for a few days to see if its food related.

Fed Ruby chicken and rice for a couple of days then just chicken. Took Ruby to the vet last week, no change.

I had vet draw blood for food allergies. This came back negative. I was still hoping it was food related. We are now feeding just Fancy Feast Classic Chicken to be consistent. I ordered some Probiotic for her and maybe Abby.

The vet did an x-ray and an ultrasound. She has thickened intestines. The vet gave us Prednisone. 2 per day for 3 days. 1 per day for 5. Then 1 every other day till the thirty are gone. Ruby has not cried from cramps/pain for the past 4 days. The last three days her poop is formed.

Ruby's poop was formed but very soft after about 5 days on Prednisone. We have stayed with just Fancy Feast canned Chicken to be consistent. Began giving both Ruby and Abby probiotic. Prednisone every other day now. Ruby has drippy poop but otherwise seems fine. If her poops remain drippy over the next couple days I will call the vet and let her know. She has not lost any weight. 

Has your vet ever tried Metrogyl? My Tilly has had bad bad episodes of diarrhea 5 or 6 times since we got her (she just turned one recently). Each time it's taken 7-10 days of the antibiotic metrogyl to clear it. Nothing else does. Thickened intestines can mean IBD which is why your vet has given you the prednisilone, be careful, it's not without side effects unless used short term. My Maine Coon has been on it for about a year and it caused his muscles to not grow properly to the size he is supposed to be.

You could also try a prescription diet. Many frown on them but they have their place. Either a hypoallergenic one, a limited ingredient one (I believe overseas Merrick make one?) or even just a gastro intestinal one. My girl did really well on Hills I/D stew and Royal Canin sensitive kibble.

We quit feeding dry and she is not as gassy. We fed her Hills I/D for digestive care and Fortiflora for about 10 days. We then boiled chicken and rice (per suggestions here) with no real improvement. She is now on Prednisone every other day and Proviable DC. Yesterday when I got home there was a drop of poo on the tile. Over night she left pudding poop with some soft barely formed in the litter box. When she first started the Prednisone twice a day then one daily I thought things were getting better but with it every other day I don't know if it is helping except that she has not been having cramps that make her cry.

No change. Going on six months.

One month on Prednisolon, Proviable Probiotic and only Fancy Feast (again, reasonable cost at Walmart) Chicken Classic and Ruby still has pudding poop and occasionally drippy poop.

Using Abby as the Guiney pig (to determine effects of pumpkin) we gave pumpkin to both Abby and Ruby everyday for a week when Abby started to have soft stools. If we give Ruby pumpkin it seems to help a little but only for one trip to the litter box. We have to wait a few days to give her more or she just has loose stools. Thankfully Ruby is not losing weight. I weight both every other day. They are 11 months old and 8lbs.

Would anyone consider testing for Coccidia?

I do not want to put Ruby through a biopsy. Am I just hoping for the simple cheap cure because I don't want it to be Lymphoma or IBD?

I have a cat with intermittent diarrhea, my vet told me that while it's not impossible, it's unlikely to be lymphoma at a young age (you said she's 11 months right?) She seems to have issues with fancy feast. She can handle half a can a day but if I give it to her too often she gets a bout of diarrhea. Likewise with fish.

Have you ever tried slippery elm with her? You can google how much to use, I think it's like 1/4 tsp a day. It's good for bulking up the stool and works for both diarrhea and constipation. You can either sprinkle it over wet food or make a paste and syringe feed it. My vet highly recommends psyllium husk powder for my kitty. She gets a pinch of it in her food daily, we're working up to 1/4 tsp total a day, but I haven't got far enough in the regime yet to see if it helps.

I know I asked before but has she trialled metrogyl? (flagyl) I have a friend who has a kitty with chronic diarrhea and he just has to be on a regular dose of flagyl to keep the diarrhea at bay. No cause was ever found and if he goes off it the diarrhea comes back but it's gone while he's on it and it's fixed my girl up every bout she has had within days.

Anytime there is no response to normal treatment of diarrhea and a worming, a PCR diarrhea panel should be done. Some parasites can't be killed with normal worming medicines. Pudding poops and gas are both symptoms of Tritrichamonas Feotus and giardia, both are protozoa. T. Feotus is very difficult to get diagnosed by most vets since it is a fairly recent problem in cats. Switching diets constantly can contribute to the problem.

Time for a vet visit.

Ruby is having painful cramps again. She cramps up and drips poop wherever she may be. Yesterday she was resting on her side on the table and made one of her Squawk noises. She pooped and did not even react. I had to wipe off the table and she would not let me wipe her. Vet said I could give her the Prednisolone twice a day until Ruby can see her tomorrow.

She is not losing weight and she is drinking well and gets her Proviable DC.

Should I ask about Metrogyl?

Should I ask about Coccidia?

Should I have the PCR Diarrhea panel done?

Thank you.

SasSea said:

Time for a vet visit.
Ruby is having painful cramps again. She cramps up and drips poop wherever she may be. Yesterday she was resting on her side on the table and made one of her Squawk noises. She pooped and did not even react. I had to wipe off the table and she would not let me wipe her. Vet said I could give her the Prednisolone twice a day until Ruby can see her tomorrow.
She is not losing weight and she is drinking well and gets her Proviable DC.
Should I ask about Metrogyl?
Should I ask about Coccidia?
Should I have the PCR Diarrhea panel done?

Thank you.

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I think yes to all of the questions above!

Yes, yes, and yes!

Same thing happened to me and I got the pcr panel done. Both my kittens have corona virus and that's the only way I would have ever found out. It could be anything. Best to know what you're dealing with though before it gets worse. Good luck! Keep us updated

Ruby went to the vet yesterday for a two night stay and all of the above testing.

Awesome! I'll be looking for results :-)

All fecal tests including the PCR came back negative. The vet simply stated that Ruby has severe IBD. We are continuing the probiotic and Prednisolone and starting Metronidazole and suggested the prescription diet.

Is is possible that she allergic to chicken? could you try another source of protein ?