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- Dec 16, 2015
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Hi all.
One of my three cats, Zeke, has been ill. We just got back from a $427 vet visit. !$$$!
Starting on June 23, in the morning I found a very large hairball, which I don't recall having ever seen him retch up a hairball, and diarrhea in two areas outside the litterbox. (He's strictly indoors, while the other cats go outside-we had to do this to keep the peace and stop the pissing contests, so I know the vomits and poops are his) He had no interest in food, a first for him. I've had him on raw food for about seven months, he loves it, he's lost weight (he's overweight). Long story shorter, since the 23rd he's had diarrhea and vomiting, mostly in the afternoons and evenings. I would have taken him to the vet right away, but in the mornings he's normal, lively, and hungry. He'd eat ok, seem to feel and act fine, but in the afternoon get sick. Some of the vomit was white foam, sometimes partially digested food from breakfast and diarrhea. The last three days I added a little pumpkin puree to some canned food. No raw, thinking this would be easier to digest and the pumpkin would firm up his stool. His stool firmed up some, but it's still diarrhea, and usually on an upholstered chair or couch or bed. :-(
Poor guy. So off to the vet. Xrays didn't show an obvious obstruction or foreign object. He was just a little dehydrated, so they gave him fluids. Will be testing his urine, blood, and feces to check for potential causes.
I always just figured he was passing any hair, his or otherwise, in his stool. But after reading the symptoms of hairball intestinal blockage, which sounds like his symptoms, I have to wonder if the ground whole carcass, fur included, food could be a contributing factor? He also gets whole mice, ground raw chicken, raw turkey gizzards, whole cavies, rabbit chunks.
My other two cats also eat the raw ground rabbit and chicken, and they're doing fine.
I give all the kitties some hairball control treats a couple times a week, mas o menos. I haven't been religious about it. I put fish oil in the raw ground food along with the appropriate Alnutrin.
He doesn't groom excessively.
Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks! [emoji]128568[/emoji]
One of my three cats, Zeke, has been ill. We just got back from a $427 vet visit. !$$$!
Starting on June 23, in the morning I found a very large hairball, which I don't recall having ever seen him retch up a hairball, and diarrhea in two areas outside the litterbox. (He's strictly indoors, while the other cats go outside-we had to do this to keep the peace and stop the pissing contests, so I know the vomits and poops are his) He had no interest in food, a first for him. I've had him on raw food for about seven months, he loves it, he's lost weight (he's overweight). Long story shorter, since the 23rd he's had diarrhea and vomiting, mostly in the afternoons and evenings. I would have taken him to the vet right away, but in the mornings he's normal, lively, and hungry. He'd eat ok, seem to feel and act fine, but in the afternoon get sick. Some of the vomit was white foam, sometimes partially digested food from breakfast and diarrhea. The last three days I added a little pumpkin puree to some canned food. No raw, thinking this would be easier to digest and the pumpkin would firm up his stool. His stool firmed up some, but it's still diarrhea, and usually on an upholstered chair or couch or bed. :-(
Poor guy. So off to the vet. Xrays didn't show an obvious obstruction or foreign object. He was just a little dehydrated, so they gave him fluids. Will be testing his urine, blood, and feces to check for potential causes.
I always just figured he was passing any hair, his or otherwise, in his stool. But after reading the symptoms of hairball intestinal blockage, which sounds like his symptoms, I have to wonder if the ground whole carcass, fur included, food could be a contributing factor? He also gets whole mice, ground raw chicken, raw turkey gizzards, whole cavies, rabbit chunks.
My other two cats also eat the raw ground rabbit and chicken, and they're doing fine.
I give all the kitties some hairball control treats a couple times a week, mas o menos. I haven't been religious about it. I put fish oil in the raw ground food along with the appropriate Alnutrin.
He doesn't groom excessively.
Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks! [emoji]128568[/emoji]