A little daily record on my cat's diarrhea (also looking for advice)

[PotatoCatto]

I'm back! I know I said daily but also realized there's not that much to update from day to day since his condition is probably more of a chronic thing. Again, he's not having large volumes of diarrhea frequently. He has been going to his box more often (compared to normal), but most of the time it's just a tiny bit of stool. I would say the total amount of stool probably remains roughly the same, but he had to go more frequently because of the irritation and the consistency is wrong.

There's not that much new going on. I know last time he had similar conditions it took at least weeks, probably over a month, for him to fully recover (it took maybe a week or so for him to stop having stool that's just completely liquid, but it took a long time for his stool to go from very soft to normal), so I have to keep on reminding myself to be extra patient.

Unfortunately I haven't yet received the lab result from my vet. I called the vet clinic and was told that the result is out, but I have to wait for my vet to call me, so hopefully I can get it in the next few days. About 3 days ago I started to record his pooping on notes on my phone- the time, the amount, the consitency, and whether it's gassy, to the best of my ability. It's kind of gross since I use an overwhelmingly large smount of food references in the consistency recording lol, but I find it pretty helpful. It is also something that the vet tech suggested to me when he was a kitten. From the record he seems to be been going less frequently - I was woken up 4 times 3 nights ago, twice two nights ago and just once last night to clean him (I have a motion camera that would notify me when he uses the box).

 

[PotatoCatto]

I forgot to mention that I finally got some Jarrow s. boulardii. I've been using the NOW brand but it seems like everyone has been recommending the Jarrow brand. I don't think I'll start using it for him now but I guess it's nice to have for the future (if the cat doesn't need it I can also take it). I've also ordered a little bit of vegetarian size 3 capsules just in case. We have some size 5 capsules, but they're super tiny and the ones I have are made of gelatin. I know normally he seems to be OK with the gelatin ones since but I'm not sure what animal they are derived from and don't want to further upset his tummy. As for the Jarrow capsule - I read the ingredient list and I'm slightly worried about the tapioca starch, since he's never had that.

 

[PotatoCatto]

A slightly sad update. I thought he's been doing better because he went to his box less, even though the consistency of his poop remained similar to before. I was very happy since I thought I don't need to basically watch him 24/7. However, it seems like today he's been going to his box more often again, and the consistency of his poop has not been good either... It didn't get to a point where he woke me up 4 times at night, but the frequency was clearly higher than the past two days. Also poor baby got poop on his little foot, and I had to wipe it :'(I was really hoping that he would get better from there, but that unfortunately doesn't seem to be the case. The good thing is he's still doing well otherwise. He has a surprisingly good appetite for a sick cat, and still wants to play, drinks, and is otherwise energetic.

I'm thinking about changing his food now. The vet said once he gets better on this specific food we can switch him again to something else that's not a prescription diet. During our vet visit last week, the vet said said that I can wait for a few days on his old diet and if he doesn't improve we should make the switch and I think it's about the time since it's been more than a few days. I've been trying to avoid food change because I'm just so scared. But maybe I just can't avoid it.

 

[PotatoCatto]

Also, I want to know your opinions on getting him an ultrasound. I think we didn't get it last time because the vet thought it's unnecessary, but if we can (almost) confirm that he has IBD I'm thinking perhaps we can do something that specifically targets the problem. I was also hoping to get him an allergy test but the vet said it's usually not very helpful.

 

[FurryMonsters]

Hi P PotatoCatto ,
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date, it's riveting reading for IBD cat parents
I don't think you can avoid a diet change I'm afraid. Don't worry too much about this, I've had to recently switch mine to RC GI dry food (temporarily) because of diarrhea and they took to it like fish to water. And it really helped.
You asked about probiotics earlier - in fact they are extremely fragile to moisture, heat and oxygen and end up dying off quite easily. S. Boulardii may be a little different in that respect as it is a yeast and not a bacterium. Have you tried standard probiotics for dogs/cats in addition to that? I actually find those really helpful, just make sure it's not a tub of loose powder but sealed capsules that you can open and sprinkle on cat's food.
The ultrasound is not a bad idea as long as your cat has no heart issues like murmurs. However, you are correct not to expect a definitive diagnosis, as it will usually just show intestinal wall thickening. Go with your vets recommendation on this.
True protein allergies are quite rare in cats, and your vet is right that the tests are not particularly useful.
One of my cats is very sensitive to fish protein - even a small piece or small percentage in his food sets him right off these days. At the beginning, it was more gradual, with intermittent vomiting and diarrhea, now he just goes straight into a bout of vomiting if something irritates him and then needs steroids to calm the inflammation down.

 

[PotatoCatto]

Hi P PotatoCatto ,
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date, it's riveting reading for IBD cat parents
I don't think you can avoid a diet change I'm afraid. Don't worry too much about this, I've had to recently switch mine to RC GI dry food (temporarily) because of diarrhea and they took to it like fish to water. And it really helped.
You asked about probiotics earlier - in fact they are extremely fragile to moisture, heat and oxygen and end up dying off quite easily. S. Boulardii may be a little different in that respect as it is a yeast and not a bacterium. Have you tried standard probiotics for dogs/cats in addition to that? I actually find those really helpful, just make sure it's not a tub of loose powder but sealed capsules that you can open and sprinkle on cat's food.
The ultrasound is not a bad idea as long as your cat has no heart issues like murmurs. However, you are correct not to expect a definitive diagnosis, as it will usually just show intestinal wall thickening. Go with your vets recommendation on this.
True protein allergies are quite rare in cats, and your vet is right that the tests are not particularly useful.
One of my cats is very sensitive to fish protein - even a small piece or small percentage in his food sets him right off these days. At the beginning, it was more gradual, with intermittent vomiting and diarrhea, now he just goes straight into a bout of vomiting if something irritates him and then needs steroids to calm the inflammation down.

Hello FurryMonsters! It's so nice to have support from other cat parents experiencing similar issues! We also use Fera probiotics. My vet said it's OK to keep him on that now but if he doesn't improve we might consider changing it to a new one. This probiotics is the only supplement that I keep him on when he's not experiencing diarrhea. Usually he gets it with a little bit of freeze dried chicken. It's powedered, but the instruction says there's no need to refrigerate it. We used Forti-Flora before and it really didn't help much. I'm still anxiously waiting for his lab result

 

[stephanietx]

I posted a couple of weeks ago. I'm sorry you're still struggling with this. My boy ended up with a few days of Prednisolone and it helped solidify his poop, BUT he will not poop in the box now. Sigh. We started him on Adored Beast Gut Soothe and that's seemed to help, but maybe a bit too well. lol We are trying to find the right dose for him, even though he's supposed to be getting 1/2 t once a day. He's no longer on the prednisolone, but still having formed poops and eating like a champ.

In your case, I would work with your vet to perhaps try a GI food for a few weeks to see if that works for him. The ultrasound may not be a bad idea either.

 

[PotatoCatto]

I posted a couple of weeks ago. I'm sorry you're still struggling with this. My boy ended up with a few days of Prednisolone and it helped solidify his poop, BUT he will not poop in the box now. Sigh. We started him on Adored Beast Gut Soothe and that's seemed to help, but maybe a bit too well. lol We are trying to find the right dose for him, even though he's supposed to be getting 1/2 t once a day. He's no longer on the prednisolone, but still having formed poops and eating like a champ.

In your case, I would work with your vet to perhaps try a GI food for a few weeks to see if that works for him. The ultrasound may not be a bad idea either.

Hello stephanietx ! Thankfully my boy does not have any other symptoms besides diarrhea. I previously didn't want to switch because I have bad experience switching food in the past (provided it's not prescription food, but it still haunts me) and last time we stayed on the same food his diarrhea just cleared on its own slowly. To be fair even though he is still going very frequently I think I can see some progress being made. I already got a bag of GI food from my vet and I think we'll be trying it. He seems to be very interested in the food and was curiouly sniffing the bag earlier. Good luck with your boy's recovery!

 

[Margot Lane]

Hey just wondering how it’s going w/ your kitty as I sorta feel as if I’m riding shotgun on your same issue. I’m taking him for an ultrasound in 2 days but don’t want to as A). his poo is solid again and the B) two hour one way trip is stressful for my baby. However, I do really trust my vet’s instincts so will let you know if I learn anything new about ultrasounds in general, or garner new tips for staying calm whilst your kitty is in The Pen. I know they are less invasive than biopsies. My immediate thinking is my cat sitter gave him too much pumpkin, but, that could also be wishful thinking on my part. I am concerned for you as am not sure how long a cat can go with runny poo, and am hoping your vet gives you advice about that part.

 

[PotatoCatto]

Hey just wondering how it’s going w/ your kitty as I sorta feel as if I’m riding shotgun on your same issue. I’m taking him for an ultrasound in 2 days but don’t want to as A). his poo is solid again and the B) two hour one way trip is stressful for my baby. However, I do really trust my vet’s instincts so will let you know if I learn anything new about ultrasounds in general, or garner new tips for staying calm whilst your kitty is in The Pen. I know they are less invasive than biopsies. My immediate thinking is my cat sitter gave him too much pumpkin, but, that could also be wishful thinking on my part. I am concerned for you as am not sure how long a cat can go with runny poo, and am hoping your vet gives you advice about that part.

I think I'm just a super nervous mom! The first time I went to the vet I pretty much literally asked for every single check possible and the vet is like oh no no no I don't think that's necessary! I think the reason we didn't do an ultrasound last time was 1. it was expensive and 2. the vet basically said that the treatment plan would probably not change much whether we find thickening of intestinal lining or not, but I am just kind of hoping that maybe if we get referred to an internal medicine specialist we can get more information regarding his situation.

While it's still really really difficult for me mentally I'm not overly concerned with his general state of health because of his current behaviour and our past experience dealing with this - he had chronic diarrhea / soft stool for quite a long time as a kitten (at the time I didn't know how to deal with this, what is normal, and we did give him metronidazole per vet's suggestion but I don't think it helped at the time). I know diarrhea can be different from case to case and some of them can result in dehydration very quickly, but because he's not having large volume of watery diarrhea, just small volume but going to his box more often, I'm not too concerned about that part. The almost exact situation happened once before, and at that time I panicked so hard and brought him to the vet the next day (I actually called an emergency vet at midnight too but was told he doesn't need to go immediately) and on the second day the vet didn't seem to be concerned at all. That time he just healed on his own. It took some time (maybe 2 weeks?) and we did get some metronidazole, perhaps that also helped. The other thing is that I basically stay home 24/7 right now with this little guy to monitor him and if anything goes very wrong, we are very close to a vet and an emergency vet.

I think this is just hitting me really really hard mentally... I have a lot of anxiety in general and I think I should also seek professional help myself

 

[daftcat75]

Get the ultrasound. Engage with an IM specialist. This can be much too overwhelming to do on your own or with a general vet who wishes it would simply respond to a prescription so he can get back to all his other clients. That's where specialists are the best thing for these chronic conditions. It can take a long time to get the initial consultation appointment with a specialist. But then once they've seen you and your cat, it's usually easier to get a follow up appointment with your specialist than with the general vet. You're also not competing with all the spay and neuters and dentals and other things that consume a general vet's time and focus. And the specialist can evolve the treatment as the condition improves or worsens. S/he will also have a lot more experience and expertise with these cases than your general vet.

Use the Jarrow s. boulardii. Twice a day preferably. It's important to build a steady state with regular dosing (twice a day is usually enough unless you need an emergency stop to diarrhea.) It is both soothing and protective. It will scavenge some bad actors out of his gut and show them the backdoor. The MOS in the Jarrow brand works synergistically with the s.b. itself which is why it's preferred over other formulations. I consider MOS like scrubbing bubbles for the gut. It has a structure similar to the gut wall. Those bad actors that like to attack the gut wall bind to the MOS and SB and are flushed out with his poop. SB can be constipating if you give him too much. Start small, like 1/8 to 1/4 capsule twice a day. If you're lucky, he likes the taste and you can mix it directly into his food. Otherwise, I wouldn't sweat the very small amount of gelatin in gelatin capsules and repack them yourself. An upside down box of any kind that you poke small snug holes into can be used to make a crude capsule filling machine. Make the holes snug enough so that you can press the capsules flush with the surface of the box bottom without pushing the capsules all the way through. Make sure the box is big enough for you to get your hand or some other tool in there to pop the capsules back up when they're filled--just up high enough that you can cap them before freeing them. Pour your powder out onto this surface and push it into the capsules by raking it back and forth with an index card or business card. Sometimes you can find size 3 or size 4 filling machines on Etsy or Amazon. I got a size four machine off Etsy. But that seller appears to be taking a break. Size four is about 1/4 of a Jarrow capsule.

His diet is almost certainly contributing to his poop nonsense. Try a truly limited ingredient food like Mouser or Rawz. If they have a plant protein and grains or starches, that's not a limited ingredient diet. Try a different protein than what he usually eats. Watch for the gums too. Carrageenan and agar agar are commonly associated with irritation or discomfort and are usually avoided in these cases. Xanthan gum makes smooth foods smooth. For those sensitive to it, it can also make their poops smooth. Mousse in, mousse out. Those tube treats are a common source of xanthan gum. Guar gum is probably the most harmless of the gums despite it's foreboding and unattractive name. If it has guar gum (and only guar gum), I breathe easily. I have no opinion or useful experience with locust bean gum or one or two others that are often found together and thus make it hard to consider for a limited ingredient diet. The best food is going to have one protein (two in the case of Mouser because mouse is often a novel protein for indoor house cats), organs from the same animal(s), water or broth from the same animal, and hopefully just a single gum--or in the case of Rawz and Mouser, they have simple alternatives that don't seem to cause any grief: fenugreek seeds in the case of Rawz and tomato paste with Mouser.

Rawz (get the pates, not the shreds) and Mouser can both be bought a single can at a time from Incredible Pets. Buy a few flavors and run them past him before you commit to case.
Search: 51 results found for "rawz" - Incredible Pets
Search: 10 results found for "mouser" - Incredible Pets

 

[PotatoCatto]

Get the ultrasound. Engage with an IM specialist. This can be much too overwhelming to do on your own or with a general vet who wishes it would simply respond to a prescription so he can get back to all his other clients. That's where specialists are the best thing for these chronic conditions. It can take a long time to get the initial consultation appointment with a specialist. But then once they've seen you and your cat, it's usually easier to get a follow up appointment with your specialist than with the general vet. You're also not competing with all the spay and neuters and dentals and other things that consume a general vet's time and focus. And the specialist can evolve the treatment as the condition improves or worsens. S/he will also have a lot more experience and expertise with these cases than your general vet.

Use the Jarrow s. boulardii. Twice a day preferably. It's important to build a steady state with regular dosing (twice a day is usually enough unless you need an emergency stop to diarrhea.) It is both soothing and protective. It will scavenge some bad actors out of his gut and show them the backdoor. The MOS in the Jarrow brand works synergistically with the s.b. itself which is why it's preferred over other formulations. I consider MOS like scrubbing bubbles for the gut. It has a structure similar to the gut wall. Those bad actors that like to attack the gut wall bind to the MOS and SB and are flushed out with his poop. SB can be constipating if you give him too much. Start small, like 1/8 to 1/4 capsule twice a day. If you're lucky, he likes the taste and you can mix it directly into his food. Otherwise, I wouldn't sweat the very small amount of gelatin in gelatin capsules and repack them yourself. An upside down box of any kind that you poke small snug holes into can be used to make a crude capsule filling machine. Make the holes snug enough so that you can press the capsules flush with the surface of the box bottom without pushing the capsules all the way through. Make sure the box is big enough for you to get your hand or some other tool in there to pop the capsules back up when they're filled--just up high enough that you can cap them before freeing them. Pour your powder out onto this surface and push it into the capsules by raking it back and forth with an index card or business card. Sometimes you can find size 3 or size 4 filling machines on Etsy or Amazon. I got a size four machine off Etsy. But that seller appears to be taking a break. Size four is about 1/4 of a Jarrow capsule.

His diet is almost certainly contributing to his poop nonsense. Try a truly limited ingredient food like Mouser or Rawz. If they have a plant protein and grains or starches, that's not a limited ingredient diet. Try a different protein than what he usually eats. Watch for the gums too. Carrageenan and agar agar are commonly associated with irritation or discomfort and are usually avoided in these cases. Xanthan gum makes smooth foods smooth. For those sensitive to it, it can also make their poops smooth. Mousse in, mousse out. Those tube treats are a common source of xanthan gum. Guar gum is probably the most harmless of the gums despite it's foreboding and unattractive name. If it has guar gum (and only guar gum), I breathe easily. I have no opinion or useful experience with locust bean gum or one or two others that are often found together and thus make it hard to consider for a limited ingredient diet. The best food is going to have one protein (two in the case of Mouser because mouse is often a novel protein for indoor house cats), organs from the same animal(s), water or broth from the same animal, and hopefully just a single gum--or in the case of Rawz and Mouser, they have simple alternatives that don't seem to cause any grief: fenugreek seeds in the case of Rawz and tomato paste with Mouser.

Rawz (get the pates, not the shreds) and Mouser can both be bought a single can at a time from Incredible Pets. Buy a few flavors and run them past him before you commit to case.
Search: 51 results found for "rawz" - Incredible Pets
Search: 10 results found for "mouser" - Incredible Pets

Thanks for the suggestion! I think I will talk to my vet about getting him checked by an IM specialist. I mean, the worst case scenario would simply be that they can't provide much more information. It's going to be expensive (hopefully it's mostly going to be covered by insurance) but I think that also saves me from worrying too much.

 

[PotatoCatto]

Still anxiously waiting for lab results I was told that the results are out I just need to wait for them to be emailed to me, but perhaps they're just processing some of the more urgent cases first...

We're starting a new GI food today. I was really hoping that he would be getting better once we go back into our old routine, and I thought he was because he was going to his box less. But it seems like he's starting to go more often again. Besides that he has a pretty good appetite, still does zoomies and isn't dehydrated. I'll keep on observing him and if something comes up I'll take him to the vet again.

I've been telling myself that I will just need to take each new day as a fun challenge of sort, and that worrying does no good. I know people usually only share the good parts of their lives, but I can't help but feel a little jealous of people that don't need to put that much effort and money in cat care (I mean, I'm happy for the people and the cat who thrive with very little special care, I just wish I could be one of them).

 

[daftcat75]

Thanks for the suggestion! I think I will talk to my vet about getting him checked by an IM specialist. I mean, the worst case scenario would simply be that they can't provide much more information. It's going to be expensive (hopefully it's mostly going to be covered by insurance) but I think that also saves me from worrying too much.

Your general vet can perform the ultrasound. Or rather they generally have a traveling sonographer who can perform and interpret the ultrasound. Depending on the results of the ultrasound, your general vet can also start him on prednisilone. This can be a useful first step in tamping down the inflammation. You'll likely still want to engage the specialist to have someone more experienced and dedicated on his care team. General vets often have a pred and pray approach. Specialists can make sure he's getting the right amount of pred and can adjust his treatment course as needed. Your general vet can be a good start while you are waiting for that initial specialist consultation.

 

[FurryMonsters]

Haha I think 90% of us wish we were THOSE people!
You are not alone
Take every day as a win. Stick with the GI food (as long as he's eating it) as it can take a while to work, and continue with probiotics and anything your vet prescribes.
Let us know when you get the results, and don't hesitate to call them again to chase them up!

 

[daftcat75]

I don’t really like the GI food because they are usually adding in nonsense carbs like rice and wheat gluten (to make a gravy.) Betty sure likes the Hills I/D stew though. And I can tell why. It’s chicken chunks in gravy. I don't eat chicken myself. But it kind of looks tasty. But it also has rice and carrots. We’re working her pred down, with the guidance of her specialist, and she may be off it next month. I have been reluctant to change Betty’s food while working the pred down. If she reacts, I know it’s the pred reduction and not the food change. After her inde-pred-nence day, we can revisit food. She’s never shown a food sensitivity though.

I adopted Betty in January last year. Even before her insurance waiting period was up, her hairball troubles started. That has been her only presentation--hairballs that tear her up for half a day. My belief is that she was a kibble addict before she came to me, and that this inflammation has been brewing for awhile. It may have even led to her owner surrender that brought her to me. But yeah, imagine me after taking care of my last cat in her "exciting" IBD/lymphoma and tooth resorption geriatric years thinking I'll get a few years with the new cat before I have to worry about any of that. I believe we caught it early enough that it may not have risen to a food sensitivity yet (other than whatever kibble she was probably eating before me.) I would leave her on the chicken stew except that she's been getting pudgy from it. She's fed four times a day--smaller meals more often is a common strategy for IBD cats to decrease the GI load of each meal. I may just mix some Rawz or Mouser into her lunch or second dinner to increase her protein and cut down some of those carbs.

 

[PotatoCatto]

Haha I think 90% of us wish we were THOSE people!
You are not alone
Take every day as a win. Stick with the GI food (as long as he's eating it) as it can take a while to work, and continue with probiotics and anything your vet prescribes.
Let us know when you get the results, and don't hesitate to call them again to chase them up!

I've already called 3 times since last Friday but might do it again tomorrow and try a little harder. I would like to know how other people manage chronic diarrhea (more so mentally). Like right now I'm basically waking up 3 to 4 times every night to clean him, and I am thankful that I can stay at home all day, but I understand not everyone can, and I really want to learn from people that need to work while managing a cat with the condition. His condition today really made me super upset. Even though I generally sleep pretty well this isn't something that's going to last long term. Also I've basically sacrificed all other aspects of my life to care for him. I know this isn't all about me, but I got a cat hoping to help myself a bit mentally... I was prepared for some hiccups along the way (got health insurance from day one), but man this is harder than I expected as none of the previous cats that I interacted with had any problems like this. I don't want to share too much negativity but it sure is incredibly difficult. Now this is partially on me, for not doing enough research.

As for his food, and maybe a slightly happier topic - I was initially thinking about doing a gradual switch but honestly (my vet said we can but don't need to) I don't really see a point at the moment. He is very interested in the GI food and basically just inhales it, but this little guy is weird and tends to like new food so hopefully his interest doesn't just decline over time. I think if his condition does not improve by the end of this week I'll bring him to the vet again and probably ask for 1. metronidazole, since he has not been on any meds and 2. a referral to an internal medicine specialist, in addition to any other opinions that the vet has.

 

[daftcat75]

Metronidazole can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes it really helps. And sometimes it can make matters worse. If you are giving s. boulardii, that can combat a lot of the negatives about metro. It will keep some bad actors that thrive when metro kills the competition from getting too feisty themselves. For better or worse, metro acts pretty quickly so you can tell within three to five days whether it's helping.

 

[FurryMonsters]

Yes, I agree with the above. Metronidazole is a short-term solution and can help if the problem is bacteria or protozoa. It also has some anti-inflammatory activity, so can improve IBD symptoms. However, it has been shown to cause DNA damage, and has other potential side effects.

P PotatoCatto You said that he was on Metro before multiple times and it didn't seem to help, what makes you want to ask for it again? Follow your vet's recommendation, perhaps a steroid might be a good option, as it sounds like he has serious chronic inflammation. Lab results and an ultrasound could help with this decision.

How do people cope? Honestly, I'm not sure, I think everyone has different coping strategies. I just do what I have to do: work/looking after the cats/taking care of the family/cooking/housework, and take it one day at a time. Of course it's exhausting. Fortunately, I only deal with occasional bouts of diarrhea in my cats and the main problem is chronic vomiting. And yeah, like you and many others I have sacrificed a lot in my life for them, such as self-care, social activities and holidays. Having a pet has definite psychological and physical health benefits, but it is also a serious responsibility and often a challenge. I do think that it makes you stronger and more resilient in the long run.

Please make some time for yourself every day to de-stress and calm your anxiety. I find meditation and breathing exercises to be very useful. There are some good mobile apps for that and it does not have to take up a lot of time. A 10 min session can be very restorative. If you have the time to take a 30 min nap during the day, that can help with the lost sleep.

Most importantly, have faith that this is only temporary and you and your vet will find a long-term solution with a bit of trial and error. You will be able to enjoy life with your lovely cat (pics please? ) and you will feel proud of yourself for overcoming the challenge and helping your beloved feline friend. Take care and look after yourself

 

[PotatoCatto]

Yes, I agree with the above. Metronidazole is a short-term solution and can help if the problem is bacteria or protozoa. It also has some anti-inflammatory activity, so can improve IBD symptoms. However, it has been shown to cause DNA damage, and has other potential side effects.

P PotatoCatto You said that he was on Metro before multiple times and it didn't seem to help, what makes you want to ask for it again? Follow your vet's recommendation, perhaps a steroid might be a good option, as it sounds like he has serious chronic inflammation. Lab results and an ultrasound could help with this decision.

How do people cope? Honestly, I'm not sure, I think everyone has different coping strategies. I just do what I have to do: work/looking after the cats/taking care of the family/cooking/housework, and take it one day at a time. Of course it's exhausting. Fortunately, I only deal with occasional bouts of diarrhea in my cats and the main problem is chronic vomiting. And yeah, like you and many others I have sacrificed a lot in my life for them, such as self-care, social activities and holidays. Having a pet has definite psychological and physical health benefits, but it is also a serious responsibility and often a challenge. I do think that it makes you stronger and more resilient in the long run.

Please make some time for yourself every day to de-stress and calm your anxiety. I find meditation and breathing exercises to be very useful. There are some good mobile apps for that and it does not have to take up a lot of time. A 10 min session can be very restorative. If you have the time to take a 30 min nap during the day, that can help with the lost sleep.

Most importantly, have faith that this is only temporary and you and your vet will find a long-term solution with a bit of trial and error. You will be able to enjoy life with your lovely cat (pics please? ) and you will feel proud of yourself for overcoming the challenge and helping your beloved feline friend. Take care and look after yourself

I've been thinking about this and I think perhaps "it did not work" is just my own bias because it's hard to remember things really well, although I was a little desparate yesterday and was basically willing to try anything and everything - poor baby was so irratated and was going so frequently that I was just hoping for something that could relieve the inflammation for him. Sorry for being overly dramatic yesterday. I checked my old message again just to be sure and it seems like last time he had this symptom we used metronidazole and his poop solidified within maybe 4 days or so. It just somehow felt a lot longer to me probably because I was so upset. I sincerely apologize for giving inaccurate information earlier but I feel like when they're sick time just goes by a lot slower.

Thanks for all the support! It's hard but I'm sure we will eventually overcome this.