Recurring health issues with young cat

[Aubreymechard]

I have an 11-month old black cat that's been sick since the day I got him 4 months ago. He keeps getting recurring infections like UTIs and respiratory infections and he has diarrhea that won't go away. I've given him antibiotics for the infections and probiotics for the diarrhea (vet recommendation) and it works for a little while then he gets sick again. He frequently uses the bathroom outside of the litterbox and makes huge disgusting messes in the bathroom, in closets, on top of the dryer, etc and for the past couple of months there has been bright red blood in his poop.

He also has an unusual obsession with food. I originally chalked it up to him being a stray/food-oriented but he's become very food aggressive and he's always trying to get in our sink or the trash. I feed both him and my other cat a nutrient rich diet and he is not underweight by any means.

At this point I am thinking (hoping) all of this is due to some underlying chronic illness. I took him in for bloodwork yesterday but from my conversation with the vet it doesn't sound like I will get many answers. She did mention exocrine pancreatic insufficiency but that seems like a shot in the dark. And the test for that alone is over $200. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Mr. Meow]

It seems unusual that a vet would be relatively negative before blood work even comes back. I'd wait, as best you can, until the results come back and go from there.
While I am not a vet, the antibiotics can cause diarrhea and it's unlikely that the probiotics would be enough to overcome that. Try puree pumpkin or boiled chicken to help with the diarrhea in the meantime.
A few other questions that come to mind - how many litter boxes do you have total in your house? Is it possible that his reoccurring upper respiratory is being transmitted back and forth between both your cats (as it's usually easily transmissible if all animals aren't treated at the same time or quarantined)?

 

[Antonio65]

Hi and welcome to TCS.

I'm so sorry for your kitty and his continuous issues.
I can partly relate to what you wrote because I fostered a couple of kittens (not siblings, in different times), with annoying diarrhea issues. No matter how many tests I ran, how many food changes or probiotics I tried, it seemed to me the problem wouldn't solve. Anyway, they were foster cats, and amazingly all their issues vanished once they were re-homed.
Unfortunately it happened with a kitten I had rescued and wanted to keep, and eventually the problem was the Giardia.
You haven't mentioned whether your vet ran a test for Giardia, but keep in mind that sometimes the results can be false-negative. We found the Giardia at the third fecal test.

Of course, because he has this diarrhea, he isn't absorbing all the nutrients from his meals, and this might make him always hungry.

What other tests did you do? Any US scan of his bowels? Just to rule out any issues in his intestine, like IBD.
And, have you conisdered him being intolerant to some protein that makes him sick?

 

[Aubreymechard]

Hi and welcome to TCS.

I'm so sorry for your kitty and his continuous issues.
I can partly relate to what you wrote because I fostered a couple of kittens (not siblings, in different times), with annoying diarrhea issues. No matter how many tests I ran, how many food changes or probiotics I tried, it seemed to me the problem wouldn't solve. Anyway, they were foster cats, and amazingly all their issues vanished once they were re-homed.
Unfortunately it happened with a kitten I had rescued and wanted to keep, and eventually the problem was the Giardia.
You haven't mentioned whether your vet ran a test for Giardia, but keep in mind that sometimes the results can be false-negative. We found the Giardia at the third fecal test.

Of course, because he has this diarrhea, he isn't absorbing all the nutrients from his meals, and this might make him always hungry.

What other tests did you do? Any US scan of his bowels? Just to rule out any issues in his intestine, like IBD.
And, have you conisdered him being intolerant to some protein that makes him sick?

The vet is currently testing for giardia. I have not done any scans but that was something the vet mentioned we could do if his results came back negative. I'm not sure about the protein, I'll have to look into that

 

[Antonio65]

The vet is currently testing for giardia. I have not done any scans but that was something the vet mentioned we could do if his results came back negative. I'm not sure about the protein, I'll have to look into that

OK.
What exactly is your cat eating? Have you access to mono-proteic food?
Is he eating dry food as well? There's the chance he might be intolerant to the gluten that nearly all dry foods have.

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS! I am sorry that the new kitty and you are dealing with such frustrating and smelly problems. Your new guy may be having multiple issues exacerbated by allergies and sensitivities.
For the starters, I would ensure that the litter is unscented and that the cleaning products are as gentle and fragrance-free as possible. Use puppy pads in "high risk" areas. Fish often found in most cat foods can be a culprit in urinary and intestinal issues; I don't know if your vet can do a food sensitivity test - I had to insist for over a year to get one for my daughter & that was after my own doctor had me do one (none of my other doctors believed in the "pseudoscience", as one prescriber put it).
Until you get answers, I would follow Mr. Meow's advice. The gut needs time to settle down and heal - several days of boiled chicken or hamburger meat with white rice added is often soothing. Some cats are intolerant of chicken so beef or rabbit can be used instead.
Also, when using probiotics, keep them apart from oral antibiotics by at least 4 hours. Try to include probiotics that include S. Boulardi.
You can consult your vet or a holistic vet about using soothing herbs. Lemon balm, red raspberry leaf and german chamomile as well as marshmallow root and slippery elm are what I use most; I avoid tinctures which use alcohol as preserves. My personal preference is to make teas from herbs & decoctions from roots & barks (decoction is simmered 10-15 minutes,covered, and cooled while still covered).
Please keep us updated!

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi,
I am sorry that your kitten has been so ill.
Cats cannot tolerate carbohydrates. It can cause more problems for some cats than others. All dry food including the grain free variety is full of carbohydrates. Some cats also have intolerance to some protein sources like fish, chicken, or beef. There isn't a test to find out which protein source they are unable to handle other than trial and error. You have to start with a novel protein diet such as rabbit, duck or venison and feed only that food. For instance if you decide to feed venison, then your cat would only get canned venison cat food by prescription and nothing else for at least a couple of weeks or more to see if there is an improvement. That means, no treats, no pill pockets etc.

There is a panel your veterinarian can submit to the lab called a diarrhea PCR, or GI panel. These test for various viruses and pathogenic bacteria in the stool.
If you go to the site below there is some information that might be helpful. It was written in 2009 but still relevant

https://cms4.netnews.cz/files/attachments/67031/28448-realpcr-canine-feline-diarrhea-panels.pdf

If this problem has been going on this long and you aren't happy with the current Veterinary care, find another vet to help you. Feline only is good because they only see cats and may be more versed in the diagnostics available for cats.

 

[duck13]

I had a similar issue with a rescue - it was food allergies (chicken & peas in her case). Once I switched her to a new food she was doing great within a few days. Short-term a little canned pumpkin mixed with catfood (NOT pumpkin pie filling, plain pumpkin) helps many kitties. Stress can also be a big factor, there are drops like rescue remedy that can be added to food if you suspect that is an issue-