Rescue kitten with diarrhoea

[Columbine]

stephenq I'm not sure how the royal canin is supposed to work, but the animonda food I mentioned contains electrolytes, which may be necessary to offset the side effects of diarrhoea. It was the vet who suggested that we use a special diet, not us. Part of the point, I think, is that Asha's already on a light/gentle diet and is still having problems. Regardless of the cause, we do need to manage the symptoms while tests are being run. I don't think it's meant as a cure, more as a prophylactic measure whilst we determine the underlying cause. If the stool sample also comes back clear, we'll move onto blood tests. I think my vet was reluctant to draw blood and run potentially unnecessary tests. It is very much the cautious 'one step at a time' approach.

shadowsrescue It's really interesting what you say about the vet diets. My Shadow has been on the royal canin urinary s/o feline for years. It just goes against all my instincts. I've accepted that Shadow is largely a 'junk food' cat, but I wanted better for Asha (as in, Shadow was a kitten when I was at college for one thing, and for another I didn't know then what I know now about the pet food industry etc. Shadow's set in his ways - he will eat some reasonable complimentary wet foods, but demands the highly processed stuff too ).

I hope I'm making sense...back home now and on tramadol for pain and valium for muscle spasms. I'm aware I may not be thinking as clearly as I'd like

 

[Columbine]

Really sorry for not posting/thinking of this sooner but puck Is the fortiflora or equivalent something I should wait to be prescribed by or discuss with my vet before using, or would it be ok for me to just get some and use it? It seems an obvious thing to use, but I don't want to do the wrong thing.

 

[shadowsrescue]

For diarrhea in both cats and dogs, I have used a product called Pro Pectalin.  I use it in treat formula, but it is also available in a syringe ( liquid type).  Here is some info on it.  Just scroll down a bit on the page.  I first got it from my vet and then ordered it online.

http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/Products/NutritionalSupplements/Gastro-Intestinal.html

 

[Columbine]

That looks really interesting. I'll definitely ask the vet about it. I think it's similar to something my greyhound has (logic diar-stop). I asked about that one today and my vet felt it wasn't appropriate at this juncture. Even so, propectalin looks worth investigating. Thank you

 

[Columbine]

Normal poop again today
I really hope she's over the worst. I stuck an upturned eggcup in her bowl this morning to try and slow her eating down a bit in the hope that it'll help her digestion.

 

[miss mew]

Good vibes coming that she continues to improve!

 

[stephenq]

Normal poop again today

I really hope she's over the worst. I stuck an upturned eggcup in her bowl this morning to try and slow her eating down a bit in the hope that it'll help her digestion.

There is no reason to slow her eating unless she is throwing up from eating too quickly.  The diarrhea is unconnected to how fast she eats.

 

[Columbine]

The vet said the reason Asha was sick on Friday night was probably the speed at which she eats...she still has 'starving cat' mentality about food.

 

[stephenq]

The vet said the reason Asha was sick on Friday night was probably the speed at which she eats...she still has 'starving cat' mentality about food.

By sick do you mean vomiting or diarrhea? I've seen plenty of cats throw up from eating too fast, i have never seen a cat have diarrhea from that. Never, and i've been working with rescue cats and kittens professionally for about 13 years.

This thread has been going on a very long time it seems and really all we (those of us observing or commenting) want is to hear is of a PCR test result for giardia and coccidia and related parasites.  A neg result means you can focus on other issues with confidence that you are doing the right thing, a positive result means that nothing up to this point nothing is particularly relevant as the focus has been incorrect.

Your vet seems to keep inventing non-medical causes of diarrhea when with rescue cats and kittens, the overwhleming majority of them with diarrhea have diarrhea for a medical reason, not a dietary or behavior cause (with rare exceptions that don't seem to apply in this case)

Even in advance of a positive diagnosis most vets in the USA, particularly ones familiar with stray populations would start prophylacticly treating for them without even waiting for the test results.  Treatment is easy and safe, and if treatment works, then you essentially have a diagnosis.

 

[Columbine]

Firstly, by sick I meant vomiting. Secondly, the vet has sent off stool and urine samples for testing. The urine results are back ( and clear, as I said yesterday), but we are still waiting on the stool sample results - primarily because the sample I took to my appointment wasn't clean enough and it then took madam a little while to provide me with another one. The hope is that we will have those results back tomorrow, and will be able to proceed from there.

My vet is not inventing non medical reasons for the problem. The vomiting on Friday seems to have been an isolated incident. The vet in question observed Asha eating during her initial health check admission, and is aware that Asha has a tendency to bolt her food.

The vet (again as I've said before) did not want to start any prophylactic treatments until after stool and urine samples had been collected for fear of skewing any test results...particularly as she was concerned about Asha's very large urine output (which I believe I also mentioned in my original post).

On Monday I will have the stool sample results back. If they show a parasite or similar, that will be treated. If they are also clear,we will move onto blood testing. I do appreciate the help and advice I have received in this forum, but I do not appreciate the continued implication that, just because vets in the uk are a little more cautious about testing and prescribing, my vets (who I've used for 18 years and have had very good treatment from) are somehow incompetent. Human doctors in this country are also slower to run multiple tests and slower to prescribe in the majority of cases. Does that make every doctor in this country incompetent too?

 

[stephenq]

Firstly, by sick I meant vomiting. Secondly, the vet has sent off stool and urine samples for testing. The urine results are back ( and clear, as I said yesterday), but we are still waiting on the stool sample results - primarily because the sample I took to my appointment wasn't clean enough and it then took madam a little while to provide me with another one. The hope is that we will have those results back tomorrow, and will be able to proceed from there.

My vet is not inventing non medical reasons for the problem. The vomiting on Friday seems to have been an isolated incident. The vet in question observed Asha eating during her initial health check admission, and is aware that Asha has a tendency to bolt her food.

The vet (again as I've said before) did not want to start any prophylactic treatments until after stool and urine samples had been collected for fear of skewing any test results...particularly as she was concerned about Asha's very large urine output (which I believe I also mentioned in my original post).

On Monday I will have the stool sample results back. If they show a parasite or similar, that will be treated. If they are also clear,we will move onto blood testing. I do appreciate the help and advice I have received in this forum, but I do not appreciate the continued implication that, just because vets in the uk are a little more cautious about testing and prescribing, my vets (who I've used for 18 years and have had very good treatment from) are somehow incompetent. Human doctors in this country are also slower to run multiple tests and slower to prescribe in the majority of cases. Does that make every doctor in this country incompetent too?

I apologize for misconstruing - you said "sick" without specifying in what way and this entire thread has been about diarrhea.

 

[Columbine]

No problem Dialect issue I think...In uk,saying someone's 'been sick' almost always refers to vomiting.

 

[shadowsrescue]

How is Asha?  Any updates?

 

[Columbine]

Asha's doing well. Her digestion seems to have settled down for the time being

Still waiting for stool sample results to come back from the lab. Can't do any more until they do.

 

[puck]

Fortiflora and Proviable probiotics are a benign measure that won't harm, and may help, her current GI flora. Both are available online, or your vet may carry one of them. Purina makes Fortiflora and often includes them in a GI pack with EN diet orders for clinics. Nutramax Labs makes Proviable, and as many vets already order their joint supplements, Cosequin and Dasuquin, an order for Proviable may be easy for your clinic, if they carry either of these lines.

Glad Asha's intestines are somewhat better, and she doesn't have a UTI or any strange glucose/ketones contributing to her larger volume. You don't have one of those young cats dipping towards diseases we typically see later in their lives, at least! Count our blessings.

I'll keep checking back to see those fecal diagnostic results, and keep hoping it's one of those easily treated parasites, that a round of meds clears and she's on her way to good health. 

 

[Columbine]

Thank you I'll try to get some probiotics sorted today, along with (hopefully) the fecal test results. Don't know what's taking the lab so long...

 

[Columbine]

Lab results are back. All clear - and they specifically tested for giardia and other protazoa, as well as other parasites and things like salmonella (can't remember full list).

Asha's digestion has been normal for the last 3 days, with no bm so far today. Since things seem to have resolved, the vet feels it was most likely a reaction to change in circumstances combined with the stomach being a little overloaded. I'm to keep Asha on the gastrointestinal diet for the time being and will call the vet on Friday to update her on the condition. Her feeling was that, since all the tests checked out, the was no actual need for probiotics, but if I feel that I want to give a course of them (as I do...just to re balance things after the antibiotics if nothing else) then there's no harm in feeding them.

Just to complicate matters, it looks like Asha's coming into heat I'm just glad she's ok in other respects

 

[shadowsrescue]

I am glad it wasn't an awful parasite, but also you still don't have a definitive answer.  Hopefully she is on the mend.  I think I would do some probiotics.  They won't hurt her and they might help heal her gut. 

Any news on when she can by spayed?  Hopefully soon!!! 

I bet the prescription food is helping even though it's not the highest quality.  When you transition back to regular food do so slowly just to be sure she doesn't have a reaction.

So glad she will be ok!!

 

[Columbine]

I'm really glad too. It was most likely stress plus antibiotics plus over zealous feeding on my part :anon:

The vet wants to spay around 10 days after Asha comes off heat...assuming I'm right of course If I'm wrong,it'll be in a couple of weeks anyway. We want her digestion to fully settle first. The good news is I can start cat to cat introductions now Shadow's been at her door asking to meet her and she's been trying to get out so I think they're ready. We shall see...

 

[shadowsrescue]

How is Asha?