Probiotic For Soft Stools

Neo_23

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Ever since I switched my kitten to grain free foods his stools have been loose and extra smelly. I want to try giving him a probiotic to see if it will help, but I'm not sure which ingredients to look for (and to look out for) in a probiotic. Any tips on which probiotics are the best? Can I find good ones at pet stores?
 

LTS3

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Probiotics can be helpful but isn't a cure all for soft stools and other digestive issues. Stinky poop usually indicates something indigestible in the food that just doesn't agree with the tummy. You can buy either pet specific probiotics or unflavored Human probiotics. The Human ones have higher bacteria CFU counts and more strains of bacteria than pet ones.

These are helpful:

Human Vs Cat Probiotics. Please help.
Probiotics Search - Human Grade and CFUs
Probiotic - not sure which one to pick!
Forti-flora and other brands of probiotics for cats
Probiotics for Cats - Why and Which Ones
 

valentine319

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I used tummy works i bought off of Amazon. It's not a human probiotic. It's specifically made for cats and dogs. It's a big container too. TummyWorks Probiotics Powder for Dogs & Cats, 160 Scoops
It worked great for soft poop, gas and farting in my cat. I was using it to help her while we figured out her allergies.
 
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Neo_23

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Neo_23

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By the way, he is 4 months old.
 

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1/2 teaspoon to 1 a day. In my cats we see results in 12 to 24 hours. If your cat doesnt like it you can put it on your finger and swipe it on roof of mouth. They will be mad but it could help. The other thing is a vet check to check stools for parasites/worms. That can cause smelly poop. Its not unusual for kittens to have worms. They can do a wormer thats given now then again in 2 weeks. Drontal i think its called. I would highly recommend worming at that age.
 
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Neo_23

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Thanks, I just gave him a bit of pumpkin mixed with his wet food and he ate it up, so no problems trying to get him to eat it! (Sorry, I didn't see that you already told me the amounts in your previous post!)

I will definitely get a fecal test if the pumpkin/probiotics don't work. I have really good reason to believe that it's just the diet change because it started right when I changed his food and he has been dewormed 4 times since he was born (most recently, a few days before the soft poo began). He also has no other symptoms and is otherwise a happy and healthy cat.
 

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FYI, canned pumpkin puree from the supermarket works just as well and cost less than a package of Weruva's Pumpkin Patch Up :) You can freeze the pumpkin puree in ice cube trays for later use. Libby's is on brand name you can find in most supermarkets but any brand that is just 100% pumpkin will work, even store generic brand. You don't want pumpkin pie filling.
 
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Neo_23

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FYI, canned pumpkin puree from the supermarket works just as well and cost less than a package of Weruva's Pumpkin Patch Up :) You can freeze the pumpkin puree in ice cube trays for later use. Libby's is on brand name you can find in most supermarkets but any brand that is just 100% pumpkin will work, even store generic brand. You don't want pumpkin pie filling.
Yeah, I thought about that after the fact. I was already at the pet store to get the probiotics so I just picked up a small pack of the Weruva pumpkin too, but you're right, it will be much cheaper to just buy a can from the supermarket next time.
 

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Since you use so little of the canned pumpkin at a feeding, you can freeze up the rest for future use. Just lay out waxed paper on a cookie sheet and drop teaspoons of pumpkin out across the paper. Then you put it in the freezer for an hour or so and once frozen you can bag up the pumpkin balls and thaw them out to use as needed. One can will probably last you a very very long time that way and you will always have it on hand for a sick kitty.
 
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Neo_23

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Be warned... I'm about to get detailed about poo...

We all know that a good way to judge your cat's health is to examine their poo..

I keep seeing people on this forum (including myself) posting about how their cats have "soft" poop. But, I have a feeling we may have different definitions of soft. I'm actually starting to wonder if my kitten's poop wouldn't be considered abnormally soft.

So, my cat's poop is dark brown and formed, but it's also soft. To me, it seems "too soft" only because it used to be harder when he was on a grain diet. Also, his poop seems to get "mushed" easily when he covers it with litter, but it keeps its form when I take it out of the litter box (we use pine pellets, not clumping litter). But, maybe this isn't so bad and his poo was too hard on the grain diet? The other concern for me is that it smells more than when he was on a grain diet. So, do you all consider odour too when you judge how 'soft' your cat's poo is?

By the way, visuals are welcome in this thread, but be warned if you're scrolling down and don't want to see cat poop!
 
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Neo_23

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So.. an update on the situation.

I tried the pumpkin for a couple of days -- he loved it, but I don't think it did much. I started him on the probiotic yesterday (I gave half of the recommended dosage to start). He ate it just fine with his wet food yesterday, but today right after he ate he started gagging and hacking and I thought he was going to throw up, but he didn't. I think he may have just ate too fast because he was very hungry when I gave him the food.

I'm wondering now if I should stop the probiotics in case they are what caused the gagging, or if I should continue on since there wasn't any actual vomit? I should also mention that I picked him up right before he started gagging so I may have put a bit too much pressure on his belly right after he ate :blackcat:.
 

pupaaapu

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Our vet gave us forti flora as probiotics. Both of my cats love it. And it helps a lot too. Probiotics might not be the ultimate solution for diarrhea but if you want one I think it's a good option:3
 

abyeb

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I think too soft would be like diarrhea, if it's formed, it should be good. :)
 

yeva2292

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Also, his poop seems to get "mushed" easily when he covers it with litter...
I would consider this to be a point below normal. Have you seen the fecal score charts before? If not, here is a chart for your... um... enjoyment! I think, what's considered normal based on this chart is "Score 2". "Score 1" is probably associated with some constipation. From your description, does your cat's stool match "Score 3"?


Reference: What is Diarrhea? - Animal Medical Center - New York City
 
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Neo_23

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I would consider this to be a point below normal. Have you seen the fecal score charts before? If not, here is a chart for your... um... enjoyment! I think, what's considered normal based on this chart is "Score 2". "Score 1" is probably associated with some constipation. From your description, does your cat's stool match "Score 3"?


Reference: What is Diarrhea? - Animal Medical Center - New York City
I had seen the chart before and I had actually always associated score 3 with normal! Interesting that we interpreted it differently. Actually, my kitty's poo looks exactly like score 2, except sometimes it's a bit soft and gets mushed when he chucks the pine pellets on it -- so, it looks like 2 but not as firm?

I am so confused about whether his poo is too soft! I'm actually tempted to take a picture of it next time and post it here, but I don't know if that's allowed.... !
 

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