A week hospitalized with intestinal blockage, now she has diarrhea - Normal?

[TobiDaDog]

My poor Reese ate some mystery object recently that left her completely obstructed in her bowel. It was scary...she would try to eat and then immediately throw up every bite and she was clearly in pain. She's been staying at the vet on fluids and laxatives since Monday. She finally passed a hard, dry poop and was discharged to come home because things were moving along - At least based on her x-rays and whatnot. Now that she's home, she passed a massive puddle of greenish diarrhea. Is it because of the laxatives? Should I be calling the vet? She seems SO much perkier than she did when we left her there on Monday, but still not herself.

We were given discharge instructions to keep giving her as much fluids as possible, which I've been doing through small bouts of wet food throughout the day. Just mixing lots of water in with a little wet food so that she will lap it up.

 

[iPappy]

My poor Reese ate some mystery object recently that left her completely obstructed in her bowel. It was scary...she would try to eat and then immediately throw up every bite and she was clearly in pain. She's been staying at the vet on fluids and laxatives since Monday. She finally passed a hard, dry poop and was discharged to come home because things were moving along - At least based on her x-rays and whatnot. Now that she's home, she passed a massive puddle of greenish diarrhea. Is it because of the laxatives? Should I be calling the vet? She seems SO much perkier than she did when we left her there on Monday, but still not herself.

We were given discharge instructions to keep giving her as much fluids as possible, which I've been doing through small bouts of wet food throughout the day. Just mixing lots of water in with a little wet food so that she will lap it up.

I am not a vet, but, if she was given laxatives and fluids, yet is acting perky, I'd monitor her as closely as you can and call the vet in the morning. How long was she obstructed? If she was given laxatives, they might be "working overtime" and getting out of her system. Adding water to her wet food is very food. Is she eating well? No vomiting?

 

[TobiDaDog]

I am not a vet, but, if she was given laxatives and fluids, yet is acting perky, I'd monitor her as closely as you can and call the vet in the morning. How long was she obstructed? If she was given laxatives, they might be "working overtime" and getting out of her system. Adding water to her wet food is very food. Is she eating well? No vomiting?

Thank you. She was obstructed for at least five days. She was given laxatives, antibiotics, and I believe an enema. She hasn't vomited at all since she was discharged but she does lick her mouth a lot which makes me think she's nauseous. However, she is eating wet food when I offer it.

 

[stephanietx]

Everything she was given could cause diarrhea, the enema, laxatives, and antibiotics. It does sound like she's nauseous, so you may want to ask the vet for something or you can use Famotidine, just 1/4 of a 10mg tablet for nausea. (Known as Pepcid, just use plain Pepcid/famotidine)

 

[iPappy]

TobiDaDog how is she this morning?

 

[TobiDaDog]

TobiDaDog how is she this morning?

Much better today! She hasn't had any diarrhea and her personality is starting to come back. I'm still keeping a very close eye on her though. Poor little thing.

 

[iPappy]

Much better today! She hasn't had any diarrhea and her personality is starting to come back. I'm still keeping a very close eye on her though. Poor little thing.

That's very encouraging! I'm sure in another few days she'll be back to her old self.

 

[TobiDaDog]

The poor girl is doing better, but is clearly still in pain when using the box. I'm glad that it's coming out, but it's heartbreaking to see her whimper while she poops.

She DID push out something "foreign" today though. I couldn't tell if it was a clump of hairball or some cotton stuffing, but it was definitely something that didn't belong in there.

I've been watching her and her box like a hawk and inspecting every clump. I might be a little crazy but I feel like I need to track what comes out.

Other than that I feel useless. I don't know how to help her be more comfortable.

The vet says that overall she needs more hydration long term so we're getting her a nice fountain. I feed wet food but it doesn't seem to be enough.

 

[lisahe]

I'm glad Reese is recovering!

This question may be totally irrelevant but here goes since the vet mentioned long-term hydration: Has Reese been constipated in the past? In our experience with a mildly constipated cat, constipation doesn't always manifest itself in not pooping. Sometimes Ireland skips a day, sometimes she poops out what almost looks like marbles. Her main sign, though, is that she gets picky about her food or even where she eats her food. She'll act hungry but then walk away. She's hungry but not hungry. Two things seem to have helped her. First, Vet's Best hairball remedy tablets. She's never had a hairball but the fiber and other ingredients seem to help her digestive system keep moving. Second, Adored Beast's Feline Gut Soothe, a combination of probiotics and herbs, some of which are also in the Vet's Best tablets. The tablets helped a lot but adding in the Gut Soothe has improved her even more. She poops more normally (logs, as they say, instead of those marbles) and has a much better, more consistent appetite. As I said, this might be completely irrelevant but I thought I'd mention it, especially because Ireland has had a bad habit of eating stuff like shoelaces, leather, ribbons, and a rubber band. I've sometimes had to check the litter box for a few days before finding evidence.

I hope Reese continues to recover well!

 

[TobiDaDog]

I'm glad Reese is recovering!

This question may be totally irrelevant but here goes since the vet mentioned long-term hydration: Has Reese been constipated in the past? In our experience with a mildly constipated cat, constipation doesn't always manifest itself in not pooping. Sometimes Ireland skips a day, sometimes she poops out what almost looks like marbles. Her main sign, though, is that she gets picky about her food or even where she eats her food. She'll act hungry but then walk away. She's hungry but not hungry. Two things seem to have helped her. First, Vet's Best hairball remedy tablets. She's never had a hairball but the fiber and other ingredients seem to help her digestive system keep moving. Second, Adored Beast's Feline Gut Soothe, a combination of probiotics and herbs, some of which are also in the Vet's Best tablets. The tablets helped a lot but adding in the Gut Soothe has improved her even more. She poops more normally (logs, as they say, instead of those marbles) and has a much better, more consistent appetite. As I said, this might be completely irrelevant but I thought I'd mention it, especially because Ireland has had a bad habit of eating stuff like shoelaces, leather, ribbons, and a rubber band. I've sometimes had to check the litter box for a few days before finding evidence.

I hope Reese continues to recover well!

No, Reese has never struggled before. But she has a reputation for eating inedible objects like your Ireland. Rubber bands, Christmas ribbons, plastic pull tabs, tags off of toys...even a cheerleader's pom pom. Like, half of it. She kept getting sick and then well again and pooping out white plastic, then she'd get sick all over again. We tore the house apart trying to find the thing she was eating for over a week before I finally happened to walk in and heard her crunching on something behind our playroom couch. It was a pom pom from a Halloween costume months before.


We have to be really careful that her favorite "treats" don't make it into the house. This means cutting the ribbons off of Christmas presents when people give them to us. Snipping all tush tags off of toys.

The vet wants her to drink more water because she was feeling crappy and sick and dehydrated herself. For a while she couldn't hold anything down at all. She would just throw it all back up. But he thinks that if she has more water going through her system that it will help pass things along. Now and in the event that she does anything like this again.

 

[iPappy]

No, Reese has never struggled before. But she has a reputation for eating inedible objects like your Ireland. Rubber bands, Christmas ribbons, plastic pull tabs, tags off of toys...even a cheerleader's pom pom. Like, half of it. She kept getting sick and then well again and pooping out white plastic, then she'd get sick all over again. We tore the house apart trying to find the thing she was eating for over a week before I finally happened to walk in and heard her crunching on something behind our playroom couch. It was a pom pom from a Halloween costume months before.


We have to be really careful that her favorite "treats" don't make it into the house. This means cutting the ribbons off of Christmas presents when people give them to us. Snipping all tush tags off of toys.

The vet wants her to drink more water because she was feeling crappy and sick and dehydrated herself. For a while she couldn't hold anything down at all. She would just throw it all back up. But he thinks that if she has more water going through her system that it will help pass things along. Now and in the event that she does anything like this again.

Is she picky about her wet food? I've found adding water to it really helps hydration, I usually fill the can up about 1/2 of the way with hot water to make a "gravy" and pour that over their food.

 

[TobiDaDog]

Is she picky about her wet food? I've found adding water to it really helps hydration, I usually fill the can up about 1/2 of the way with hot water to make a "gravy" and pour that over their food.

No, she eats just fine! She doesn't have a very big appetite on the best of days though. Typically two of those single serving packets a day are enough for the whole day and she doesn't want anymore. Which makes my wet food bribe a little hard when I have to do it multiple times a day. She just isn't hungry enough for it

 

[iPappy]

No, she eats just fine! She doesn't have a very big appetite on the best of days though. Typically two of those single serving packets a day are enough for the whole day and she doesn't want anymore. Which makes my wet food bribe a little hard when I have to do it multiple times a day. She just isn't hungry enough for it

Could you try warming it up just a little? Sometimes this makes the foods aroma come out and they get a little more interested.

 

[lisahe]

No, she eats just fine! She doesn't have a very big appetite on the best of days though. Typically two of those single serving packets a day are enough for the whole day and she doesn't want anymore. Which makes my wet food bribe a little hard when I have to do it multiple times a day. She just isn't hungry enough for it

How is Reese doing? I hope she's feeling better and you're able to enjoy the holidays. I also hope you were able to figure out what went wrong.

(I thought of you today because our cat who tends toward constipation wasn't eating yesterday... and then today I found a piece of fresh poop out on the veranda -- it had a small clump of thread sticking out of it. She's eating and drinking again today and looks much more comfortable.)

 

[TobiDaDog]

How is Reese doing? I hope she's feeling better and you're able to enjoy the holidays. I also hope you were able to figure out what went wrong.

(I thought of you today because our cat who tends toward constipation wasn't eating yesterday... and then today I found a piece of fresh poop out on the veranda -- it had a small clump of thread sticking out of it. She's eating and drinking again today and looks much more comfortable.)

She is doing great now! The first few days home were pretty rough. Using the litter box caused her a lot of pain as she passed more cotton fibers of some kind, but eventually it all came out and she's perfectly normal now. We still aren't quite sure what it was, unfortunately. She does have a nasty habit of chewing on the pad underneath our dining room rug and I found a couple of toys in the playroom with the tush tags chewed off.

We got her a nice new water fountain for Christmas and she started using it within the day - All three cats seem to love it! So hopefully that will help keep her nice and hydrated from here on out.

 

[iPappy]

She is doing great now! The first few days home were pretty rough. Using the litter box caused her a lot of pain as she passed more cotton fibers of some kind, but eventually it all came out and she's perfectly normal now. We still aren't quite sure what it was, unfortunately. She does have a nasty habit of chewing on the pad underneath our dining room rug and I found a couple of toys in the playroom with the tush tags chewed off.

We got her a nice new water fountain for Christmas and she started using it within the day - All three cats seem to love it! So hopefully that will help keep her nice and hydrated from here on out.

This is so refreshing to hear! I'm glad she's back to normal.

 

[TobiDaDog]

Thank you! Here she is with some of her Christmas presents. It's been lovely to see her play again. She really is a happy cat, I swear.

 

[IndyJones]

Ceramic or stainless fountains are the best. I got Kabuto a ceramic raindrop fountain as an early xmas presant (I wasn't sure he'd even live till xmas at one point) and he loves his. It is super easy to clean too, everything except the pump goes in the dishwasher. Comes out looking brand new even with hard water.

I am not a fan of the flower ones because they are too hard to clean and leave the cat without water during a power outtage, mine has an acessable resivoir so he is good if the power goes out.

 

[iPappy]

Thank you! Here she is with some of her Christmas presents. It's been lovely to see her play again. She really is a happy cat, I swear.

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Oh, she's beautiful!!!!! And judging by the toys, I can tell she's definitely spoiled (as they should be)!!

 

[lisahe]

She is doing great now! The first few days home were pretty rough. Using the litter box caused her a lot of pain as she passed more cotton fibers of some kind, but eventually it all came out and she's perfectly normal now. We still aren't quite sure what it was, unfortunately. She does have a nasty habit of chewing on the pad underneath our dining room rug and I found a couple of toys in the playroom with the tush tags chewed off.

We got her a nice new water fountain for Christmas and she started using it within the day - All three cats seem to love it! So hopefully that will help keep her nice and hydrated from here on out.

I'm so glad to hear she's doing so well! And how odd that she passed cotton fibers. What is with these cats!? We couldn't figure out where Ireland got her thread either. And I also have to cat tags off toys. (I had no idea they're called "tush tags" until your posts.)

I hope the cats continue to enjoy the fountain!

Reese is beautiful. And very clearly in charge.