Boo Loves New Wet Food, Gets Diarrhea, Won't Touch That Flavor Again

kitkaturday

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We are getting 10-year old Boo back to an all-wet food diet after a couple of years of Epigen 90 kibble.

He has eagerly eaten one meal of just about every food I put in front of him. So far: Weruva, Cats In The Wild, Fussie Cat, Merricks, and Natural Variety Instinct. Some with and some without pumpkin, some with and without fish.

Unfortunately, he is having bouts of diarrhea, which I am assuming is connected to the diet switch. He apparently senses that it's connected to what he ate, and has refused to eat a second meal of any of the foods.

I would welcome any advice:
1) Is the diarrhea common when switching diets? What can I do to mitigate his distress?
2) How to get him to eat a repeat meal before the store runs out of flavors?

In the past, when I've tried to give one kibble meal and one wet food meal ... he just fasted from one kibble meal to the next. That dry food - even high quality - really is kitty crack and I would really love to switch him to wet full-time.

Thanks!
 

bonepicker

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Too much change too fast maybe, go slower avoid fish, it gives my cats the runs, stick to pates and try feeding same ones for a week, this way their body can adapt before variety is added and you can clearly see which foods give loose stools. Try whole earth farms duck, beef pates. My cats love these!
 

orange&white

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Yes, sounds like too many changes too fast. I'd stick with one canned type for a week or two minimum. Once his system stabilizes from the change from dry to wet, you should be able to rotate brands/flavors more quickly. Their stomach acid pH is more alkaline on dry food to try to digest the carbs. Wet food makes it more acidic (like it should be).
 
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kitkaturday

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Thank you so much. I've decided on Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken, because I am hoping to make that a mainstay of his diet, with other brands/flavors rotated in once in a while. I added some Fortiflora probiotic to it, both to enhance the flavor and help with his tummy. So far he's done three meals - one eagerly, two begrudgingly. But he's eaten, so I'm happy.

I will stick with this for a week and hope we will get through this transition.
Thanks so much for the advice.
 

orange&white

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Please keep us posted on how he's doing. Hope his tummy settles soon. :lovecat:
 

lisahe

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Thank you so much. I've decided on Tiki Cat Succulent Chicken, because I am hoping to make that a mainstay of his diet, with other brands/flavors rotated in once in a while. I added some Fortiflora probiotic to it, both to enhance the flavor and help with his tummy. So far he's done three meals - one eagerly, two begrudgingly. But he's eaten, so I'm happy.

I will stick with this for a week and hope we will get through this transition.
Thanks so much for the advice.
The Tiki is a good choice: it's very, very simple food without any gums or vegetables that many cats don't digest well. When you branch out a little, the one with egg, from Tiki's same luau line, might be a good choice. (There's not much egg in it so it wouldn't be very different at all.)

I, too, hope Boo feels better soon! :)
 
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