Cat Loose Stools

[CatLoaf]

I'm a (now former) lurker with a cat health issue. Relevant information on my cat:

Gender: male
Age: unknown, though the vet estimates that he's about 8 years old
Indoor cat: yes

I had tried to add dry food (Hills Science Diet dental) to my cat's night meals, but his stools became loose (like soft-serve ice cream) and he started vomiting more. I stopped giving him the food, but took him to the vet after the stool/vomiting didn't improve.

The vet prescribed two antibiotics, including metrodinazole, but it made the stools worse (watery), among other side effects. I went back to the vet, who took a blood test (normal but for a lowered white blood cell count, which is a side effect of metrodinazole).

I had started giving the cat FortiFlora during the antibiotic round, which didn't help. I continued to give him FortiFlora after the antibiotics round - his stool was improved for a day, then progressively got worse until he was back to watery poops. I also tried to transition him from just plain boiled chicken to his regular food during this time.

I stopped the FortiFlora two days ago and put him back on the boiled chicken only diet. He had improved stools for a day, but it's been watery since. I'm hesitant to go to the vet - the vet had claimed that the cat likely had cancer and pushed for an ultrasound test now now now - but I am at a loss as to what to do. Should I just keep with the boiled chicken diet until his stools get better? Should I also give him another probiotic (BeneBac)? Any advice would be appreciated.

To add: the cat is generally fine, though his intestines make a gurgle sound.

Thanks!

 

[CatLoaf]

Forgot to add: the fecal test was negative for parasites

 

[mightyboosh]

If your vet suspects cancer then I think that should be investigated immediately. What makes you hesitant to explore that?
That aside, My Oliver had the runs for a week or so and the vet put him on antibiotics and Hill's Digestive Care wet food and that's firmed his stools up.
Again, if cancer was mentioned by my vet I'd be there pronto.

 

[CatLoaf]

If your vet suspects cancer then I think that should be investigated immediately. What makes you hesitant to explore that?
That aside, My Oliver had the runs for a week or so and the vet put him on antibiotics and Hill's Digestive Care wet food and that's firmed his stools up.
Again, if cancer was mentioned by my vet I'd be there pronto.

Thanks for responding! I got the sense that the vet was using cancer as a scare tactic to push for more tests - he concluded that the cat likely had cancer only because the antibiotics weren't working and tried to pressure me to get the test done immediately. He also didn't discuss other possible causes.

 

[mightyboosh]

Could you get a second opinion from another vet?

 

[duckpond]

I agree that you do not seem happy with the vet, maybe try a different vet? There could be many different reasons for his issues. Also have you tried a different food? Not sure if you have been feeding canned food, or what brand? Maybe a different dry to see how it does? The Hills has a lot of fiber, which will cause problems for some cats. There are lots of brands with fiber in the 3 to 4% range, i think that's what works best for my cats. maybe go to the store and see what you can find? when i have one of my cats, or bring in a foster that is having health issues i will often feed Merrick kitten food for a bit, usually all cats like it, and seem to improve on the food. Merrick Purrfect Bistro Grain-Free Healthy Kitten Recipe Dry Cat Food

 

[CatLoaf]

Thanks much for your responses! He gets a variety of canned food from different brands (Purina, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Merrick) and was going to switch to Acana Medowland dry cat food.

I'll talk to another vet soon, too.

 

[duckpond]

Thanks much for your responses! He gets a variety of canned food from different brands (Purina, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Merrick) and was going to switch to Acana Medowland dry cat food.

I'll talk to another vet soon, too.

Acana is not a bad food, i feed it sometimes, and Orijen in a rotation to my cats, along with Dr. Elsey's, and Farmina. I honestly have more problems with wet foods causing diarrhea in my cats, i think it all the gums and thickeners they use, and i definitely stay away from Carrageenan. that causes mine problems if they get it in a food for a few days in a row, and i think its harmful. It is very hard to find a wet food without these thickeners. I also feed a variety of wet and struggle with this.

 

[Momto3newkittens]

I have a kitten who was having loose watery stools for 3 months with intermintent vomiting. After vets checks and prescription food I found out he has a chicken intolerance. Now he is on limited ingredient salmon food and he is doing great. While I was working to figure out what was going on I tried 99% fat free ground turkey and a bit of pumpkin. That helped a whole lot. After talking with my vet he said that if nothing else worked than turkey and pumpkin is a fine diet for him to stay on he would just need a multivitamin everyday. I stopped giving my cat the fortiflora and just let his body heal while on the turkey and pumpkin then slowly added the salmon food. He's been on it a month and is back to his normal self. An unltrasound and steroids were going to be the next step for him if the route I took didn't work. Hopefully it's something simple for you too!

Note: I use Merricks Limited ingredient Salmon dry and wet food

 

[cat princesses]

OMG, I think it's so wreckless of your vet to make a statement of suspecting cancer based off loose stools. I adopted 2 cats and the second 1 got them home, one jumps in the litter box and is pooping fresh red blood. I had her checked for everything and all was negative. It took me months to get her poops solid - it could be something as simple as a food allergy to anything in between. My best tips were I got a script for liquid B12 from my vet and ordered that online, it comes in a brown bottle that you should keep in a cabinet away from direct light and a script for insulin syringes. I give her b12 1x per week and that helped significantly. if you google b12 for cat with loose poops you can read up on that more. I also buy gerber baby food, turkey with gravy or chicken with gravy, warm for 5 seconds in the microwave and add in 1 full capsule of S. Boullardi that you can get at the health food store or vitamin store. I gave her that 2x per day morning and evening and that also helped to balance her gut. Fortiflora didn't help. Her poops are solid. I can also suggest trying the canned wet food for Tiki Cat Ahoha friends - they have pumpkin mixed into the food, I give her that afew times a week as well, pumpkin is a great bulking agent and should help to firm up poops. I have had cats who would lick it from a spoon ( get regular canned pumpkin, NOT pie filling. You can put it in an icecube tray and freeze it and unthaw afew days worth at a time. Mine wouldn't touch pumpkin off a spoon hence the tiki cat! LOL

 

[cat princesses]

If it's a good allergy to chicken the boiled chicken won't help matters. Are you open to trying a raw diet? I really like the rad cat raw - they have a chicken, turkey, beef, lamb - you could try the lab or turkey and see how things go or just try a different wet food - mine also like the weruva goods - fowl ball, funk in the trunk are some favorites. Remember when you try any new wet food, that can cause tummy upset so don't feed large amounts.

 

[CatLoaf]

Thanks much for the responses! I switched him to boiled turkey today, in part because he didn't want to eat the chicken anymore. You guys are right, it may be a chicken intolerance - he had a small poop which had more form today (we'll see if it continues to improve).

On another note, do I need to add rice or other carb with the turkey or would the turkey be fine? I read that the rice adds bulk for the poop, but has to be cooked in a certain way to make sure that there are no starches - is that true? Alas, he *hates* pumpkin, so can't use that as an alternative.

Thanks again!

 

[cat princesses]

I think anything boiled should only be fed for afew days - how about getting some salmon and baking that in the oven? My girls love some plain salmon - of course let it cool but that might help for afew days. Cats need all sorts of stuff in their food to support their bodies like Taurine and stuff - they can't survive just on boiled turkey - yes for a day or two for an upset tummy but I think you need to find something more long term. I'd try the raw - it's expensive but well worth it health wise or try one of the canned foods and see if you can mix in a little rice ( mine won't touch rice ).
Really look into the b12 and the s. boullardi, that literally saved my girl.

 

[Momto3newkittens]

My kitten wasn't a huge fan of the pumpkin at first but when i heated the turkey and mixed it in he eventually started gobbling it up. It shouldn't be more than a tablespoon a day depending on your cat's size. Since pumpkin can go either way. It can harden them up or lossen them. Another thing I had read to try was a small bit of plain fat free yogurt for the probiotics. If the pumkin doesn't work try that. They also make some pumpkin cat foods you might look into. I didn't add any rice since this is a bland diet for him to just heal. It wasn't a permanent fix. I also read so many good and bad things about rice that i just decided to not use it. Make sure you are using the canned 100% pumpkin. Not the stuff you use for pimpkin pies or anything (although i'm sure that tastes better lol) I did the ground turkey and pumpkin for two weeks before starting him back on regular food. I tried taste of the wild trout and salmon, but it had dried egg product in it so it didn't work out for him. Merricks has been great and have a couple different limited ingredient other than salmon that don't have chicken in them. Fingers crossed something works for you guys! It took a lot of patience and love to get him healthy again, but i'm glad I did it without any steroids or any invasive tests for his sake.

 

[Kxng7233]

Have you tried slippery elm? My cat had metronizaole and it made his stool worst. I also tried probiotic Proviable. It firmed up for a day and back to soft. He’s also on Hills Digestive Care and NV LID rabbit and lamb. The only thing it help is slippery elm.

 

[CatLoaf]

Thanks much for your responses!
(1) I gave him his first dose of Bene Bac last night. Hopefully that will help and I can switch him back to his previous diet. Would you know how long I should expect results? I'll look into the B12.
(2) I was planning to switch him back to his regular diet once his stool issues resolve; the turkey was more to keep his diet bland. I have Nutri-Cal which I'm using as a temporary dietary supplement until the stool issues resolve - hopefully that will help in terms of nutrients?
(2) I'll try giving him the pumpkin again, though I'm not sure if he'll take to it. He has always refused to eat any food with pumpkin in it.
(3) I'll try the s. boullardi and slippery elm if the Bene Bac doesn't help.

Thanks again for your suggestions!