Chronic diarrhea for over a year

[misskirby]

I just wanted to provide an update. Guys. I think the raw food is working. I'm upset I bought the hydrolyzed food already because she only went to the bathroom once yesterday and it was a really good poop! I know it's still early to completely tell but this hasn't happened in months. I guess I'll keep the hydrolyzed food if she has another flare up, but I think this raw food is finally doing the trick. It's her first day without the pred so we will see what happens today, but I think things are finally turning around!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Great news!  As @talkingpeanut said, it's best to try just one food at a time,and it takes time to see if it works,  so best not to upset the applecart with that new food. You could probably return it if you purchased it locally. 

 

[kittyluv387]

I just wanted to provide an update. Guys. I think the raw food is working. I'm upset I bought the hydrolyzed food already because she only went to the bathroom once yesterday and it was a really good poop! I know it's still early to completely tell but this hasn't happened in months. I guess I'll keep the hydrolyzed food if she has another flare up, but I think this raw food is finally doing the trick. It's her first day without the pred so we will see what happens today, but I think things are finally turning around!

Awesome!! Diarrhea is no fun.

 

[misskirby]

Unfortunately, the diarrhea is not gone. She is going much, much less than she was before (she was going around five times a day) and now it's once every night and a small quantity. However, it's still soft and leaves quite a bit of residue on the bum for me to wipe. I like how much her body is absorbing, but should I continue to wait with this raw food and hope the quality improves?

 

[talkingpeanut]

Unfortunately, the diarrhea is not gone. She is going much, much less than she was before (she was going around five times a day) and now it's once every night and a small quantity. However, it's still soft and leaves quite a bit of residue on the bum for me to wipe. I like how much her body is absorbing, but should I continue to wait with this raw food and hope the quality improves?

I would.  That seems like a huge improvement.

 

[kittyluv387]

I think you should continue with it for a while. Its honestly a huge improvement and nutrient digestion is a great thing. In my previous hysterical search for cat diarrhea cures i read about a probiotic strain called S. Boulardii. Its considerred an emergency cat diarrhea stopper. I'm thinking maybe you can look into it and buy some to add a little into the raw food to finally firm things up. What kind of raw are you feeding by the way?

 

[banbury]

Not completely the same, but similarly I had a dog with chronic diarrhea issues. We tried so many different food (and different qualities of food), tried adding probiotics, other supplements, etc. but the ONLY food that would keep things solid was Purina Pro Plan for Sensitive Skin And Stomach. He was also a stress pooper and any significant changes to his routine (i.e. Someone leaving for a vacation) would cause short term diarrhea but (when he was on purina pro plan) it would go back to normal in a few days.

I know Purina makes a cat version as well but I haven't looked too much into it.

 

[misskirby]

I think you should continue with it for a while. Its honestly a huge improvement and nutrient digestion is a great thing. In my previous hysterical search for cat diarrhea cures i read about a probiotic strain called S. Boulardii. Its considerred an emergency cat diarrhea stopper. I'm thinking maybe you can look into it and buy some to add a little into the raw food to finally firm things up. What kind of raw are you feeding by the way?

I'm feeding primal freeze dried chicken and salmon recipe. I tried the beef one, but every time she ate it, she would poop more. Have you tried that probiotic before?

 

[coffeecat2420]

If you want to try a probiotic, I can suggest Proviable. My cat's integrative vet recommended it for her and it's been great. She had unformed stools for 5 months (after she came to me) until I started the probiotic.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I would stick to one protein at a time if you can. You really want to eliminate as many factors as possible.

 

[kittyluv387]

Some people say that cats can be allergic to fish. That formula is only 5% salmon but it wouldn't hurt to try the turkey one. Theres also Natures Variety freezed dried raw chicken nuggets if your cat really likes chicken. White meats are the most natural for a cat. Rats and birds have white meat and thats what a cat would normally hunt on its own. It wouldnt be able to hunt cows and pigs. Ducks are also red meat btw.

No i never had to try s boulardii for my Benny because he completely turned around with Primal. Hes only allowed to eat raw. However my non sensitive boy nemo started getting slightly softer poo once he had to take antibiotics after his dentals. He never recovered from it but i fed him a regular cat probiotic and it seemed to help firm him up and get normal again. Pet Ultimates Probiotics for Cats, 44 grams
I don't use that anymore beause now he's on half raw and half high quality canned which stopped the softer poo.

Hang in there! It sounds like your cats digestion is going in the right direction.

 

[misskirby]

I would stick to one protein at a time if you can. You really want to eliminate as many factors as possible.

Unfortunately, i can't find a freeze dried raw food that has only chicken. All the ones I see are a mix of chicken and fish. Any suggestions?

 

[kittyluv387]

I use this one.

Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Market Grain Free Freeze Dried Chicken Recipe Nuggets for Cats, 12 oz. Bag

 

[misskirby]

Some people say that cats can be allergic to fish. That formula is only 5% salmon but it wouldn't hurt to try the turkey one. Theres also Natures Variety freezed dried raw chicken nuggets if your cat really likes chicken. White meats are the most natural for a cat. Rats and birds have white meat and thats what a cat would normally hunt on its own. It wouldnt be able to hunt cows and pigs. Ducks are also red meat btw.

No i never had to try s boulardii for my Benny because he completely turned around with Primal. Hes only allowed to eat raw. However my non sensitive boy nemo started getting slightly softer poo once he had to take antibiotics after his dentals. He never recovered from it but i fed him a regular cat probiotic and it seemed to help firm him up and get normal again. Pet Ultimates Probiotics for Cats, 44 grams
I don't use that anymore beause now he's on half raw and half high quality canned which stopped the softer poo.

Hang in there! It sounds like your cats digestion is going in the right direction.

Thanks so much for all the info. I will try the turkey one out and hopefully I can find the natures variety chicken one! I hadn't tried the turkey because I bought some dry food that was turkey and she hated it, but maybe with raw it'll be different. As far as quality, is nature's variety as good as primal? I was just doing research on the s boulardii and it definitely seems like worth giving a try. I'm shocked I didn't come across it sooner. Kirby is still on the steroids but I really don't want her on it for a long period of time. I think it might be worth giving a try.

 

[misskirby]

How many nuggets of the freeze dried raw primal do you feed your cat? I looked online and to gain weight, my cat needs to eat a bit less than three, but that seems like so little. My cat can eat up to four a day and honestly, probably more. She inhales the food most of the time and because she needs to gain weight, I don't really argue; but I do wonder if the 2.7 nuggets are enough a day.

 

[kittyluv387]

How many nuggets of the freeze dried raw primal do you feed your cat? I looked online and to gain weight, my cat needs to eat a bit less than three, but that seems like so little. My cat can eat up to four a day and honestly, probably more. She inhales the food most of the time and because she needs to gain weight, I don't really argue; but I do wonder if the 2.7 nuggets are enough a day.

How much does she weigh? Unless your kitty is very small that does sound like too little. My 12 pound Benny eats 5 nuggets a day. The back of the primal bag says a 10 pound cat should eat 4 nuggets to maintain weight.

primal-feline-chicken-salmon-freeze-dried-nuggets-

• kittyluv387
• Apr 6, 2017

But still go according to your cats needs. My nemo has a slower metabolism and i feed him the same calories as benny, maybe even a tad less. He still weighs more at 14 pounds.

 

[misskirby]

How much does she weigh? Unless your kitty is very small that does sound like too little. My 12 pound Benny eats 5 nuggets a day. The back of the primal bag says a 10 pound cat should eat 4 nuggets to maintain weight.

primal-feline-chicken-salmon-freeze-dried-nuggets-

• kittyluv387
• Apr 6, 2017

But still go according to your cats needs. My nemo has a slower metabolism and i feed him the same calories as benny, maybe even a tad less. He still weighs more at 14 pounds.

She is very little. We went to the vet about three weeks ago or maybe four and she was weighing 5.7 pounds. She should be at 7-8 and when I used their online food calculator, it said she should be eating about three nuggets a day to gain weight. But I think I'll stick to four or however much she wants.

 

[kittyluv387]

Right if she starts getting chubby you can cut back half a nugget or something.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Have you or any of the veterinarians you've seen considered a consultation with a Veterinary Gastroenterologist?  Treating only the symptoms rather than addressing the etiology won't encourage long-term good health, and ruling out particular causations will make treatment far simpler.

.

 

[misskirby]

Have you or any of the veterinarians you've seen considered a consultation with a Veterinary Gastroenterologist?  Treating only the symptoms rather than addressing the etiology won't encourage long-term good health, and ruling out particular causations will make treatment far simpler.

.

Unfortunately no, the tests are kinda out of my price range. The next step my vet would want to take is ultrasound if nothing else is working, but even then, I'm not too sure I can afford it.