HELP! Sophie has the runs!!!

[rosiemac]

When i picked up Sophie, Emma told me what Sophie was being fed on which was Hills Science Plan kibbels for kittens(No wet food).

Just before i got her i bought a few tins of Whiskas kitten wet food and thought that i might as well mix in a bit with her dry. Her stools have been fine.

Last night i opened a new tin and mixed it in and a couple of hours later she paid a visit to the litter tray, and this time i noticed that they were a lot softer!.

I kept her in the bedroom with Rosie and myself last night to help with the bonding. And twice through the night i heard her go on her litter tray, but this time it was runny, but there were no signs of blood.

I took the food away from her, but left her with water, and when i left for work today i left just the dry food.

The vet said because i was giving her a good quality food there was no need to give her canned food.

Does anyone know why she was like this

. She seems fine in herself, she's drinking ok, her eyes are clear, and she's running and playing around quite happily!.

 

[willowsmom]

Not an Expert but maybe her tummy just doesn't like something in the wet food.

 

[rosiemac]

Thanks for the quick reply. Thats what i was thinking?!, i hope!. I'm such a worry wort when it comes to this!

 

[willowsmom]

I think we all are

we all don't want our babies to be sick. I hope that's all that it is for poor Sofie's sake.

 

[rosiemac]

I'm waiting for Emma my vet nurse friend to e-mail me back. Wish i was at home though to keep an eye on her.

A couple of other friends think it's to do with the wet food as well?!.

 

[ldg]

1) Whenver you bring a new cat into the home it may have an upset tummy. It doesn't sound like this was the case with Sophie, but if she's spending more time out and about and with Rosie, it could just be adjustment stress. If it lasts for more than 2 days, contact a vet.

2) Whenever you switch food, add a new food, etc., you should expect an upset tummy during an adjustment period. It's always best to introduce new foods in REALLY small amounts. If you're switching kibble, for instance, we always do it over a two week period - but we have kitties with sensitive tummies to begin with. Some people do it over 4 days to a week. We start by adding REALLY small amounts of the new kibble and going really slowly on upping the amount of new vs. old. For wet food, I don't know how much she ate, but if it was more than a tablespoon or so, that could easily be it - especially if it was a different brand of canned food this time?

Before two of the cats developed sensitive stomachs, we used to mix together three different types of foods, rotating one each time we needed to add new food. Our thinking was that if one was nutritionally deficient in some way, we were covering all our bases and helping to prevent the cats from becoming finnicky eaters.

We feed wet food once a day in the evening just as a treat, and they free feed kibble. We rotate wet food types every day, although we don't provide the kitties with supermarket brand food. Although higher quality foods are more expensive (sometimes meaningfully so), we really prefer they eat human-grade quality food formulated for a cat's nutritional needs.

Available in most pet stores, (much) higher quality foods include things like Felidae, Innova, Wellness, Evolve, California Natural, Eagle Pack - there are a lot of them out there. Most make both wet and dry food, and kitten formulations.

Higher quality than supermarket food, but not the "premium" food is MaxCat Natural- our kitties LOVE that wet food. It conveniently comes in pouches. We divide two pouches for the five cats. Or one can of wet food, mixed with hot water. They all seem to like it when it's more like "gravy," and we're not feeding it to them for nutritional purposes - more just our dinner "treat" ritual.

For free-feeding Sophie, you can get a plastic box/container (big enough that Rosie can't reach in and touch Sophie while she's eating) and keep her kibble in there. It'll be her little get-away, and her kitten food is stronger smelling than adult food, so she should be attracted in there to eat her kitten kibble. That way Rosie won't eat it - though if she's not overweight, it really isn't much of a problem if the adults eat kitten food. She may gain weight doing so. What's more important is that Sophie get kitten food.

 

[rosiemac]

Laurie it was about a tablespoon that i gave her. The first can she was fine with, it seems to have been the second can which was a different flavour.

I feel so guilty

. Emma told me when i collected her what she was eating and even gave me a big bag of it, but i thought a bit of wet food wouldn't harm her.

If she still the same tonight i'm ringing the vet for an appointment tomorrow.

 

[ldg]

Don't feel guilty! If she enjoys the wet food as much as our cats do, it's something you'll want her to adjust to. Waiting a bit until she was fully "at home" in her new home wouldn't hurt, but you shouldn't feel guilty for starting to change her routines. The only thing you need to worry about is if she has a bug that needs treatment or not, and if the diarrhea clears up tonight/tomorrow, I wouldn't worry a bit. Just try again later!

 

[squirtle]

Awww poor Sophie. Susan don't feel bad it's not your fault. You were trying to do something good for her. (((((hugs)))) It may not even be the food at all, it could just be a part of her settling in. I don't have any advice to give, as I haven't had this problem before, but I do hope Sophie gets to feeling better soon

 

[rosiemac]

Thanks both of you. I'm at the gym tonight but i'll only be gone an hour.

I'll just keep her on the dry kibbles and see what she's like tomorrow. The good thing is, she's running and playing without a care in the world!

 

[greycat2]

I really don't have to much to add here.

Just allow her time to adjust to any new food - canned or dried or both.

Could it be she could have had an allergy to something in the canned food - fish, chicken, beef? Just a thought....

 

[rosiemac]

Just to let you know, apart from her tiny pee clumps, no more upset tummy(Touch wood).
Emma e-mailed me and said that the whiskas would have been the cause of it as she hadn't been on wet food for a while.

And she's running riot around the house with Rosie

GREYCAT: It did seem strange how she was ok on the fish flavour, but not the chicken?. So thats possible.

 

[momofmany]

Cats in new homes often get runs even if you don't change a thing about their diet. I suggest you eliminate the wet food until her stools firm up again, and if it continues after a few days, a vet visit is in order. Put her back on them after 30 days of firm stools. My guess is that she is slightly stressed by her new home. This is NORMAL, and nothing you should be beating yourself up on!!

 

[greycat2]

Originally Posted by rosiemac

GREYCAT: It did seem strange how she was ok on the fish flavour, but not the chicken?. So thats possible.

I have to try and find foods without fish for Sphinx so it is possible for an allergy problem. If you can afford it maybe get a thorough allergy panel on your kitty.

Good luck and hope all 'gets back to normal' soon.

 

[rosiemac]

Emma, my vet nurse friend who i got Rosie from e-mailed me last night.

She also thinks it is the sudden change of food. I also rang my vet last night who also said the same, but have said not to give her anything to eat for the next 24 hours apart from water so her tummy can settle, and if theres no change to take her in.

So if theres no change by tomorrow morning she's going straight up because although the vet is there 24 hours i want her back to normal a.s.a.p.

If it wasn't for the fact that she's running and playing and making Rosies life hell with jumping on her i'd be in tears right now.

 

[ldg]

How's she doing?

 

[rosiemac]

Thanks for your concern Laurie. I'll know better when i inspect her litter tray tonight.

I have another hour to go before i finish work. She'll be starving bless her.

When i rang the vet last night i told them how they gave me a bag of the Hills Science Plan (which is what she's been on with Emma), and they were pleased at that. The vets also gave me two bags of Hills "Natures Best" for kittens which is also dry kibbles. This also could be part of the problem because i've swapped her from the normal Hills that she's been used to, to mixing it with the wet, then switching over from normal Hills to the Natures Best?!.

I've got her tummy all confused!!

The 24 hours will be up tomorrow morning, so if she's still the same i'm taking her straight up.

Apart from that she's perfect!!. She's running after Rosie, chasing her toys everywhere, and most important she's drinking ok!.

I keep looking for a third eyelid but thank god her eye's are clear.

After tonight i wont be on the site until tuesday because we have a holiday here in the UK on monday, and i can only send and receive e-mails on the free facility i have with my t.v., but i will let you know what happens