Help With Diarrhoea... Please.

[Hairlesswonders]

Hi all.
I'm new to the site, but I have an urgent problem. Both my sphynxes have diarrhoea.

Timeline:
August 2017 - Luna diagnosed with Bartonella, and went on a treatment. She retested negative after completion on 30th September.
16th September, Luna went onto Almo Nature Sensitive.
24th September Archie arrived with Giardia from the breeder. Tested positive and started treatment. He stays at my in laws for 4 weeks, retested negative on 16th October.
10th October... Luna and Archie had a brief encounter, where I had to take them both to the vets. Luna had annual booster. Archie had blood test.
16th October. Luna started watery diarrhoea. No warning at all. No soft stool. Sunday was ok. Monday was water. Started Luna on treatment for Giardia and parasites in case.
17th October. Tried pumpkin... Doesn't work.
19th. Imodium given at 3ml 2 times per day. Doesn't work.
20th October. Lunas fecal sample came back negative for all bacteria and parasites, blood test came back negative for all viruses.
Diarrhea continues.
21st October. Archie joins Luna and they meet. No parasites, no Bacteria, no viruses.
The tests that were done - PCR on blood and fecal. ELISA blood and fecal. Cultured and microscopic.
22nd October... All poultry stopped. Luna goes on bland diet. Boiled Rabbit only.
30th October.
November... No change in diarrhoea. Imodium, psyllium or slippery elm isn't working.
2nd November... Liver enzymes, kidney function and pancreatic tests are back. Low B12 (should be between 200 to 500,she was 300), pancreatic enzymes are slightly elevated (vet advised it may have been because she ate 5 hours prior to coming in as an emergency). B12 shot given.
No more treats are being given.
9th November...Lunas diarrhoea is still watery to date. Luna has an ultrasound... Smaller intestinal walls have become thicker in few places (0.27 instead of 0.05). Lymph nodes are slightly enlarged. Vet confirms this is new and was not like that in September. Prescribes prednisolone to take daily for 2 weeks, and to weaned off for 4 weeks.
11th November... Archie has diarrhea, watery like Lunas. No help with immodium or natural remedies.
13th November... Lunas poo colour is beige.

They have all been on different foods throughout this whole process. Luna was on Almo Nature when this started, then moved to RC GI, and then to boiled rabbit.
Archie has been on Kattovit GI since he arrived with Giardia... I haven't taken him off it.

There has been no changes in the house. They got on from day one, absolutely besotted with one another. Water is always bottled. Dry food is RC Sphynx and GI mix.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I've sent out a call to some folks who might know better than I. My suggestion, pumpkin, had no effect! Lots of
headed your way!

 

[Sallysoo]

How about probiotics? Previously my kitty has persistence diarrhoea. All test clear. One of the guy from our local pet store recom Lintbells Yudigest Plus probiotics for fast acting. Originally he thought mine was a dog, however this product can be given to cat too. I bought it and works instantly. This pdt has two version. The fast acting one which is in powder form. I gv my cat half of it per dose, after 2 doses, stool formed. The second version is in tablets form which to be taken for maintenance. I bou the tablets form too. Occasionally, when his stool a bit soft, I just throw one tablet to him. He gobble it up and the next stool is nicely formed. You can read up abt this pdt in Amazon. Very good freedback esp fm cat owner. The pdt is targeted at dog but can be given to cat too!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Boy, I'm stumped! Especially because you've already done a PCR. And if immodium isn't working....WOW! The only thing I can say at this point is I have to question the boiled rabbit. How long has Luna been on it, and it is mixed with anything else to make it 100% nutritionally complete? I know the diarrhea hasn't changed on or off it, but just realize that boiled rabbit all by itself is not complete, so don't leave her on this for too long. She needs some type of liver and most definitely some source of calcium.

Have you contacted a breeder to see if there is a Vet who specializes in sphynxes? Who knows, you are probably already seeing one, but if not, that might not be a bad idea. I know they have "special" health needs, like keeping their temperatures up with those cute little sweaters, etc.

You know, this is a wild thought, and it's not a reason for the diarrhea, but a possible fix. But only if it's NOT a parasite, or IBD or some ongoing condition. Have you heard of the "fecal transplant"? It's being done in humans when they have issues like this that cannot be fixed with the usual medications. We actually had one member whose cat had it done. Unfortunately, we never heard the outcome, as I recall. Anyway, it's not even that expensive or that intrusive, odd as that sounds. And in humans, it works really well, or so I've read.

 

[Hairlesswonders]

Mamanyt1953 thank you... All healing vibes are welcome x

 

[Hairlesswonders]

Sallysoo She's been on forti flora from the day I got her. My other furkid has been in it for the last 5 years too.
We also tried Jarrows Saccharomyces 5 billion. I gave her and Archie less than what the breeder recommended, and they both had leaky diarrhoea (fart equaled leaks).
X

 

[Hairlesswonders]

mrsgreenjeens . PCR was done on both of them, twice. Same as ELISA, also twice for both.

The vet (senior surgeon, cat specialist and a cardiologist) hadn't diagnosed her with IBD yet. The next step he said is to do laparoscopy and to take biopsies from all thickened walls, on both of them (assuming the other one has the same thing, as they are having the same diarrhoea now).

The breeder suggested I give her amoxicillin alongside corticosteroids (prednisolone). I don't know quite how I feel about it. Too many drugs and she's only 17 months old. Archie is only 7 months old!!

I thought it may be the seresto collars. Took them off. Sphynx dry food. Excluded that yesterday.

The rabbit... We did plain boiled for 3 days. Then I was concerned that all this diarrhoea isn't allowing the nutrients in her food to be absorbed. So I started supplementing it. Her poo was solid. She ate.. 6 hours later, solid poo. Happy days. Happiness short lived, half an hour after...water. She had nothing in between.

Apart from the diarrhoea, both of them are playful, show great appetite, drink and pee all normal. Like they don't have litter issues.
Diarrhea starts within 30 minutes of eating. Will last for 3 hours... During which time, they would have it on average 3/4 times each. Always after they eat. Wet, dry, doesn't matter.
I tested to see if the body digests the food. Pumpkin given, pumpkin came out 30 minutes later. Crunchy treats given, they came out 30 minutes later.

 

[Sarthur2]

What were the cats given for the giardia?

 

[Hairlesswonders]

Sarthur2 they were given Metronidazole twice per day and panacur once per day, for 7 days.

 

[jcat]

Dry food is RC Sphynx and GI mix.

Have you tried completely eliminating dry food and treats from their diet for at least a week? Are the cats from the same breeder, i.e., related in any way? Has any food allergy testing been done?

The GI foods are supposedly hypoallergenic due to the protein being hydrolyzed, however, IME some cats still react to the protein, plus the foods contain grain.

 

[Hairlesswonders]

jcat Totally unrelated. Different breeders. I checked the lineage too - no relation at all! The vet doesnt want to do allergy testing as in UK its not very accurate.

We eliminated treats completely - it has been over a week. Sphynx dry was eliminated at the weekend...They graze on dry during the day.
This morning I started Luna (who's had it the longest) on just RC GI (wet) and Archie remains on Kattovit GI (duck flavour - he didnt like RC)... RC GI dry is the only thing available now.

 

[Sarthur2]

You might want to try another round of metronidazole and panacur. Sometimes it can take two rounds to fully treat and eradicate whatever is going on.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Oh, good. Some of those who know better than I are here now! I'll just sit back and you all on, and send lots of

OK...this is silly, but it seems to be working with one of the site cats with IBD who has issues with constipation...let's see if she can work in reverse!

HEY POOP FAIRY! THESE CATS NEED TO STOP THIS!

 

[Hairlesswonders]

They're on amoxicillin at the moment Sarthur2

I have 2 weeks from last friday to get their poo to firm. Failing that...Luna will be booked in, for a laparoscopy and biopsies. Vet view is "last resort"... lets hope for a poop fairy Mamanyt1953 to come and sprinkle some magic firming dust.

Tonight...Took away all dry kibbles. NO MORE commercial food either. I prepared part raw, part cooked meals for them. Tonight they are hungry....feeding in 9 hours time! They last ate 4 hours ago!

Then thursday I have Taste of the Wild coming. If all this sorts it....Royal Canin was at fault!

 

[Sarthur2]

What is the diarrhea like now? What color? Smell? Any blood or mucus with it?

 

[jcat]

You might want to try another round of metronidazole and panacur. Sometimes it can take two rounds to fully treat and eradicate whatever is going on.

We've had a few tough cases of giardia at the shelter where it took four rounds, even though reinfection was very unlikely because the kittens were moved to entirely different rooms that had been thoroughly disinfected or they were in their new homes after treatment. The difficult thing about giardia is that it doesn't show up in all fecal samples. You can get one or two negative test results and believe it's cleared up, only to have symptoms reappear and get a positive result the third time.

 

[Sarthur2]

Absolutely! Severe cases can take several weeks of treatment, but is far better than invasive procedures. And I agree that giardia rarely shows up in fecals.

 

[Hairlesswonders]

Sarthur2 .... Today. Archie did a brown very very soft poo. Not watery... I was over the moon. Luna... Hasn't pooed yet. Still waiting. 24 hours.
Smell... Still smells a bit. But not like yesterday. Very body odour like! Not poo like.

 

[Hairlesswonders]

Submitted their samples today from yesterday. Was under instruction, to keep them at a room temperature.
Snap tests, negative. PCR will be done. 4 days till it comes back

 

[Sarthur2]

The poop sounds like it's slightly improved.