How Long After Antibiotics Is Diarrhea Normal?

[mojomom]

Thank you all for this community, which has been such a helpful and supportive resource for me & my kitties this year <3

Does anyone know how long after administering antibiotics it is normal for diarrhea to continue?

Benson developed a URI and, since we adopted him on March 3 got:

+ a Cerenia (antibiotic) injection on March 13

+ a course of antibiotic eye drops from March 20 - March 26

+ Famciclovir (antiviral) from March 20 - March 27

+ A tablet antibiotic (cannot remember name but will try to find it) from March 20 - March 26

+ another Cerenia (antibiotic) injection April 4

+ Sucralfate for vomiting (reaction to Fancy Feast) April 4 - April 6

+ Viralys (lysine) from April 9 - April 17

+ antibiotic eye drops again from April 9 to yesterday (on and off, I kept stopping because of how bad his diarrhea is)

Is it normal for him to still have diarrhea? He hasn't received an antibiotic (other than the eye drops, which I don't know if could cause GI symptoms) since April 4. When should I begin looking at other causes?

I should note that I have given him two days of Fortiflora and today bought probiotic capsules to mix into his food.

 

[duckpond]

With as much as he has had, over a bit of time i would expect it to take several weeks for him to get back to normal with everything. I may be wrong, so its a good idea to bring it up with your vet, to see if they want to check him out. Hopefully there are no other issues, just a reaction to the antibiotics. sending good vibes!

 

[mojomom]

Thanks for the thoughts! I was starting to explore the possibility of a food allergy, but when I started calculating how many antibiotics he's gotten, it seems like an awful lot... I'm pretty sure my own system would take quite a hit from something like that.

 

[CatloverinFL]

Thanks for the thoughts! I was starting to explore the possibility of a food allergy, but when I started calculating how many antibiotics he's gotten, it seems like an awful lot... I'm pretty sure my own system would take quite a hit from something like that.

Hi mojomom. It sounds like he's been flooded with antibiotics and this has caused his diarrhea, IMO. Have you contacted your vet to let him know your concerns? Some antibiotics can give cats diarrhea and are very hard on the gut/stomach. I would definitely call your vets office and let them know, if you haven't already about this issue, and/or get a second opinion from another vet, because just like humans, they can become dehydrated quickly from diarrhea, and something is still wrong in his gut which may, or may not, be caused by all of the antibiotics, IMO.

 

[mojomom]

Thanks for your reply CatloverinFL. I will contact my vet tomorrow, though she won't be able to see him until next week.

I'm hesitant to take him to her because her but I'm sure at this point it can't hurt.. I doubt she's going to push another antibiotic on him. Her ideas about cat nutrition and mine don't mesh very well.. and she gave me a snarky "did you go to vet school?" when I mentioned preferring the canned food I feed. Eventually I will find a new vet.

Anyway, I will be cooking some chicken and rice for him tomorrow morning. I don't think the plain Tiki chicken I've been feeding him has been terrible for him, but the bland food plus the new priobiotics I bought should help, I hope.

He just had diarrhea for the third time and it's extremely watery. I'm hurting for him

 

[cheeser]

Our FIV+ kitty gets sick a lot, and antibiotics used to really mess up his GI tract something fierce. It seemed to take forever for the diarrhea to clear up, but it was really more like 2-3 weeks. It just seemed a heck of a lot longer.

Then we finally stumbled upon some things that work for Buddy, and he hasn't had a bout of antibiotic induced diarrhea since.

Hope your kitty is on the mend soon!

 

[CatloverinFL]

Thanks for your reply CatloverinFL. I will contact my vet tomorrow, though she won't be able to see him until next week.

I'm hesitant to take him to her because her but I'm sure at this point it can't hurt.. I doubt she's going to push another antibiotic on him. Her ideas about cat nutrition and mine don't mesh very well.. and she gave me a snarky "did you go to vet school?" when I mentioned preferring the canned food I feed. Eventually I will find a new vet.

Anyway, I will be cooking some chicken and rice for him tomorrow morning. I don't think the plain Tiki chicken I've been feeding him has been terrible for him, but the bland food plus the new priobiotics I bought should help, I hope.

He just had diarrhea for the third time and it's extremely watery. I'm hurting for him

Chicken and rice sounds perfect for him. Please keep us posted! :-)

 

[Tobermory]

Is Cerenia an antibiotic? I thought it was a med for vomiting. But your vet also prescribed sucralfate, which is an anti-ulcer drug, for vomiting? And a lot of other meds. Poor little guy.

The probiotics should help with the diarrhea, particularly if they contain the S. Boulardii strain. Fortiflora is a good for encouraging cats to eat because they love the animal digest in it, but it’s not much help as a probiotic. My vet carries it, but he says he gives his own cats something else!

I’m with you. If I went to a vet who was sarcastic like that, I’d be going to a different vet.

 

[nese]

I should note that I have given him two days of Fortiflora and today bought probiotic capsules to mix into his food.

I also use probiotics for out cats every time they receive antibiotics. On the label of the probiotic I use, it says it is required to use it for 3 weeks for visible results.
After so many antibiotics your cat had, I think he needs time to regain healthy intestinal bacteria with the help of probiotics.

 

[mojomom]

Chicken and rice sounds perfect for him. Please keep us posted! :-)

He had some chicken and rice this morning, with digestive enzymes and a probiotic capsule added in. I called the vet and let her know what was going on, plus my plan for over the weekend. She said that would have been her suggestion and to call in Monday morning to make an appointment. So fingers crossed for him!

Is Cerenia an antibiotic? I thought it was a med for vomiting. But your vet also prescribed sucralfate, which is an anti-ulcer drug, for vomiting? And a lot of other meds. Poor little guy.

The probiotics should help with the diarrhea, particularly if they contain the S. Boulardii strain. Fortiflora is a good for encouraging cats to eat because they love the animal digest in it, but it’s not much help as a probiotic. My vet carries it, but he says he gives his own cats something else!

I’m with you. If I went to a vet who was sarcastic like that, I’d be going to a different vet.

Ack, you're right! I got it mixed up with Convenia, the long-acting antibiotic shot. He got two of them from my vet, and the Cerenia + Sucralfate was from the ER after he vomited blood (a suspected reaction to a cat food).

I did find this on PetMD regarding Convenia:
"Convenia doesn’t disappear from the body after 14 days. Sub-therapeutic levels of the medication remain in circulation for approximately 65 days after injection. I worry that this could promote antibiotic resistance." [link here]

and CatInfo says this:
" It exerts its antibacterial effects for approximately 1-2 weeks but stays in the body for over 2 months." [emphasis theirs, link here]

So yikes if that's what is contributing to his gut imbalance! And yes, I agree and appreciate the tip to add S. boulardii - it's not in the VetriScience probiotic I'm currently giving so I will have to search for something else if he doesn't respond. Do you know which brand you use?

I also use probiotics for out cats every time they receive antibiotics. On the label of the probiotic I use, it says it is required to use it for 3 weeks for visible results.
After so many antibiotics your cat had, I think he needs time to regain healthy intestinal bacteria with the help of probiotics.

Thanks for the info! While I'd love to see him recover quickly, it's good to know that even if the results aren't immediate, he may still be on the mend

 

[mojomom]

Our FIV+ kitty gets sick a lot, and antibiotics used to really mess up his GI tract something fierce. It seemed to take forever for the diarrhea to clear up, but it was really more like 2-3 weeks. It just seemed a heck of a lot longer.

Then we finally stumbled upon some things that work for Buddy, and he hasn't had a bout of antibiotic induced diarrhea since.

Hope your kitty is on the mend soon!

It seems like lots of people mention it taking 2+ weeks to recover from antibiotic use.. thank you for adding your insight!! Considering he's had three rounds of antibiotics (not counting the eye drops) and that the injection appears to stay in the system upwards of two months, it's helpful to hear it may take a while. I won't count out an allergy, but it does make sense for it to be the antibiotic instead.

Do you mind if I asked what you found that worked for Buddy? Perhaps it's something I could bring up with my vet. It's good to hear it's been so helpful with his diarrhe!

I've ordered Alnutrin supplements since it seems I may be homecooking for the long haul, and plain old chicken + rice won't give him the nutrition he needs as a growing kitten. I'll give him a few more days on bland food before supplementing, but keeping him on homecooked will let me monitor quality & ingredients a little better, I think.

 

[Monk'sMom]

I, too, didn't go to vet school (I'd leave a vet who spoke thus, because listening well to the animal's human parents is something they do teach at vet schools) but I might also look to PREbiotics along with the probiotics, at least once things begin to look better in the litterbox. Poor Benson! And a hug for you, good mom.

 

[cheeser]

It seems like lots of people mention it taking 2+ weeks to recover from antibiotic use.. thank you for adding your insight!! Considering he's had three rounds of antibiotics (not counting the eye drops) and that the injection appears to stay in the system upwards of two months, it's helpful to hear it may take a while. I won't count out an allergy, but it does make sense for it to be the antibiotic instead.

Do you mind if I asked what you found that worked for Buddy? Perhaps it's something I could bring up with my vet. It's good to hear it's been so helpful with his diarrhe!

I've ordered Alnutrin supplements since it seems I may be homecooking for the long haul, and plain old chicken + rice won't give him the nutrition he needs as a growing kitten. I'll give him a few more days on bland food before supplementing, but keeping him on homecooked will let me monitor quality & ingredients a little better, I think.

Well, one solution we stumbled across quite by accident. Proviable-DC had already been recommended as a probiotic for Buddy since he's FIV+, and the theory went that good digestive health was supposed to help promote good general health. We never could tell if that were true or not, but it certainly didn't help re: the antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Nexabiotic was highly recommended as an alternative since the Saccharomyces boulardii is supposed to be helpful re: diarrhea, but we were afraid to give it a try since Buddy was having some problems with recurrent yeast infections at the time (but it did work wonders for our other cat who was prone to diarrhea due to some dietary issues). Then we started Buddy on RenewLife Ultimate Flora Extra Care, and that made all of the difference in the world for him. The diarrhea began to improve in about 2-3 days, and IIRC, cleared up entirely within a week.

Another thing that helped was to give him some slippery elm bark syrup about 2-3 hours before or after his meds. This recipe from Tanya's website seems to work best for him. It helps to alleviate nausea, as well as to firm up his poop. Sometimes the longer he feels nauseated, the less he feels like eating or drinking. And the less he feels like eating or drinking, the more nauseated he feels. It's a vicious cycle.

To give you an idea how well the RenewLife and slippery elm bark syrup has worked for us, Buddy is currently on his third course of Veraflox within the past year, and he hasn't had any diarrhea this time. Yay!

Then to help Buddy bounce back from any dehydration, I used to add a little bit of broth to some baby food to make it easier to draw up with a syringe, and feed that to him. Thanks to the awesome members of this community, now I make my own bone broth, so I can use that instead of regular broth.

Hope that was of some help.

Best of luck to you and your kitty, and hope he's feeling better soon!

 

[Tobermory]

Ack, you're right! I got it mixed up with Convenia, the long-acting antibiotic shot. He got two of them from my vet, and the Cerenia + Sucralfate was from the ER after he vomited blood (a suspected reaction to a cat food).

I did find this on PetMD regarding Convenia:
"Convenia doesn’t disappear from the body after 14 days. Sub-therapeutic levels of the medication remain in circulation for approximately 65 days after injection. I worry that this could promote antibiotic resistance." [link here]

and CatInfo says this:
" It exerts its antibacterial effects for approximately 1-2 weeks but stays in the body for over 2 months." [emphasis theirs, link here]

So yikes if that's what is contributing to his gut imbalance! And yes, I agree and appreciate the tip to add S. boulardii - it's not in the VetriScience probiotic I'm currently giving so I will have to search for something else if he doesn't respond. Do you know which brand you use?

I’m so glad you found Dr. Pierson’s article about Convenia at catinfo.org! I was going to mention it in my earlier post, but got sidetracked.

Here’s a terrific how-to article about dealing with diarrhea in cats from the folks who make EZ Complete, which is another raw food supplement like Alnutrin. They mention a couple of brands of S. boulardii along with lots of helpful info about diarrhea in cats: My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do? They also discuss slippery elm bark that cheeser mentions.

 

[Stephanie1373]

My recent experience with this plant based probiotic and enzymes has been amazing. My boy had a few weeks of diarrhea every day, almost 7 times a day! It wasn’t good. A holistic vet recommended I try this probiotic and over night, after the first dose, his diarrhea stopped.

1/4 teaspoon once a day, mixed in some wet food. My boy eats it up fine. It’s amazing and if you can find it then I highly recommend trying it. Best of luck!

 

[mojomom]

Well, one solution we stumbled across quite by accident. Proviable-DC had already been recommended as a probiotic for Buddy since he's FIV+, and the theory went that good digestive health was supposed to help promote good general health. We never could tell if that were true or not, but it certainly didn't help re: the antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Nexabiotic was highly recommended as an alternative since the Saccharomyces boulardii is supposed to be helpful re: diarrhea, but we were afraid to give it a try since Buddy was having some problems with recurrent yeast infections at the time (but it did work wonders for our other cat who was prone to diarrhea due to some dietary issues). Then we started Buddy on RenewLife Ultimate Flora Extra Care, and that made all of the difference in the world for him. The diarrhea began to improve in about 2-3 days, and IIRC, cleared up entirely within a week.

Another thing that helped was to give him some slippery elm bark syrup about 2-3 hours before or after his meds. This recipe from Tanya's website seems to work best for him. It helps to alleviate nausea, as well as to firm up his poop. Sometimes the longer he feels nauseated, the less he feels like eating or drinking. And the less he feels like eating or drinking, the more nauseated he feels. It's a vicious cycle.

To give you an idea how well the RenewLife and slippery elm bark syrup has worked for us, Buddy is currently on his third course of Veraflox within the past year, and he hasn't had any diarrhea this time. Yay!

Then to help Buddy bounce back from any dehydration, I used to add a little bit of broth to some baby food to make it easier to draw up with a syringe, and feed that to him. Thanks to the awesome members of this community, now I make my own bone broth, so I can use that instead of regular broth.

Hope that was of some help.

Best of luck to you and your kitty, and hope he's feeling better soon!

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences! And yay that Buddy has managed the Veraflox without diarrhea this time - that's wonderful news

I’m so glad you found Dr. Pierson’s article about Convenia at catinfo.org! I was going to mention it in my earlier post, but got sidetracked.

Here’s a terrific how-to article about dealing with diarrhea in cats from the folks who make EZ Complete, which is another raw food supplement like Alnutrin. They mention a couple of brands of S. boulardii along with lots of helpful info about diarrhea in cats: My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do? They also discuss slippery elm bark that cheeser mentions.

Oh my goodness thank you for that article. That was such a helpful read in terms of helping me proceed calmly. I will stop the rice I've been adding to Benson's food bowls. Hopefully that helps too!

My recent experience with this plant based probiotic and enzymes has been amazing. My boy had a few weeks of diarrhea every day, almost 7 times a day! It wasn’t good. A holistic vet recommended I try this probiotic and over night, after the first dose, his diarrhea stopped.

1/4 teaspoon once a day, mixed in some wet food. My boy eats it up fine. It’s amazing and if you can find it then I highly recommend trying it. Best of luck!

Oh wow seven times a day! Thank you for the photo! I've been adding another brand's digestive enzymes to Benson's food, so I will keep my fingers crossed but am so happy to have another suggestion as well!

 

[mojomom]

So, a frustrating update: Benson had his usual diarrhea twice on Saturday morning, at 6am and at 7:30. He hasn't pooped since. Now I'm worried about constipation, and about to embark on that research journey. Will it ever end?!

 

[cheeser]

So, a frustrating update: Benson had his usual diarrhea twice on Saturday morning, at 6am and at 7:30. He hasn't pooped since. Now I'm worried about constipation, and about to embark on that research journey. Will it ever end?!

Well, for what it's worth...

Sometimes after one of our cats has had a bout of diarrhea that pretty much cleans them out, it can take them a couple of days or so to get enough food moving down the pipeline to poop again. Of course, that doesn't stop me from worrying like crazy in the meantime.

I hope your kitty leaves a nice present the litter box for you soon. *crosses fingers...and toes*

 

[Tobermory]

After Lily had a bad case of diarrhea, it was at least three days before she pooped again. It seemed like forever!