I don’t know what the next steps are

[JBMMBJ]

I got my Ragdoll Kitten two weeks ago from a breeder (he’s now 12 weeks old) and he started having soft stools that slowly proceeded into diarrhea. Yesterday he had a fecal culture test done, and today the results came back from the lab. The vet thought he may have had Giardia or something similar, especially since there is some weight loss.

The results were negative, and I’m not even sure if I should be happy or not. I was just kind of hoping to know what it was once and for all. I’m too exhausted, I have to constantly clean after him and wash him because he always gets dirty in the litter box since his diarrhea is quite liquid.

What other tests should I request to be done? Is there a food allergy test? Is Trichomonas Foetus included in the fecal culture or is it another specific test?

I mean, there has to be something wrong. I just don’t understand what it is and it’s driving me insane. I’m not sleeping at night because I have to clean him and I’m worried about my and the fact that he may have something very serious. However he’s playful and has quite a bit of appetite, so I don’t even know.

Any advice/suggestions/experience? What should I do?

Now I’m waiting to receive a call from the vet and we’ll discuss our next steps.

He’s a wonderful little boy, very cuddly and always following us around, but I cannot help but feel upset about this situation. This is not how envisioned the first weeks with him. I just want him to be okay.

 

[verna davies]

Are you feeding the same food as the breeder, food change can cause diarrhoea as can stress, new home, voices, smells. Many members add pure pumpkin, no additives, to the meals or try S boulardii.

 

[JBMMBJ]

Are you feeding the same food as the breeder, food change can cause diarrhoea as can stress, new home, voices, smells. Many members add pure pumpkin, no additives, to the meals or try S boulardii.

I did switch him over from Purina Friskies to Tiki Cat a few days after I had him, and I did it quite gradually. The thing is that as far as I remember his stool was pretty soft even before I changed his diet. After seeing his soft stools not responding to treatment (for example Proviable) I went back to Purina Friskies as his breeder told me he did not have diarrhea with her. The vet yesterday gave me a couple of cans of food for cats that present allergies, and I tried to give him a bit of that as well.

 

[verna davies]

It could be the variety of foods he's eating, try to stick to just one. I live in the UK and can't get pure pumpkin so I mix half a capsule of s boulardii per day split over two meals and it clears up the diarrhoea in a couple of days. Kittens often get upset tummies so try not to get too anxious. Keep us updated.

 

[JBMMBJ]

It could be the variety of foods he's eating, try to stick to just one. I live in the UK and can't get pure pumpkin so I mix half a capsule of s boulardii per day split over two meals and it clears up the diarrhoea in a couple of days. Kittens often get upset tummies so try not to get too anxious. Keep us updated.

Yes right now I’m trying to stick to Purina Friskies since his breeder said his stool was normal on it. We’ll see how it goes, the thing that does concern me though is the weight loss. Last week he was well built and now I feel in just a couple/few days I can start seeing his ribs. He’s not anorexic, but definitely underweight. What would you suggest for this? Do you think it’s because of the diarrhea?

 

[verna davies]

Constant diarrhoea would most probably cause him to lose weight, make sure he drinks plenty of water, even mix a couple of spoonfuls in with his wet food. Maybe feed him some chicken in addition to his food also a little extra food, I doubt you can overfeed a kitten. Once the diarrhoea clears he'll soon put the weight back on.

 

[bear]

Did his breeder have him on a kitten food?
They are formulated to have higher protein.

Is it possible that someone is giving him any bovine milk, maybe as a treat in a saucer?
That can cause diarrhea in cats and kittens.

Diarrhea can also cause dehydration.
Let's see if some of the kitten experts think he is young enough to supplement with KMR to add fluids and some nutrition.
StefanZ Sarthur2 catsknowme (This line helps them find this thread sometimes when they log on).

 

[catsknowme]

Hi there! Diarrhea is one of the harder issues to deal with and can take real detective work to sort out. I suggest trimming his fur "back there" , sometimes called a sanitation cut. You could ask your vet about using loperamide (Imodium) liquid to treat the symptoms (until you work out the cause). Also, add unflavored Pedialyte to his food to ensure electrolyte balance. You can also add Pedialyte to broth (chicken or beef). Definitely avoid any fish or other seafood. I would hesitate to use a whey-based KMR but goat milk is good. S boulardi is good, too. The liquid from boiled white rice can also help.
I know this is probably redundant but is his litter fragrance free?

 

[JBMMBJ]

Did his breeder have him on a kitten food?
They are formulated to have higher protein.

Is it possible that someone is giving him any bovine milk, maybe as a treat in a saucer?
That can cause diarrhea in cats and kittens.

Diarrhea can also cause dehydration.
Let's see if some of the kitten experts think he is young enough to supplement with KMR to add fluids and some nutrition.
StefanZ Sarthur2 catsknowme (This line helps them find this thread sometimes when they log on).

Thank you for your reply! His breeder had him on IAMS Kittens and then Purina Friskies Pate (Mixed Grill). When I switched him over to Tiki Cat, I was giving him Kitten/All life stages food only. But now as I mentioned, as his diarrhea is not resolving, I started feeding him again exactly what his breeder was giving him and we’ll see if the situation improves.

Also, we are giving him cat food only, no milk or anything similar as I know many cats are intolerant. To make sure he gets enough dehydration I’m currently adding a bit of water to his wet food (that I feed him every few hours). My main concern is the the weight loss/lack of weight gain unfortunately.

 

[JBMMBJ]

Hi there! Diarrhea is one of the harder issues to deal with and can take real detective work to sort out. I suggest trimming his fur "back there" , sometimes called a sanitation cut. You could ask your vet about using loperamide (Imodium) liquid to treat the symptoms (until you work out the cause). Also, add unflavored Pedialyte to his food to ensure electrolyte balance. You can also add Pedialyte to broth (chicken or beef). Definitely avoid any fish or other seafood. I would hesitate to use a whey-based KMR but goat milk is good. S boulardi is good, too. The liquid from boiled white rice can also help.
I know this is probably redundant but is his litter fragrance free?

I requested a PCR to be done, so hopefully I’ll hear the results back from the lab in the next few days. I want to make sure that if there are any parasites or something similar, it will not go untreated.

Could you please tell what Imodium is? On Proviable he’s not having any improvements at all. Also the vet suggested I continue the Metronidazole even though he tested negative for Giardia. I would have to continue the treatment for three more days only.

Also, his litter (the one the breeder used, I tried to switch that as well but he had a couple of “pee accidents”. Since switching it, he always goes to the litter box) is Tidy Cats Glade, so yes, it is scented. Is this a problem?

 

[Sarthur2]

The metronidazole should cure any parasites (it also cures bacterial infections), but it can also cause diarrhea while taking it. I suggest finishing the round of it and then give him a week without meds and see how his stool is then. Then you’ll know if it worked, and whether the food is right for him.

 

[JBMMBJ]

The metronidazole should cure any parasites (it also cures bacterial infections), but it can also cause diarrhea while taking it. I suggest finishing the round of it and then give him a week without meds and see how his stool is then. Then you’ll know if it worked, and whether the food is right for him.

Thank you for your suggestion! For now I’ll keep feeding him only the food that was given to him by his breeder, and in the meantime I’ll be waiting for the results of the PCR as well. If they’re negative, then I would say it’ll be safe to rule out parasites and potentially focus on the food. The vet mentioned possible food intolerance/sensitivity. I’m not familiar with this, but is there an allergy test available for cats that is very accurate?

Since I started feeding him that food again (today I gave him pretty much only Friskies) he seems to be going to the litter box less. He also pooped and it was not as watery and liquid, but still soft stool for now. We’ll see how it goes in the next few days!

 

[bear]

Diarrhea is one of the harder issues to deal with and can take real detective work to sort out

As catsknowme says it can take detective work, like the collecting of results and testing theories over time to sort out.

Although metronidazole can "start" to help in two hours, it may be three days before we begin to see changes in kitty.
Going back to a known base can help.
It may be worth keeping a log of the changes in meds/food/environment and changes in kitty's results (weight, energy, playfulness, outputs). Once back to a base for several days (week or more) and gaining weight, introduce changes more slowly and observe.

As someone who rescued kittens from feral colonies, I would be asked "What is the best cat litter?" My answer was always, "Find the litter your cat likes. If they won't use it, there is a better one for them (and for you)."

I would use a different litter for when they were small kittens to keep the litter from being swallowed when they cleaned themselves.

Others are encouraged to share their thoughts on currently available litters for 3 to 6 month old kittens.

 

[catsknowme]

bear is spot on about using metronidazole. I have even have had it help in viral cases; sometimes amoxicillin helps.

Glade is very harsh on sensitive nasal and rectal tissues. Tidy Cats does come in unscented.

Plain water does not balance electrolytes and can actually increase dehydration. Kitten Lady has a good article on the subject and I will include a link and screenshot of the paragraph about electrolytes.
http://www.kittenlady.org/diarrhea

 

[JBMMBJ]

bear is spot on about using metronidazole. I have even have had it help in viral cases; sometimes amoxicillin helps.

Glade is very harsh on sensitive nasal and rectal tissues. Tidy Cats does come in unscented.

Plain water does not balance electrolytes and can actually increase dehydration. Kitten Lady has a good article on the subject and I will include a link and screenshot of the paragraph about electrolytes.
http://www.kittenlady.org/diarrheaView attachment 383810

Thank you! I will be purchasing this and also, do you think i should buy S. Boulardii? If yes, what’s the best type and the dosage?

I grew up with cats, but I’m new to this diarrhea issue and have never dealt with it before, so any advice is appreciated!

For the electrolytes, can I mix the solution with his food? Thank you so much!