Kitten Gets Loose Stools With Canned Foods!

[fuchsiafairy16]

Hello!

My kitten is about 3 months. Kitten was doing very well on Taste of the Wild Canyon River, poops were perfect and nearly odorless. Today I tried giving him a teeny tiny amount of Natural Balance LID Venison Green Pea Wet food (I suspect a poultry allergy) for moisture and he immediately had loose stools. Could it be that he cannot handle wet food? I read online about higher fat content in wet foods causing GI upset in some cats. I thought he was dehydrated on the TOTW but he actually drinks quite a bit of water in my opinion. Anybody else have a similar experience with loose stools after canned food?

 

[Gizmobius]

My boy has been on strictly canned food since he was about 12 weeks old and onward since it really is much better than dry, but his stool has always been loose with random bouts of diarrhea. I’ve long since expected a sensitivity to the gums in canned food and I’ve noticed a significant change in his stool since switching to a 100% freeze dried raw diet.

Most cats shouldn’t have an issue with gums but it does happen and it’s possible your kitty can’t tolerate them either.

 

[Neo_23]

Canned food shouldn’t in theory cause loose stools. Usually cats will poop less and have healthier poops on canned food, unless there is an ingredient that bothers them. NB has gums and carrageenan which are ingredients that can cause loose stools.

My kitten is on all wet and I only buy canned foods that don’t have gums or carrageenan. Some brands are Rawz, Koha, Ziwipeak, Nature’s Variety, Feline Natural.

I wouldn’t conclude that he can’t handle canned food after just one kind. I would try other and better kinds. Canned food really is healthier for cats than dry so if you can incorporate some can into his diet it would be good.

Edit: I just realized you bought the Venison flavour.. that may be your culprit! Venison is a very rich protein and a lot of kittens can’t handle it. I would stick to chicken or turkey when transitioning to a new canned food. And if he’s allergic to poultry, maybe try lamb, rabbit, or pork. I think these might be easier on his tummy.

 

[fuchsiafairy16]

Thanks for the replies! I have tried all kinds of canned foods not just the NB, however these were before his stools were normal. He had a horrible bout of extremely loose stinky stools on wet food and I was able to stabilize him with a mixture of KMR/vitamins/probiotics/TOTW dry food. Poops on TOTW are actually perfect and have no smell, I am amazed. I could try some of those canned foods without gums but it seems like anytime I add more moisture to his diet his stools get looser. Would the high protein or high fat in canned food be a likelier culprit for GI upset??

 

[fuchsiafairy16]

This was the first canned food he has had since we stabilized his poops and I was just bummed that he started having the same issues... maybe the fat content is too high for him? Any low fat canned recommendations? I guess something like shredded tuna could work to add some moisture to his diet

 

[Neo_23]

Thanks for the replies! I have tried all kinds of canned foods not just the NB, however these were before his stools were normal. He had a horrible bout of extremely loose stinky stools on wet food and I was able to stabilize him with a mixture of KMR/vitamins/probiotics/TOTW dry food. Poops on TOTW are actually perfect and have no smell, I am amazed. I could try some of those canned foods without gums but it seems like anytime I add more moisture to his diet his stools get looser. Would the high protein or high fat in canned food be a likelier culprit for GI upset??

Hmm, sometimes it's a mystery unfortunately. You just gotta keep trying till you find one that works. It may very well be the gums. I would try some of the brands without gums/carageenan in them to see if it makes a difference. I don't think the high fat or protein should cause loose stools. I asked my vet about this once because I had read similar things online and she said that's a myth. Cats in the wild eat very high protein diets (higher than any commercial foods on the market). I'm assuming your kitten has been tested for parasites and whatnot? Sometimes a good probiotic also helps.

 

[fuchsiafairy16]

Yup, he's had two clear fecal tests and has been regularly dewormed. He's already taking probiotics as well. I actually think it might be the high fat content in canned foods, sometimes up to 60-70% depending on what it is. His dry food is only 16% and that seems to be a good percentage for him. I shall try some low fat, high protein canned foods and see what happens....

 

[Yanaka]

Following. I have the same issues with mine. My mom’s cats did, too, when she tried adding canned food to her old cats’ diets. Really annoyed to read everywhere that this is the best solution for their health when it seems to make their tummies upset

 

[Neo_23]

Yup, he's had two clear fecal tests and has been regularly dewormed. He's already taking probiotics as well. I actually think it might be the high fat content in canned foods, sometimes up to 60-70% depending on what it is. His dry food is only 16% and that seems to be a good percentage for him. I shall try some low fat, high protein canned foods and see what happens....

I would predict that it's not the fat because the fat in dry food gets replaced with carbohydrates which cats are actually worse at processing than fat. But what the heck.. try it out! I would just be careful that the fat is not being replaced with carbs but instead proteins.

 

[prairiepanda]

I would give Rawz a try, if you can find it. Their canned recipes are all limited ingredient and 96% meat, so easy on the stomach. The beef one has the lowest fat, if your kitty is okay with beef.

 

[fuchsiafairy16]

Following. I have the same issues with mine. My mom’s cats did, too, when she tried adding canned food to her old cats’ diets. Really annoyed to read everywhere that this is the best solution for their health when it seems to make their tummies upset

I totally understand how you feel!!! Maybe our kitties are just weird..I mean special I might just give up on wet food and get a pet fountain/broth etc. I have slight PTSD from his PUTRID loose stools and I'm scared to change what's working. I know cats are supposed to process fat better than carbs but what can I say the proof is in the poop! Hi poopy looks just like this.

 

[fuchsiafairy16]

Following. I have the same issues with mine. My mom’s cats did, too, when she tried adding canned food to her old cats’ diets. Really annoyed to read everywhere that this is the best solution for their health when it seems to make their tummies upset

What have you tried so far?? Low fat/no gums/fiber??

 

[lisahe]

I would give Rawz a try, if you can find it. Their canned recipes are all limited ingredient and 96% meat, so easy on the stomach. The beef one has the lowest fat, if your kitty is okay with beef.

Rawz is a great recommendation: all too many wet foods have ingredients derived from potatoes and peas, ingredients that cats' bodies aren't really designed to process well. They also raise the carbs in foods, which means there are multiple reasons to avoid them! (One of our cats barfs if she eats potato so I'm very conscious of this!) Any processed food has lots of ingredients with the potential to cause problems but I'd look at blaming carbs/veg before blaming fat and look for the simplest recipes possible -- Rawz is very good for that purpose -- and see how those go.

 

[MeganLLB]

Where do you find Rawz? I can't find it anywhere. Not online or in stores. Where do they sell it?

 

[prairiepanda]

Specialty pet food stores are usually able to order it in. Unfortunately the company is against 3rd party commerce, so it's not easy to get online. However if you are in the US, the Rawz website lists a few brick-and-mortar stores that will ship to your home. Outside of the US, you'll have to inquire at a specialty shop. I've seen it here in Canada. It just won't be available at any big box stores like Petsmart, Walmart, etc.

 

[lisahe]

I live in Maine, where Rawz is based, so there are a couple of local stores that carry it anyway. But yes, independent stores should be able to order it up without any problem. Our cats really love it and it's canned food I feel good about feeding.

 

[Neo_23]

I would call some independent pet stores close to you just to double check even if they're not listed on the website. I actually found the best deal at a store right next to me that wasn't listed. They order in cases for me every couple of weeks.

 

[lisahe]

I would call some independent pet stores close to you just to double check even if they're not listed on the website. I actually found the best deal at a store right next to me that wasn't listed. They order in cases for me every couple of weeks.

This is so true! The store where I buy Rawz will order just about anything for me and their prices are great, even without the bulk discount, which doesn't even require a lot of bulk.

 

[MeganLLB]

This is so true! The store where I buy Rawz will order just about anything for me and their prices are great, even without the bulk discount, which doesn't even require a lot of bulk.

They only problem is I live in the middle of nowhere and there are no pet stores around. I order most of my pet food online to save me the 45 minute drive into the city to Petco. There is a feed store that sells dog food. It's about 30 minutes away. I may have seen dry cat food there. I could ask them, but they aren't really a pet store. Oh well. Maybe they'll start selling directly from their website.

 

[fuchsiafairy16]

Update: I've been having success with Weruva Goldie Lox. It's relatively lower fat (~14%) by dry matter basis compared to what I had been feeding him before (ranges from 40-60%!!!). His dry food that he digests well is about 16% fat so that again makes me believe its a dietary fat issue. It does not have carrageenan but it does have Locust Bean Gum and Xanthan Gum. It has chicken and salmon which leads me to believe that what I thought was a chicken allergy was actually an intolerance to extremely high fat foods. I was feeding him Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet Chicken Kitten canned food for a while and it has like 60% fat(!!!). I find it ridiculous that canned foods are so high in fat, chickens and rats are not 60% fat. I would advise anyone with these issues to pay close attention to the fat in their cat's foods and aim for higher protein, low-mod fat, low carb. He is also taking probiotics and I might give him some digestive enzymes to help with digestion. Does anyone know much about the benefits/dangers of digestive enzyme supplements? How about Dr. Mercola Pets brands? Thank you all!!! So happy I found something that is working for him!!