Louie And Newman Sick

[Pucks104]

For a few days this week Louie seemed off. He didn’t lick his bowl clean and seemed distant and just laying around. Then last night he had a very stinky very loose poo. Today he ate a small bit of canned Instinct chicken and threw that up about 2 hours later. The rest of the day he has laid in his pet bed and ignored the world. Then last night and today Newman has had loose poos requiring a few butt bathes. About an hour ago he threw up. I will call the vet in the morning but any ideas. They don’t go outside and have been fed only their regular foods.

 

[stephanietx]

I wish I had some insight, but I don't. I would try to offer plain meat baby food, chicken or turkey and see if that stays down. Otherwise, it sounds like something is definitely amiss. Is the food new?

 

[Pucks104]

No, same foods. No changes of any kind.

 

[stephanietx]

It's weird that they're both having the same symptoms at the same time. The odor of the poop indicates something is going on. I wish I could provide further direction. Definitely get them to the vet in the morning.

 

[Pucks104]

Newman has joined us for TV viewing but poor Louie is still laying in his bed looking miserable.

 

[Pucks104]

It's weird that they're both having the same symptoms at the same time. The odor of the poop indicates something is going on. I wish I could provide further direction. Definitely get them to the vet in the morning.

Yeah that’s what I figured. I will call the vet first thing.

 

[stephanietx]

Are they keeping anything down? Make sure they stay hydrated.

 

[Pucks104]

On Edie’s advise I mix a small amount of chicken pate food with a good amount of water. Newman has had 2 small saucers and so far it’s stayed down. Louie wouldn’t drink on his on so I have been using a syringe and giving him liquid that way a syringe every few minutes. So far it’s stayed down but he is still quite lethargic. I will continue for a while longer then go to bed and get up early and give them some more. I can call the vet at 8:00 am

 

[Pucks104]

So this morning Newman was pretty much back to normal with a good appetite and no tummy issues. He has been fine all day.
Louie however was really sick. He had no interest in food or in drinking on his own. I used the syringe and gave him water every few minutes but it wasn’t enough to keep him hydrated. The vet could see him at 3:00. Louie had a temperature of 106F and was dehydrated. They gave Louie fluids and used ice packs to get his fever down to 102.9. We came home with 10 days Clavamox and 5 days Metcam. Louie was more alert and are boiled chicken with some broth when we got home. I will offer him a little more about bedtime. I hope the worst is behind us. I am taking Louie in for blood work on Thursday. Clearly Newman’s immune system functioned as it should while Louie’s didn’t so we are going to see if we can figure out why.
The vet suggested that the raw diet might be the source of the infection. I don’t want that to be the case but am having a hard time coming up with another possible source of the infection since the kittes don’t go out and we have no feral cats around. Could the raw diet be the source of the illness?

 

[dan32]

I just had a small pandemic with three of my cats. They all eat/ate Primal frozen raw. I kept feeding them the Primal while also giving a full weekly dosing of metronidazole, but the diarrhea and throwing up returned once the metro was stopped. Since my cats don't go out, my vet swore it had to be the food. Almost just to spite my vet, I have recently switched them onto a canned diet only and have suspended the raw for the time being and they are doing OK now.

My post here: S.o.s. All Three Cats Sick

Very interested to see if any connection. What brand of raw do your cats eat?

 

[Pucks104]

So the raw brand that Louie and Newman eat is Answers. However, we had been giving Newman a pouch of Nature’s Variety Instinct chicken or rabbit at his midday meal. I had an extremely busy week last week and gave Louie a pouch Thursday night and Friday morning. Louie’s symptoms were identical to salmonellosis. Instinct’s been recalled in the past (2010 and 2015) for salmonella in its canned products.
The vet zeroed in on the Fermented Raw Goats Milk but the 3 dogs were getting it also and none of them got sick. The 2 little ones weigh about the same as the cats so I don’t think the goats milk was the culprit.
I am feeding boiled chicken and low sodium chicken broth for now and both kitties are doing better. I know that isn’t along term solution but it will give their digestive system time to calm down.
I messaged Answers to ask if the food could have made the kitties I’ll and got a message back to provide my vet info and they would look into it. I will do this today.
I also want to see if there is somewhere I could get the remaining pouches of Instinct tested for salmonella.
Feeding our pets seems so difficult these days. Trying to know what is safe and appropriate!

 

[dan32]

The only commonality between us then is the Nature's Instinct. I do feed a brand of theirs in minced rabbit.

Good luck with your issues!

 

[Pucks104]

The only commonality between us then is the Nature's Instinct. I do feed a brand of theirs in minced rabbit.

Good luck with your issues!

So did you feed yours Instinct rabbit in the couple of days before they got sick?

 

[dan32]

I rotate four flavors daily - one of which is Ritzy's rabbit. I also moosh it up with the Primal raw rabbit cubes.

 

[Pucks104]

So Ritzy’s Rabbit and the Instinct Rabbit in the pouches that I was feeding are both products of Instinct Pet Foods. I think our kitties got salmonella from this source. Talk to your vet. I will talk to mine today. Salmonella is a reportable illness. Maybe the product will be recalled. It might also help with a treatment plan.

 

[dan32]

Once in a while, one of my three guys would have a problem with the rabbit flavor (throwing up) - however I was combining both Instinct's Ritzy's Rabbit canned along with Primal frozen raw rabbit. So I can't say it is a clear cut case. The combination always looked a little greasy to me..

Whatever my problem was, my guys were all violently sick (throwing up along with D---). I was sort of suspecting the Primal frozen turkey but the rabbit was a second culprit since they have had problems with it before.

 

[Pucks104]

Have you stopped the Instinct Rabbit. My boys are getting better. Louie is pretty much back to normal. Newman is still not 100% but is better. I hope your kitties recover soon.

 

[dan32]

I switched them all onto Wellness canned for the last week and they seem kinda back to normal. I still have tons of Ritzy's Rabbit in stock, as well as the Primal frozen raw. I am still not sure whether to resume feeding their old foods or not. (once burned, twice shy?)

Their recovery took some pretty strong medicine and about three weeks. For the moment, I'm just happy they're OK.

 

[epona]

I had this happen with all 3 of my cats a couple of years ago - they all had some gastric issue that affected them one after the other in quick succession. They do not eat raw food. They weren't very ill and a few weeks of pro/prebiotics sorted it out ok.

Even with indoor cats, you are not operating a closed quarantine situation. If anyone thinks they are, they are mistaken.

 

[Pucks104]

So Louie seems to be doing pretty well. He is eating decently though maybe not quite back to normal. Newman is still something of a challenge. He has decided that any and all wet food is to be shunned. He went about 2.5 days with maybe 2 tablespoons of food spread over that period. I finally decided to try some of the dry Purina Pro Plan that he ate when he first came to live with us. Not sure why I hadn’t thrown it out but Newman ate some last night and some twice today. I have been giving him water with a syringe to keep him hydrated. He had a messy poo this morning early but hasn’t pooped again since so I don’t know for sure how the dry food will affect. His poo hasn’t been normal for a week but at least the frequency has settled down.
I have decided to just let him eat the Pro plan dry food for a few days and then I will try to get him interested wet food again.