Poopy Pat

[Patthecat]

So kind of long story. At the beginning of February we took Pat for his annual checkup- 13 years young and healthy as can be- except for those pesky bladder stones he can’t seem to shake. He’s been on the Hills CD diet for 6 years with no luck in keeping them at bay.

The vet decided to switch his food to the Royal Canin SO, and added a 3 week antibiotic just in case any of the stones knocked loose and hit his stomach walls. Started super slow with the food change and of course he started vomiting and having diarrhea. Called the vet, they put him on metronidazole. 2 weeks into the food switch/ antibiotic/metronidazole he started vomiting uncontrollably for 24 hours- went to the emergency vet, started cerenia and all was fine 2 days later. So we decided to stop the food switch and stop at 2 of the 3 week antibiotic since we ended the new food.

Next step was to get his gut back to normal and keep him solely on the Hills CD- started him on a probiotic to try and help. Had him coasting for about 2 weeks. Things started to look okay, until this past Friday he had a total blow out. Called the vet and they said it might be the probiotic if he’s super sensitive. Immediately stopped the probiotic and waited to see if it would clear on its own.

Diarrhea ended Friday night, 2 days post blow out, no poop. Monday/ Tuesday/Wednesday Am were all perfectly healthy looking poops. Until around lunch and then again tonight he had soft stools (not full blown diarrhea). We have another round of metronidazole on deck just in case, but I really want his gut to be able to heal on its own—-which it looked like it was doing until today. Anyone have any ideas? Does it sound normal that his gut might still be healing from all of this?

And to make things mildly more complicated, we lost his bonded brother at the end of January. I don’t want to assume there’s a level of stress in there too, but maybe?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Has he had a urinalysis and a urine culture? What does it mean that he can't seem to shake the pesky bladder stones? I also don't understand the idea that stones would shake loose and hit his stomach walls - that is impossible.

It is however possible that the antibiotic did a number on his digestive tract and caused the diarrhea, not to mention the addition of metronidazole (which is yet another antibiotic).

I would agree to go back to Square One and let his gut rest. But we still could use to understand what was going on in the first place that made the vet think it was necessary to change his food and add antibiotics too. Once knowing this information, it could be possible that the loss of his bonded brother played a role.

A whole lot more information/detail would be very helpful.

 

[Patthecat]

They were worried that when the food changed, the stones in his bladder would hit his bladder wall causing an infection. We have had many urine cultures done, he has urine crystals and bladder stones. The prescription diet does nothing to eliminate them for him. He had PU surgery 6 years ago and bladder surgery a year ago after the stones reformed. The vet wanted to attempt a new food to see if it would help at all since the Hills CD is still showing stones forming 6 years later.

 

[Margot Lane]

I tried giving my cat a probiotic and the same thing happened. Stopped it and he went back to normal poops. However, there are a lot of other things at play here, and I’m certainly not wise enough to know what role the bladder stones play in pooping. I have read enough threads here to know that a cat can sorely miss his Buddy, and as w/ humans, grief just takes time. I’d trust your vet on this one.

 

[tabbytom]

Anyone have any ideas? Does it sound normal that his gut might still be healing from all of this?

My boy had chronic diarrhea for one and a half months from the beginning of February this year. Took him to the vet but he refuses to take his medications. So I got him on probiotics on the 21st day of February as he was still having full blown diarrhea and his tummy is full of gas.

Each day I gave him 1/2 dose of probiotics twice a day and his stool starts to be half formed after the 4th or 5th day but still look unstable.
On the 6th day, he had soft formed stool and following after 5 days or so, he had thicker paste stool with soft formed stool and on the 9th day, he had normal soft stool and on the 10th day, some thick paste stool and on the 14th day, he had normal firm stool.

I think the system needs a little while for the probiotics to work to be stabilized. I did not change his food or gave my boy bland food as instructed in the article as he is a very fussy eater and I have no choice but to feed him his regular food.

Here is an article for you to read which I followed to treat my boy and I find that the probiotics mentioned in the article and using it first hand, I dare say that it works. I'm also taking the same probiotics as my boy and I'm still giving him two 1/2 dose daily. Here is the link :- my-cat-has-diarrhea---what-do-i-do.html

Also, please keep your cat hydrated during this time.

 

[tyleete]

I had 2 cats that had to go on special diets for this. 1 had kidney stones that were removed, the other constant urinary crystals. We used to give Royal Canin SO for quite a while. Then they changed the recipe without warning back in early 2021. So I did some research and came up with Diamond Urinary.

Urinary Support Cat Food Formula for Adult Cats | Diamond CARE

Diamond CARE Urinary Support Formula for Adult Cats promotes good urinary tract health. Learn about this urinary support cat food formula and where to buy it here.

www.diamondpet.com

I liked their levels. Found out the rx foods really are crap.
And I'm with you on letting his gut heal.

 

[silent meowlook]

With the bladder stones, depending on what they are, there is a prescription diet to address them if they are struvite crystals. It doesn’t always work. It’s the Hills S/D I think. As far as I know the RC SO will not dissolve stones.

I have to agree that the antibiotics messed with his GI tract, but I don’t know.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hill's C/D and S/D*, as well as RC SO, are formulated to help dissolve struvite crystals/stones; although, IMO, the verbiage on RC SO is pretty vague regarding this aspect. None of these dissolve oxalate stones, but Hill's C/D and RC SO claim to help decrease long-term risk of them, as well as struvite crystals. If oxalate stones are allowed to form/grow to a problematic point, surgical removal is the only solution.

*Hill's S/D also states it is not intended for long term use.