Sick Cat--HELP!

niki-nicole

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We are very worried about our kitten. He is about 7 months old. He found us a few months ago as a feral kitten and after he tamed down a bit, we noticed that he had a limp. It turns out he had an old broken leg. We have done xrays and had him seen by two vets (one small town, and one city). They both noticed arthritis in the xray, but not much else that would cause any worries. My city vet said that if it causes him too much pain, we might amputate it.

But since we had him, has had loose stools that smell SO BAD. We had his poop tested twice and there are no parasites. He was eating and drinking fine so we waited a month to see if things would settle down as he got used to cat food. (wet: Instinct Chicken/Rabbit/Venison; treats: blue buffalo bursts, dehydrated chicken and minnows)

We took him back to the vet on Saturday and he gave him an antibiotic shot in case it was caused by an infection in the gut. Almost immediately, his poop no longer smelled, but it seemed to get even more liquidy.

We thought he was a little lethargic, but he was still eating and drinking and playing. Today, he threw up and won't eat--not even his favorite treat. He still drinks some and he isn't playful.

Medicines:
  • Antibiotic shot that is supposed to last a week (not sure on kind)
  • Cosequin chews--two daily for the past month
  • Vetoquinol Pro-Pectalin Medication for Diarrhea for Cats & Dogs--3 cc given over 3 days
  • Nutramax Proviable-DC Capsules Digestive Supplement for Cats & Dogs--given once yesterday
He HATES getting into his crate to go to the vet (pretty turns feral again) and so I hate to get him upset if he is sick, but I don't know if it would be best to get him in and get some blood work going. He doesn't feel warm like he has a fever.

Do you guys have any ideas about what is going on or what we should do next? My dad is a (human) doctor so he can give the little guy shots so we don't have to take him in, but I don't think he could draw blood.
 

Kieka

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Antibiotics can upset stomach flora which while solving one problem could cause the other. The problem is that while you could get your Dad to give him fluids, if he isn't eating that is a problem. How long since he last ate and kept it down?
 

fionasmom

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I would get him back to the vet before this snowballs. He is not eating or playing and drinking some, as you said. If the drinking declines, you have an immediate problem, followed by the lack of appetite.

It is so kind of you and your family to have taken this little guy in given his rough life on the streets and it will be very helpful that your dad can manage some of his treatment.
 
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niki-nicole

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He last ate at 2:00 am. I agree that I need to keep this from snowballing as we don’t have very good emergency services. Our local vet gave us meds for appetite stimulant and nausea. I’m not sure about giving the the appetite stimulant since his stomach is a mess.

I’m going to give him one more day and if nothing changes (or sooner if something gets worse) I think I’m going to take him to blue pearl—which is about 2 hours away.
 

daftcat75

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Cosequin gave my cat awful liquid stools. Some cats don't tolerate either glucosamine or chondroitin. She couldn't have green lipped mussels either. Another thing that gave her the runs was xanthan gum. That's in a lot of treats and wet foods. It makes smooth foods smooth. It can also make poops smooth. Mousse in, mousse out. 🤦‍♂️

You can drive in a stool sample rather than packing him in the crate. Triple baggie the sample and refrigerate if you can't drive in a fresh sample. Ask for a diarrhea PCR. This is a different, more expensive test than the fecal float they usually perform for parasites. It will look for bacterial infections that the fecal float test does not do.

I also recommend discontinuing the Cosequin and the treats for a couple of weeks to see if one of those has an ingredient that isn't agreeing with him. Simplify the input to simplify the output.

Right now, though, it may be all a guessing game until the antibiotics have run their course. Antibiotics themselves will kill the good gut bacteria including the probiotics you are giving him.

You can swap your Proviable for saccharomyces boulardii until the antibiotics shot wears off. The s. boulardii is actually better suited for antibiotic related diarrhea. It is yeast instead of bacteria. It won't be killed by the antibiotics. It also doesn't colonize like probiotics. This means its effect will wear off within a day or two of discontinuing it. That makes it perfect for treating diarrhea on an as needed basis. But it's also safe enough to give on a daily, maintenance basis too.

More on diarrhea and s. boulardii:
My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

Recommended brand and product:
Vitamin Shoppe

You should be able to find this anywhere you would buy human probiotics. Even though it doesn't require refrigeration, it may be sold out of the refrigerated section with the other probiotics that do require refrigeration.
 
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JBMMBJ

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Did you have a PCR done, or just a fecal sample? Fecal samples do not detect certain parasites/bacteria.

In our case for example, the vets did several fecal samples/cultures, and then finally I requested to have a PCR done and it turned out my kitten had a Clostridium infection. This was not visible in the fecal samples indeed.

So if this was not done, I would definitely suggest to get it done. The PCR has to be sent to the lab, and tests for many parasites/bacteria that can cause diarrhea, for example T. Foetus.
 

JBMMBJ

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Cosequin gave my cat awful liquid stools. Some cats don't tolerate either glucosamine or chondroitin. She couldn't have green lipped mussels either. Another thing that gave her the runs was xanthan gum. That's in a lot of treats and wet foods. It makes smooth foods smooth. It can also make poops smooth. Mousse in, mousse out. 🤦‍♂️

You can drive in a stool sample rather than packing him in the crate. Triple baggie the sample and refrigerate if you can't drive in a fresh sample. Ask for a diarrhea PCR. This is a different, more expensive test than the fecal float they usually perform for parasites. It will look for bacterial infections that the fecal float test does not do.

I also recommend discontinuing the Cosequin and the treats for a couple of weeks to see if one of those has an ingredient that isn't agreeing with him.

Right now, though, it may be all a guessing game until the antibiotics have run their course. Antibiotics themselves will kill the good gut bacteria including the probiotics you are giving him.

You can swap your Proviable for saccharomyces boulardii until the antibiotics shot wears off. The s. boulardii is actually better suited for antibiotic related diarrhea. It is yeast instead of bacteria. It won't be killed by the antibiotics. It also doesn't colonize like probiotics. This means its effect will wear off within a day or two of discontinuing it. That makes it perfect for treating diarrhea on an as needed basis. But it's also safe enough to give on a daily, maintenance basis too.

More on diarrhea and s. boulardii:
My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

Recommended brand and product:
Vitamin Shoppe

You should be able to find this anywhere you would buy human probiotics. Even though it doesn't require refrigeration, it may be sold out of the refrigerated section with the other probiotics that do require refrigeration.
Just saw this message, but this is exactly what I was talking about!
 

Kflowers

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It is possible there is something in the food, or the particular meat, the rabbit, the chicken, that, combined with his digestive system, is causing the smell. I believe Instinct is high protein, which is good, but that doesn't mean that it is the right for for this kitten at this particular time. When he is better you might consider trying a different brand of food.
 
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