Stress And Diarrhea

[CatLoaf]

I had posted before about how my cat is having watery stools since my (to be former) vet prescribed a whole bunch of antibiotics to treat what was just looser stools. Unfortunately the Bene Bac is not helping so far; a vet is coming on Friday to check him out.

I now realize* that I may also have stressed my cat out - not only did my cat have to deal with multiple vet visits (he hates the carrier) and medications multiple times a day, I had gotten a dehumidifier (which is loud) and had thrown out some furniture.

So if the cat's diarrhea issues are at least in part due to stress, how long will it take for him to show improvement? As mentioned before, a vet is coming this week to check it out.

Thanks!

* the light bulb in my head flickers slowly sometimes

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS! Is your cat on the boiled chicken and white rice diet? You can also feed Gerber Stage 2 baby food - chicken or beef. Did the vet prescribe any anti-diarrheal? Just as important, are you balancing his electrolytes? Unflavored Pedialyte works great for that.
Is the cat litter unscented/fragrance free? The strong fragrances can irritate already sore rectal tissues thus prolonging the problem.
You are right that stress tends to make it worse. Ideally, the diarrhea will taper off from a matter of hours to a couple of days.

 

[CatLoaf]

Thanks! He's been on a boiled chicken and boiled turkey diet, no rice. I tried pumpkin but the cat hates hates hates pumpkin. I was going to try slippery elm as others had suggested but have no idea about dosing and how to administer it.

I was going to get pedialyte but it seems like they are only sold in those huge bottles and they are ineffective after 48 hours. How do you guys handle it? Do you just buy the big bottle and chuck the rest away?

The litter is fragrance-free.

Thanks again!

 

[CatLoaf]

Forgot to add - the vet who prescribed the antibiotic did not prescribe an anti-diarrhea medication when I went back to them about his post-antibiotic worsening stool but took him off of one of the antibiotics and prescribed prednisone (not sure how to spell it, it's a steroid) for the rest of the course. The vet also claimed that the cat likely had cancer solely because the antibiotics made the stools worse and tried to pressure me into getting an ultrasound, so I've been avoiding that vet since.

 

[catsknowme]

Glad that you are doing everything well. I buy the generic version of Pedialyte. There is also a good homemade recipe on www.kitten-rescue. com, which is a website by TCS' own member Hissy, who, in my humble opinion, is an amazing cat rescuer ( her blog is underrated - she does great work). I have also used the electrolyte tablets which are initially pricey but can be cut in half and made in smaller doses.
Slippery elm is typically brewed into a tea by adding a teaspoon of powdered herb or 2 capsules into a cup of cold water, bring to a boil, covered, then lowered to a simmer for about 7 minutes. I turn off the heat and keep the lid on and cool slowly. I was raised using herbs and tradition holds that healing elements will escape with the rising steam. You can also use red raspberry leaf tea - it is often sold as pregnancy tea. Same proportions but pour boiling water over the tea in a cup or heatproof glass jar, cover with a small plate and steep 3-5 minutes. You can add the tea to the boiled meat or to water or offer as is - many times the cats instinctively drink it. For dosage, I would ask your vet or consult a holistic vet. For kittens 12 wks and under, I dilute the tea 50/50. And I ALWAYS give only good well water or bottled water - city tap water is loaded with irritating chemicals.

 

[catsknowme]

Oh no - bravo for changing vets! Go with your instincts. Both Tufts and Cornell Universities have excellent articles for cats. I enjoy Tufts' Catnip magazine.

 

[catsknowme]

My vet has me mush boiled white rice or applesauce into the food. I had to laugh when I was told by my m.d. to do the BRAT diet for my own IBD - broth, rice (white), applesauce, tea; she look startled when I told the reason that I was laughing was because she gave the veterinarian's advice . My vet also has me give a few drops of imodium or buy Pet-Lactin (which has apple pectin).

 

[Topazy]

I had a cat with Inflammatory Bowel Disease who had diarrhea and vomiting issues as you describe. You mention that she's been tested for a number of things, but have they given her any sort of medication, if so what was it? How long ago was the testing? I would like to know more details about what has been done for her...If there hasn't been any medications prescribed (typically flagyl, maybe baytril or even prednisolone) then the first thing I would do is find a new vet.
In any case I would recommend a high quality, wet food only diet. The dry foods you mention are full of corn and other ingredients that could be causing a food allergy, which in cats can build up over time. In addition dry foods are very hard to digest. If it were me, I'd go with a limited ingredient, grain free wet like Natural Balance duck and green pea or venison and green pea. Nothing else for 8 weeks, not even a little treat. If that does the trick, you can try adding in some other foods (grain free, wet) one at a time (and don't add another until you see she can tolerate the latest addition for 3-4 weeks). Also stay away from fish.
You can also try adding some digestive enzymes and slippery elm is good for both nausea and diarrhea.
One way to make the switch to a wet diet, is first to start feeding distinct meals, no free feeding. This way the cat is hungry at the feeding time. If you must, add a few kibbles of dry on top of the wet food until the transition is made. Smearing the wet on the cats mouth or paw will force them to lick it off and may decide 'hey this ain't so bad'. Normally I recommend providing lots of flavor and brand choices, but in your situation I would try to get the Natural Balance to work. But it's an option if you're really stuck, once the change is made, you might be able to further refine it to something with limited ingredients or even find that the all wet diet does the trick.

 

[CatLoaf]

Sorry for not responding to you earlier! The new vet is coming on Friday.

To make a long story short(ish), I added dry food to my cat's then-all wet food diet (Hills Dental Health, the one that's sold OTC). Either I added too much too soon and/or the cat has an intolerance to ingredients in it, so he started getting GI issues (some vomiting, loose stools that were the texture of soft-serve ice cream). The GI issues persisted even after I (probably too quickly) changed his dry food to a different brand, so I took him to the (now former) vet.

The former vet prescribed metrodinazole, panacur, and another antibiotic that I can't remember the name of that begins with a c (and is not clindamyacin), which caused my cat to *really* not eat and turned his stools watery. I took him back to that vet, who took him off one of the antibiotics (the panacur course was done) and added predenisole. Blood test was normal except for low white blood cell count. The vet also claimed that the cat likely had cancer and insisted that I get an ultrasound as soon as possible.

I've tried FortiFlora and Bebebac Plus powder, but his stools are still watery though he seems fine otherwise (no to little vomiting, acting more like himself). He's on a boiled chicken and turkey diet.

 

[CatLoaf]

So update - the second opinion vet also thinks that cancer is a possibility. Since it's a home-call vet, I've contacted the original vet to schedule an ultrasound this coming week.

The second opinion vet, at least, was more thorough and his explanations made sense - the cat always had a low white blood cell (specifically lymphocyte) count, he lost even more weight (it dropped from 15+ lbs to 13+ lbs in two years (though to be fair he was a bit fat), and has dropped to a little under 10 lbs in the last couple of months, plus the second opinion vet said he felt a possible mass. Plus the cat has been acting like he's in some pain (been doing the cat crouch thing more).

The cat has been worse since the vet visit - not eating much, threw up (including once with green bile) twice, and started making the loud squirting sounds when going to the litterbox again (sorry for the graphic description). I'm guessing it's from the stress of the vet visit?

Needless to say I'm scared [poop]less. He hates going to the vet, so getting him to first vet will likely make him feel worse. I've been trying to figure out what to do when the ultrasound comes in, and have been trying to figure out when I should let the cat go should the ultrasound results show the worst. Part of me still thinks it's partially antibiotic induced gastritis, but that would require a biopsy which I don't think he's strong enough to handle right now.

 

[meowmylexi]

I'm sorry that you and your kitty are going through such a rough experience. Hugs!

One of my current boys gets especially stressed out with Vet visits, and it takes him a few days to settle down again. It sounds like you've got that happening, too. As challenging as it is getting them to the Vet, the ultrasound sounds like a good idea. My Vet felt a mass or two on my furbaby angel, who had dropped weight like that, and the ultrasound didn't bring back good news. Not saying that's what happening with your case, but it's a good diagnostic for right now, and then you go from there.

Try to hang in there. I hope things turn around positively for you and your kitty

 

[Furballsmom]

oh, gracious sakes, my heart goes out to both of you in hopes that this is something that isn't lifethreatening and/or that will respond to treatment

 

[CatLoaf]

Thank you both for your well wishes, I really appreciate it! Meowmylexi, I'm sorry to hear about your cat's ultrasound results.

I know that the results haven't come in yet - heck, I haven't even officially scheduled the ultrasound yet - but I'm also scared that I won't be able to afford any additional treatments or testing depending on the results. I want to do everything for the medium guy, but I don't know if I can.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works out some way some how

 

[meowmylexi]

Thank you. It's for sure overwhelming. One step at a time ((hugs)) Please do keep us posted.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - I found a couple links that, while hopefully not necessary, might help. I admit I haven't read these but if you do a keyword search on this site, there's probably more info available.

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

There are also some organisations that can help listed here.

Financial Aid for Pets

 

[CatLoaf]

He's taken a turn for the worse. He did not sleep with me or his lover the bathroom heater last night; instead, he spent most of the night on top of the microwave which he never did before. He got up to use the litter box and drink water, but he now won't eat anything but dry food. He's also spending more time on his own instead of with me. It seems like he's not long for this world.

He's already so gaunt, I'm afraid the stress of the ultrasound might kill him. I don't want his last moments to be stressful in a place that he doesn't like.

 

[Furballsmom]

I am SO sorry to hear this!! How are things now? Is he still eating and drinking?

 

[CatLoaf]

He's only interested in eating treats now. Second opinion vet recommended a wee bit of Pepcid AC, so will get that in a few.

The first vet was kind enough to get the ultrasound guy to come just now. Unfortunately they found a tumor; the biopsy results should be in a few days. However, since the first vet never detected the tumor when palpating my cat, it's likely cancer.

Thank you all again for all your advice and support; I really appreciate it. I'll be asking for more advice on how to make the most of the time he has left and when to let him go, but just wanted you guys to know how informative and supportive this place has been.

 

[Furballsmom]