In late fall 2017, the farm sanctuary where I volunteer took in several cats that had been removed from a hoarding situation. They were well socialized and generally healthy, but one of them, Rain, had chronic diarrhea. (She also pees standing up but that’s another story! 
) It wasn’t just loose stool, either; it was completely liquid. This problem went on for months. They tried everything from traditional prescriptions like metronidazole from their regular vet to non-traditional strategies from the holistic vet who helps them. They also tried...kind of...an elimination diet, but since that involved feeding only one flavor of Friskies instead of all of the flavors, that didn’t work. (I did try to explain...) The only time it improved a bit was when she was on metro, but even that didn’t help much.
Based on my reading of others’ experiences here on TCS, I suggested last summer that they try Rain on both S. boulardii and a raw diet. They tried the S. boulardii I gave them. It didn’t help. I know commercial raw is pricey to feed a shelter kitty, so I offered to pay for it for a trial period. The holistic vet offered to sell his stock of Rad Cat to them at cost to help out. They agreed it was a good idea, but I couldn’t get them to take action on it. In the meantime, poor Rain continued to “rain” pure liquid diarrhea.
Finally in November they agreed to feed her a raw diet on a trial basis. With their vets’ approval, I made two months of food for Rain using the catinfo.org recipe I use for my own girls. And guess what! Her diarrhea has stopped completely!!! This is the first time in more than a year that Rain has had firm stools. And she LOVES her raw diet. She has had a couple of tiny spells of diarrhea, but it happens when Rain, who is very food motivated and very sneaky, manages to get around a staff member and get to one of the other cats’ food dishes.
They have another few weeks of the food I made, and I’ve encouraged them to try LID foods for her next. It’s too much to expect that a prospective adopter will feed raw, but maybe the staff can find a canned LID food that will work for her. Fingers crossed!
If it hadn’t been for this forum, I never would have known raw might solve this sweet little girl’s problem. For the first time, she has a real shot at being adopted...as long as the new mom or dad feeds the right kind of food...and uses a litter box with very high sides.
Here is Miss Rain.
) It wasn’t just loose stool, either; it was completely liquid. This problem went on for months. They tried everything from traditional prescriptions like metronidazole from their regular vet to non-traditional strategies from the holistic vet who helps them. They also tried...kind of...an elimination diet, but since that involved feeding only one flavor of Friskies instead of all of the flavors, that didn’t work. (I did try to explain...) The only time it improved a bit was when she was on metro, but even that didn’t help much.Based on my reading of others’ experiences here on TCS, I suggested last summer that they try Rain on both S. boulardii and a raw diet. They tried the S. boulardii I gave them. It didn’t help. I know commercial raw is pricey to feed a shelter kitty, so I offered to pay for it for a trial period. The holistic vet offered to sell his stock of Rad Cat to them at cost to help out. They agreed it was a good idea, but I couldn’t get them to take action on it. In the meantime, poor Rain continued to “rain” pure liquid diarrhea.
Finally in November they agreed to feed her a raw diet on a trial basis. With their vets’ approval, I made two months of food for Rain using the catinfo.org recipe I use for my own girls. And guess what! Her diarrhea has stopped completely!!! This is the first time in more than a year that Rain has had firm stools. And she LOVES her raw diet. She has had a couple of tiny spells of diarrhea, but it happens when Rain, who is very food motivated and very sneaky, manages to get around a staff member and get to one of the other cats’ food dishes.
They have another few weeks of the food I made, and I’ve encouraged them to try LID foods for her next. It’s too much to expect that a prospective adopter will feed raw, but maybe the staff can find a canned LID food that will work for her. Fingers crossed!
If it hadn’t been for this forum, I never would have known raw might solve this sweet little girl’s problem. For the first time, she has a real shot at being adopted...as long as the new mom or dad feeds the right kind of food...and uses a litter box with very high sides.
Here is Miss Rain.
But for now, Rain is doing well. I’m so glad her new raw diet worked! Yay!
