Worried about hard stool (please read all)

fenrisulfr

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If this is in the wrong forum, please let me know.

hello! My name is Val and I have a cat Artemis who is my problem child. The only food she can eat without throwing up is Hill's Prescription Diet z/d Skin/Food Sensitivities (she’s had scopes and biopsies done. Vets concluded it was a food allergy). The problem is it is dry food, she refuses the moist, and while she drinks a lot of water (and has a water fountain), I’m just worried about her stool being too hard (or becoming too hard). Vet doesn’t seem too concerned.

1) I’ve tried mixing dry with wet (of same brand), she won’t eat it.
2) Tried mixing dry with water, won’t eat it.
3) Tried pumpkin, only will eat a tiny bit.
4) Tried pumpkin and dry, won’t touch it.
5) Tried 50+ types of moist food, she throws them up.
6) Won’t touch raw, so I have no idea if she will throw that up.

You think she will be okay?
 

mrsgreenjeens

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There is no reason to think she won't be, particularly if she is drinking a lot of water. Is she straining to go to the bathroom, or are you just trying to be proactive?

Have you tried crushing the dry and sprinkling it on top of ANY wet food (of course, if she vomits most wet foods, I guess you don't want to try many foods other than the z/d). It sounds like she has eaten wet in the past since you know she vomits it up. That makes me think there are wet foods that she does like, just can't tolerate. Has the Vet determined what it is that she is allergic to? If chicken, have you tried rabbit, and I mean a rabbit food that doesn't have much else in it other than vitamins and minerals? If we had a little more information about the allergies/sensitivities, we might be able to help more in the food department, if you wish. Otherwise, if she is straining, we had a cat who only ate dry food and we syringed Miralax dissolved in a little water into his mouth once a day to help him when he was constipated. It help immensely. It doesn't have any taste or odor and doesn't gel up so it wasn't difficult to get it into him.
 
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fenrisulfr

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There is no reason to think she won't be, particularly if she is drinking a lot of water. Is she straining to go to the bathroom, or are you just trying to be proactive?

Have you tried crushing the dry and sprinkling it on top of ANY wet food (of course, if she vomits most wet foods, I guess you don't want to try many foods other than the z/d). It sounds like she has eaten wet in the past since you know she vomits it up. That makes me think there are wet foods that she does like, just can't tolerate. Has the Vet determined what it is that she is allergic to? If chicken, have you tried rabbit, and I mean a rabbit food that doesn't have much else in it other than vitamins and minerals? If we had a little more information about the allergies/sensitivities, we might be able to help more in the food department, if you wish. Otherwise, if she is straining, we had a cat who only ate dry food and we syringed Miralax dissolved in a little water into his mouth once a day to help him when he was constipated. It help immensely. It doesn't have any taste or odor and doesn't gel up so it wasn't difficult to get it into him.
hello! This is mostly just proactive. She doesn’t seem to have any issues going to the bathroom, I’ve just never had a cat strictly on dry (usually my cats are moist 2x day with dry as snack). As for what she is allergic to? No idea. I have tried every single protein out there, and she throws it up. I would try ruling it out by raw, or something that is just protein with a few extra ingredients, but she won’t eat any of those. I’ve tried just getting a protein, cooking it plain, and feeding her, but she will only eat chicken and beef (which I know 100% certain she can’t eat), but the rest are 🤷🏼 She won’t even eat tuna out of a can. Like ??!??
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Many, many cats eat only dry food their entire lives and do just fine. There are no guarantees in life. One of my cats ate raw and developed CKD, so you just never know. One of my current cats eats raw and I have to add miralax to his food because even though I add extra muscle meat to his food, apparently there is still too much calcium in it for his system :sigh:

Since you have found something she will eat and isn't allergic too, AND she drinks plenty, I say stick with it.
 
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fenrisulfr

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Many, many cats eat only dry food their entire lives and do just fine. There are no guarantees in life. One of my cats ate raw and developed CKD, so you just never know. One of my current cats eats raw and I have to add miralax to his food because even though I add extra muscle meat to his food, apparently there is still too much calcium in it for his system :sigh:

Since you have found something she will eat and isn't allergic too, AND she drinks plenty, I say stick with it.
I just saw her scoot her butt on the floor for the second time in two days 🥴 awesome lol
 
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fenrisulfr

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Hi
Out of curiosity, have you tried alligator, boar, kangaroo or mouse?
They are hard for me to get (I’m in the US so if you know someone…) Koha had kangaroo for a while, but they don’t for cats anymore. Blue Buffalos NP alligator is no longer available in moist. Farmina N&D has qual and boar but I’d have to buy a 12 pack (I was there when Farmina N&D started, and they only had dry, so I never honestly thought to follow them) which I can try. Walk-about has boar but that’s $50 for a 12 pack and I that would be harder to pull of, especially if she didn’t like it (not saying I won’t, but it’s harder to pull off). That’s about it in terms of what food unless it’s mixed with other proteins.
 

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The only one of mine who developed a problem with hard stools was *after* he was a fair way along with CKD and nearing the final stages (in hindsight), so I would try not to worry too much about the potential for constipation if she doesn't currently have constipation and is otherwise healthy.

If she starts straining to defecate or her stools become small and hard, then get vet advice.
 
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fenrisulfr

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raynenutrition
I’m hesitant to try mouser because it contains protein I know she throws up with. And raynenutrition is $62 for a pack and RX only. I might try in the future but I know my vet won’t approve now (we JUST got Artie back up to ideal weight after nearly a year of her throwing up food every day).
 
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fenrisulfr

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The only one of mine who developed a problem with hard stools was *after* he was a fair way along with CKD and nearing the final stages (in hindsight), so I would try not to worry too much about the potential for constipation if she doesn't currently have constipation and is otherwise healthy.

If she starts straining to defecate or her stools become small and hard, then get vet advice.
The one time I’m grateful she never leaves my room (poor girl has ptsd from humans) is cuz then she uses the box in my room and I can keep track of her stool easier 😂
 

epona

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The one time I’m grateful she never leaves my room (poor girl has ptsd from humans) is cuz then she uses the box in my room and I can keep track of her stool easier 😂
Oh I understand that completely, we know we are proper cat custodians when we are unashamed to talk about their stools and urine and vomit and when need be actively make note of their schedules and any deviation from the norm!

Good luck with her :)
 
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