cat with sensitive digestion runny poop - Answered by Dr. Van Lienden
 

My sweet kitty has had serious digestive problems since she was sadly locked in a room for several days last year. At first she wouldn't eat anything, but I kept her alive on tuna for a while. She is currently eating Medical hypoallergenic canned food, the only thing she digests at all well, but is desperately hungry for anything else she smells, including yogurt, french toast, etc. and her breath smells like duck--yuck! This cat used to eat many different foods, including vegetables, but now cannot digest anything well, though she craves it so much. She is very sensitive and gentle, and used to be so dignified in her approach to food. Now she's so ravenous. Her poop ranges from normal to very runny, and mostly not in the litterbox. Yuck again. She has lost a good bit of weight as well. The vet just felt some intestinal swelling, but I really can't afford the $400 for tests plus $$ for treatment, so short of the unspeakable, what can I do? Something homeopathic??? thanks!

Have you tried any other canned foods? Have you tried any holistic foods? Unfortunately Medi-cal's ingredients aren't the best out there, and they could be exacerbating her sensitivities.:o

I would also try some probiotics:[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic[/url]

Flora is a good brand. This often helps with digestion, sometimes after a major stress the good bacteria can get depleted and have a hard time re-establishing. Lots of people are also having good results with holistic brands high in protien content/nutrients and that don't have fillers like corn, wheat gluten etc. Stuff that isn't that good for carnivores. I used to use Medi-cal and the specific one to help with crystals did seem to work for that but otherwise I didn't find it very good for overall health.

I was also told a few days ago that a small amount of Slippery Elm, mixed with food is great for easing digestive complaints, and reduces internal swelling.

Hopefully your baby will get better
:fingerscr :goodvibes:
Pam, Quin and Lexie

oh. poor kitty.
some suggestions (from my herbal cat care book, very informative) . wild yam is excellent anti inflammatory. slippery elm is also very beneficial. Dr Kidd, holistic vet says 1/2 tspoon per 10 pound body weight mixed with water and given as a liquid 4-5 times a day. although he says not to do it for more than 3 weeks at a time and then break for a week.
Also it may not be a bad idea to give him a teaspoon of yogurt a day. it says in the book that an excess of yeast can cause food allergy and what they call "leaky gut" yuck i know but it sounds a lot like what your cat is experiencing. probiotics could be exactly what he needs (plain unsweetend yogurt with probiotics or probiotics that you can get from a health food store. they should be able to give you the correct dose) . can you maybe suggest this to your vet? they may have some ideas.

hope that helps a bit. :goodvibes:

Also another thought was maybe some plain canned pumpkin. It is suggested by vets for constipation but the fibre may also help for runny poops as it does in humans with IBS. Maybe a different vet could offer more advice on that if this one hasn't. I'm wondering though if they want to test for parisites? What sort of treatment was suggested if they don't know what is causing the problem? I'd t be worried that she picked something up around the time of the move and it just coincided.

How old is she? Did the vet check her for hyperthyroidism?

That is another good suggestion, sounds like maybe she needs to have some tests/bloodwork.

If its been a year and she is not even making it to the litter box much of the time and is losing wieght she needs medical attention ASAP. I would go in and get the tests/bloodwork done that the vet recommended and try to work out a payment plan if you honestly can't afford it.

Maya, as much as i read about pumpkin being good for digestion, i tried it on Roland and it made his poop worse. vet told me its used to treat constipation (very effectively i might add) in cats. all that time it was the pumpkin that was making his diarrhea worse! maybe it was just him but the chicken and rice and a bit of yogurt worked wonders.

Yes I was just suggesting pumpkin as something to try, if anything doesn't work or makes things worse its definitely best to stop doing it, even if everyone and the vet swears by it. In this case I think it is past the point of just trying different types of fiber/remedies anyway since there is abdominal swelling/weight loss/bad breath/not able to make it to the litter box etc.. If it is just digestive problems that is great but there could very well be an underlying illness like rainbow mentioned. If there isn't now one will likely develop if she can't get her digestion on track.

Leaky gut sounds like a good possibility. It came after both an unexpected fasting situation and also shock, and looks like she's "allergic" to almost everything but so hungry. I'm trying some super probiotics right now and keep checking the suggestions. Thanks!
BTW no abdominal swelling, just the intestines felt a little swollen to the vet, and sometimes she does poop in the box, and other times not. It's not consistent. Also her breath is sometimes fine, and sometimes not. Sometimes the poop is just fine, sometimes a gassy goo. Today the breath is fine, and the gassy poop was (fortunately!) right in the box.

[QUOTE=mbrosseau]BTW no abdominal swelling, just the intestines[/QUOTE]
:eek: where are her intestines?

[QUOTE=mbrosseau]It came after both an unexpected fasting situation and also shock, and looks like she's "allergic" to almost everything but so hungry. [/QUOTE]Sometimes a stressful event sets an illness off.

If she is getting up there in years she should probably have the bloodwork done IMO. If a diet change and remedies don't improve things she will need medical treatment soon. Digestive problems tend to lead to a lot of other problems and are the symptom of a lot of illnesses.

Medi-cal is actually a poor quality food, i'd look into switching her to a good holistic brand, you can find quite a bit of info about that in the food forum.

[QUOTE]$400 for tests plus $$ for treatment, so short of the unspeakable, what can I do?[/QUOTE]It looks like you've asked questions about how to treat a potentially serious condition with home remedies rather than pay for the tests your cat needs.:sad:

Hopefully I am wrong and you are not actually considering the "unspeakable". You may be able to find her another home before she gets really sick, sometimes people are willing to adopt a special needs pet and pay for thier medical care.

When my cat stopped eating and drinking a few months ago the only thing he would eat was yoghurt. Two vet visits in less than two weeks and a battery of tests was most definitely a financial hardship for me but losing my beloved cat would have been much more devastating. Please, please, if there is any way possible for you to get the necessary tests done, do it now. ASAP. As Maya said, talk to the vet about a possible payment plan. You never know unless you ask.
Good luck.

A ravenous appetite in a cat usually means either diabetes mellitus or hyperthyroidism. There can be other causes, such as inflammatory bowel disease from any number of causes or pancreatic insufficiency. Sorry, but to intelligently treat this pet you will need to spend the money in order to determine cause. I would try a payment plan with your vet, most will be sympathetic to your plight.

Dr. Van Lienden

Dr. Raymond Van Lienden DVM
The Animal Clinic of Clifton
12702 Chapel Road, Clifton
Virginia, U.S.A. 20124
703-802-0490

another option
 

I know it sounds a little extreme, and most vets won't support your decision, but I would seriously consider looking into switching your cats to a raw diet. It is not as difficult as it sounds, and most owners' results have been extraordinary! You seem willing to pursue unconventional options to help your kitty. If so, look into it: catnutrition.org and catinfo.org are great starting places. Good luck!

i dont have money for a vet so all i can do is to research.
i taught to give the cat plenty of water. i use medicine dropper. and prebiotic. try yogurt that is low fat and prebiotic.

It would be nice if a website like this could be intermediary to donors giving money for vet bills. It might be logistically hard to set up because people want to make sure their money is being used well. It's sad to see owners face these situations. If an intermediary was paying the vet bill for people like this in a tough situation with public donations everyone would be a winner.

Just like the programs around the world to sponsor wolves, baby elephants ect. I don't see why there are no programs to help for expensive vet bills.