Vlad's vet visit

[ancientgirl]

I had to take Vlad to the vet yesterday. I've been noticing he's not been acting himself. First it was the laying in the litter box, and in the past week, he's been sleeping either in the closet or his carrier. And he's been really clingy, and Vlad is not a clingy boy.

Needless to say, he was not pleased. The two Xanax didn't work, so they had to give him some gas, and even with that it took him almost 20 minutes to finally relax and sleep. When I talk to his vet again, I need to ask her about something stronger I can give him at home before visits. The Xanax isn't helping and I don't want to have to gas him every time I take him in.

The vet did everything she'd not been able to do the last two times I took him in. We decided to do a wellness exam, so I should have those results by Wednesday. Turns out he had a lot of poop in his intestine, hard poop. She said he was most likely constipated, so that would explain his off behavior. And he has a mild case of cystitis, which surprised me. He hadn't been frequenting the litter box, not like when Oksana had it. I'm glad I took him in, because it might have gotten worse.

So I went home, with some stool softener and Clavomax to clear up the cystitis.

I know from reading some of the threads pumpkin or butternut squash is good fiber. Would this be like a natural stool softener? I'd like to get something to mix in his food maybe 2 or 3 times a week.

[luckypenny]

Good thing you thought to have him seen when you suspected something wrong.

Pumpkin and squash contain lots of fiber so good for both constipation and diarrhea. I've read in other threads that adding water to soft food may help as well? Hope Vlad is feeling better soon .

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

Good thing you thought to have him seen when you suspected something wrong.

Pumpkin and squash contain lots of fiber so good for both constipation and diarrhea. I've read in other threads that adding water to soft food may help as well? Hope Vlad is feeling better soon .

I have to monitor his litter box usage for a few days to make sure his poop isn't so hard.

So the pumpkin will help soften his poop? I saw in another thread Growler recommended Earth Organics or Heinz baby food butternut squash. I'm thinking maybe adding a jar to their food two times a week will help all of them.

[luckypenny]

I either buy the EO butternut squash too or bake and blend squash myself (add a bit of previously boiled water when blending). Freeze in ice cube trays and put into freezer baggies. You get much more quantity for the price this way.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

I either buy the EO butternut squash too or bake and blend squash myself (add a bit of previously boiled water when blending). Freeze in ice cube trays and put into freezer baggies. You get much more quantity for the price this way.

Thanks LP! That's a good idea. I think I'll try both and see which they prefer. I don't even know if that's something that has a season or not. I'll check Whole Foods on my way home. I know I'll be more likely to find the baby food there.

[aslan]

ag just make sure if you go for the babyfood that it doesn't have onion or garlic added,,watch the salt content too.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by aslan

ag just make sure if you go for the babyfood that it doesn't have onion or garlic added,,watch the salt content too.

Oh yes, I always check for the onion and garlic, but what should the salt content be?

[aslan]

usually the higher up on the ingredients list the higher the content,,if you could find low salt or salt free that would be preferable..LP's suggestion of making your own is alot more appealing,,then you know whats in it and it really is soooo much cheaper. Don't know about Florida but we can get butternut squash year round up here,,usually under a dollar and makes loads of squash as opposed to a small bottle of babyfood.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by aslan

usually the higher up on the ingredients list the higher the content,,if you could find low salt or salt free that would be preferable..LP's suggestion of making your own is alot more appealing,,then you know whats in it and it really is soooo much cheaper. Don't know about Florida but we can get butternut squash year round up here,,usually under a dollar and makes loads of squash as opposed to a small bottle of babyfood.

Maybe it's a year round veggie here too. That would be the best option.

But I'm confused. I thought the butternut squash was for when they had diarrhea, to firm it up. So if he's constipated and has really hard poop, this will help loosen it up? I'm thinking the more fiber in their diet the less hard the poop right?

[mummummum]

Psyllium (the stuff that's in Metamucil) can be used for both constipation and diarrhea. It's virtually tasteless and has little texture which means it can be snuck into regular wet food for pets who are adverse to anything "new". You can usually buy it in your local pharmacy.

More info: http://www.peteducation.com/article....+1459&aid=1473

[hazelrunpack]

Ah, yes! The magic of fiber--good for both conditions. You use less if you want to firm up a stool, more if you want to soften a stool

Glad you caught it quick! Whew! I hope the handsome Vlad is back to his normal self again, soon!

[ancientgirl]

Thanks MMM! So it's just the generic form of Metamucil then. I'll look for both. Certainly wouldn't hurt to put a bit in his food now and then. All of them have pretty hard poopies, except for Czari. Her's are softer, probably because she drinks more water than the others.

Hazel, I'm very thankful I caught this in time. And that his usual vet was on this week.

[sugarcatmom]

I'd be very careful with the psyllium. Cats typically don't ingest high amounts of fibre and psyllium can be kinda harsh on their system if they don't need it. Also, if you don't add copious amounts of water along with the psyllium, you can actually make constipation worse. I wouldn't use more than 1/4 tsp per day, and add at least 2 tbsp of water with it.

I much prefer slippery elm bark powder. It's more soothing to the digestive tract, and helps to keep the water levels of the intestines in balance.

I'll try not to go into my usual rant about prescribing antibiotics for cystitis when a culture and sensitivity hasn't been done first. Except to say that 90% of urinary tract issues in cats under 10 yrs old are sterile, so antibiotics are useless. Keep an eye on Vlad's appetite, as Clavamox is notorious for causing digestive upset. Make sure to give it on a full stomach.

[mummummum]

My friends have an interesting trick to get their cat to drink more water. They drain their canned tuna, salmon, chicken etc. (all low-sodium of course) into the cat's water bowl, then fill up the bowl with water. They also mush up a bit of canned cat food into the water bowl if they have no "drippings".

As I'm a knownot about cats, I'm not sure if this a good practice but it does keep Twiggy drinking more than she would normally.

[14+kitties]

for Vlad that he gets over the constipation quickly and is back to his normal self. I would think that may be why he was going after Oksana too.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

I much prefer slippery elm bark powder. It's more soothing to the digestive tract, and helps to keep the water levels of the intestines in balance.

Is this something I can give him daily, or just when there is a problem? How much do I give him? If it's something that can be given daily, maybe the rest of the gang would benefit from some too.

MMM, I like the mixing a bit of food into their water. It'll make it look dirty, but maybe it will give it a nice flavor for them.

14+, thanks! I get so scared when there is any issue with them, especially anything having to do with poop or pee. I'm terrified of them getting some sort of kidney issue.

[Love4himies]

Poor Vlad . Very scary when the kitties start hiding


I second SCM advice, fibre supplements should be used very sparingly on cats.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

I saw in another thread Growler recommended Earth Organics or Heinz baby food butternut squash. I'm thinking maybe adding a jar to their food two times a week will help all of them.

If you choose to go with the babyfood butternut squash the Earth Organics or Heinz Organics, you only need 1/4 tsp to start per cat twice a day, slowly increase incrementally by 1/4 tsps until desired results. As LP mentions, freeze desired amount in ice cube trays then dump into freezer bags as in the jar it will only last 3-4 days once opened.

Personally I wouldn't use psyillum with a cat as Duffy had an adverse reaction -severe constipation- to rawfood that had it added in (of course it most likely was because it was in duck which we now know she reacts severely to).

Slippery Elm Bark must be given with sufficient water to be effective, again I would start with 1/8 - 1/4 tsp SEB with at least 1.5 tsp water. SEB must be given at least 1 hour before or after medications as it can disrupt the absorption of the meds, ideally given on an empty stomach. Duffy's homeopath & homeopathic vet cautioned it is a herb so not really ideal to give on a daily basis for long periods of time.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by growler

If you choose to go with the babyfood butternut squash the Earth Organics or Heinz Organics, you only need 1/4 tsp to start per cat twice a day, slowly increase incrementally by 1/4 tsps until desired results. As LP mentions, freeze desired amount in ice cube trays then dump into freezer bags as in the jar it will only last 3-4 days once opened.

Personally I wouldn't use psyillum with a cat as Duffy had an adverse reaction -severe constipation- to rawfood that had it added in (of course it most likely was because it was in duck which we now know she reacts severely to).

Slippery Elm Bark must be given with sufficient water to be effective, again I would start with 1/8 - 1/4 tsp SEB with at least 1.5 tsp water. SEB must be given at least 1 hour before or after medications as it can disrupt the absorption of the meds, ideally given on an empty stomach. Duffy's homeopath & homeopathic vet cautioned it is a herb so not really ideal to give on a daily basis for long periods of time.

Growler, thank you so much for the information. I think my best bet is just doing the baby food or baking a squash and freezing it. I don't think I'll have a problem going through a jar of baby food, between my 5 for 2 times a day.

[rjesak]

I'm not sure what's available where you're at, but I found a baby food that had only ground chicken and water. The cats think they've died and gone to heaven when I pull it out for them!

Cats are so sneaky - wouldn't it be nice if they were like dogs and got in your face and TOLD you when they were unhappy? "Mommy, I don't feel good. Mommy, fix it. Pleeeeaaase..." Cats just disappear or start acting more or less clingly, or eating more or less food, or drinking more or less water...

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by rjesak

I'm not sure what's available where you're at, but I found a baby food that had only ground chicken and water. The cats think they've died and gone to heaven when I pull it out for them!

I'm hoping the Whole Foods will have something I can use. I know I've seen natural baby food there before, so I'll have to have a look at the ingredients.

[ancientgirl]

I went to Whole Foods on my way home. They only had a brand called Earths Best Organics. The butternut squash they had also had corn in it, so I don't know if I want to give them that. But I also saw they had Winter squash and Sweet Potatoes. The ingredients are simple, Sweet Potatoes and water.


I'm wondering which would be best. Is winter squash just as good as butternut?

[luckypenny]

Gerber makes a squash baby food. I think most Walmarts, Shopper's Drug Marts, and grocery stores carry Gerber.

I think any kind of squash or pumpkin is ok. The food you found, did you mean to say that it's squash and sweet potatoes?

[growler~GateKeeper]

The regular grocery stores will have Heinz Organica in the baby aisle, the only ingredient you need is butternut squash & water. Regular canned pumpkin ~not the pie filling~ is good too, though I've heard cats will tolerate the taste of butternut squash better

[ancientgirl]

Thanks, LP & Growler! I'll check the grocery store in the morning. There's one near my job so I'll check to see if they have those.

The stool softener is helping him. He did have a few softer poopies tonight. LOL, I never thought I'd be so excited about squeezing poop. With a paper towel of course.