A Collection of Questions

[M0nica]

Hi everyone!

I decided to join this forum thanks to good old Google - I've been spending my evening trying to find some information since I noticed that my little kitty, Monica, had mucusy/runny bright red blood in her stool this evening. About three weeks ago we went to the vet and she was diagnosed with having a case of pancreatitis and the vet put her on Purina DM diet, whereas previously she was eating ProPlan (both wet and dry).

She seems to be acting perfectly normal, she still wanted to play earlier but I noticed that her stool is larger on this new food than it was on her old food. She is drinking just about as much water as she was previously and since we went to the vet about pancreatitis and switched up foods, she hasn't seemed to have any problems (although she didn't have any problems prior to this on ProPlan either!)

I've been reading a lot that one instance is not a big deal - but I've also been reading that it can be a cause for concern.

I'm concerned to even go to bed in case something is wrong but I called the Emergency Vet and they said she should be fine overnight and to bring her to my regular vet tomorrow if possible.

It's been a couple hours since she came out of the litter box and she seems okay - she's playing right now but she's a little stinky... I think she's been gassy for a couple days.

So I guess in conclusion, I'm not really sure what my question is other than has anyone ever had to deal with this before? Any ideas what might be going on? She's the first cat that I've owned - adopted her from the SPCA in October. She'll be two on September 1!

Any comments are welcome - I'm worried about Mo!

[Mom2Kitty]

Hi Monica,

I'm not one of the experts here, but from what you said it sounds like you just need to go see the vet tomorrow to put your mind at ease. I'm sure the emergency vet would have told you to come in if they thought it was an emergency.

I'm curious about the diagnosis of pancreatitis--what were her symptoms? I took my cat in to the vet for weight loss about a year ago. He did some bloodwork and told me she had a "slight pancreatic issue." I didn't know if he meant pre-diabetic or what. He just told me to give her canned food rather than dry.

I started feeding her Friskies canned until I found these forums and got educated. There is a lot of good info on here about cat nutrition. I would highly recommend reading some of sugarcatmom's posts about that. She knows a lot about the shortcomings of the foods that vets sell. Hopefully she will see your post. Is your Purina DM dry food?

[M0nica]

Hi Mom2Kitty -

I'm sure that you're right. I'm going to call the vet this morning and see what they say and hopefully get to bring her in right after work. The lady at the emergency vet said that where she has been acting normally and is still eating that she likely could wait overnight - and she did (although she woke me up at 5am!)

Mo is a very chatty kitty and she's always underfoot. A few weeks ago I noticed that she was hiding around my house in places she doesn't normally hide and she was crunched up in a little ball and didn't want to move. She also looked extremely sleepy, like she had a hard time keeping her eyes open. She didn't want to eat her wet food at all (usually she's in the fridge before I even have the container out!).

I am feeding Purina DM dry. I have the wet food as well as my vet noted that it was very important for her to also get wet as well as dry but she wouldn't eat it. I bought her some ProPlan wet food without rice in it and she is back to eating it again.

I also hope that Sugarcatmom sees this post. I've been having a very difficult time trying to select a food that replicates the nutritional value that DM does (high protein, low fat) but also maybe something with more fibre (higher than 3%) because Mo does get hairballs.

Thanks so much for replying to me.

[marko]

The food could definitely be playing a part with regard to stool size - that's for sure.

Aside from that I'll defer to members that know much more about food than i do.

Welcome to the forum!

[Dog Dancer]

I'm with Marko, I think the food is your biggest issue here. Not to rule out a vet visit though. I'm sure that someone will come along soon with great food info for you, but Purina is not so great. Good luck with your little kitty and thank you for rescuing her.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by M0nica

Hi Mom2Kitty -

I'm sure that you're right. I'm going to call the vet this morning and see what they say and hopefully get to bring her in right after work. The lady at the emergency vet said that where she has been acting normally and is still eating that she likely could wait overnight - and she did (although she woke me up at 5am!)

Mo is a very chatty kitty and she's always underfoot. A few weeks ago I noticed that she was hiding around my house in places she doesn't normally hide and she was crunched up in a little ball and didn't want to move. She also looked extremely sleepy, like she had a hard time keeping her eyes open. She didn't want to eat her wet food at all (usually she's in the fridge before I even have the container out!).

I am feeding Purina DM dry. I have the wet food as well as my vet noted that it was very important for her to also get wet as well as dry but she wouldn't eat it. I bought her some ProPlan wet food without rice in it and she is back to eating it again.

I also hope that Sugarcatmom sees this post. I've been having a very difficult time trying to select a food that replicates the nutritional value that DM does (high protein, low fat) but also maybe something with more fibre (higher than 3%) because Mo does get hairballs.

Thanks so much for replying to me.

I know animals will hide when they're not feeling good. My dog Marty did that when he was really sick . He went and hide in my closest when I had company , he did not want anyone touching him. I would be sure to let the vet know your kitten is acting difference . I had not have a cat for long time , but what about the cat littler can that be apart of the problem?

I found this link about one person kittens getting sick from the littler.

http://thelighthouseonline.com/articles/clump.html


There are so many extra ingredients in cat littler today, it would not hurt to check what is in the littler too. I got my dog a natural flea collar and it made use both sick. It had pennyroyal oil in it and that it bad for dogs . So I am became aware of checking out the ingredients in any thing I buy my dog now.

[sugarcatmom]

Hi M0nica,

Do you know what sort of tests the vet might have done on Mo when you brought her in? Did he send a blood sample out for an fPLI test, or is the pancreatitis diagnosis mostly a guess based on symptoms?

Regarding the Purina DM, it actually isn't all that low in fat. Has the same level as the ProPlan you were feeding before. It IS lower in carbs though, and there is increasing realization that food with excessive carbs is more likely to factor into feline pancreatitis (as opposed to dogs, where the link with high fat diets is stronger). So my suggestion would be to find some good quality, low carb (with little to no grains) wet foods that Mo enjoys and ditch all kibble. If you still want to keep fat levels moderate, some good choices are:
Merrick Cowboy Cookout
Merrick Grammy's Pot Pie
Weruva Paw Lickin' Chicken
Weruva 9 Liver
Halo Spot's Stew Chicken
Halo Spot's Stew Turkey

Good luck!

[M0nica]

Thank you to everyone for replying. I really appreciate all the comments and thanks for the welcome. I telephoned the vet this morning and he said to keep a close eye on her even though she is acting perfectly normal. He said if I notice it again in the next few days to book an appointment.

The vet didn't run any tests on her at all as most of her symptoms had subsided when I brought her in. I thought one of the major symptoms on pancreatitis was vomiting, and she never vomited at all. I found this strange.

I thought about only a wet food diet for Mo and tried it previously but she was always coming looking for food, and she would only eat a little bit at a time. I'm away at work all day so I can't be putting food down for her all the time and she seems to like "grazing" on her kibble throughout the day. When it wasn't down she was sitting around looking for it and always seemed hungry. I've tried lots of wet foods and she still does the same thing - only eats a little bit at a time then goes to her kibble for the rest of the day.

I also noticed that ProPlan isn't much different from DM - I feel a little ripped off.

Do you have any suggestions for wet and dry (grain-free, moderate -5% or more fibre, high-ish protein and low-ish fat) food available in Canada that is fish or turkey? She seems to prefer those much more over anything else.

Again, thank you everyone so much!!

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by M0nica

I thought about only a wet food diet for Mo and tried it previously but she was always coming looking for food, and she would only eat a little bit at a time.

You can actually leave canned food out for free-feeding, which is what I do. Pick up the kibble one day and leave wet out instead and see if she eats that instead while you're at work.

I would also recommend limiting her fish intake because it can be a common source of digestive issues and allergies in cats.

[M0nica]

Sugarcatmom -

I've actually tried that before and she wasn't interested in it after an hour or so. I even tried it again when I got home from work this evening and took up her kibble and left down the wet food. She's sitting and staring at it and she isn't overly impressed. She hasn't touched it since about 630pm (about 20 mins after I first gave it to her) and it's quarter past ten now. I have a feeling she isn't happy!!

How is Spot's Stew for their dry food? I know Merrick's makes a dry food called Before Grain but I haven't heard much about it.

Also, another question. Is it bad to switch up wet food every few days or should I always be giving her the same thing?

Thanks again!

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by M0nica

I've actually tried that before and she wasn't interested in it after an hour or so.

But what happens if you leave it down overnight, with nothing else to snack on? Or maybe try freezing some canned food in ice-cube trays so she can nibble on them as they thaw. Or maybe an automatic feeder with cold gel-packs underneath? Top-dressing the food with a pulverized treat or freeze-dried meat can also entice a finicky feline to eat more of something healthy. Could also be that she wants more variety in her canned food flavours and brands.

If you haven't seen these 2 videos yet, do check them out:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites...et-part-1.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites...et-part-2.aspx

Originally Posted by M0nica

How is Spot's Stew for their dry food?

The grain-free chicken is okay, for kibble. I was actually supplementing my TNR feral kitty's wet food diet with it, until his urinary tract blocked. No more dry for him!!!!! Ever.

Originally Posted by M0nica

Also, another question. Is it bad to switch up wet food every few days or should I always be giving her the same thing?

I think it's important to offer as wide a variety as possible, and in my household the cats don't get the same food twice in a row. It keeps them interested, prevents addictions to one particular food, and also helps balance out potential nutrient deficiencies or excesses.

[Love4himies]

I agree, it's probably the food. Carbs (which kibble is high in) are not suppose to be part of a cat's food, they just don't have the capability to digest it properly and can therefore irritate the colon.

[M0nica]

Hi again -

I purchased some Merrick's and left it out for Mo to eat throughout the day. I saw her eating it when I went to work at 8am and I got home at roughly 6.30 and the rest was left in her dish... she had barely eaten anything since I left to go to work. It's been like this since I've been trying to only feed her wet food. When I put fresh wet food down at dinner time, she won't touch it. I haven't actually seen her eat anything for 12 hours.

I also managed to weigh her this weekend - she's lost just over a pound since I had her to the vet about six weeks ago... is this safe?

[sugarcatmom]

Will she eat the ProPlan wet food again?

Feed her a measured amount of kibble appropriate for her weight (whatever she likes: if she'll eat the Purina DM, then use that) at set meal times but don't leave it out all day for her to nibble. Whatever she hasn't eaten in an hour, pick up. Then leave a canned food out for snacking (try a few different ones, I personally wouldn't worry about the fat content at this point). Ever so gradually, decrease the amount of kibble and increase the amount of canned.

Have you tried pulverizing the kibble and sprinkling it on top of the canned?

[M0nica]

I called another vet's office yesterday evening and gave them the story about what's been going on with her over the past few weeks. I just wanted to get a second professional opinion and they seemed completely appalled that 1) no tests were run on her when it was suspected she had pancreatitis; 2) they didn't recommend that she come in when i called and told them that she had a fair amount of blood in her stool; and 3) she has lost over a pound (I believe 1.3 pounds) in five/six weeks.

I made an appointment for one of their vets to have a look at her on Saturday and I'm hoping that they can suggest what might be going on.

She won't touch the ProPlan or the DM wet and I'm thinking she wasn't a huge fan of the first can of Merrick's. I opened a new can of Merrick's (Cowboy Cookout) last night around 10pm she ate it like she hadn't eaten in days. I left more wet out last night and it was gone this morning but she woke me up at 4am because she was hungry! I'll try leaving more out tonight and hopefully that will solve that problem.

I'll update and let you all know how things go - thanks again for everything and for all your solutions to Mo's newfound food finickiness!

[Dog Dancer]

Well glad to hear you're going to try another vet, and even more glad to hear she has decided to eat! Let's hope it's all uphill now.