litter box usage stopped after antibiotic

[cr600]

Our 5 year cat had a cut on his leg and began limping. We took him to the vet for a check. The doctor gave him an antibiotic shot to ensure nothing was "too wrong" with the cut. From the time we brought him back from the vet, he stopped using the litter box. The cat is both indoor and outdoor. At first it seemed the antibiotic was either too strong or disagreed with his system because he was having diarrhea and not using the litter box. The 2nd vet visit we were given Forti Flora to help regulate his system. He was on the packets for a week and still not using his litter box. Although he seems b movements seem not to be so runny.

He is a great cat, but I can't continue to have him pooping through out the house and ruining things.

Litter was not an issue, the all happened upon return of the vet and receiving the shot. The vet said he would now like to give him another antibiotic - how will another one help his poor system? What should we do? Any experience with this?

[mikischo]

I'm sorry your cat is having these issues. Since the problems occurred immediately after receiving the antibiotic shot which I assume was Convenia it seems likely that the symptoms are an adverse reaction to the Convenia shot. The antibiotic effect of Convenia lasts for 14 days but any adverse reactions to the drug could last longer as it takes 65 days for the drug to completely clear the system.

Adverse reactions to this medicine are considered to be rare and veterinarians now commonly offer this medicine as an alternative to oral antibiotics. I am quite leery about the use of this medicine as when reactions do occur they can range from mild to severe and, in some cases, have been known to be life threatening. Convenia has no real benefits over oral antibiotics other than convenience in that it saves the owner from having to administer antibiotics orally.

Here is some further information on Convenia:

http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

https://animalhealth.pfizer.com/site...ONVENIA_PI.pdf

I'm very glad to hear that the symptoms seem to be improving. Hopefully he will be back to himself very soon. If the Forti Flora seems to be helping, you may want to continue using it till things are completely back to normal. I'm not sure why the veterinarian would want to give him another kind of antibiotic unless there is evidence of an infection. I too would question this.

It appears that your cat has now developed an aversion to the litterbox as a result of the diarrhea. It is not at all uncommon for this to happen. He has associated the pain and discomfort he was feeling from the diarrhea with the litterbox.

It is important that you clean any areas he has soiled with an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle so he can no longer smell it (their noses are much more sensitive than ours). Alternatively you could make your own cleanser by mixing 1 cup of water with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in a clean empty spray bottle. Spray the area, blot with a paper towel or rag, re-spray and let dry. If inappropriate elimination continues you may need to take other measures. You could try a different litter, add another litter box or temporarily confine him to a smaller area with his litter box.

Again, that he is back to himself very soon. Please keep us updated.

[Hazmat]

I agree with Mikischo: "It appears that your cat has now developed an aversion to the litterbox as a result of the diarrhea. It is not at all uncommon for this to happen. He has associated the pain and discomfort he was feeling from the diarrhea with the litterbox."

The first best thing you can do is to keep the litterbox absolutely spotless until normal usage returns.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Hazmat

The first best thing you can do is to keep the litterbox absolutely spotless until normal usage returns.

Litterboxes should be kept spotless ALL the time.


cr600, please don't give your cat more antibiotics. Your vet is a little too eager to dish them out, it would appear.

You might need to get a fresh litter box and put it in a slightly different location (like move it a couple feet from where it is now) to alter the previous association of discomfort while pooping in it. If you can find some Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter, that could also help.

1/4 tsp of slippery elm bark powder added to wet food twice a day can help with loose stool, and if the FortiFlora isn't working you might want to try a better quality probiotic from a health food store (like Natural Factors Ultimate Multi or MegaFood's MegaFlora).

[cr600]

Thank you everyone for your responses - this is SO helpful! We have been poop free (in the wrong place) for about 24 hours now! Unfortunately, he is still not using his litter box, which means he is going outside.

I love the litter we use. There is no smell with it and he really likes it. I am so leary to try another litter b/c I have heard how particular cats can be with that. I did move the litter box to another area - we will try that.

I also gave him a little FAT FREE plain yogurt last night and this afternoon.

Keeping my fingers crossed!!

(I agree with everyone another antibiotic is not the way to go. There are no signs of any pain in his leg from the original cut)

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by cr600

I love the litter we use. There is no smell with it and he really likes it. I am so leary to try another litter b/c I have heard how particular cats can be with that.

You can get an additive from Dr. Elsey's to mix in with the existing litter you use: http://www.preciouscat.com/attract-l...8fa0b3750ee463

[cr600]

Sugar cat mom, I am going to look at the website as soon as I am done here.

Of course it seems my experiment with the yogurt was not good at all! He just ran across the room and raced into the bedroom with complete diarrhea! Looking at this behavior, my guess he doesn't even have time to get downstairs to his litter box.

The Forti Flora seemed to help, but only a little. Maybe I will look into another probiotic as well.

[mikischo]

Aw, poor guy. It's unlikely that the yogurt made anything worse but it doesn't seem to have done much good either. The probiotics SCM suggested are more potent than the Forti Flora if you can find one of those or a similar product at the health food store.

How is he eating and drinking? Diarrhea can cause dehydration so it is very important that he is drinking sufficiently. What kind of food is he eating?