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Old March 21st, 2011, 11:46 AM
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jassy3399 jassy3399 is offline
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Gizmo has a tummy upset

Okay, a few days ago, I noticed that Gizmo's poos had started to stink somewhat more than usual. Then, last night, he went and it was absolutely rancid. I cleaned the box right away, and found that he'd had diarrhea, which was followed by serious gas, which still has not subsided. I've already been on the phone with his vet, and we're waiting for him to produce a stool sample, but I am just at a loss as to what could be causing this. I'm very, very careful to keep all dairy out of his reach, along with any and all other foods not made for cats. not to mention medications and cleaning products, so I'm sure it's not that he ate something he wasn't supposed to. He's on the Wellness wet, although I leave a little bit of kibble out for nibbles (also Wellness). In all other ways, he's completely normal. He's not complaining, he's still active and crazy, still as affectionate as always. The vet assured me that this is in no way related to his neuter last week, so I'm really baffled. Is it the food all of a sudden? he's been on this food for 2-3 months now with no problems.
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Old March 21st, 2011, 12:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jassy3399 View Post
He's on the Wellness wet, although I leave a little bit of kibble out for nibbles (also Wellness).
Any chance you can leave wet out for nibbling instead of kibble?

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Originally Posted by jassy3399 View Post
The vet assured me that this is in no way related to his neuter last week, so I'm really baffled.
I wouldn't be so sure. The stress of anesthesia can sometimes result in digestive issues, and if Gizmo was given antibiotics at all, that can certainly be a contributing factor. I can't remember, was he vaccinated at the same time?

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Originally Posted by jassy3399 View Post
Is it the food all of a sudden? he's been on this food for 2-3 months now with no problems.
Food sensitivities can develop over a period of time after repeat exposure. Not saying you should do this right now, but maybe in the near future it would be a good idea to start feeding a variety of brands. That minimizes the potential for problems arising due to vitamin deficiencies/excesses in one particular product, as we just saw with the recent Wellness recall.

In the meantime, pick up some human probiotics from a health food store (refrigerator section) and mix a pinch into Gizmo's wet food. Some brands to look for are Natural Factor's Ultimate Multi and MegaFood's MegaFlora. If those aren't available, find something with little or no dairy, high potency (billions of organisms), and a wide variety of bacteria strains. You only need to mix 1/6 of a capsule into each meal for a week to 10 days.

While you're at the health food store, look for some slippery elm bark or marshmallow root powder. 1/4 tsp in with wet food (given separately from the probiotics if you're also giving those) twice a day for several days may help sooth Gizmo's intestinal tract.
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Old March 21st, 2011, 01:26 PM
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I can't leave the wet food out for nibbles, since the dog thinks it smells utterly divine and would snitch it as soon as my back was turned, the little stinker. he leaves the cat alone at mealtimes (I've made very sure of that!) but if I'm running the garbage out or something, he'd take the chance to steal the wet.

yes, he was vaccinated for rabies at the same time, and she said they used an injection for anesthesia rather than gas.

I should probably mention that since I posted, Gizmo has left a gift, and it's back to normal. normal level of stink (meaning a light odor that dissipates rapidly, rather than the stench that filled the apartment and required a couple windows open to get rid of) and he hasn't farted since.

and do you recommend any particular brands besides the Wellness? Frisky's, Fancy Feast? I'm staying away from Iams, which is what I had him to begin with, until I learned a bit more. Appreciate the help!
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Old March 21st, 2011, 01:32 PM
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I've got no experience with cats, jassy, but I can tell you that it isn't uncommon for dogs to develop intestinal upset after neutering. Stress can upset the balance of organisms in the intestine--clostridium seems to be a common culprit--and we often have to treat with metronidazole after surgeries to get the dogs back on track. It can take a week or so for the balance to get out of kilter enough to result in diarrhea. So with luck, that's all that was going on with Gizmo!

Hope he's on the mend for good now!
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Old March 21st, 2011, 01:38 PM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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If you started a new bag of food or switch between varieties, could be that.

Otherwise, a temporary illness, if not something he ate, could be a virus... and based on his recent extended trip to the vet, I would wonder if he might have picked it up there, as well as being a bit more susceptible due to the stress of surgery?? Cats do get illnesses, just like people, that are not vaccinated against, but not as often. Just a guess, though!

Hope all's well from here.

Last edited by SamIam; March 21st, 2011 at 01:53 PM.
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