Cat People-Advice Please? (A little gross)

[kitkat1502]

I posted a while back back in April that my cat had suddenly started to get sick a lot. He was throwing up around five times a day and had started to get diarrhea frequently. After changing his food and introducing wet food and giving him filtered water nothing seemed to make it stop so I took him to the vet. She was able to rule out any parasites or worms and because I didn't have a lot of money for any other tests she opted to give me some medications I could give him that would essentially treat irritable bowel syndrome. Over the month of giving him the medicines the throwing up stopped but basically the diarrhea would never fully go away..... And over the months up until now it would go maybe a few weeks fine a week of getting diarrhea a few weeks fine and so on. I switched his food and got him wellness brand which is like all natural and he's still having ridiculous diarrhea to the point last night he didn't even go to his litter box he just did it in the hallway.

I know I need to take him back to the vet which I'm going to do I have zero dollars so I'll have to put it on a credit card but I feel so bad and I want to know what's wrong with him.... But what should I ask them to do blood test x-ray ultrasound I can't afford to do everything all at once and it but I really want to know what's going on?!?! Other than throwing up and diarrhea he seems to be fine and energy level is normal and appetite and drinking water is totally normal.

Thanks if anybody has any advice!!!

[MauMau]

Ugh sorry. I would start with a blood test and go from there.

Did they give you a probiotic to sprinkle on the food? That is something the vet gave me when Mau had stomach issues. However, his were short term. Better food helped him too but you are already doing that.

Research pumpkin purée too that can help for stomach issues.

Did the vet mention Colitis at all? My non medical opinion thinks it could be this.

[Deleted]

My cat was throwing up a lot and I got her Purina Sensitive systems cat food and it really helped.
I'll ask my mom too because she had the diarrhea problem with her cat forever and I think they finally figured out what was wrong with him.

[justemily]

Try some probiotics (Forti-Flora) - his GI may just be out of whack. I dealt with this with one of my cats a few years back and this helped get him back on track.

[Deleted]

Try adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin to his wet food. Mix it in well. The fiber might help with his diarrhea.

[kitkat1502]

Thanks all.

I'm nervous because He's been on Wellness food for about 3 days and still having D. A few months ago I tried the canned pumpkin thing and he just threw it all up.

[kitkat1502]

Oct 11, 2014 9:59:27 GMT -5 MauMau said:

Did the vet mention Colitis at all? My non medical opinion thinks it could be this.

I was a little disappointed with that first vet visit back in April because they felt like she really wasn't able to say anything for sure other than the fact that it was at worms or a parasite. She kind of was like oh it could be pretty much anything he could just be sick he could have a blockage in there or it could be something more serious we just don't know. So that's when I was like I only have enough money to try one type of treatment first to at least try and rule something out so we did the medications. just through my looking around on the Internet I did come across colitis and really thought that that kind of explained what has been going on with him.

[polarbearfans]

If you don't trust your vet or feel confident in their ability, research and find a new one.

Also, food changes should be slow. I know the cat is having issues already, but changing food can cause an upset stomach and it is going to take more than a few days to see any benefit of the new food.

Can the cat be getting I to anything? Lotions? Cleaners? I know this is weird, but I rinse again any dishes that were in the dishwasher, wipe off any cleaners again with a damp towel if I used any chemicals (hot water is usually enough), extra rinse for laundry.

[Deleted]

One of the things that prompted me to take my cat to the vet was vomiting and a few episodes of diarrhea.  They didn't do any imaging, but ran blood tests.  They sent us home with probiotics for 10 days and antibiotics for a week.  This cleared up her diarrhea--we never found a cause.  (But did find out in the process that she was diabetic)
i feel that the vet probably should have at least given antibiotics and probiotics--seems like a pretty standard, harmless and good shot at treating the issue.  Maybe see a new vet?  I know it's expensive, but tell them the situation and it could be an pretty easy fix. Hugs.  

[verycontrary247]

My vet used to have me sprinkle the flavorless benefiber stuff onto my old cats food when he had the big d.

[Deleted]

kitkat1502, how's he doing?  Keep us posted please.

[MauMau]

Oct 11, 2014 13:27:19 GMT -5 justemily said:

Try some probiotics (Forti-Flora) - his GI may just be out of whack. I dealt with this with one of my cats a few years back and this helped get him back on track.

This is what was sold to me at the vet. It's on Amazon too.

[ringstrue]

What does the diahrrea look like?

Some grain-free foods contain potato starch which the cat just passes through in gross mucousy clumps. If that's what you are seeing in the poop make sure get the wellness that doesn't use potato starch.

For the vet, bring in a fecal sample so they can test it. Is your cat 100% indoors?

Also, does your cat eat or drink any form of dairy? Many cats are lactose intolerant and should be avoiding it as it can give diahrrea too.

[mich1]

Did the vet do an exam of his feces? If not, I'd go elsewhere.

I had a cat that had extreme diarrhea and vomiting. Turned out, he had a clostridium infection of the gut. One of the cues was a really smelly diarrhea. He got IV fluids, a dose of injected antibiotics and a prescription for pills. It took about a week to finally clear the infection up and he did continue to eat ok, but did spew for awhile.

Probiotics are good, but if he has another infection of his gut and they have not identified it, all the probiotics you give him won't do any good. You'll need to lower the bacterial load of the infectious bug first before you can reinnoculate him with more microbes that are beneficial.

[kitkat1502]

Thanks all!!

mich1- that kind of sounds like my cat...especially since I saw it was getting sick almost in cycles, 2 weeks fine, 2 weeks sick,then fine, then sick again. And the smell could peel paint off the wall lol. I live in a small apartment and I'm having to open the windows after he goes.

He's 100% indoor only, I live in a highrise apartment he's never been outside.

Since he really started the Wellness cat food on Thursday I'm going to monitor him this week and see if anything gets better with the D. If not, then I'm going to make an appointment most likely at a new vet. I'll request a blood test and also bring up some of the things mentioned here.

[mich1]

All of my cats were indoor, I'm not sure where he picked up the infection from but it was rough. He had had diarrhea for awhile, but one morning he let loose in the litter box and apparently it was rather painful as he gave a howl like I've never heard. And as you said, the smell was enough to peel paint off the wall.

The antibiotics he was on was rough on his gut, which put him off eating. To entice him to eat, I switched him to veal or chicken baby food. Then he decided that this was MUCH better than his cat chow and stuck his nose up at that. So I had to gradually switch him back to his chow.

They don't do bloodwork to determine an infection of a gut, but take a sample of his feces and look at it under the microscope. I'm guessing that they stained for spores of Clostridium.

[kitkat1502]

Didn't want to start a new thread about this. Just wanted to update those that commented!

I have a vet appointment 12/2 and I'm going to ask for a blood test. He was OK for about a month without getting sick, then around 11/10 he started right back with vomiting and D for a week, then OK for a couple days, now just got sick again. Even when he doesn't have D, his #2 odor is nauseating.

I also noticed something else.....even though his food bowl is full, he's like ravenous scavengering for food in other places...like trolling the countertops, all over me trying to get my food, on the fridge. It's like he hasn't eaten in days, but he is eating his food. I'm going to borrow my friend's scale later because I do notice he's lost weight as well.

[polarbearfans]

Maybe canned food would be easier on his stomach. My cats eat canned wellness twice a day. Once in the morning before I leave for work and then again at night. If someone is home, they have a midday snack of dry that I would get rid of if the one cat wouldn't tear the place down when his crunchies are late. I think the dry is the source of the one cats stinky poops.

[kitkat1502]

Nov 25, 2014 8:43:05 GMT -5 polarbearfans said:

Maybe canned food would be easier on his stomach. My cats eat canned wellness twice a day. Once in the morning before I leave for work and then again at night. If someone is home, they have a midday snack of dry that I would get rid of if the one cat wouldn't tear the place down when his crunchies are late. I think the dry is the source of the one cats stinky poops.

Hmm, I'll bring it up to the vet. I feel like I've exhausted all of the "food" related remedies.

Back in April when the V+D symptoms started out of the blue, I switched to wet food thinking that would help and it didn't. I just have to get this figured out, my carpet is annihilated with throw-up stains, and he's ruined a pair of boots by having accidental D on them. 

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2014 8:31:49 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

Didn't want to start a new thread about this. Just wanted to update those that commented!

I have a vet appointment 12/2 and I'm going to ask for a blood test. He was OK for about a month without getting sick, then around 11/10 he started right back with vomiting and D for a week, then OK for a couple days, now just got sick again. Even when he doesn't have D, his #2 odor is nauseating.

I also noticed something else.....even though his food bowl is full, he's like ravenous scavengering for food in other places...like trolling the countertops, all over me trying to get my food, on the fridge. It's like he hasn't eaten in days, but he is eating his food. I'm going to borrow my friend's scale later because I do notice he's lost weight as well.

Just let them do the blood test.  Sounds like he could be diabetic being ravenous all the time.  Does he drink and pee A LOT???  A blood test will diagnose that in no time.  If that's the case, be warned that insulin is not cheap! My diabetic acts like she's starving...always...eats her food then begs for ours and has similar diarrhea issues (for which she was given antibiotics). I also put her on probiotics and it seems to help.  

[kitkat1502]

Nov 25, 2014 10:12:05 GMT -5 @blueyes623 said:

Nov 25, 2014 8:31:49 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

Didn't want to start a new thread about this. Just wanted to update those that commented!

I have a vet appointment 12/2 and I'm going to ask for a blood test. He was OK for about a month without getting sick, then around 11/10 he started right back with vomiting and D for a week, then OK for a couple days, now just got sick again. Even when he doesn't have D, his #2 odor is nauseating.

I also noticed something else.....even though his food bowl is full, he's like ravenous scavengering for food in other places...like trolling the countertops, all over me trying to get my food, on the fridge. It's like he hasn't eaten in days, but he is eating his food. I'm going to borrow my friend's scale later because I do notice he's lost weight as well.

Just let them do the blood test.  Sounds like he could be diabetic being ravenous all the time.  Does he drink and pee A LOT???  A blood test will diagnose that in no time.  If that's the case, be warned that insulin is not cheap! My diabetic acts like she's starving...always...eats her food then begs for ours and has similar diarrhea issues (for which she was given antibiotics). I also put her on probiotics and it seems to help.  

Yea he drinks a lot!

[kitkat1502]

Nov 25, 2014 10:12:05 GMT -5 @blueyes623 said:

Nov 25, 2014 8:31:49 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

Didn't want to start a new thread about this. Just wanted to update those that commented!

I have a vet appointment 12/2 and I'm going to ask for a blood test. He was OK for about a month without getting sick, then around 11/10 he started right back with vomiting and D for a week, then OK for a couple days, now just got sick again. Even when he doesn't have D, his #2 odor is nauseating.

I also noticed something else.....even though his food bowl is full, he's like ravenous scavengering for food in other places...like trolling the countertops, all over me trying to get my food, on the fridge. It's like he hasn't eaten in days, but he is eating his food. I'm going to borrow my friend's scale later because I do notice he's lost weight as well.

Just let them do the blood test.  Sounds like he could be diabetic being ravenous all the time.  Does he drink and pee A LOT???  A blood test will diagnose that in no time.  If that's the case, be warned that insulin is not cheap! My diabetic acts like she's starving...always...eats her food then begs for ours and has similar diarrhea issues (for which she was given antibiotics). I also put her on probiotics and it seems to help.  

My non-vet diagnosis via the Internet is hyperthyroidism. I just want the poor guy to not be having these tummy issues!!

[gottadobe]

Good luck at the vet. Hope it is nothing terribly serious.

[polarbearfans]

wet food is more gentle on the stomach, but it needs introduced slowly. At this point, I think more testing at the vet is needed to really nail it down, but wet food helps reduce the crazy thirst some cats get. Also, a water fountain helps encourage water drinking to stay hydrated. I really thought my cat was diabetic, and the vet suspected it based on her symptoms, but she was not. She just cannot tolerate dry food well.

Write down a list of symptoms and observations to give to the vet so you don't forget anything. My cats get an annual blood test since they are older, and one thing that gets tested is thyroid function. It gives a base line for future tests. I think that senior exam bloodwork is about $100, and checks a bunch of things. Not cheap, but so worth it.

See if the vet will work out a payment plan. It may be a bit tougher if you are starting with a new vet, but based on our history, our vet has let us float the bill a bit when needed. If you are seeing the same guy, see if they will bill it as a cheaper "follow up" appointment if they are going to charge you.

Sorry your cat is still sick. It is so tough when our babies are sick. I hope they will have some good answers for you at your December appointment. Post an update

[Deleted]

Nov 25, 2014 12:51:13 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

Nov 25, 2014 10:12:05 GMT -5 @blueyes623 said:

Just let them do the blood test.  Sounds like he could be diabetic being ravenous all the time.  Does he drink and pee A LOT???  A blood test will diagnose that in no time.  If that's the case, be warned that insulin is not cheap! My diabetic acts like she's starving...always...eats her food then begs for ours and has similar diarrhea issues (for which she was given antibiotics). I also put her on probiotics and it seems to help.  

My non-vet diagnosis via the Internet is hyperthyroidism. I just want the poor guy to not be having these tummy issues!!

Could be.  They say that it's common in older cats.  How old is he?  But the food and water thing is what my cat displayed.  Even the vet thought it could be hyperthyroidism until the blood test came back and her sugar was 450!!! 

[kitkat1502]

Nov 25, 2014 16:39:44 GMT -5 @blueyes623 said:

Nov 25, 2014 12:51:13 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

My non-vet diagnosis via the Internet is hyperthyroidism. I just want the poor guy to not be having these tummy issues!!

Could be.  They say that it's common in older cats.  How old is he?  But the food and water thing is what my cat displayed.  Even the vet thought it could be hyperthyroidism until the blood test came back and her sugar was 450!!! 

My cat is 7. Weird!! Well, hoping the test gives me some answers!

[riverpestie]

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/11/09/vomitting-pet-cat-health.aspx?x_cid=20141126_ranart_vomitting-pet-cat-health_facebookpets

[verycontrary247]

Oct 11, 2014 14:10:12 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

Thanks all.

I'm nervous because He's been on Wellness food for about 3 days and still having D. A few months ago I tried the canned pumpkin thing and he just threw it all up.

What kind of Wellness? The limited ingredient variety, without chicken is the only thing that doesn't make my cat barf.

[kitkat1502]

Nov 29, 2014 21:33:18 GMT -5 verycontrary247 said:

Oct 11, 2014 14:10:12 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

Thanks all.

I'm nervous because He's been on Wellness food for about 3 days and still having D. A few months ago I tried the canned pumpkin thing and he just threw it all up.

What kind of Wellness? The limited ingredient variety, without chicken is the only thing that doesn't make my cat barf.

 I have him on Adult Health...it has the blue at the bottom of the bag.

[kitkat1502]

Soooo Thyroid came back fine....$200 later...UGH!!!!

I'm wondering if maybe he has IBD and his foods are giving him the flare ups?? Idk, I looked around and reading that IBD goes in cycles of flare ups really would explain why he seems fine for a month, then a week of sick, then fine etc. First vet visit while she prescribed anti-diarrheal medicine, he's still been eating the same food, even though Wellness is better I've read that to really treat IBD you need to go grain-free with particular types. I think I'm going to try that and order one of these and see how that helps.