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So Nimbus was prescribed an oral antibiotic recently to clear up secondary infection from his cat-herpes induced "cold." Partway through this course of meds (when he was almost finished with them in fact), he developed a minor case of the poops. Now he's still squirty but not with excessive frequency (1-2 times/day.) I've examined his leavings and not seen visible evidence of parasites, but of course I don't have a microscope or anything.
I believe that the antibiotic (and reading side effects, online info, etc backs this up) killed off the good bacteria in his gut, therefore causing this issue with his digestion.
Concerned about dehydration, when this began I cut dry food out of his diet altogether, and I've been giving him select cans of wet turkey and chicken based foods that meet criteria for being low carb and high in protein. I also mix a little extra water in just to make sure he's taking fluids. I know that the biggest immediate danger from any kind of diarrhea is dehydration. He seems otherwise healthy, has tons of energy, good appetite, acting normal.
I specifically would appreciate input from those who have veterinary and rescue experience, I know we've got some very knowledgeable folks on this board. Should I get some Forti Flora or other cat probiotic to try and address this, or should I rush him to the vet, or do you think it will resolve itself? I'm leaning towards trying the probiotic. This has been going on for almost a week...but again, he does not seem to be dehydrated or feeling otherwise unwell.
Unfortunately I don't have any words of wisdom to offer. I just wanted to wish little Nimbus (and his human mommy of course) well and that he recovers soon and completely!
Unfortunately I don't have any words of wisdom to offer. I just wanted to wish little Nimbus (and his human mommy of course) well and that he recovers soon and completely!
Thanks!
I went ahead and ordered the probiotic earlier from Amazon, it should be here pretty soon (went with the fast shipping) so hopefully we'll get things under control.
I'm just really glad he doesn't appear to be FEELING sick, he's super frisky and playful and stuff, getting into everything and being a normal kitten. If he is supposed to be unhappy about the state of his poops, he did NOT get the memo...
Did you order Forti Flora? (mentioned in your first post). That should do the trick, and cats usually LOVE it (because of the animal digest)
In case you want to ever go with something different, but don't want to use the product I linked to above, another option is ProViable DC. I use this one also. One cat gets the Natural Factors and the other two cats get the ProViableDC.
Did you order Forti Flora? (mentioned in your first post). That should do the trick, and cats usually LOVE it (because of the animal digest)
In case you want to ever go with something different, but don't want to use the product I linked to above, another option is ProViable DC. I use this one also. One cat gets the Natural Factors and the other two cats get the ProViableDC.
Keep us posted!
Yes.
I also ordered a Furminator at the same time. Hoping I will have an easier time dealing with his crazy wooly undercoat and silky belly fuzz...
On the bright side, we have not seen a single incidence of hairball yakking in this cat despite all the long hours he spends maintaining his lovely coat. (I find myself wondering if his tongue ever gets tired LOL) I've read that keeping digestion healthy with a nice wet food diet can really make all the difference in this arena, so perhaps if we're lucky it will never be a problem.
I'll keep ya posted on how the Forti Flora works for him.
I also ordered a Furminator at the same time. Hoping I will have an easier time dealing with his crazy wooly undercoat and silky belly fuzz...
On the bright side, we have not seen a single incidence of hairball yakking in this cat despite all the long hours he spends maintaining his lovely coat. (I find myself wondering if his tongue ever gets tired LOL) I've read that keeping digestion healthy with a nice wet food diet can really make all the difference in this arena, so perhaps if we're lucky it will never be a problem.
I'll keep ya posted on how the Forti Flora works for him.
Your concern regarding dehydration caught my eye, so I got curious and Googled it:
What Are the General Symptoms of Dehydration in Cats?
Sunken eyes
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Dry mouth
Depression
Elevated heart rate
Decreased skin elasticity
Panting
If your kitty is still active and enjoying his day, it seems you don't have to worry about the dehydration at least
Hmm yes, those would be symptoms of extreme dehydration. But people should remember that cats are the masters of hiding illness. By the time a cat begins to show the symptoms above, s/he will be in very dire distress and the cat's condition should be considered an emergency.
A cat with chronic diarrhea can be assumed to be at least slightly dehydrated, even if he acts "fine".
PS Could you please provide the link to your source.
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