10 month old with chronic diarrhea. It's ruining my apartment and mental health

[LadyFreya]

I have a 10 month old girl who was given to me as a gift- my boyfriend bought her off craigslist from a woman who was SUPER aggressive and mean to me when I called her inquiring about any vet papers (there were none). When i got the kitten, she was already very sick and had a respiratory infection and worms but back in December they did a fecal, dewormed her and she also got all her kitten shots since I assumed the shady breeder who sold her to my boyfriend did not do any of this. Her stools were loose the first night she came home with me and have not improved.

January we took her back to the vet follow up shots and to discuss the loose stools and diarrhea. She was given metronidazol 2x a day for 10 days, famciclovir for feline herpes, ponazuril for coccidia and enisyl-f lysine treats. Everything improved except her stools.

February, we are back again for a recheck because of her chronic diarrhea. It's very loose, sometimes all liqiud and is orange-ish in color. VERY stinky. Her poor bum is also very raw at this point. The vet did another fecal with Giardia and sent us home with another round of metronidazole.

March, nothing has changed and I bring her back in. The vet suggests it may be a food intolerance and we switch out her food (Science diet sensitive stomach which I have been giving her since the 2nd week i had her) to prescription I/D gastrointestinal health canned food. They vet suggests I make the food transition slowly over the course of 2 weeks which I do.

I bring her back in the beginning of April because it has not improved. The vet switches her to Royal Canin selected protein which is rabbit. Wet food. I do a slow transition like last time. He also sent me home with FortiFlora packets to mix in with her food once a day. I return in the end of April for another visit because things are getting worse. He sends us home with Tylan capsules.

I see a slight improvement in her stools (from liquid to soft-serve) but this lasts for about 2 days before she's back to how she normally is. He suggests again it may be a food intolerance and we try another prescription protein, this time kangaroo.

None of this is working. I returned with her to the vet a few days ago when things got really bad- liquid poo she could not control that was dripping out of her poor bum with every step she took. It was all over her and seeped out of her as she tried to sleep in her cat bed. I took her to the vet immediately and they sent us home with Veraflex for the diarrhea and have ordered Ronidazole to treat for possible tritrichomonas.

I know this is really long but I want y'all to see I am really trying and I feel like I have exhausted all of my options. My poor cat is covered in poo daily, it's all over my couch, she flings it from her feet onto the walls, its in my rugs, on my sheets and pillows, smeared on literally EVERY SURFACE OF MY APARTMENT. It is so smelly and so disgusting. I know she cannot help it, but her stools are so loose and hard to control it almost always gets on her and between her toes then she tracks it all over the house. Her bum is completely raw. I change the litter completely every day and have to empty out liquid poo droplets from it 5+ times a day. I got a Booda Dome litter box with the steps to try to contain some of the poo splatter/poo flinging but it's not helping at all. I have also tried mixing in pureed pumpkin into her food which was suggested on here but it didn't do much.

I am losing it. Not only have I spent an outrageous amount of money on meds, litter, vet visits but I am also doing laundry every night when I get home from work trying to get poo off of everything she has touched. No matter how careful I am when I am home to monitor her and wipe her down after a bowel movement, she will just get up in the middle of the night to poo and come prancing back to bed covered in it so it gets all over me and the bed. I am exhausted. I am fed up and I am running out of money to keep throwing at this problem.

Please, please help me. Is there anything else you think the vet could be missing that we haven't tried? This cat has lead to the demise of my relationship because of the stress it has put on me. She was a *surprise* gift from my boyfriend who did not research these types of cats and after the novelty of a hairless kitty wore off for him he left me to deal with the reality of a very sick kitten. I am a young social worker with lots of student loans and he is no longer helping me pay for vet bills so I am scrambling every month to pay for her prescription foods and medicines and vet visits. I don't know where else to turn, I love this cat and I don't want to be without her but I won't be able to afford this type of upkeep for much longer. Besides the poo issues, she is the sweetest thing. Very active, playful and curious. She remains pretty small- when I got her she was 3lbs 4 oz and she is now 4lbs 10 oz yet she eats all her food (I feed her 2 times daily) and she always seems like she is hungry for more.
​

I know this is a novel but if you have made it this far and have any suggestions on how to fix this, me and my poor baby Freya would be very grateful

 

[Catzzzmeow]

I am sorry to hear how stressed out you are and the vet has not found relief yet for your baby.
Not sure if you saw this thread http://sphynxlair.com/community/threads/tritrichomonas-foetus-diarrhea.5501/

In it is mentions a PCR test. I would call your vet and ask if this was in fact ever done. This test really helps focus in on any issues. When we got our last girl, she brought in something and we were fighting it for months with the crew passing it around to each other. We have seen some that have to do several rounds of meds to finally conquer Giardia. It often takes more than just the meds it takes cleaning surfaces throughout the house daily and sanitizing the litter box every couple of days etc. Note also Giardia tests can often come back negative and your baby might truly still have it. The PCR test should help with this...it did ours. It also might help with identifying numerous other issues that could be at hand.

If the PCR test still comes back negative it could be IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and that will be a matter of find foods they can tolerate more easily. You might also think about getting a second opinion. After this many trips to the vet and no relief, it might be time for another to look at your baby.

BTW your little peanut is a cutie.

Patti

 

[MollysMom]

Oh man, I applaud you for being so vigilant and hanging in there. That is, literally, a shitty situation.

I know that vets mean well when they recommend these prescription diets... I don't think that they really have any benefit. Have you tried a raw diet with this little one? After figuring out the PCR test and possible giardia, that would be the next step I would take. It is entirely possible that if she came from a sketchy situation that she came sick. Having diarrhea leaking from her bum is pretty severe. We have never really had to deal with too bad of diarrhea, so I don't have any other advice to offer. I hope for both of your sakes that you can get this fixed up soon!

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya ,(( supporting and healing hugs)) we are here for you! Welcome to you and Precious cutie Freya!
Good advice given-
I truly understand as I read your post- years ago my fiancée surprised me with a Sphynx kitty from what sounds like a similar bad breeder - hang in there-- it does get better-

it also doesn't hurt for a second vet opinion-
Please let us Where are you located? Perhaps a fellow lairian can recommend a vet in your area..
We are all in this together when our babies aren't feeling well.

Freya is obvious in the best of love and care with you- once her little bumm gets relief , you will look back with her and cuddle and say phew.. We did it

 

[Xandria]

Hugs. Great advice above and I just wish to add/reiterate:

A raw diet may be helpful at this point. I have a document in this post here that may help you out:
http://sphynxlair.com/community/threads/raw-cat-food-information.31254/

You are doing everything right, and should be commended. Seriously... wow. But there is more that can be done. Again, great advice above.

Have you tried psyllium husk powder? Add about a quarter teaspoon into a meal, once per day, and see if this helps firm up the stools. But honestly, I think a raw food diet may be the ticket too.

Please keep us updated on any new vet visits, tests, food, etc. We're here for you!

 

[Lickleone]

Try a bit of pumpkin mixed I with her food or on its own if she'll eat it on its own it will help firm her poop up bless

 

[Hairless Blessing]

Welcome to sphynxlair, good to have you.
Pretty little lady you have. I would get a second opinion, if I was you.
The Vet you are using isn't helping. I know this might sound crazy
But, try to give her dry food and wet for hairball. One member
that use to be here had the same issue as you. She tried it and it solved
the problem. She does need to be fed more than twice a day.
She needs wet 2-3 Times a day and leave out dry all the time.
Switching food all the time doesn't help, but, you have to get something that works.
I would try to stay away from chicken, a lot of sphynx seems to have problems
with it. Please keep us updated.

 

[pussiette]

Sorry to hear that you are going through this. I can completely understand. I have had this happen with my Sphynx kittens. I find they get better with age. As kittens poo ruled our life. Poo everywhere. It's because of the breed. They are highly sensitive and very allergic to most foods. What will work for one won't work for others. It really sounds like you've had enough and I completely understand. I kept a poo and food diary for every single meal and elimination for over one year. If things go bad here I started up again. I would recommend to grain free dry. Royal Canin digestive sensitive perhaps as wet. It is purely about working out what is causing this looking at the ingredients of all the packages the food that are fed and trying to figure it all out it's very difficult but if it gets too much I know it's heartbreaking but rehoming might also be an option just for your mental sanity. It sounds like you are doing everything you can.

 

[LadyFreya]

I am sorry to hear how stressed out you are and the vet has not found relief yet for your baby.
Not sure if you saw this thread http://sphynxlair.com/community/threads/tritrichomonas-foetus-diarrhea.5501/

In it is mentions a PCR test. I would call your vet and ask if this was in fact ever done. This test really helps focus in on any issues. When we got our last girl, she brought in something and we were fighting it for months with the crew passing it around to each other. We have seen some that have to do several rounds of meds to finally conquer Giardia. It often takes more than just the meds it takes cleaning surfaces throughout the house daily and sanitizing the litter box every couple of days etc. Note also Giardia tests can often come back negative and your baby might truly still have it. The PCR test should help with this...it did ours. It also might help with identifying numerous other issues that could be at hand.

If the PCR test still comes back negative it could be IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and that will be a matter of find foods they can tolerate more easily. You might also think about getting a second opinion. After this many trips to the vet and no relief, it might be time for another to look at your baby.

BTW your little peanut is a cutie.

Patti

I will go for a second opinion, thanks for the advice!

 

[LadyFreya]

Thank you all for the replies and advice. I'm going to try the pumpkin again, try a grain free/ chicken free food and i'm going to dry dry food as well. Annnnd got in for a second opinion. Y'all are the sweetest!

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya , awh..you are a good mum - she is precious-
It will settle down once you get a diagnosis , treatment plan

**I actually got a "care credit" card I never knew about here in the US

Most vets and people dentists offices have a brochure - you can call and research if it is good option -

If a charge is over $200 there is usually 6 mos to pay with a min monthly payment of apx $25
It accrues huge interest - **if you do not stay on top of it they tack on the interest- and you have to pay off in full within 6 mos- the minimum payment amount will not add up to pay it off* you have to add the extra before the promo period is up***
I used it at the vet, made monthy payments amd the last payment as a lump sum in full to try it-
Worked fine -

FYI- my bill was $180 at the vet- I added two bottles of hylyt shampoo to my bill to make just over $200 to get the 6 mos promotion It worked

Please let us know how the second opinion goes- I would stop by your vet and ask for a copy of her chart notes
"For your records" and bring with you to the second opinion

I did this when we were stumped with Omar's tummy illness years ago
We got new meds and h was fine!

Continue healing vines! We are here for you and Freya!

Ps- this turkey formula was the only they really helped my Bengal tummy n butt
I got a at at petco to try
http://www.chewy.com/cat/halo-spots-stew-wholesome-turkey/dp/29208
Now I order at chewy along with litter , to save a trip to store
Amd it's free shipping over $49 and they take manufactures coupons

Xandria mentioned this one too
http://www.nowfoods.com/Psyllium-Husk-Powder-Vegetarian-12oz.htm
I am going to get and keep on hand since a few of my kitties won't eat pumpkin

Fwiw, my 4 Sphynx eat this little known food formulated by a vet , never recalled-
It is not grain free but all 4 have solid poos on this and no transition time-
He sources his food Proteins from at least 87% from animal proteins and not plant proteins-
My 4 nakeds thrive on this - non poo or skin issues
They have a frequent buyer program too at chewy

http://www.chewy.com/cat/dr-tims-chase-all-life-stages/dp/37813

Ps- I love your avatar picture!

 

[Dallassummer]

You really do sound like youre doing your best. When my kitties had bad diarrhea, with some seepage. I put him on a high quality wet food, with limited ingredients. I put him on Weruva Truluxe Brand. It's pretty high quality and gentle. Might be worth a shot.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Wow what you have been through and still going through! You tried so much and still your babie has diarrhea. No wonder you feel desperate! I don't have any good tips or advice, not other then the great advice other allready have given you.

My boy Toa did have diarrhea for four months. I tried all the same meds as you did. Nothing stopped the diarrhea. My boy didn't grow and didn't play. I even thought I was going to loose him. The vet and I decided to stop with the meds and put Toa on raw food. And...a week later no more diarrhea. I don't want to say you have to try this but I only want to let you know that one say you'll find the right food for your kitten and the diarrhea will be gone.

Till then...collect the diarrhea and throw it into your ex boyfriends postbox...oooooh sorry that's evil of me!

 

[momdeeze]

We went through the same thing with chronic diarrhea with our first Sphynx. I feel for you. We also tried it all and against my vet's recommendation I switched his food to raw. He's not 100% with the raw, but about 99%. I definitely know when he gets into the other cats' kibble, then it's back to poop butt and poop foot. Good luck to you. I sure hope you find something that works for you!

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya , checking in on you and Freya

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya , checking in on you and Freya
Hope to here good news updates-
We are here for you

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya , checking in
And wanted to pass along this article about "TF" from the Bengal forums regarding diarrhea
http://www.bengalcatforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3876

Has vet tested her for this - trying to brainstorm

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya ,
Sending good lair vibes your way that things are getting better
Please let is know how you and Freya are-
She is such a sweetie, hope she is doing better

 

[Trinity Taylor]

Did you give her the full dose of ronidazole? Tritrichomonas was the cause of my boy's chronic diarrhea. The ronidazole worked wonders.

I have a 10 month old girl who was given to me as a gift- my boyfriend bought her off craigslist from a woman who was SUPER aggressive and mean to me when I called her inquiring about any vet papers (there were none). When i got the kitten, she was already very sick and had a respiratory infection and worms but back in December they did a fecal, dewormed her and she also got all her kitten shots since I assumed the shady breeder who sold her to my boyfriend did not do any of this. Her stools were loose the first night she came home with me and have not improved.

January we took her back to the vet follow up shots and to discuss the loose stools and diarrhea. She was given metronidazol 2x a day for 10 days, famciclovir for feline herpes, ponazuril for coccidia and enisyl-f lysine treats. Everything improved except her stools.

February, we are back again for a recheck because of her chronic diarrhea. It's very loose, sometimes all liqiud and is orange-ish in color. VERY stinky. Her poor bum is also very raw at this point. The vet did another fecal with Giardia and sent us home with another round of metronidazole.

March, nothing has changed and I bring her back in. The vet suggests it may be a food intolerance and we switch out her food (Science diet sensitive stomach which I have been giving her since the 2nd week i had her) to prescription I/D gastrointestinal health canned food. They vet suggests I make the food transition slowly over the course of 2 weeks which I do.

I bring her back in the beginning of April because it has not improved. The vet switches her to Royal Canin selected protein which is rabbit. Wet food. I do a slow transition like last time. He also sent me home with FortiFlora packets to mix in with her food once a day. I return in the end of April for another visit because things are getting worse. He sends us home with Tylan capsules.

I see a slight improvement in her stools (from liquid to soft-serve) but this lasts for about 2 days before she's back to how she normally is. He suggests again it may be a food intolerance and we try another prescription protein, this time kangaroo.

None of this is working. I returned with her to the vet a few days ago when things got really bad- liquid poo she could not control that was dripping out of her poor bum with every step she took. It was all over her and seeped out of her as she tried to sleep in her cat bed. I took her to the vet immediately and they sent us home with Veraflex for the diarrhea and have ordered Ronidazole to treat for possible tritrichomonas.

I know this is really long but I want y'all to see I am really trying and I feel like I have exhausted all of my options. My poor cat is covered in poo daily, it's all over my couch, she flings it from her feet onto the walls, its in my rugs, on my sheets and pillows, smeared on literally EVERY SURFACE OF MY APARTMENT. It is so smelly and so disgusting. I know she cannot help it, but her stools are so loose and hard to control it almost always gets on her and between her toes then she tracks it all over the house. Her bum is completely raw. I change the litter completely every day and have to empty out liquid poo droplets from it 5+ times a day. I got a Booda Dome litter box with the steps to try to contain some of the poo splatter/poo flinging but it's not helping at all. I have also tried mixing in pureed pumpkin into her food which was suggested on here but it didn't do much.

I am losing it. Not only have I spent an outrageous amount of money on meds, litter, vet visits but I am also doing laundry every night when I get home from work trying to get poo off of everything she has touched. No matter how careful I am when I am home to monitor her and wipe her down after a bowel movement, she will just get up in the middle of the night to poo and come prancing back to bed covered in it so it gets all over me and the bed. I am exhausted. I am fed up and I am running out of money to keep throwing at this problem.

Please, please help me. Is there anything else you think the vet could be missing that we haven't tried? This cat has lead to the demise of my relationship because of the stress it has put on me. She was a *surprise* gift from my boyfriend who did not research these types of cats and after the novelty of a hairless kitty wore off for him he left me to deal with the reality of a very sick kitten. I am a young social worker with lots of student loans and he is no longer helping me pay for vet bills so I am scrambling every month to pay for her prescription foods and medicines and vet visits. I don't know where else to turn, I love this cat and I don't want to be without her but I won't be able to afford this type of upkeep for much longer. Besides the poo issues, she is the sweetest thing. Very active, playful and curious. She remains pretty small- when I got her she was 3lbs 4 oz and she is now 4lbs 10 oz yet she eats all her food (I feed her 2 times daily) and she always seems like she is hungry for more.
​

I know this is a novel but if you have made it this far and have any suggestions on how to fix this, me and my poor baby Freya would be very gratefulView attachment 58563​

 

[admin]

I have a 10 month old girl who was given to me as a gift- my boyfriend bought her off craigslist from a woman who was SUPER aggressive and mean to me when I called her inquiring about any vet papers (there were none). When i got the kitten, she was already very sick and had a respiratory infection and worms but back in December they did a fecal, dewormed her and she also got all her kitten shots since I assumed the shady breeder who sold her to my boyfriend did not do any of this. Her stools were loose the first night she came home with me and have not improved.

January we took her back to the vet follow up shots and to discuss the loose stools and diarrhea. She was given metronidazol 2x a day for 10 days, famciclovir for feline herpes, ponazuril for coccidia and enisyl-f lysine treats. Everything improved except her stools.

February, we are back again for a recheck because of her chronic diarrhea. It's very loose, sometimes all liqiud and is orange-ish in color. VERY stinky. Her poor bum is also very raw at this point. The vet did another fecal with Giardia and sent us home with another round of metronidazole.

March, nothing has changed and I bring her back in. The vet suggests it may be a food intolerance and we switch out her food (Science diet sensitive stomach which I have been giving her since the 2nd week i had her) to prescription I/D gastrointestinal health canned food. They vet suggests I make the food transition slowly over the course of 2 weeks which I do.

I bring her back in the beginning of April because it has not improved. The vet switches her to Royal Canin selected protein which is rabbit. Wet food. I do a slow transition like last time. He also sent me home with FortiFlora packets to mix in with her food once a day. I return in the end of April for another visit because things are getting worse. He sends us home with Tylan capsules.

I see a slight improvement in her stools (from liquid to soft-serve) but this lasts for about 2 days before she's back to how she normally is. He suggests again it may be a food intolerance and we try another prescription protein, this time kangaroo.

None of this is working. I returned with her to the vet a few days ago when things got really bad- liquid poo she could not control that was dripping out of her poor bum with every step she took. It was all over her and seeped out of her as she tried to sleep in her cat bed. I took her to the vet immediately and they sent us home with Veraflex for the diarrhea and have ordered Ronidazole to treat for possible tritrichomonas.

I know this is really long but I want y'all to see I am really trying and I feel like I have exhausted all of my options. My poor cat is covered in poo daily, it's all over my couch, she flings it from her feet onto the walls, its in my rugs, on my sheets and pillows, smeared on literally EVERY SURFACE OF MY APARTMENT. It is so smelly and so disgusting. I know she cannot help it, but her stools are so loose and hard to control it almost always gets on her and between her toes then she tracks it all over the house. Her bum is completely raw. I change the litter completely every day and have to empty out liquid poo droplets from it 5+ times a day. I got a Booda Dome litter box with the steps to try to contain some of the poo splatter/poo flinging but it's not helping at all. I have also tried mixing in pureed pumpkin into her food which was suggested on here but it didn't do much.

I am losing it. Not only have I spent an outrageous amount of money on meds, litter, vet visits but I am also doing laundry every night when I get home from work trying to get poo off of everything she has touched. No matter how careful I am when I am home to monitor her and wipe her down after a bowel movement, she will just get up in the middle of the night to poo and come prancing back to bed covered in it so it gets all over me and the bed. I am exhausted. I am fed up and I am running out of money to keep throwing at this problem.

Please, please help me. Is there anything else you think the vet could be missing that we haven't tried? This cat has lead to the demise of my relationship because of the stress it has put on me. She was a *surprise* gift from my boyfriend who did not research these types of cats and after the novelty of a hairless kitty wore off for him he left me to deal with the reality of a very sick kitten. I am a young social worker with lots of student loans and he is no longer helping me pay for vet bills so I am scrambling every month to pay for her prescription foods and medicines and vet visits. I don't know where else to turn, I love this cat and I don't want to be without her but I won't be able to afford this type of upkeep for much longer. Besides the poo issues, she is the sweetest thing. Very active, playful and curious. She remains pretty small- when I got her she was 3lbs 4 oz and she is now 4lbs 10 oz yet she eats all her food (I feed her 2 times daily) and she always seems like she is hungry for more.
​

I know this is a novel but if you have made it this far and have any suggestions on how to fix this, me and my poor baby Freya would be very gratefulView attachment 58563​

In many cases, especially with a new kitten, most vets will just treat for Gairdia with Metronidazole (Flagyl) to be safe, it will not harm the cat. Please keep us posted.

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya ,to say hello and check in on you and Freya

I found this info in a trinity Taylor's reply to another poo issue thread and wanted to send to you:

"I would highly recommend that any cat, Sphynx or otherwise that comes from a cattery and has diarrhea should not only have a Fecal and Giardia test sent to the lab but also tested for tritrichomonas foetus. This is a single cell protozoan parasite that is much more common then people think. It will NOT be detected in a normal fecal test. It should be detected by a PCR test. I found it on my Sphynx by running a Feline Diarrhea Panel by Idexx labs. He was also infected with giardia and roundworms when I got him, treated for those but his diarrhea did not clear up until he was treated for the tritrichomonas. I have a coworker who got her Sphynx kitten from a cattery in a completely different state then mine and he too was positive. It's very easily treated with ronidazole."

She mentioned her success with ronidazole above-
Was wondering what the second opinion vet treatment plan was?

Hope to hear good news updates

 

[LadyFreya]

@LadyFreya , checking in
And wanted to pass along this article about "TF" from the Bengal forums regarding diarrhea
Bengal Cat Forums • View topic - Tritrichomonas Foetus (A cause of diarrhoea in cats)

Has vet tested her for this - trying to brainstorm

Thank you! We had her treated for this and the symptoms cleared up for about a month and now they are back....going back to the vet tomorrow but I am still hopeful we are on the right track. Thanks soo much!

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya . Omg, u must have esp- I was thinking of u and Freya earlier this morning ..
So glad you stopped in ! Please please let us know how the vet visit goes tomorrow!
Sending good vibes and head smooches!

Hope you can post some pics of her! I love your avatar pic!

 

[Yoda mom]

@LadyFreya , checking in on how it went at Freya's vet appointment-
Hope to hear good news updates and more pics of her! She is soon cute!