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15 weeks old, diarrhea and vomit

saosin

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May 20, 2023
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Hello! First post and, unfortunately, not for the best reasons.

I took my 15 week old neutered male baby home 1.5 weeks ago. He is around 4.5lbs and has been adjusting just wonderfully! I took him to his first vet visit 3 days ago for a check-up and was told he is in great health. His breeder fed him a raw diet and he has been continuing to eat well until today.
This morning, he did not touch any of the raw food I offered him and he slept in an extra 4 hours. He usually finishes his meal within 15 minutes after I give it to him. He began having diarrhea this morning and would go to the litterbox at least once every hour or two. The diarrhea does not have a pungent smell and is brown, and he does not expel more than about 1 tbsp at a time. He keeps licking his bum and it appears very red.
He has been sleeping most of today, which is not normal for him. He did get up around the afternoon and played for about 45 minutes along with finally finishing his food, but returned to sleeping and intermittently visiting the litterbox. About an hour ago, while he was in the litterbox, he vomited up undigested raw meat. Immediately after, he became energized and played hard for about an 45 minutes as if he felt better. However, now he is back to sleeping and visiting the litterbox and acting unwell :(

I called an emergency vet office and explained the situation. They told me if he continues with these symptoms then bring him in tomorrow. However, I am deeply worried. Should I bring him in immediately anyways? If not, what signs should I look for that would warrant a sooner visit? What can I do to help him until he can see a vet?

Thanks

EDIT: I just offered him a small amount of food soaked in water and he is not interested.
 
Last edited:

Catzzzmeow

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I would definitely get in to the vet if your gut feels this is getting worse. They can get dehydrated quickly. Try not to panic. Go with a list of things you have observed…great job noticing the smell, color consistency etc. Your vet will probably give something to settle the gut, and subcutaneous fluids. They might also recommend a prescriptive food to get extra nutrients if depleted. I would have an open discussion about raw food as well. Are you making it, or are you buying pre-made and is it the same the breeder was feeding? @saosin


Please update us on the vet visit.
 

Yoda mom

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@saosin , welcome to the lair family. all paws are family. what's your baby boys name? how is he doing now. agree with catzzzmeow's advice.
were you able to get vet appt? go with your gut for peace of mind.

you can ask er vet you talked with if a little teenie bit of tuna water added to his water to help get him to drink.
I would recommend having a stool sample check and echoling a discussion with vet about raw food.

here is a helpful video to check for hydration. pls keep us updated often. hugs n positive vibes.

 

saosin

Lairian
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May 20, 2023
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I would definitely get in to the vet if your gut feels this is getting worse. They can get dehydrated quickly. Try not to panic. Go with a list of things you have observed…great job noticing the smell, color consistency etc. Your vet will probably give something to settle the gut, and subcutaneous fluids. They might also recommend a prescriptive food to get extra nutrients if depleted. I would have an open discussion about raw food as well. Are you making it, or are you buying pre-made and is it the same the breeder was feeding? @saosin


Please update us on the vet visit.
@saosin , welcome to the lair family. all paws are family. what's your baby boys name? how is he doing now. agree with catzzzmeow's advice.
were you able to get vet appt? go with your gut for peace of mind.

you can ask er vet you talked with if a little teenie bit of tuna water added to his water to help get him to drink.
I would recommend having a stool sample check and echoling a discussion with vet about raw food.

here is a helpful video to check for hydration. pls keep us updated often. hugs n positive vibes.


Thank you both for the replies! I have Marshall a vet appointment scheduled tomorrow at the earliest possible time, but I am prepared to take him to the emergency vet at a moment's notice.
The raw food I am using is pre-made and is the exact brand/type my breeder used. I top it off with lots of water and he typically finishes the bowl completely dry. He gets a meal 3 times a day.
He did get the midnight zoomies not long after I posted this, which tells me he isn't feeling entirely bad. He played really hard with lots of energy for about an hour! However, this morning he was back in the litterbox. He did drink a bit of the water off his food, but did not eat more than a tiny morsel.
About an hour ago, I offered another meal and he ate about 25% of it and drank most of the water. I was very glad to see that! He is currently watching the ducks from my window and starting to feel a little playful.
I plan to keep offering him small amounts of food soaked in lots of water until I get him to the vet tomorrow. I will also be sure to have an open discussion about raw and will bring a stool sample. Thank you all for your suggestions and I will keep you updated! :)

EDIT: Forgot to mention he passed the pinch test and his gums are still bright. I will keep doing these checks periodically.
 

Catzzzmeow

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Glad to hear nothing hugely alarming is going at this point. There is so much stress involved in going to their forever homes and tummy and URIs are known to happen.
 

Yoda mom

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@saosin , great job mum! hugs n positive vibe head smooches to you and baby Marshall. good job checking his gums and doing the skin turgor test.
keep us updated! all paws are family {= love to see pics of Marshall! love his name :)
 

Xandria

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Goodness, what a fright! I'm so sorry you are going through this. Keeping my fingers crossed for your vet visit.

Is it possible that this is a bad batch of food? While cat stomachs are like iron, they can be affected by food that has gone very off.

Allergies might also be a possibility. They can be developed.

Report back when you can.
 

saosin

Lairian
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May 20, 2023
Messages
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Points
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Glad to hear nothing hugely alarming is going at this point. There is so much stress involved in going to their forever homes and tummy and URIs are known to happen.
@saosin , great job mum! hugs n positive vibe head smooches to you and baby Marshall. good job checking his gums and doing the skin turgor test.
keep us updated! all paws are family {= love to see pics of Marshall! love his name :)
Goodness, what a fright! I'm so sorry you are going through this. Keeping my fingers crossed for your vet visit.

Is it possible that this is a bad batch of food? While cat stomachs are like iron, they can be affected by food that has gone very off.

Allergies might also be a possibility. They can be developed.

Report back when you can.
Hello, all! Thank you for the support and replies! Marshall and I just returned from the vet.

They did not initially find anything nefarious in his stool sample, so they sent it to a laboratory for further examination. I will know the results tomorrow. The vet also did a physical examination and ruled out constipation or foreign objects. We did get some medication for his inflamed bum, some anti-diarrhea medicine, and some anti-nausea medicine which we have already started taking. Today, he seemed to feel a bit better, finished his normal portion of breakfast, and his diarrhea was slightly firmer! :D
I did have a discussion with the vet regarding his raw diet and the possibility of a bad batch. The vet does not suspect E. coli or Salmonella, but I do plan to make a few changes in the way I handle, transport, and prepare his food to further prevent the possibility of bacterial growth. Never a bad idea to be too careful with raw. ;)

I will report back tomorrow on the lab results and how he is feeling.
 
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