8 yrs old cat diagnosed with overgrowth of bad bacteria..

[MommyNaNell]

Ok, so here’s a new question for everyone. Since she’s now done great with her new food can I give her their brand of wet food? So she’s not just eating kibble.

 

[Sheldon13]

I’m personally always pro wet food. Cats have such a low thirst drive that anything to get more water into them is a plus from me.

 

[MommyNaNell]

I’m just afraid that adding something new is going to mess up our poop progress. Will adding a new wet food upset her stomach? Or since it’s the same brand will we be fine?

 

[Yoda mom]

I would take it very slow adding the wet food

@MommyNaNell you have a good thing going with her yah

You can try getting one can of the same brand
just give a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon once a day amd see how she does and build up from there
Probiotics may help too

My vet had my mom put in dia-Eze in Wet food
I have used it with my dog with great results too

I store the rest of the can of wet with a lid or in a covered dish in the refrigerator but toss in a day

*I do find they drink more water if a water bowl is kept a few feet away from their kibble -
I have one dry food addict and the water bowl away fro the kibble helps a lot
They empty it daily - worked for me way better than a fountain that was high maintenance.

 

[MommyNaNell]

I would take it very slow adding the wet food

@MommyNaNell you have a good thing going with her yah

You can try getting one can of the same brand
just give a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon once a day amd see how she does and build up from there
Probiotics may help too

My vet had my mom put in dia-Eze in Wet food
I have used it with my dog with great results too

I store the rest of the can of wet with a lid or in a covered dish in the refrigerator but toss in a day

*I do find they drink more water if a water bowl is kept a few feet away from their kibble -
I have one dry food addict and the water bowl away fro the kibble helps a lot
They empty it daily - worked for me way better than a fountain that was high maintenance.

Yes I want to make sure anything I do is slow, I don’t want to rock the boat since we have just started to get things settled. We have a fancy metal food bowl holder where they sit side by side and she drinks lots of water. I frequently refill her bowl a few times a day. I want to make sure anything I add is through the vet as far as medicines go. I’m honestly scared haha I don’t want to upset progress. She loves wet food, she was on special r/d weight management wet food (for added fiber) with the vet and science hills food with no good results. I although do not want to add a high fiber food and disrupt our Meow Mix progress. I’ve had her 9 months and this is the first time she’s not had soft serve/diarrhea completely and has not had to be wiped off several times a day due to poop and it’s cost me about $500 in vet bills trying to fix the issue. So I’m elated but cautious

 

[Yoda mom]

@MommyNaNell Sounds like she is drinking well! Poo is good! Personally I am not sure I would want to upset the Apple cart

I have two dry food addicts 8 years old and 7 year old IBD Bengal
as long as they is drinking plenty I am keeping things as they are

 

[Condo commando]

But water is good.

We know a lack of taking in enough water leads to urine crystals. And as Sheldon13 said, cats have a very low drive for drinking so putting water in their food makes sense. Now I do understand the concern so it makes sense to proceed slowly....maybe 1/4 can at first and increase gradually.

For what it's worth whenever I run out of raw and have to feed canned food, the best one for all 3 of my cats is Natural Balance.

 

[Sheldon13]

You could also try soaking the kibble in water to add a little moisture. Then you won’t have to worry about canned food working or not.


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[Condo commando]

If they eat it fast adding water is OK but eventually moisture would cause mold to grow on the kibble and so I'd be afraid to leave it out all day. The thing is most people that feed kibble leave it out all day. So I guess that has to be controlled to make sure it's not a health risk.

 

[Sheldon13]

Yes they would have to eat it in one sitting.


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[MommyNaNell]

Update: Devlinn is doing well on just meow mix kibble and water, we don’t have to wipe her off all the time. She does suffer from random diarrhea but she’s a floor food thief and my one year old makes it easy by throwing his food on the floor when he’s done every meal. She doesn’t have like huge solid poops they are tiny Cheeto size, plain crunch not puffs, (sorry tmi , you prob won’t look at those the same anymore) but it looks better. It’s the best it’s been minus the time she was on all kinds of meds but she only had one solid big turd then diarrhea. Maybe my cat just never will poop normal. She’s been more active so I assume she has felt better, haven’t had any pooping in places she isn’t suppose to either so things are going well.

 

[Yoda mom]

@MommyNaNell awhhhh love this update and priceless pics! Sooo sprecial to grow up together !

I am a true believer .. Feed what works ! She looks happy healthy and full of lovin and fun!
Hope you are active with lots of pics amd tales of sweet Devlinn

The pic at the window together is sooo heart warming

Hugs n head smooches!

 

[MommyNaNell]

I posted on the FB page about Devlin. She’s mushy with occasional diarrhea. I’m thinking about switching her food from meow mix to Purina One Sensitive stomach to see if we can finally get her firm. I bought some pro-pectalin which was suggested by someone. They also suggested some powdered pumpkin stuff which I decided not to do. As soon as I am close to being done with her Meow Mix bag I will start the transition and give her the pro-pectalin. Should I do it during the transition or after? The Purina One was suggested as one of the top foods for cats with tummy issues and it’s a lot better than Meow Mix without breaking the bank, they also have a sensitive stomach wet food. Thoughts?

 

[Lovelaners]

I am new to the Lair, and new to owning a Sphynx. My cat's name is Devlinn, she will be 9 years old December 7th. I received my cat from a family member who owns quite a few. I brought her home at the end of June. She started having diarrhea a little before I took her home. We traveled 800 miles in a car back home. I know that that in itself could have caused some distress and quite possibly made her get travelers diarrhea. I've now owned her two months and have still had issues. I switched her cat food as I read some cats become allergic to chicken because its the most common ingredient in cat food (she currently was on EArthborn Holistic Feline Vantage). I tried Jarrow Formulas Non-Dairy Saccharomyces boulardii +MOS probiotic & Now Slippery Elm Powder as directed from food fur life website. I also tried feeding her babyfood turkey as a bland diet alternative. I got a few solid poops that way, then I ran out of turkey and tried chicken which gave her bloody diarrhea. I started mixing back in her dry cat food, Merrick Turkey Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free, to the baby food turkey. Her poops have been more formed then they originally were but they are still soft and stick to the poop scooper if i dont try to coat them in litter. in the last week she dropped lots of weight, she looks like a skeleton. In July she weighed 7lbs, she now weighs 4.5lbs. I have made her a sweater using my fuzzy socks to keep her warm so she isn't loosing more weight being cold. I also have been using hot hands in a sock and filling her cat hut with warm water bottles to keep her warm. Today I took her into the vet because the weight loss and the way she looked was alarming to say the least. My kids love her to death, we'd hate to have something happen to her. The vet did an exam, her temp was down. They removed stool from her while we were there and ran a poop test for every parasite and what not, it all came back negative, she does although have lots of bad bacteria. She was prescribed Metronidazole 0.4ml twice a day and Hills weight reduction r/d chicken flavor canned cat food to add to her dry food so she can get extra fiber that will hopefully make her poop more solid. I was told I could continue to use her probiotic I have been using. Im also suppose to weigh her everyday and call if it gets worse, we also have to follow up in 7-10 days. Devlinns sister has also been ill longer than her with similar symptoms and has been diagnosed with colitis, which I found out after my vet visit. I am hoping that both can make recoveries I would hate if they both die. I am trying my hardest to make sure it doesn't happen. Its been a stressful two months, has anyone else delt with any of this? did their cats make it? Thanks so much for reading this!

So sorry to hear this! You are such a good Cat Mom, keep it up! Unfortunately, I am currently right alongside you. My love, Pollilita. She can’t seem to gain any weight, has chronic diarrhea after every meal. I’ve always fed them dry cat food but am going to start introducing wet food. I have a vet appt lined up. I’ll keep you posted to know how it goes. Sorry I don’t have more advice at the moment, but just know your not alone!!

 

[Yoda mom]

@MommyNaNell hello checking in for updates

 

[MommyNaNell]

Update: we are still freaking having diarrhea! I changed her awhile back to Purina one sensitive stomachs off the meow mix and she started having poop that looked like normal poops but not firm, if you hit them with the scooper they made massive messes. So I called the vet. They put her on proviable again pills and the tube one, and r/d for fiber. She’s back to the shits! Ugh. We did also just get a new addition to the house, a dog. But they really don’t pay too much attention to each other I wondered if that could have caused it but idk. I’m at a loss. We are past a year of having her and she’s just had poo issues non stop, I’m going crazy!

 

[Sheldon13]

Update: we are still freaking having diarrhea! I changed her awhile back to Purina one sensitive stomachs off the meow mix and she started having poop that looked like normal poops but not firm, if you hit them with the scooper they made massive messes. So I called the vet. They put her on proviable again pills and the tube one, and r/d for fiber. She’s back to the shits! Ugh. We did also just get a new addition to the house, a dog. But they really don’t pay too much attention to each other I wondered if that could have caused it but idk. I’m at a loss. We are past a year of having her and she’s just had poo issues non stop, I’m going crazy!

That sucks! Have you considered changing to an all wet food diet? Raw would be best of course but it’s not in the cards for everyone.


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[Yoda mom]

awhhh hugs... hopefully things will settle soon!

I did switch my IBD kitty and my sphynx to Nutrisource cat and kitten food in the blue bag ...no recalls... touted for gut health..
switched years ago... slow transition best... and yah . no more poo issues... can finally scoop without a mess
no more poo issues

following for updates
hugs n head smooches to all paws

 

[MommyNaNell]

Raw is not in the cards for us. It’s too expensive unfortunately and we have little kids that touch everything. She was doing better before meds and the r/d wet food. So I tapered her down to once a day wet food with her dry and her pills to finish them out, still experiencing diarrhea. I feel like I jacked her up worse! Her poop wasn’t solid but at least it was formed but soft. ‍♀️ Now she’s got diarrhea! I should have left it alone. I’m kicking myself now! Her cage and her are covered in poop again. She’s shooting poop outside her box. It’s chaos. I really really should have just left it alone, and left her on the dry Purina one sensitive stomach, She just may not poop solid but at least formed didn’t have her covered in it! I may give her A baby spoon of the wet to give her meds in and then once the meds are done remove the wet food all together again.

 

[MommyNaNell]

Questions & updates:

update: Devlinn seemed to do worse on the medicine, after we finished it, I took her off the fiber wet food and she seemed to do better. I do see diarrhea with stress or prolonged periods of being away from her box.

Questions: first and foremost please no judgement. I adopted her when she was almost 8. In December she will be 9. She’s had loose stools since I’ve had her. I’ve worked tirelessly to fix this issue. I have taken her to the vet. We’ve ran numerous tests. She received a rabies shot for the first time ever when I first got her. All that being said, when I got her her teeth were already nasty. They are dark, grayish in color with plaque. I’ve tried brushing her teeth but the damage has already been done. Her breath is horrendous and I’ve noticed she lost some teeth. Idk how much it’d cost to get her teeth cleaned but due to her age and the anesthesia I worry. But I also worry because her breath is so gross. I just wanted some input on this. Is the bacteria issues and teeth issue a decline and this is the beginning of the end? I’ve never had a sphynx before. Also my mom never had cats this long so this is all new to me. Advice???

 

[Zab]

Questions & updates:

update: Devlinn seemed to do worse on the medicine, after we finished it, I took her off the fiber wet food and she seemed to do better. I do see diarrhea with stress or prolonged periods of being away from her box.

Questions: first and foremost please no judgement. I adopted her when she was almost 8. In December she will be 9. She’s had loose stools since I’ve had her. I’ve worked tirelessly to fix this issue. I have taken her to the vet. We’ve ran numerous tests. She received a rabies shot for the first time ever when I first got her. All that being said, when I got her her teeth were already nasty. They are dark, grayish in color with plaque. I’ve tried brushing her teeth but the damage has already been done. Her breath is horrendous and I’ve noticed she lost some teeth. Idk how much it’d cost to get her teeth cleaned but due to her age and the anesthesia I worry. But I also worry because her breath is so gross. I just wanted some input on this. Is the bacteria issues and teeth issue a decline and this is the beginning of the end? I’ve never had a sphynx before. Also my mom never had cats this long so this is all new to me. Advice???

I'm so sorry for you guys.... I can tell you this: Noone can tell you when the time is to let things end but if you have concerns you should talk to a vet that you trust. Noone can blame you, either way. I can share my experience....
Fisen was a black girl that I adopted. We had no knowledge of her past or her real age, but the vet said she was about 4 yrs old when she came to us. She was so little, probably due to malnutrition growing up. She had tummy issues and we went above and beyond to find a cause. It took time but she was allergic to chicken. This caused lots of other things. She was with us for about 3 years, got really sick, pancreas problems. The vet that we talked to told me we could try and fix it, but her teeth was pretty rotten too. No guaranties was given, only daily drives to the vet with Fisen. That's when my hubby and me made the decision to let her go. There was no longer any "cat life" left for her, only vet appointments. So I know how you think... Whatever you do, you do out of pure love! Hugs to you and Devlinn!

 

[MommyNaNell]

I'm so sorry for you guys.... I can tell you this: Noone can tell you when the time is to let things end but if you have concerns you should talk to a vet that you trust. Noone can blame you, either way. I can share my experience....
Fisen was a black girl that I adopted. We had no knowledge of her past or her real age, but the vet said she was about 4 yrs old when she came to us. She was so little, probably due to malnutrition growing up. She had tummy issues and we went above and beyond to find a cause. It took time but she was allergic to chicken. This caused lots of other things. She was with us for about 3 years, got really sick, pancreas problems. The vet that we talked to told me we could try and fix it, but her teeth was pretty rotten too. No guaranties was given, only daily drives to the vet with Fisen. That's when my hubby and me made the decision to let her go. There was no longer any "cat life" left for her, only vet appointments. So I know how you think... Whatever you do, you do out of pure love! Hugs to you and Devlinn!

I don't think its time to let go, I am although thinking that we are nearing a time where we only have a few years left potentially. I will say that sometimes its almost impossible to get her out of her cage in the morning. we put her in one at night. She still does relatively well, she eats good and drinks good. she frequently is dropping stuff out of the side of her mouth and i presume its because she lost some teeth. I know she has an overgrowth of bacteria, they are thinking IBS. Their next solution is steroids. Her poops aren't solid but they are a little mushy, but manageable. I know her previous owner had said they never had tootsie roll poops ever so I'm wondering if this is her "normal". Her breath though, omg is beyond awful. I have to go get her an updated rabies shot so I will definitely be speaking to the vet about it when we go.

 

[Zab]

I don't think its time to let go, I am although thinking that we are nearing a time where we only have a few years left potentially. I will say that sometimes its almost impossible to get her out of her cage in the morning. we put her in one at night. She still does relatively well, she eats good and drinks good. she frequently is dropping stuff out of the side of her mouth and i presume its because she lost some teeth. I know she has an overgrowth of bacteria, they are thinking IBS. Their next solution is steroids. Her poops aren't solid but they are a little mushy, but manageable. I know her previous owner had said they never had tootsie roll poops ever so I'm wondering if this is her "normal". Her breath though, omg is beyond awful. I have to go get her an updated rabies shot so I will definitely be speaking to the vet about it when we go.

Indoor cats can live well without teeth, or so my vet said....Here in Sweden all things cat teeth are excluded from the insurance, so it's very expensive going to the kitty dentist. Taking all the teeth out was one of our options for Fisen, if she hadn't gotten the pancreas issue...
Remeber to enjoy all days with Devlinn, and make lots and lots of memories! Healing vibes in bundles sent your way.

 

[Sheldon13]

My girl has pretty bad plaque build up quite quickly. She’s almost 11 and I still take her in for cleanings. I do this because her gums get inflamed and I can tell she is uncomfortable.

What I would advise is to consider how her mouth must feel to her. If her teeth are rotting out then she is not only in pain, but also is at risk of an infection becoming septic, which could end her life. If it was me I would risk the anesthesia and get her mouth taken care of. If she happens to die on the table (still unlikely) then you know still that you were doing the best thing for her.


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[Yoda mom]

@MommyNaNell (((hugs)) for all the love and care you give to sweet Devlinn.
one product my vet recommended was "healthy mouth " .. your vet may have it in your office to see if it is a good option. It is a liquid water additive .

My adoptees are the same age as Devlinn. mine have heart murmurs and I am too worried to put them under anesthesia so I discussed options with my vet.

as for poo issues.. some members have had good results adding probiotics.. tagging @dugleynukem for one of the brands

I have an IBD bengal... went thru food trials till the cows came home..
I got her on Nutrisource cat and kitten food in the blue bag.. and finally... 12 weeks later solid poo... so I switched my sphynx to it too..

for treats I give them science diet oral care kibble and science diet urinary hairball kibble... both non prescription.
the vet did have me try the hills T/D dental food but they liked the oral care non script kibble better.

my dry food addict will only eat kibble.. and he just turned 9.... eating what I shared and no issues.

I read long ago that hairball formula foods can help with poo issues - for the fiber content.
so the reason I treat with the urinary hairball and dental kibble.

my vet likes the Healthy mouth product... definitely worth asking about during the visit

Devlinn has the best of love and care

when is her 9th Bday! ?
sending hugs and head smooches!!! following for updates!