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Odor

sheryl

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I just adopted my first Sphynx, named Scarlet. She came to me with some issues - 4 yrs old, has a heart murmur, upper respiratory, and diarrhea. I know that no poop smells good, but this is down-right nasty! I work for a vet, and she gave Scarlet a good physical. Blood work was normals, as well as her fecal. She is on metronidazole for diarrhea, feeding her Science prescription diet I/D, and antibiotics for the upper respiratory infection. Her poop has almost a sulfery smell to it. I gave her a bath, cleaned the nasty gunk out of her ears and nail beds, but I swear I can smell that odor oozing right out of her skin! What's going on???
Thanks Much!
Sheryl
 

admin

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Hi Sheryl and welcome to Sphynx Lair! As far as the heart murmur, has your vet recommended checking for HCM? This site has lots of information about this disease. Just do a search in the search bar up top. We have had many "smelly poop issues" here is a link to one but there are many, again the search tool is great and will lead you to many interesting and needful information about our breed. Also change of food can cause issues with poop smell. Good luck and keep us posted on the outcome. Hope this helps! Thanks for joining!:Laugh: http://www.sphynxlair.com/showthread.php?t=306&highlight=poop
 

Mews2much

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A HCM scan would be a good idead to get.
If you change a sphynxs for they will stink.
I do have a cat with a heart murmur but she is not a sphynx.
All sphynx must be checked for HCM.
It is very important.
 

Pbinky

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Sometimes the antibiotics makes their poop smelly. my 4 month old just finished 10days of metranitizol (sp?) for giardia and is now on doxycycline (sp?) for URI and his poop is still loose and smelly. BUT the smell is a bit less nasty from when i got him a month ago. I believe the giardia was what made it smell so bad.
 

sheryl

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The day I picked Scarlet up, she literally went poop all over me. I'm sure the 2hr drive did her no good at all! It had that weird sulfery smell from the moment I got her. I have a feeling that the people that had her, tho they loved her, didn't take the greatest care of her. I have no records of previous vet care what so ever. Thank God I work for a vet. Right now, she is on Metronidazole.
Thanks for everyone's answers & the warm welcome!
Sheryl
 

PitRottMommy

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Giardia generally causes a foul smell of the stool. Metronidazole (and Panacur) will help to rid a pet of Giardia, but it does take time.

As far as the smell, try regular dawn dish soap. It strips the skin (and what fuzz your companion may have) of oils and buildup. It's going to be a better shampoo than your standard bath soap for cats. In addition, try adding 2 tsp canned pumpkin (no sugar!) to her food twice daily. It will help to solidify her stool and keep her from having consistent diarrhea. The I/D should be helping, but I'd still start with something that works faster like pumpkin. Cats can have an intolerance to any food, including something like I/D (even though its for a sensitive stomach).

Good luck! Keep us updated.
 

Brooke

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I just adopted my first Sphynx, named Scarlet. She came to me with some issues - 4 yrs old, has a heart murmur, upper respiratory, and diarrhea. I know that no poop smells good, but this is down-right nasty! I work for a vet, and she gave Scarlet a good physical. Blood work was normals, as well as her fecal. She is on metronidazole for diarrhea, feeding her Science prescription diet I/D, and antibiotics for the upper respiratory infection. Her poop has almost a sulfery smell to it. I gave her a bath, cleaned the nasty gunk out of her ears and nail beds, but I swear I can smell that odor oozing right out of her skin! What's going on???
Thanks Much!
Sheryl

Hi Sheryl,
Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your new sphynx! How long have you had her? (btw, we love to see photos!!)

We've had several members post that their sphynxes had skin odor, likely from the diet or the antibiotics she's taking. Did this recently start or has she had this smell since you got her? It's a blessing that you work for a vet and have the resources at your disposal to get her back to health...she's a very lucky girl to have you. :ThumbsUp:

The thing that concerns me most of all is her heart murmur. As admin and Mews2much mentioned, HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) is a genetic heart condition that is common in the sphynx breed and I highly recommend having Scarlet seen by a cardiologist and have an echocardiogram to rule it out. A heart murmur is a common early indicator...

Best of luck, and please keep us posted!
 

sheryl

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Thanks so much, to all of you, for your warm welcome & advice! Scarlet has had this odor to her since I got her, not even a week ago. She is on Antirobe for the upper respiratory infection, (just started this yesterday) and metronidazole for the diarrhea. She is eating Science I/D, but I am seriously considering putting her on a raw diet. A few years back, I had a Newfoundland who had horrible IBS. I must have tried 6-7 differendt foods, giving each it's own time to work, but nothing did. Until I did a lot of research, and started him on raw food. What a miracle. I know it's not a magical cure for all, but I really want Scarlet to have the best life I can possibly give her. I will be talking to my vet about the HCM. If anyone has any advice on which raw to feed - I'm all ears! I was up all night doing research.
Thank You Again!
Sheryl
 

Pbinky

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Thanks so much, to all of you, for your warm welcome & advice! Scarlet has had this odor to her since I got her, not even a week ago. She is on Antirobe for the upper respiratory infection, (just started this yesterday) and metronidazole for the diarrhea. She is eating Science I/D, but I am seriously considering putting her on a raw diet. A few years back, I had a Newfoundland who had horrible IBS. I must have tried 6-7 differendt foods, giving each it's own time to work, but nothing did. Until I did a lot of research, and started him on raw food. What a miracle. I know it's not a magical cure for all, but I really want Scarlet to have the best life I can possibly give her. I will be talking to my vet about the HCM. If anyone has any advice on which raw to feed - I'm all ears! I was up all night doing research.
Thank You Again!
Sheryl

Hi Sheryl,

My little guy had giardia and lots of messy smelly diarrhea. I was told to put him on home cooked chicken and rice. Just boil skinless boneless chicken breast and some plain white rice. I fed them this 4times a day. every 4 hours or so for about 1 week. No dry food either... just chicken and rice. This is supposed to give their guts a rest with the easily digestible chicken and rice. 3 parts chicken 1 part rice. my little guy loved it. I also included some probiotics 2 x a day. It's called Acute Care and i got it from my vet. It's a paste and the cats seem to enjoy the taste. After the chicken and rice for a week and now Medi-Cal Gastro formula wet and dry food my 10 month old is pooping normally and my 4 month old is still a bit loose but no where as watery and smelly as when i first got him. Plus he's on doxycycline for the next 3 weeks for his URI. I should also mention he only poo's 2 times a day as opposed to the 6 times a day when i first got him. I also add pumkin to his food as well 2 times daily. I'll continue doing that until the doxycycline is over and until he poops more normally.
I'm not sure about a raw food diet for you're little guy... is that easy to digest? That's the key i was told to help the gut rest and reset.
I hope your little stinker gets better soon! Good luck!
 

sheryl

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Pbinky......Thanks so much for the info - great stuff. I will print it out & give this a try with Scarlet.
Sheryl
 

PitRottMommy

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If anyone has any advice on which raw to feed - I'm all ears! Sheryl

Any raw diet will be a benefit. I recommend Rabbit because studies have shown there to be a vast improvement in stools for feline IBS sufferers. It's been a miracle for us. We even feed the dogs raw. I absolutely will NOT go back.
 

sheryl

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I found a local place that carries Natures Variety Raw Diet for cats. They carry both rabbit and lamb. Is one protein source better then the other? And Scarlet....who has now become "Sammie" will be swithched over soon. UPDATE: Sammie will be welcoming home a sister named "Lily". Another rescued Sphynx. She is 5yrs old, and we bring her home Saturday. Wish us luck!
 

sheryl

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Thank You! I didn't want Sammie to be an only kitty, but boy, the way she's "clinging" on to me tonight, I don't know! Maybe she likes being the only one & having all the attention. But I hate the thought of her being here alone during the day while I'm at work. Received "Lily"'s video today....don't know how to say this nicely, but Lily makes Sammie look pretty!
 

Brooke

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Thank You! I didn't want Sammie to be an only kitty, but boy, the way she's "clinging" on to me tonight, I don't know! Maybe she likes being the only one & having all the attention. But I hate the thought of her being here alone during the day while I'm at work. Received "Lily"'s video today....don't know how to say this nicely, but Lily makes Sammie look pretty!

Hi Sheryl, congrats on your second sphynx!

I had the same concern about bringing a second sphynx into my home after I adopted Walter because he had been the only cat in the house his entire 2 years. It took a week for them to get along, a month for them to really start snuggling. Now Walter and Helen are best friends! At first I didn't think it would ever get to this point, but right now, as I type this, the two of them are snuggling together right next to me, grooming each other. They love the companionship!

Good luck!
 

sheryl

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Thanks sharing your story Brooke....I will keep everyone posted. Leaving early Saturday to bring Lily home, and on the way back stopping at the supplier I found to pick up some Nature's Variety Rabbit - raw diet for my girls. Hope you all have a happy, safe Labor Day weekend!
Sheryl
 

sheryl

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Aug 27, 2009
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Miss "Lily", my second Sphynx, is now home. She is a little rough looking - definitely needs to put on a little weight. She was just spayed and had a dental before leaving the rescue. She is SUCH a food hound! I swear she's not eaten for weeks! I picked up some Nature's Variety Raw Diet - rabbit - for the girls, mainly because of Sammie's nasty smelling diarrhea. Lily loves it - Sammie completely turned up her nose at it. I'm hoping that once she's hungry enough, she will eat it. I will have to seperate the girls for feedings, because I can see Lily eating both dishes.
They are getting along very well. Hope we all get a good night's sleep!
Sheryl
 

Eucritta

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Sep 1, 2009
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Hi, with my Cueball, who has IBD, what's made the biggest difference in the smell has been daily cobalamine - vitamin b-12 - injections. It can't be given orally when there's a malabsorption problem ... which is what happens with giardia. I haven't had that with Cueball, but did with my eldest when he was a kitten, out of a feral colony. It's nasty stuff, it can take a long time to knock out, and it's got a horrible habit of re-occurring. So good luck!
 
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