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Raw and tummy issues?

Izzy17

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Hey everyone!

I’m looking for feedback on raw diet and your babys health! Izzy has had soft mushy poop since we got her 4 months ago... Every tests, biopsy or blood work came back negative and the vet initially tought of a food intolerance... We tried a bunch of different food and a month ago switched to limited ingredient/grain free rabbit and peas wet and dry food... We haven’t seen ANY changes.. We also tried pumpkin and it didn’t really help.

The vet has given Izzy some meds for diarrhea and said that if this doesn’t work, he suggested we tried raw food.

I’ve read posts on raw food and gathered information... I’m mostly wondering if anyone has had a similar situation that would have been resolved by raw food?

Anyone had a healthy & full of energy kitty who had soft mushy stinky poop then switched to raw food and poop firmed up?

Anyone tried raw and it actually make it worse?

Looking forward to reading your experiences!! :)
 

Condo commando

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I feed raw, but here are some things for you to think about.

Whatever food you give, the cat's gut health has to be good. If not, then anything you feed will exacerbate matters.

If you know the cat has a healthy gut, then you start feeding limited ingredients to see if you can figure out which particular foods cause a problem. Even though you're feeding a limited ingredient diet, you're giving both wet and dry food, which doesn't seem limited to me. Maybe try feeding just one at a time. Dry food is more problematic because of all the fillers, so between kibble and canned I would choose the canned food.

It sounds like Izzy came to you with a problem. Kittens have to be seen by a vet, so I just wonder what the vet that saw her might be able to tell you.
 

Izzy17

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I feed raw, but here are some things for you to think about.

Whatever food you give, the cat's gut health has to be good. If not, then anything you feed will exacerbate matters.

If you know the cat has a healthy gut, then you start feeding limited ingredients to see if you can figure out which particular foods cause a problem. Even though you're feeding a limited ingredient diet, you're giving both wet and dry food, which doesn't seem limited to me. Maybe try feeding just one at a time. Dry food is more problematic because of all the fillers, so between kibble and canned I would choose the canned food.

It sounds like Izzy came to you with a problem. Kittens have to be seen by a vet, so I just wonder what the vet that saw her might be able to tell you.

Hi! Thanks for your reply!

We switched her food, both dry and wet, to the new food we decided to try last. It’s Natural’s Balance Limited Ingredients Diet - Duck and Peas (sorry I just realized I wrote rabbit above). She’s been on it for 5 weeks and we haven’t seen improvement.

I switched to this food to give her something new she had never eaten before to see if it would help.

The Breeders vet didn’t find any concerns other than a mild conjunctivitis, which we treated, not the breeders. She only saw the vet a couple of days before we picked her up.

Our vet saw her almost every other week since we got her. She was treated for worms and giardia and also got other diarrhea medication when that didn’t work. She had blood work done and poop analysis done which all came back negative and she had a biopsy done when she was neuteured because her intestines were inflamed and it came back negative. IBS was ruled out and our vet doesn’t think it’s a B12 deficiency as its usually associated with IBS. Other than having mushy poop she’s healthy and full of energy. She eats tons and drinks water.

The vet thinks that her tummy might have a hard time with commercial food which is why he suggested raw. I was curious to know if anyone on this site had gone through the same-ish situation in the past and if raw food helped
 

Condo commando

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Lots of people on this forum have dealt with poop issues....it's crazy how common it is.

I think considering all the things Izzy's been treated for, it's very possible that it's not the food, but just her system needs to detox from all the different treatments and things she's been given. I think you might want to read this:
How to Heal Your Pet's Food Allergy

Something that is recommended when nothing else works is bone broth:
Bone Broth Is Excellent Nourishment for Older Pets
Saving Alistair: How Lyn Thomson Helped Stop IBD 11,000 Miles Away - Feline Nutrition Foundation

A note about raw food since you said you're thinking about it....I've been feeding raw since I got my cats. It was something I knew I wanted to do because the cats I had before had lots of issues that the vet and I suspected were food related, but I couldn't get them to switch to raw after eating regular cat food their whole lives. So I knew when it came time to get new cats that I would start them on raw right away, and I'm happy to say it's worked out great. I'm only saying this because if raw feeding is something you think you want to do, just be aware it is easier when they're young.
 

Toa and Ross

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My boy Toa had diarhea for 6 months when he was a kitten. They tested him on all kind of bacteria, tried a lot of different meds but nothing worked. Finally my vet suggested to try raw food. And within a week he had solid firm poops.
Later I find out he's allergic to grain and to chicken. Of course I don't know if raw will work for your sphynx but you can give it a try.

Be careful with feeding raw and kibbles. Both don't go together at the same time. I feed my boys raw food and only 3 hours after there raw food they get kibbles. So raw also has to "fit in" your schedule.
 

Izzy17

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Lots of people on this forum have dealt with poop issues....it's crazy how common it is.

I think considering all the things Izzy's been treated for, it's very possible that it's not the food, but just her system needs to detox from all the different treatments and things she's been given. I think you might want to read this:
How to Heal Your Pet's Food Allergy

Something that is recommended when nothing else works is bone broth:
Bone Broth Is Excellent Nourishment for Older Pets
Saving Alistair: How Lyn Thomson Helped Stop IBD 11,000 Miles Away - Feline Nutrition Foundation

A note about raw food since you said you're thinking about it....I've been feeding raw since I got my cats. It was something I knew I wanted to do because the cats I had before had lots of issues that the vet and I suspected were food related, but I couldn't get them to switch to raw after eating regular cat food their whole lives. So I knew when it came time to get new cats that I would start them on raw right away, and I'm happy to say it's worked out great. I'm only saying this because if raw feeding is something you think you want to do, just be aware it is easier when they're young.
Thanks!!
 

Izzy17

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My boy Toa had diarhea for 6 months when he was a kitten. They tested him on all kind of bacteria, tried a lot of different meds but nothing worked. Finally my vet suggested to try raw food. And within a week he had solid firm poops.
Later I find out he's allergic to grain and to chicken. Of course I don't know if raw will work for your sphynx but you can give it a try.

Be careful with feeding raw and kibbles. Both don't go together at the same time. I feed my boys raw food and only 3 hours after there raw food they get kibbles. So raw also has to "fit in" your schedule.

Thanks! I’ll look into this.
I found a store here that sells raw food, ready for pets to eat. The lady I spoke with confirmed it already includes bones, heart liver vitamins and other stuff needed that i’m not super familiar with yet. She said that for Rabbit, for example, it’s $25 For 4 pounds which comes in 8 patties.. She explained my cat would only need 1/2 a patty a day and would not require dry food. Does this sound like valid information? Would 1/2 a patty actually be enough food for her? Sounds like so little
 

Toa and Ross

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@Izzy17 I feed my boy the ready to wat raw too. Rabbit is their favorite. Sphynx cats do need to eat a lot more then a hairy cat cause they need to hold their own temp heigh. So what they advice for furry cats is not what is needed for sphynx. If it's possible to feed your sphynx 3-4 times a day it would be best. Let him eat as much as he wants each time in 20-30 minutes. At least as long as he's a kitten.
I couldn't feed my boys raw 3-4 times a day. So I started with twice a day and then gave them a lot. When my boys tummy settled I gave them kibbles two-3 hours after they finished the raw so they had something during the day to eat when I'm at work. It's not the best but I needed something that works for my boys and for me.
So try to find what works for your boy and you
 

Izzy17

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@Izzy17 I feed my boy the ready to wat raw too. Rabbit is their favorite. Sphynx cats do need to eat a lot more then a hairy cat cause they need to hold their own temp heigh. So what they advice for furry cats is not what is needed for sphynx. If it's possible to feed your sphynx 3-4 times a day it would be best. Let him eat as much as he wants each time in 20-30 minutes. At least as long as he's a kitten.
I couldn't feed my boys raw 3-4 times a day. So I started with twice a day and then gave them a lot. When my boys tummy settled I gave them kibbles two-3 hours after they finished the raw so they had something during the day to eat when I'm at work. It's not the best but I needed something that works for my boys and for me.
So try to find what works for your boy and you

Izzy is a girl :) Do you also give your boys additional supplements with the ready to eat patties or they already include enough of it for your boys health?

I’ll look into this and see if its a good fit.. I can feed her 3-4 times a day as my husband works shifts.. but there will be a week here and there where he also works days when its not gonna be possible.. But if it’s better for her and helps her feel better, we’ll figure out how to make it work!

Thank you for your help!!
 

Toa and Ross

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Oooh stupid me writing him when Izzy is a girl! I knew just got it mixed up. Sorry.

When raw is ready to eat you don't need to give supplements. The raw contains all they need.

Hope the raw will work for Izzy and her tummy will settle
 

Condo commando

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I'm just seconding Toa and Ross. If the raw food is sold as ready to eat, the supplements should be included. For example, look for taurine in the ingredients....this is usually a supplement.

The one thing that most foods leave out is Omega 3 fatty acids. If you want an easy way to get this, try sardines canned in water. You can give a sardine per week as a snack.

Each of my girls weighs right at 10 pounds. I give each one of them 6-7 ounces of raw food per day. I do it to my convenience so they get about 3 ounces twice a day, in the morning and when I get home from work, plus a 1 ounce snack before bedtime. If I got home late from work there's no point in a bedtime snack though.

Now kittens eat more...one of mine was eating 15 ounces per day when she was about a year old; it was crazy. What you can do with a kitten is let them eat as much as they can in 15-30 minutes and then assume they're full until the next meal. Don't leave raw food out more than half an hour because it goes bad. 3-4 meals per day seems to work out better with kittens and believe me they burn it! But adults do OK with 2-3 times per day.

The reason you aren't supposed to feed kibble with raw is that kibble stays in their system longer whereas raw food passes quickly. So if their GI system has both and digestion takes longer, the raw food stays in their system longer and it can harbor bacteria. You want them to poop the raw before they start eating kibble is basically the deal.
 
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Xandria

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Mushy poops are no fun to deal with.

I put mine on raw at 5 months of age (1 is not 3 years old and the other almost 2).

My boy has intermittent softer stools -- more when he was still a kitten. I added 1/4 tsp of psyllium husk to his raw meals and that firmed up his poops on those days when they weren't quite right. After he turned just over 1 his poops were mostly picture perfect. Now if he gets a mush poop it's because he either pigged out on treats (*looks at Hubby*) or ate something he shouldn't.

I had my boy tested for everything and it all came up negative, but it's important to redo some tests just in case.

Also, when transitioning to new food, expect mushy poops until Izzy has been fully on the raw for a few weeks.

Keep us informed!
 

Izzy17

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I'm just seconding Toa and Ross. If the raw food is sold as ready to eat, the supplements should be included. For example, look for taurine in the ingredients....this is usually a supplement.

The one thing that most foods leave out is Omega 3 fatty acids. If you want an easy way to get this, try sardines canned in water. You can give a sardine per week as a snack.

Each of my girls weighs right at 10 pounds. I give each one of them 6-7 ounces of raw food per day. I do it to my convenience so they get about 3 ounces twice a day, in the morning and when I get home from work, plus a 1 ounce snack before bedtime. If I got home late from work there's no point in a bedtime snack though.

Now kittens eat more...one of mine was eating 15 ounces per day when she was about a year old; it was crazy. What you can do with a kitten is let them eat as much as they can in 15-30 minutes and then assume they're full until the next meal. Don't leave raw food out more than half an hour because it goes bad. 3-4 meals per day seems to work out better with kittens and believe me they burn it! But adults do OK with 2-3 times per day.

The reason you aren't supposed to feed kibble with raw is that kibble stays in their system longer whereas raw food passes quickly. So if their GI system has both and digestion takes longer, the raw food stays in their system longer and it can harbor bacteria. You want them to poop the raw before they start eating kibble is basically the deal.
Thanks!
 

Xandria

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@Izzy17 -- I think metamucil has more than psyllium husk in it, so I wouldn't use it for animals. Psyllium husk powder can be found in any health food store or vitamin shoppe. I hope that helps!
 

Izzy17

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@Izzy17 -- I think metamucil has more than psyllium husk in it, so I wouldn't use it for animals. Psyllium husk powder can be found in any health food store or vitamin shoppe. I hope that helps!

It does!! Thank you!! I’ll go look at this tonight :)

We are going to stop the dry food and give her only wet for a week or 2 to see if the meds she was given will work.. if it doesn’t we will transition to raw and see if she does better on that!

Thanks everyone for your help!!
 

Izzy17

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Sooooo... we started giving Izzy psyllium husk on Saturday (1/2 tsp with morning wet food and 1/2 tsp with evening wet food). We also removed the dry food as suggested. Her poop seemed to slowly get better

Today my husband and I were gone for the day and I knew I wouldn’t be home until late so i gave her a full can of food with 1tbs of psyllium husk this morning.

We came back home to find 7 poops in the basement... 1 gigantic one in the litter and 6 semi big ones on the ground around the litter area.. all soft poop but not like diarrhea.

Any thoughts on what the heck happened today and why my cat would poop 7 times in a day?!!?! Is this what psyllium husk do when you start using it..?

We were planning on starting to introduce raw this weekend, slowly transitioning. Think this would be a problem?

I am still shocked about all of this... my husband who has cats his entire life has never seen a cat poop this much..?! :/

She eats and drinks plenty of water and she’s been running around like a crazy overexcited cat since we got home so she’s not sick..
 

Condo commando

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It sounds like she had been constipated. But, you can start cutting back on the psyllium if it happens again and anyway remember psyllium is only a short term remedy.

I would switch her to raw food because that could solve your problem. If you have a choice, turkey or rabbit which have less fat which can upset the stomach.

About transitioning......with raw you don't have to start with 25% of the meal and work your way up. You can start with 100% raw and then see how things go. Take it one meal at a time and one day at a time. Let us know how it goes.
 
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Izzy17

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It sounds like she had been constipated. But, you can start cutting back on the psyllium if it happens again and anyway remember psyllium is only a short term remedy.

I would switch her to raw food because that could solve your problem. If you have a choice, turkey or rabbit which have less fat which can upset the stomach.

About transitioning......with raw you don't have to start with 25% of the meal and work your way up. You can start with 100% raw and then see how things go. Take it one meal at a time and one day at a time. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks! She hasn’t been constipated.. she got mushy poop and has been pooping 2 to 3 times a day in the last weeks :/

She wont get diarrhea if I switch her to raw 100% right away? Why wouldnt she get diarrhea for raw but would for other food? I’m curious :)
 

Izzy17

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I would switch her to raw food because that could solve your problem. If you have a choice, turkey or rabbit which have less fat which can upset the stomach

Does this mean rabbit is not a good choice? That’s what I was thinking of getting... that or venison/elk/kangoroo...

I was thinking of staying away from chicken/turkey/duck/beef/pork..
 

Condo commando

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Does this mean rabbit is not a good choice? That’s what I was thinking of getting... that or venison/elk/kangoroo...

I was thinking of staying away from chicken/turkey/duck/beef/pork..
I think rabbit is fine - I meant that I would try either turkey or rabbit. Here is an article from a vet that recommends turkey because it's low fat but I am pretty sure rabbit is also low fat. Whichever you pick, just try one at first. You want to start with one protein source, then add one at a time making sure that there are no problems each time you add something new.
Why I'm Picky About the Bland Foods I Prescribe for Sick Pets
 

Condo commando

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Thanks! She hasn’t been constipated.. she got mushy poop and has been pooping 2 to 3 times a day in the last weeks :/

She wont get diarrhea if I switch her to raw 100% right away? Why wouldnt she get diarrhea for raw but would for other food? I’m curious :)
There is always a possibility of diarrhea but what I'm thinking is #1 she already has tummy issues with what she's eating now and #2 raw food digests at a different rate. The latter is more important with kibble. I guess with canned food I would just try to get the least carbs possible in whatever canned food I was feeding. Here is an article on this.
Feed Raw and Dry at the Same Time? - Feline Nutrition Foundation

Of course, some (many?) cats don't take to raw food right away so they are transitioned or bribed a little at a time to accept the raw food.
How to Transition Your Cat to a Raw Meat Diet - Feline Nutrition Foundation

Feline Nutrition has a ton of articles on both raw and health, so it's a great web site to bookmark for whenever you have a minute. Hope this helps.
 
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