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Ortie and Kheru

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Hello everyone!

My Ortensia is a 3 y.o. female (spayed) sphynx beauty who has had a couple issues that I have been battling since I've had her (at 14 weeks).

Problem #1: Ortie has chronic loose stools. When I first got her as a kitten, I put her on grain free blue buffalo kitten food and she had blow out diarrhea, at which point I changed her to the grain free sensitive stomach diet, which gave some form to her stools but gave her major gas. At this point I changed her to another diet ( I can't remember which) and she no longer had gas, but went back to the blow out diarrhea. I took her to the vet and had a fecal smear done and the results showed she had on overgrowth of "bad bacteria" (idk which specifically). She was put on a probiotic supplement for about 10 days and that worked wonders! Her stools bulked up wonderfully, but once I finished the probiotics, she went back to her normal routine of smelly diarrhea. So again, I switched her diet to Nutro grain free Duck and Potato blend. She is currently on this diet and she no longer has blow out diarrhea, but she still has loose, mucousy stools. I also feed her the same blend of wet food with pumpkin once daily, which seems to help, but it doesn't give her normal stools. I do give her fortiflora (probiotic) when she has a bad day and it helps alot; I've also spoken to the vet about giving it to her daily as a maintenance and they said that is perfectly okay, and I don't mind doing it, but I feel as if this is just a bandaid on the issue and I'd really like to fix it 100% if that is in any way possible. I don't believe she has IBS-she doesn't vomit much, maybe once in a blue moon. If anyone has any experience with similar issues and has recommendations on diets or other remedies, I would greatly appreciate it!

Problem #2: She constantly licks her tail to the point it is raw. She does have some black heads, nothing major, but I do suspect a possible stud tail? She seems to have sensitive skin in general, as she grooms her- self excessively and seems itchy but her skin is not red or inflamed, she just licks and sometimes chews, but her tail is the most problematic. I bathe her once a week with an organic baby shampoo for sensitivities, and apply coconut oil to keep her moisturized after the bath, but of course she licks it all off. I apply coconut oil (a small amount) to her tail daily to try to help it stay moisturized, but again, she licks it off. I wipe her down daily with organic alovera coconut oil wipes to keep her as clean as possible in between bath times. These wipes don't leave her dry either, they just get rid of dirt nicely; I live in a dry, and dusty climate. I am going to start adding fish oil to her diet and see if that helps, but I begin to wonder about allergies. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated! I hate to see her in so much discomfort. It just breaks my heart.
 

Kate

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I'm sorry you're having difficulty with Ortensia. Regarding problem 1, I was thinking possible allergies, have you ever had her tested. Have you considered trying a raw diet? That was the only thing that worked for my kitty. For problem 2, that sounds like a significant amount of cleaning/bathing. If she likes the lick off the oil, perhaps it would be best not to put it on her tail and then she wouldn't lick so much? Have you tried not bathing her for several weeks to see what the affect is on her body and licking habits?

Good luck, 2 very difficult problems to solve!
 

Ortie and Kheru

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Thanks for the advice :).
I am about to take her to the vet for an allergin pannel (I just need to save up the money). And I've considered raw diets, but I don't know where to begin as there are so many varieties now. I've tried going two weeks without bathing, but she gets so dirty that she licks even more. If I don't keep her clean, it seems to bother her more, but if I bathe twice weekly, she gets too dry. So I do the once a week bathing and the wipes in between. As I mentioned, I live in a dry, dusty climate. I'm beginning to wonder if that's the biggest factor. Thanks for your reply @Kate :).
 
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Kate

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Maybe you could try setting up a humidifier beside her bed? Maybe she's sensitive to your laundry detergent? If you're interested in what I do for raw, just let me know and I'd be happy to share my story. Also, there are many threads on this site that can provide you with fantastic advice.

I hope others chime in and offer different advice!
 

GoldHazel

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@Ortie and Kheru my nakeds had stomach issues like you described Ortensia having. First thing I did was add 100% Pure Pumpkin to their food (and had to play with it and adjust amount). It did make a difference for most of them here, but one of my nakeds in particular still continued to have stomach issues. I was feeding Royal Canin back then. Then I went to Royal Canin for Sensitive Stomach and again, seemed to make a bit of a positive difference.

Then I'd see some blood in the litter box and I freaked out. Vet insisted it was from the food, but nothing was seriously wrong. He never "made" me switch food type, so I continued with the same food. I hate to change things when it comes to diet with my nakeds. Being that their stomachs are so sensitive, I was afraid.

Finally one day I decided to do grain-free (not Blue Buffalo...heard some horrifying stories about bleeding, etc. from this brand, so I always stayed away from it). I switched the canned and dry food to the grain-free very, very, very slowly (it was Science Diet Grain-Free Chicken). I was thrilled with the results. Finally, formed poo!

I still continued with the pumpkin twice a day. I feed canned food 2X a day and only put out dry food like 9:30 p.m. and keep it out all night for them until I get out of bed the next a.m.

While they were on an antibiotic (for something not related to this topic), I started using FortiFlora. I found that they loved the taste/smell of it and they were eating better. So I actually give it to them all the time now ... just because. I don't give them the full dose as they are not on an antibiotic at present, but I sprinkle just enough to make their food appetizing and get them started. So I'll just use two packets a day for two meals ... five sphynx cats.

As far as giving them the full dose, I'll only do that when on an antibiotic as I myself won't take an antibiotic without taking a probiotic.

Many members talked about great results with food allergies using Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Food like Venison and Pea Formula or Duck and Pea Formula. Since my husband complains and complains about the price of the Science Diet grain-free, I finally decided to try the Natural Balance. Just last week I introduced it to them (slowly, very slowly) and they absolutely LOVE it.

@Hairless Blessing has a thread about her Izmae's food allergy journey. Izmae was tested (blood test) for food allergies and other allergens. They got the results, changed her food and thank goodness she is already doing great.

So if you have to use the FortiFlora every single day and/or have Ortie's blood tested for allergies, then aim for that as a plan. It's gone on for too long and she needs a break so that her tummy and skin will feel better.

As far as New Mexico being dry and dusty, yes it is. I know the times I've been to Las Vegas, I literally slathered old-fashioned Pond's Cold Cream all over my body after a shower because my skin was so dry...and I was not left greasy at all. Instead, I was so dry that the Pond's just soaked right into my skin!

I wouldn't bathe Ortie more than once a week and I wouldn't put anything on her to moisturize. Maybe you can use a moisturizing shampoo instead where it won't leave a slight film that she will lick off. There are other shampoos that many of us members can highly recommend such as:

31BmmqsXmjL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg
It's a hypoallergenic shampoo

Also this calming oatmeal shampoo with aloe:
5148F7oY5qL._SY355_.jpg


Do you use an exfoliating glove when bathing her? If not, that may very well help get off dry skin so she can feel more comfortable.

Please update us with her situations and let us know what's going on please.

Best of luck fixing these issues.
 

Ortie and Kheru

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@GoldHazel Thank you for all the advice! Yes, I absolutely dread switching diets. Each time I've changed diets I made the transition slowly over the course of a month and then kept her on that food for 5-6 months to let her tummy settle and recover. She's been on the Nutro for about a year as I've dreaded switching again. Each vet recommends something different. I've been recommended the science diet twice but I've also heard bad things about science diet in the past so I've been reluctant to try. But I'll definitely look into the science diet and Natural balance. I'll continue giving pumpkin regardless as it is the tummy miracle worker and does seem to make her feel better. I'll also continue giving the probiotics but I'm trying something different: it's in the form of a treat and I'm hoping I'll see results because Ortie doesn't care for the fortiflora and doesn't each as much of her food as she does when I don't put it in her food. As for the skin issues, I use a microfiber sponge to scrub her down and I have to be very gentle because she is so sensitive when I bathe her; she gets red and splotchy. I do scrub her tail really well though to exfoliate the dead skin (and she hates me for it lol) but whether I use coconut oil or not, she licks constantly so I'm definitely going to look into the shampoos you've recommended. I'm also going to try to use Jerob pre-cleaning cream and cream rinse to see if that helps. The allergen panel is still a go as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to give so much detail! It really helps. Sphynx cats are VERY uncommon here in NM and most vets are unfamiliar with the breed standards and such (not that they're bad at what they do) so it definitely helps to get some advice from experienced sphynx owners.
@Hairless Blessing Thank you for checking in! I will definitely keep you all updated through my journey. :)
 

Kate

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@Kate I'd love to know what you do for raw!

I know the world of raw can be overwhelming, and it's not necessarily the right thing for everyone, but I've had so much luck with it, I think it's maybe worth a try. I use a mix called Better in the Raw (Homemade Raw Food for Cats | Know Better Pet Food) with I mix with ground turkey (which I get at Costco). I mix up 8 pounds of meat at a time and portion into individual serving containers with 1/4 cup (about 3 oz). I keep enough in my fridge for 2 days, freeze the rest, and take out as necessary. I find I have to make food about every 3-4 weeks. In your dry warm climate, this might be very good for your kitty, as it provides a significant amount of water and might hydrate her and help with some of the skin issues??
I was lucky when I made the switch, since my cats took to it right away. I feed them 3 times per day (so a total of about 9 oz daily). When I switched Jack, I just cut right to the raw, and didn't use any kibble or commercial wet food. He ate it :) I noticed a change in his poops within 24 hours. No more gas, and his stools were very solid and much less smelly. We've been using it now for about 2 years I think, will much success.
I have recently introduced a raw freeze dried kibble as a substitute for one meal (trying to cut down on cost and effort :)). And, so far we are having success with this food as well (one cat loves it, the other tolerates it!) . It's call RAWZ (RAWZ). Right now they have 2 different formulas, and are coming out with 2 new ones this summer that won't contain any chicken (which will be good, since lots of sphynx seem to have issues with chicken). I am anxious to try these ones, as I'm pretty sure Jack doesn't really like chicken! Let me know if you have any specific questions, and I will try to help :)

You have received some great advice. I hope something works and you'll get things figured out.
 

Ortie and Kheru

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@Kate Thank you so much! I have been very interested in the freeze dried formulas and I am going to look into RAWZ. I think I will wait until after doing the allergen panel to try the better in the raw, this way I know what meat she is or isn't allergic to, especially, as you mentioned, most do seem to have problems with chicken. Thanks again! I will let you know if I have any other questions :)
 

GoldHazel

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@GoldHazel Thank you for all the advice! Yes, I absolutely dread switching diets. Each time I've changed diets I made the transition slowly over the course of a month and then kept her on that food for 5-6 months to let her tummy settle and recover. She's been on the Nutro for about a year as I've dreaded switching again. Each vet recommends something different. I've been recommended the science diet twice but I've also heard bad things about science diet in the past so I've been reluctant to try. But I'll definitely look into the science diet and Natural balance. I'll continue giving pumpkin regardless as it is the tummy miracle worker and does seem to make her feel better. I'll also continue giving the probiotics but I'm trying something different: it's in the form of a treat and I'm hoping I'll see results because Ortie doesn't care for the fortiflora and doesn't each as much of her food as she does when I don't put it in her food. As for the skin issues, I use a microfiber sponge to scrub her down and I have to be very gentle because she is so sensitive when I bathe her; she gets red and splotchy. I do scrub her tail really well though to exfoliate the dead skin (and she hates me for it lol) but whether I use coconut oil or not, she licks constantly so I'm definitely going to look into the shampoos you've recommended. I'm also going to try to use Jerob pre-cleaning cream and cream rinse to see if that helps. The allergen panel is still a go as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to give so much detail! It really helps. Sphynx cats are VERY uncommon here in NM and most vets are unfamiliar with the breed standards and such (not that they're bad at what they do) so it definitely helps to get some advice from experienced sphynx owners.
@Hairless Blessing Thank you for checking in! I will definitely keep you all updated through my journey. :)

@Ortie and Kheru You are very welcome.
Vets in general, all over the world are basically not familiar with the sphynx breed and how to best care for them. We as sphynx parents often present to vets concerns about skin issues. Vets don't get to see skin issues much since the majority of their patients are furry. I'm sure that furry pets have skin issues as well, but we don't get to see their skin really.

I always say to educate yourself about any pet you have or want to get. If it's a rare breed, then read and read and ask questions. Take that knowledge and enlighten your vet. Hopefully your vet is willing to listen and learn and respect what you are telling him/her. If not, move on to a vet that will not get insulted by your teachings. Yes, the vet went to school for helping animals medically, but their knowledge can only go so far without the much needed experiences.

My vet listens very well. He asks me questions and takes it all in like a sponge and doesn't forget whatever it is I've taught him about the breed. He absolutely showed interest. Because of this, I have recommended him to other members over the years. There's got to be a great number of hairless cats going to my vets office nowadays which I think is great.

By the way, it was my vet that recommended the Science Diet when I was ready to make the switch. I too had concerns because of issues in the past. He assure me that Science Diet is now made in the U.S. and that they are very careful with a good quality food. I suppose any food company can have a recall for one reason or another (whether it's pet food or human food). That doesn't make our fears any less when it comes to feeding our pets.

I am not familiar with that cleansing cream and cream rinse, but I don't like the idea personally. Why don't you first try one or both of the shampoos I recommended and see if things calm down with her skin over the next few weeks or so? I am pretty sure that the AvenaLyt Oatmeal and Aloe Shampoo also came in a cream rinse. I wouldn't get the rinse just yet. I'd wait after trying the shampoo.

One thing you said that raised a bit of a red flag for me, is that you mentioned you use some sort of sponge for bathing as it's soft: Sponges hold bacteria. I'd get some human baby washcloths if you want something soft an gentle for her skin.
 

admin

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Hello everyone!

My Ortensia is a 3 y.o. female (spayed) sphynx beauty who has had a couple issues that I have been battling since I've had her (at 14 weeks).

Problem #1: Ortie has chronic loose stools. When I first got her as a kitten, I put her on grain free blue buffalo kitten food and she had blow out diarrhea, at which point I changed her to the grain free sensitive stomach diet, which gave some form to her stools but gave her major gas. At this point I changed her to another diet ( I can't remember which) and she no longer had gas, but went back to the blow out diarrhea. I took her to the vet and had a fecal smear done and the results showed she had on overgrowth of "bad bacteria" (idk which specifically). She was put on a probiotic supplement for about 10 days and that worked wonders! Her stools bulked up wonderfully, but once I finished the probiotics, she went back to her normal routine of smelly diarrhea. So again, I switched her diet to Nutro grain free Duck and Potato blend. She is currently on this diet and she no longer has blow out diarrhea, but she still has loose, mucousy stools. I also feed her the same blend of wet food with pumpkin once daily, which seems to help, but it doesn't give her normal stools. I do give her fortiflora (probiotic) when she has a bad day and it helps alot; I've also spoken to the vet about giving it to her daily as a maintenance and they said that is perfectly okay, and I don't mind doing it, but I feel as if this is just a bandaid on the issue and I'd really like to fix it 100% if that is in any way possible. I don't believe she has IBS-she doesn't vomit much, maybe once in a blue moon. If anyone has any experience with similar issues and has recommendations on diets or other remedies, I would greatly appreciate it!

Problem #2: She constantly licks her tail to the point it is raw. She does have some black heads, nothing major, but I do suspect a possible stud tail? She seems to have sensitive skin in general, as she grooms her- self excessively and seems itchy but her skin is not red or inflamed, she just licks and sometimes chews, but her tail is the most problematic. I bathe her once a week with an organic baby shampoo for sensitivities, and apply coconut oil to keep her moisturized after the bath, but of course she licks it all off. I apply coconut oil (a small amount) to her tail daily to try to help it stay moisturized, but again, she licks it off. I wipe her down daily with organic alovera coconut oil wipes to keep her as clean as possible in between bath times. These wipes don't leave her dry either, they just get rid of dirt nicely; I live in a dry, and dusty climate. I am going to start adding fish oil to her diet and see if that helps, but I begin to wonder about allergies. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated! I hate to see her in so much discomfort. It just breaks my heart.
Just a few thoughts, has your sphynx been treated for Giardia? Its not uncommon for a vet to treat for Giardia regardless of a test result, these tests can give false negatives in many cases. The "smelly poo" is was red flagged it for me. Switching foods and possibly covering up diarrhea with pumpkin will only prolong it, if its a health issue. Hope you figure it out.

Also, twice a week for bathing is probably much too much, coconut oil, or any oils of that matter will only collect dirt and add to your kitty appearing dirty, try going a few weeks or a month without bathing and no oil. We bath our sphynx once a month or longer. As someone mentioned above, exfoliating gloves help with black heads. :)
 

Yoda mom

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@Ortie and Kheru , great advice shared-
I would also ask vet to rule out Giardia and less known "TF" tritrichomonas you can see mentioned in this
Link
running out of options... HELP!!!

I use the Hylyt shampoo mentioned - it's soap free hypoallergenic - I also
Add a squirt of the same brands Avanalyt -
HyLyt Hypoallergenic Shampoo with Essential Fatty Acids for Dogs & Cats, 16-oz bottle - Chewy.com
AvenaLyt Shampoo with Aloe & Oatmeal for Dogs & Cats, 16-oz bottle - Chewy.com

I use this on all 4 of my Sphynx and have no skin issues
I bath my oily girl ever two weeks and the boys go 3-4 weeks for full spa days

I don't use bday wipes or coconut oil -
For weekly wipe downs I get a large pitcher , add warm water and baby face clothes with a teeny timy drop of Hylyt and Avenalyt shampoos - they are soap free hypoallergenic -
I just wipe down and pat dry -

I feed Acana grasslamds amd Acana Appalachian -" biologically appropriate "
(My first girl was on blue and it was a nightmare of poo issues )

My one boy loves grain inclusive Dr Tims Chase kibble (formulated by a vet you can ask him questions too on his FB page or email or call his vets office leave a msg )
Premium All Natural Pet Food | Dr. Tim's
Dr. Tim's Chase All Life Stages Formula Dry Cat Food, 11-lb bag - Chewy.com

All 4 kitties have been eating Acana and Dr Tims Chase - both never called amd both have buy12/get 1 free - just call and ask what brands have loyalty program
ACANA Grasslands Regional Formula Grain-Free Dry Cat & Kitten Food, 15-lb bag - Chewy.com
No poo issues no problems with even immediate switch over
I don't need to add fortiflora or pumpkin -
I just "feed and go " with both these brands with no issues with all 4 sphynx

I would rule out Giardia and tritrichomonas , change food , bath every couple of weeks amd do in between wipe downs amd see if it all helps with her tail too

Please keep us updated -
Lots of good advice shared to hopefully find something that works for your girl and to get a diagnosis to rule out any kind of parasite

Head smooches sent !

Be sure to scroll to bottom of page for "similar " thread links
 
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Ortie and Kheru

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@GoldHazel
@admin
@Yoda mom
Thanks! I've tried going two weeks without bathing, without wipe downs, and without using any oil or moisturizing and she gets filthy. Shes just oily. I don't know if its a skin issue or if its more health related to the food. Kheru can go probably two weeks without needing to be bathed, as he just does not accumulate dirt like Ortie does. She's dirty by the end of the week to the point that when I pick her up, the dirt just sticks to my fingers because she's so oily and filthy. And she's been treated with metronidazole twice and she just goes back to the loose stools. Every vet I've spoken with believes it to be diet related. I've spoken with about 5 so far... I've done SO much research about tummy issues with sphynx cats and I never get as much detailed info as I'd like. I've even researched tummy issues on "regular" cats (lol) and its all generally the same. I'm definitely going to try the shampoos you've all recommended; I'm going to try the jerob products as well, though, because I read a testimonial about a sphynx owner who uses it to remove the stubborn dirt on her sphynx before shampooing and that it works really well and doesn't dry out her skin. I have to usually shampoo Ortie 2 or 3 times to get the dirt off. Even when I decide to shampoo once, she dries out badly and still has some dirt post-bath. They're professional grooming products for groomers and show owners so I believe its good stuff. Thanks all for the advice!
 

Yoda mom

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@Ortie and Kheru ,
Keep us updated :)

I have one Dirty girl - gets more oily than the boys - all eat same food -
She is wrnklisr than the boys too-

I recently added a tiny dab of pure pet dgrease on my exfolIting glove and then rubbed in on her wet -
D'Grease shampoo :) It's BLUE :)

(Rinse dgrease shampoo off well as others suggest really rinse well! )
Then did my regular Hylyt Avenalyt on exfoliating gloves spa day amd she really stayed cleaner longer :)

Search d'grease in search box amd you will see many members recommend it
 

Yoda mom

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@Ortie and Kheru ,
Thanks for the jerob product info too!
I use and love Chris Christensen products on dogs
(Especially fair advantage shampoo)

Here is a pic of pure pet d'grease-
I got the big jar and it will last forever!
I actually put a half teaspoon in a stainless condiment dish placed on the sink to scoop with exfoliating glove so I don't have to Scoop my hand in the big jar and ruin it with water

image.jpeg
 

GoldHazel

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@Ortie and Kheru as @Yoda mom suggested, the Pet D'Grease Shampoo WILL get her all clean with just one shampooing.

Maybe if I share this story with you, it will make more sense: Many years ago, one of my daughter's teen girlfriends was over my house. The topic of washing hair came up and the friend told me that she HAS to wash her hair every single day because she's got very greasy/oily hair. Upon our conversation, I observed her "dry" and unhealthy appearance to her hair. I told her that she shouldn't wash it every single day.

I went on to explain to her that by her washing her hair every single day, she is drying out her hair and scalp and to overcompensate, her oil gland are overproducing oils, thus making her have extremely oily hair which was "making" her wash it every day.

I some how convinced her to "suffer" and wash her hair every other day for now...graduating to washing her hair even less than that in a week's time. I promised her that in a month or less, she WILL see a noticeable difference and not have such oily hair any longer.

Bottom line: She listened to me and it did the trick. Her hair was not washed as often, it wasn't oily at the end of the day anymore and her dry/damaged hair was looking healthier.

Just food for though...

I do understand that different sphynx cats have different skin types. I personally experience it myself. Some of my nakeds have more or less fuzz than the others which equals more or less oils getting absorbed. Some of my nakeds have very grossly dirty ears while others are as clean as a whistle. On mani/pedi day, some of my nakeds have barely anything I need to clean off nails while others have thick waxy nails that is time consuming to get clean.

A little dirt never hurt anybody. :)
 
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