I have an 8 year old spayed female that has had some diarrhea. Over the past 2-3 days, she's had 3-4 quite loose stools, 1 of which was tinged with red blood. Her nose is cold and wet and her appetite seems fine. She's a small cat, so any weight loss would be hard to tell. She currently eats Hills Prescription Diet c/d because I also have a neutered male and don't want him to get a urinary infection. Should there a food where the main ingredient is protein but will not create urinary problems for my neutered male? I'm wondering if I can take a stool sample to the vet and if there are minimal tests that can be run to rule out the most dangerous diseases. I don't have the money to spend on a large vet bill right now. What steps/tests can I ask for to start with that can possibly rule things out without racking up alot of charges for a series of unnecessary tests. Thanks so much for your help!
8 yr. Old feline w/diarrhea
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8 yr. Old feline w/diarrhea |
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Posts: 0 (01/05/04 17:54:59) |
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Freida95 |
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Posts: 949 (01/06/04 05:29:07) |
First, does your male have a history of urinary tract problems, or are you using c/d as a preventative measure? If he does not have a history of urinary tract problems, then you could switch to another better quality food. I've just switched to Chicken Soup For The Cat Lover's Soul, and my 3 cats prefer it to other top quality brands. They like Felidae, which is also top quality. These are available through mail order or from pet supply stores. Nutro is widely available and is good quality. Canned food is excellent for preventing urinary tract and kidney problems because of its high moisture content. Cats that eat only dry food often don't drink enough water to compensate. Canned food usually contains more meat and fewer "fillers" than dry food.
You will have to ask a vet about testing a stool sample. Stool samples can be checked for worms, giarrdia, and coccidia. If she is indoors only and not exposed to other cats (besides the male she lives with) it is unlikely she has these problems, although not impossible. These can all be treated with medication from the vet. Could the female have eaten something out of the ordinary that upset her digestive system? It could be as simple as that, since she has no other symptoms. It could also be more serious, such as inflammatory bowel disease or even cancer. I hope it is just a simple digestive upset. Let me know how she does. Good luck! |
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Unregistered(d) |
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Posts: 0 (01/06/04 08:13:04) |
Thank you for your reply. My male cat has not had any problems. But I lost a male cat about 5 years ago because of the crystals forming. He had problems once, went on Hills Prescription Diet c/d food and then had a reoccurance that couldn't be fixed and I had to put him down. That was so awful I never wanted to have to do that again so I just started this male on the food as a young adult because I didn't want to take any chances.
I'll let you know what I find out on my female. Thanks again for your help. |
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Freida95 |
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Posts: 949 (01/06/04 20:06:43) |
Thanks for responding. I just wanted to mention that fatal urinary blockages are rare (unless left untreated), and many male cats never develop a urinary tract problem, especially if fed a high quality diet. I am not a Science Diet fan because they use too many fillers and not enough good quality meat, and some of their foods still contain the controversial preservative ethoxyquin (banned in human foods due to a possible link to cancer). The top quality cat foods are usually formulated for urinary tract health. Holistic vets recommend canned food as the best method of care for urinary tract problems. The moisture helps keep the urine from becoming too concentrated. I hope your male cat remains healthy whatever you decide to do. Please let me know what happens with the female. Best of luck!
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