Cat question...may be TMI

[Disneylover79]

I have a TMI question about my male cat...he is having diarrhea and I am not sure why..he gets 1/2 can wet food morning and night and dry food to graze on all day along with my other 2 cats....so what do you guys think could be causing it? TIA


Also I have an ant problem and they love the cat food...how can I get rid of them and keep my cats safe....Thanks again

 

[Tina]

Diarrhea can be serious as it will quickly dehydrate your kitty. Is he indoor or outdoor? It could be parasites, allergies, intestinal issues, etc. I adopted one of my kitties from a rescue group and he came with horrific D. After a great deal of testing, we discovered which parasite was causing his problems and got him properly medicated. He's now D-free and a new kitty.

I recommend a visit to the vet with a stool sample (which is very challenging with D!).

 

[SpecialK]

My SIL's cat used to get such bad diarrhea that the smell would wake her up at night (sorry for that picture!) She changed her food and the problem went away. Your cat may just be reacting to the wet food differently than the other two.

 

[MickeySP]

Maybe as simple as cat food brand or the type(chicken, fish etc) Just like people animals can have reactions to certains foods. Try keeping a journal of when it is at its peak and what he is fed that day.

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

If he is indoors (and no exposure to 'unknown' stuff inside/outside)...it sounds like a food sensitivity or allergy. My female kitty developed issues to her food after having the same thing for several years. We have found a non-prescription one that she tolerates, but lots of people have to switch to Science Diet or other prescripts if it is an allergy/intolerance.

Another thought...though. Is he eating any of the ants? Maybe along with the food? My male cat gets sick if he eats bugs...go figure. But just a thought.

 

[DMRick]

Is this a cat or kitten? Indoor only cat? Is this new? Kittens often have coccidia, which causes loose poo, but it's often self limiting and it's more a kitten issue.

It coudld be as someone else said, allergies. Shell fish is often a culprit. Or it could be parasites..worms. I suggest you get a sample to the vet (try to lift off the kittey litter, much easier to see any visitors without litter) asap, as you don't want it to dehydrate. It could be something as simple as fleas, or even tape worms from catching and eating a mouse. It could be the ants if they are in his food.

 

[Disneylover79]

Thank you all for your help.....

He is an indoor cat

I also thought about the eating of the ants (in his food)...

He is eating Fancy Feast (Chicken and Turkey) wet food....and they are eating a all natural dry food (Chicken)....

I guess now that they are older I can start on seafood and see if that makes it any better or worse...

Also the smell is BAD!!!

Thanks again

Still looking for an ANT remedy so I am going to start another thread to see if I can get more hits...

 

[alliecats]

Is there corn in the dry food? A lot of cats have digestive issues with the grains in dry food, especially corn. Check the label--if so it should be one of the first six or so ingredients. I would suspect the dry food before the wet.

 

[bumbershoot]

When we had a cat and had ants, we got a cinnamon-based powder from Home Depot. You put it on the ground along where they are coming in (though that took a little while to figure out, so we just spread it where we saw them). Very effective.

 

[Tina]

Thank you all for your help.....

He is an indoor cat

I also thought about the eating of the ants (in his food)...

He is eating Fancy Feast (Chicken and Turkey) wet food....and they are eating a all natural dry food (Chicken)....

I guess now that they are older I can start on seafood and see if that makes it any better or worse...

Also the smell is BAD!!!

Thanks again

Still looking for an ANT remedy so I am going to start another thread to see if I can get more hits...

Just an FYI, all natural isn't necessarily all good. You may want to try grain-free if an allergy is a possibility. Wellness is an excellent choice for grainfree in both wet and dry food.

 

[DMRick]

Smelling bad, eh? Please drop a sample off at your vet. Smelling bad (worse than usual) tells me someone needs to look at the sample first, before you make any chances. Don't make a switch to fish until you see if it has coccidia or worms.
I assume he's tolerated this same food with no porblems in the past?

Also the smell is BAD!!!

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

You can get bowls that have a "moat" around them. The ants come up and fall in the moat and die.
http://www.sani-moat.com/
http://www.amazon.com/DOSKOCIL-2330...4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1260678666&sr=1-4

Both offer ant help. You really dont want your cat eating ants, they make for great digestive upset.

 

[pppiglet]

Skip the fish products. Alot of cats are allergic to fish. FF chicken and turkey (if it's the grilled type,shredded with some juice) is good with most cats. If it's the gourmet type (pate type stuff) the chicken actually has fish products in it. If your cats prefer the texture of the pate gourmet type, switch to the turkey and giblets. No fish in it and seems to help the diarrhea problem.

 

[Sleepy]

I don't want to scare you, but I am only saying this so you don't take kitty's problem lightly and try to fix it on your own.

We had a 9 year old cat that developed diarrhea that had a terrible odor. Bloodwork was fine. We tried changing his diet, but eventually he also developed gas along with his other problem. We tried everything. Thought maybe it was stress because we had moved into a different house. Bought one of those things you plug into a wall that is supposed to calm a cat. As a last resort, we did an ultrasound of the abdominal area. Turns out, he had intestinal cancer. I could not believe it. He was still young for a cat to have such a diagnosis. An ultrasound revealed the problem.

Again, not trying to scare you. Just want you to take kitty to the vet to get the works done to ensure things can be ruled out. As others have said, diarrhea can cause dehydration and kitty might need an IV. Pull the skin on the back of the neck. If the skin sort of stands and does not quickly retract back into position, it is an indication of dehydration.

 

[robinb]

When we had a cat and had ants, we got a cinnamon-based powder from Home Depot. You put it on the ground along where they are coming in (though that took a little while to figure out, so we just spread it where we saw them). Very effective.

I had an ant problem this summer and I used just cinnamon. I bought one of those big $1-$2 jars from the grocery store and spread it in a line where they were coming in. In my case, it was my kitchen windows. The cinnamon worked like a charm with NO pesticides.

 

[jmpurdy]

get stool checked first. If nothing turns up, maybe talk to your vet about offering a probiotic for the symptom to see if it helps. It very well could. Sometimes taking food away for 12 hours or so will give everything a chance to 'rest', but it all depends on how bad the diarrhea is. Is it just mudpie or is it mostly fluid? These should all be described to vet and also bring in a sample for testing. It all depends how long it's been going on, if it is related to a food change. It is a tough one to diagnosis without a process of step by step eliminating other possibilities.
Is the cat acting fine otherwise? All of these things can help determine which direction to go for diagnostics. I work for a feline only veterinarian and I'd be asking all of the above questions if you called in your symptom for your cat. Best of luck.