Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Paws on December 07, 2006, 16:35:19 PM
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One of our cats has been with us for about 9 months and has always had a bad tummy. We knew this when we got him and he is fed sensitivity food which helps but is not a total solution... He doesn't really like the food and would much rather eat normal cat food... Recently he was ill with sore gums and the vet diagnosed colici virus and took out all but one of his remaining teeth! To encourage him to eat I fed him normal cat food and I noticed that his tummy was fine.
Due to the Colici virus, the vet put him on a long course of anti biotics- about 6 weeks and the whole time he was on them he ate normal cat food and did normal poos. This was a first as even on a sensitivity diet his poos have never been solid (he has a litter tray- hence my in-depth knowledge of this!)
Anyway, I told the vet this and he said he has never heard of this as anti biotics are more likely to upset a stomach than stable it... However, he finished his course on Friday and sure enough the upset tummy is back with a vengence! This makes me think that whatever is wrong with his tummy is something that responds to anti biotics but what on earth could that be? I'll take him back to the vets to ask again but if anyone has any ideas I'de be very interested.
He is about 10 and is (apart from his tummy and mouth) a happy, healthy cat.
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Um, I do suggest you visit the vet again, I agree antibiotics can give cats loose motions rather than make them solid.
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Strange one !
Steroids norm stop diarrhea not antibiotics!
Has he had any stools sent off for testing ?
What is Colici virus ? (do you mean calici ? if so why did he take his teeth out - just wondered)
I would deff take him back to see the vet again
good luck X
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That strongly suggests to me that he has some sort of bacterial infection in his guts, which the antibiotics are alleviating but not curing. Has the vet tested a sample at all?
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What is Colici virus ? (do you mean calici ? if so why did he take his teeth out - just wondered)
Can cause terrible oral ulceration, so perhaps thats why.
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Sorry- I do mean Calici virus. The vet took his teeth out due to swollen painful gums and his mouth iseems much ess painful now.
I agree with the bacterial infection idea and will ask the vet to test stools. But can a bacterial infection really last 9 months?? Poor Paws x
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I agree with Rebecca, seems likely the vet should test a stool sample. Would be worth asking before your appointment if they could do this and whether they'd like you to bring one.
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Fingers crossed for him - I would certainly suggest a fecal sample, and there are some things that can linger if they are not treated.
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I've just started giving my cats only Applaws for their wet food (they were having a variety of things) and I've noticed that everyone's stools have firmed up a LOT since... I know it's hard to find in some parts of the country but it might be worth a try just in case it's that his wee tum is just not coping with all the artificial/processed stuff in his food?
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Ihave a FIV cat who has the runs all the time hes on steroids and intibiotics they have helped a little bit. Hes on natural cat food with high protine content and 70% meat he is also on Protanix its a pro biotic. Is there anything I can try to stop the runs he is quite thin and I want to build him up again. The tablets he is on is supposed to help but they are not really. Shall I call the vet he was there 2 weeks ago.
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Antibotics do have a suppressive effect - so I'm thinking its more likely that the antbitoics are suppressing the tummy probs while he's on them, and as soon as the course finishes the symptoms return, so a vicious cycle arises. As Carole suggested, a probiotic can be helpful, the one she uses, or one that myself and a few people on here have had some success with, Lacto B available from petmeds. http://www.petmeds.co.uk/Lacto-B. Probiotics should be started as soon as the course of antibiotics stops.
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the anti biotics have hardly made any differance on his stools at all is lacto b a fiber based product the vet sujested pr fiber ??
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the anti biotics have hardly made any differance on his stools at all is lacto b a fiber based product the vet sujested pr fiber ??
Lact B is purely a probiotic and as mentioned before, it should be used when the antibitoics are finished, otherwise one will cancel out the other, if you see what I mean ;D
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ah i see no i wont give laco b then. Shall I go with the fiber then ? that the vet reccomends
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ah i see no i wont give laco b then. Shall I go with the fiber then ? that the vet reccomends
Lacto B works really well for the runs, especially after a course of antibitoics or steroids, so it would be worth a try I would have thought.
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Doesnt the advert say, you need to keep the good bacteria or something and fibre wont help that part, in fact I dont know if I daft but thought fibre would actually keep him running ?