Conference misery::feline_v1

    Blue Seal Kat Kare is VERY low in Mg. and ash - the other criteria
    for feeding I believe that the food needs to be able to create
    an acid urine (this I'm not sure of) - my friend's cat has this
    problem and her vet approved Kat Kare for her cat with FUS.
    
    You will need to consult your Vet and then use your judgement
    as to what you will need to feed.  That's about all I can say
    about it, because I don't have a lot of experience with FUS -
    actually, I have none at all, Thank God!  Sorry, Karen, but
    it's one thing I haven't run into yet.
    
    I think there are tons of notes around - maybe do a show key/full
    FUS - you should find lots of info .  Good Luck!
    
    E.T.

    I'm not sure the proper diet is always 100% certain to
    prevent FUS or cystitis like problems.   Because of a per-
    sistently alkaline urine and infections in my female cat,\
    everybody switched to Hill's C/D over a year ago.  This summer
    one of my male cats, Matzah, who never had a problem before
    developed a very bad infection: blood in urine, large crystals,
    bacteria.  He was on two types of antiobiotics for an extended
    time.
    
    I was really perplexed by this as Hill's C/D is supposedly the
    BEST diet to prevent just this kind of thing.  My vet was unable
    to why this might occur, despite being on the C/D.  She suggested
    I contact Hills.
    
    The other thing to remember is that diet is not the CAUSE of FUS.
    Lots of us have multicat households where everybody is eating the
    same exact thing, and only one cat will develop a problem.  Obviously
    there is something else going on there.  Diet is the best PREVENTION
    for the problem.
    
    Karen,  try getting a urine sample from Cinnamon, that's the only
    way to know for sure if he is the one with a problem, and to know
    just what the problem is.  I myself am not comfortable with 99.9%
    when it comes to FUS in a male cat.
    
    Good luck.
    Donna

    
    
    	But how do I get a urine sample??  I doubt Cinamon would 	
    	appreciate it if I followed him around with a jar trying
    	to get him to pee in it!
    
    	Karen

    Thanks Donna - I just remembered that my friend's vet did
    say, that if they are going to get it - they are going to
    get it no matter what you feed.  He was not altogether
    sure that any particular feeding program would change
    or alter the course of FUS.  Just his opinion.  Guess
    there are some Vets that are starting to believe it, though. 

    I've always heard that the best way to get a urine sample was to 
    watch until they start going and then slip a paper or plastic
    plate under them.  Personally, I can't imagine Tristan peeing
    with that kind of distraction, but who knows? 
    
    Good luck,
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

    You're going to have to isolate Cinamon.  Dundee had a diahrea
    problem for a while when he was younger.  It was VERY stubborn
    and the vet wanted stool samples from consecutive days to do
    special tests.  Also he took Dundee off the Hills C/D and had
    me feed him Hills P/D.  Now with four cats, the only way I
    could be 100% sure that I had Dundee's stools and that Dundee
    didn't eat any of the C/D that the other three ate, was to 
    isolate him in a room with food and water and a clean cat box
    every day when we went to work.  I HATED doing it, but it was
    for his own good.
      When I got home, I went right up to the room, scooped the
    litter box for the sample and gave him lots of luvin's and
    let him out.  By that time the girls had finished off their
    C/D. In the evening I could keep an eye on him.
      Nancy DC
    

    re: .5  You reminded me of a funny incident we went through
    with our dog.  As she grew older she developed a liver condition
    that resulted in her not producing an enzyme she needed.  The
    vet diagnosed this repeating condition with a urine sample.  
      So we'd hide in the steps to the cellar with a pie plate
    while Lassie covered every square inch of our tiny backyard
    until she located the exact right spot and squatted at which
    point one of us would race up the stairs frantically and try
    to stick the pie plate under her.  If we were too quick she'd
    just get up, look at us funny and start searching for the right
    spot again and we'd start all over.  Gawd, we must have looked
    hysterical (we lived in Waltham and our neighbors weren't
    more than 12 ft away on either side).  
    
      Thank God she wasn't a he - I don't know what you do with a
    dog that lifts its leg!
    
       Nancy DC
    

    My new adopted kitty, Mocha, has just been diagnosed with
    FUS.  When I first noticed she was having problems urinating
    (sitting in the littlebox for a long time and frequently)
    I rushed her over to the vets.  The vet kept her overnight
    to get a urine sample (saved me from trying to do it!) and
    to take x-rays etc.
    
    In the process, I also found out she had roundworms and just
    discovered she has tapeworms too!  My other two probably caught
    the worms from her, so they're on medication also.  Mealtime
    and medication time is very interesting nowadays trying to
    keep everybody straight!
    
    Pam

    I got urine samples from Pussycat amazingly easily.  When he went
    near the litterbox, I wait quietly nearby with a little flat saucer
    (the kind from under an old teacup), and slip it under him as he
    was squatting down.  Don't get any litter in the sample, as it
    contaminates it.  Get it to the vet within three hours, and
    refrigerate it in the meantime.  I don't think this would ever work
    with Holly, as she is very highstrung.  Perhaps your vet would have
    other suggestions for Cinamon, like (shudder) keeping him at the
    vet's overnight, if that's the only way that works.
    
    

    Just last night I rushed Melody off to Acton Animal Emergency Care
    with a suspected case of cystitis.  She was exhibiting the same
    symptoms as mentioned in a previous note--sitting in her box for
    about several minutes (about 10) almost constantly with very little
    results.  (Fortunately, there was no blood in what little she managed
    to do.)
    
    I was impressed, very impressed, with the vet who examined her.
    First of all, this woman was a cat person--she owns 30 cats herself.
    She said that she cannot just put them to sleep so ends up taking
    them herself if they aren't dying.  My cat, who was abused in an
    earlier life, is terrified of strangers and snuggled right up to
    Dr. Albert who was hugging her, kissing her and calling her 
    "Princess".
    
    She did diagnose cystitis and told us that 2 things generally
    cause the problem.  One is diet and the other is stress.
    Since Melody went to the vet last weekend and had 3 booster
    shots, she had been through a stressful situation.  
    
    As for diet--the first question she asked us was if we had fed
    her either Meow Mix or Thrive within the last 2 months.  I'm
    embarrassed to say that we have.  She said that almost every cat
    they see with and FUS condition has eaten Meow Mix or Thrive 
    within that time period.
    
    Now, for the interesting part--this vet is very interested in
    cat nutrition and has been in touch with various experts in the
    U.S.  She said that some new developments have been arising in
    the FUS area.  
    
    First of all, she said that they no longer believe that a lack
    of magnesium caused FUS and that adding that does not make much
    of a difference in FUS occurances.  She also said that they are
    steering away from the theory that it is related to the PH balance
    in the cat's diet (thereby eliminating things like Vitamin C 
    supplements).  (These studies have not been published yet--I think
    she said that something will probably be out within the next 
    6 months to a year.)
    
    What they are finding is that many cats eat too much dry food--which
    do not contain enough moisture and that, because of their complicated
    and small urinary system, cats need as much moisture as possible.
    She recommended feeding our cats more wet food, such as C/D, Science
    Diet or COMMERCIAL BRANDS--9 LIVES, FRISKEES, AND KAL KHAN, in that
    order.  She said that they were the 3 best brands and is what she
    feeds her 30 cats.  
    
    She said that you could mix some dry food with the wet, if you wanted,
    because they do need some dry food for other things (like teeth
    maintance) and suggested C/D, Science Diet, Crave, or Friskees or
    Purina Cat Chow.
    
    She also said that when a cat is around 5 to 7 years, it's a good
    idea to start giving them K/D to help prevent kidney disease as
    they get older.  She does that as well.
    
    So, home we came with Melody, medication, and information on diets.
    (The medication is a small amount of steriods to bring down the
    inflammation and amoxicillian to cure any infection.)  
    
    As I said at the beginning, we were both impressed with the 
    affection this vet gave our kitty (she admits that cats are her
    favorite animal) and her research and knowledge on cats.
    
    Hope this helps some of you.
    
    Barbara

 >(Fortunately, there was no blood in what little she managed
 >   to do.)
    
    Was the sample examined under the microscope? There have been times
    that Argus has passed off a sample that doesn't look dark, so you think
    that there is no blood, but when the test comes back from Tufts, it
    turns out that there is blood in it.
    
    It is intersting what your vet said about Meow Mix. I got Argus as an
    adult and had been told that "all he eats is Meow Mix; he doesn't like
    moist food". I didn't beleive that as he loved the 9-Lives moist that I
    was feeding him. Anyhow, I had him four days and he was blocked. My vet
    told me that he thot Meow Mix was one of the worst foods on the market.
    The vet reccomended C/D dry, and since Argus wouldn't touch C/D moist,
    Kal-Kan moist (non-organ meat).
    
    Deb
    

    
    	I took Cinamon to the vet last night since I was going anyhow
    to pick up the perscription.  He looked at Cinamon, said his bladder
    was not blocked and showed me how to check his bladder.  
    
    	So, if you have a cat with FUS problems and want to check his
    bladder every day, all you do is feel the belly (the soft part,
    near his you-know-what) and it should be soft and mushy and nothing
    should be in it.  If there is a problem, you will feel a hard lump,
    sometimes the size of a lemon and the cat should be brought to the
    vet immediately.	I'm going to check Cinamon every day .
                    
    	In regards to food, my vet recommended C/D for Cinamon.  He
    said that FUS was caused by diets high in ash.  He also said that
    Magnesium Ammonia Phosphate (or something like that) was also
    a factor.  C/D has NO Magnesium, Kat Kare does.  He also said that
    certain crystals form in basic urine.  
    
    	I've decided to stick with Kat Kare, check Cinamons bladder
    every day, and feed him an ounce of canned tomato sauce (he really
    likes it!) every day.  If the problem persists, I'll switch to C/D.
    
    	Where can you get C/D in Nashua, besides at the vet where the
    markup is considerably more.
    
    	Karen

    Karen, C/D is prescription diet only and should only be available
    from the vet.  You might be able to get it at a show from one of
    the vendors (some of them have ways of getting it ocassionally).
    
    Jo

    re .10
    
    it is not a lack of magnesium that causes FUS, it is too much magnesium
    that is believed to be a factor.  Too much magnesium is thought
    to cause a high PH level, contributing to the formation of alkaline
    crystals in the urine.
    
    I would agree with your vet that C/D is the best diet for cats with
    FUS.  I have been feeding dry C/D to Monroe and Winston for the
    last four years and neither has had a recurrence.  Not bad considering
    they were having trouble every couple of months before the switch.
    
    Jo

    What the vet said last night was that new studies indicate that
    magnesium and/or ph balance may not be as much of a factor as
    once believed.  (She had spoken to researchers/nutritionists 
    about this.)
    
    They have reason to believe that lack of moisture in a cat's diet
    could be one of the contributing factors to FUS--partly caused
    by the defection to solely dry food in the recent past.  She also
    pointed out that FUS is caused sometimes by stress--and is not
    dietary at all!
    
    She did not say that C/D was a miracle cure to all ills--merely
    one of the food recommended for cats along with Science Diet,
    9 Lives, Friskees, and Kal Kan in the moist department.  In the
    dry department she mentioned C/D, Science Diet, Purina Cat Chow
    and Friskees and Crave.  However, she did think that dry food
    a couple of times a week was adequate for the necessary purposes.
    
    Most of the people that replied previously stated that their
    kitties drink lots of fluid so are getting the necessary fluid
    intake.
    
    As in any nutrition/medical area, new studies are always cropping
    up yielding new results.  The vet said that nothing had yet been
    published on these studies (regarding magnesium, ph balance and
    FUS) but to keep an eye out over the next several months.
    
    

    I have heard that it is now believed that dry food for cats does not
    help their teeth.
    

    I will second that Karen.  Just as dog bones do not help a dogs
    teeth.  Read it in Cats magazine awhile back and the vet agreed
    with it.
    
    Jo

    I agree - from what I have been hearing from 2 different Vets
    is that if a cat is prone to FUS no matter what you do or feed
    it probably won't make too much difference.  Guess lots of 
    things are changing these days.
    
    and, also that if a cat is prone to having tartar on their
    teeth, dry food doesn't do much to either prevent it or 
    remove it.
    
    

    re: tartar
      Mao has always been prone to tartar build up on her teeth.  I
    was a little concerned.  I'm not sure of the reason, but after a
    year on C/D exclusively, her teeth are improved.
      Nancy DC
    

RE: tartar buildup

Our 14-year old siamese had very bad teeth when we first went to dry
food and the vet was planning to clean (which meant putting her out
which had us all concerned) -- now that she eats only dry food her
teeth don't require cleaning....they have improved 100% or better
accrding to the vet.  Hannah was also looking like she needed teeth
cleaning when I got her - her teeth are now perfect according to
the doctor.  I DO believe dry food helps as I have two cats to
prove it...however, I don't feed any soft food to these two at
all - they get only premium iams or science diet kibble - and that
may be the difference.  The one cat that I have to feed some
moist food to (canned science diet) has very bad teeth and has to
undergo a cleaning....I suspect that cats, like people, are lazy
and if they can have any soft, moist food, they will simply not eat any
more kibble than they absolutely have to...and that may not be
enough to make the difference.

    I'm not sure that a sample size of two constitutes "proof" as I suspect
    that your cats might just be isolated instances. Argus gets only dry
    C/D and a teaspoon of toasted bran and he gets an awful tarter build up.

    On the other hand, my twins eat dry science diet in the morning and
    moist KalKan and toasted bran in the evening and the vet says that their
    teeth are "perfect"

    I think that some cats are just more prone to tarter build up than
    others no matter what they eat.

    Deb

    
    re:.21
    
    Bran?  Are you using it as a laxative type thing?  I never thought
    of giving it to the cat (the horses get it all the time...).  Was this
    recommended by your vet?

    RE: .22
    
    yes and yes.  Cats that are a bit overweight that are fed dry food tend
    to get a bit constipated. The vet suggested either bran or Metamucile.
    All of my cats prefer the bran to metamucile, and it helps to keep them
    a bit regular.
    
    Deb

    I can't get Isis to eat ANYTHING except Meowmix.  I've tried putting
    other foods down and witholding the biscuits, but she would rather
    starve.  While she's starving she's also making my life a misery.
    
    After reading the Meowmix note I've really tried to wean her off
    but it's a battle of wills and I've given in again.  Although she
    drinks a lot of water I'd rather, for the sake of her kidneys, that
    she ate a mixed diet.
                                 
    Anyone else got this problem?

    I, too, have a cat that will only eat Meow Mix for her dry food.
     However, she also eats some canned food every night and drinks
    lots of water.  When I first read this note, I was worried, but
    then I decided that, since she has eaten Meow Mix for 11 years and
    never had a problem, that I'm not sure it is worth changing her
    diet.  She sure can make alot of noise when the dry food isn't her
    favorite.
    
    Ellen

    
    I just got a Persian kitten (5 months) a few days ago and the breeder
    gave me a can of Triumph Cat Food (moist) and said that this is what
    she recommends (she also recommends Old Mother Hubbard).  Frito likes
    the Triumph and I also give him Iams dry food and he will not eat it.
    Guess I should mix the two together.  Is Triumph good?  I know it is
    low in Ash and the breeder greatly stressed  that.  Also, Frito doesn't
    seem to be drinking his water.  It is always full and I make sure that
    it's fresh.  Maybe it is because he just hasn't adapted yet to my
    house?
    
    
    cj

    I have heard generally good things about it, and except for my prima
    donna Dream, who will only eat Sheba, the rest of the crew seem
    quite pleased with it. The pet store I buy it at let's me get a
    "variety case" for the regular case price and the girls really 
    appreciate this.  I know I'd hate eating the same dinner thirty 
    nights in a row!!! 
    
    Mary-Michael

    From my experience, some cats like IAMS right away; others have
    to acquire a taste for it.  My TK will eat nothing but IAMS; however,
    it took the other 2 adults a long time to adapt to it.  I started
    out by mixing in Crave - their favorite -- and gradually weaned
    it out.  Now they get Crave as a treat, not a straight meal, and
    have no problems with the IAMS.  Be persistent and Frito will get
    the idea.  If you start them early before they have a chance to
    get finicky, your chances are much better.
    
    Good luck!
    
    
    /Roberta
    

    You said that Frito is only 5 months old.  Lots of times kittens
    have difficulty eating dry food - especially adult dry food.  I
    got my Elmo at 5 months and at first he would barely touch dry,
    but as he got older he started eating it more and more often.  
    
    Try leaving out a small dish of the IAMS kitten food at all times,
    and just put out a dish of the wet food at meal times.  That way
    if Frito wants to snack he'll get used to eating the dry, yet e'll
    still get his wet at meal times.  If Frito only got canned food
    at his breeders, he may not realize that the dry food is food.
    
    	-Nancy

    I am really upset.  I have just read all the replies to this note
    and most of the other notes regarding FUS and I believe that this
    is what may be wrong with Snowball.  I came home on Saturday to
    find that Snowball had a couple of bouts of diareah and then on
    Sunday I noticed that there was some blood in her urine (I walked the
    bathroom while she was going so she jumped out of the litterbox
    before she covered it with litter).
    
    What upsets me is, I just don't have the money right now to take
    care of a sick cat.  When I got her, I was hoping I wasn't going
    to have to spend a whole lot of money to take care of her and now
    I don't know what to do.  Does anyone have any suggestions?
    
    Lori B.

    Lori, if Snowball has FUS it is imperative that she be taken to a vet
    immediately as the disease is deadly if left untreated.  Blood in the
    urine is not something that should be let go.  I don't think [and maybe
    some feliners who have been through this can agree or disagree] that it
    is a very costly illness if detected and treated early.  Once you get
    Snowball on the right diet, it shouldn't be a real problem at all. 
    People always get upset about the cost of premium cat food but what
    they don't realize is that when broken down over a period of days or
    weeks, it is comparable, if not cheaper than, shopping at your local
    supermarket.  The "filler" foods in supermarkets might be inexpensive,
    but the cat needs more and therefore eats more.  A 20lb bag of Iams and
    Max Cat lasts a LONG TIME in our household... with 4 cats!
    
    --Roberta
    

    Another thought:  blood in the urine can simply be a bacterial
    infection of sorts (perhaps stress-induced) and easily treated with
    antibiotics and tlc.
    

>    Lori, if Snowball has FUS it is imperative that she be taken to a vet
>    immediately as the disease is deadly if left untreated.  Blood in the
>    urine is not something that should be let go.
    
    I called the vet yesterday and they didn't tell me to bring her
    in, all they said was to bring in a urine and stool sample if I
    was able to obtain one.
    
>    						  I don't think [and maybe
>    some feliners who have been through this can agree or disagree] that it
>    is a very costly illness if detected and treated early.
    
    I certainly hope not as I just don't have any extra money right
    now.
    
>							    Once you get
>    Snowball on the right diet, it shouldn't be a real problem at all. 
>    People always get upset about the cost of premium cat food but what
>    they don't realize is that when broken down over a period of days or
>    weeks, it is comparable, if not cheaper than, shopping at your local
>    supermarket.  The "filler" foods in supermarkets might be inexpensive,
>    but the cat needs more and therefore eats more.  A 20lb bag of Iams and
>    Max Cat lasts a LONG TIME in our household... with 4 cats!

    I spoke with a women here at work that works for a vet and she
    suggested that I switch to a low ash cat food and to also feed her
    either some tomato juice or tomato sauce because the acid will kill
    any infection she may have.
    
    I did watch her very closely all day yesterday and there was absolutely
    no sign of blood in her urine (she had no problem urinating) and her
    stools were solid (although I couldn't get a sample before she tossed
    litter into it).
    
    I think what's upsetting me the most is that I'm going to be faced
    with an at least a $40 vet bill in the next couple of weeks for spaying
    and it may cost me more if I have to have her checked for Feline
    Lukemia (this may be avoided if I if I can obtain her previous test results
    before she goes in for the spaying) and I just don't have the extra
    money for all these vet bills right now.
    
    Lori B.

    I'm not sure where you live...but my vet allows me to have
    a TAB.....we call it the Tabby Tab.    Believe me with seven
    cats...it can get very expensive considering I had to have
    the four youngest fixed.    
    
    Call your vet...and explain your cat needs attention and
    you just don't have the extra money right now.   It couldn't
    hurt to try and set something up with him and pay a few bucks
    back a week.
    
    Please keep us posted on Snowball.....
    
    Sandy

    I just called the vet again.  She said because I didn't see any blood
    at all yesterday and that she's acting normal and eating and drinking,
    that I should just keep a close watch on her and not to change
    anything that I'm doing.  She also said that it's possible that she
    may have eaten something that caused the bleeding (like a piece of
    food that may have dropped on the floor and been overlooked).  She
    said that if I notice any more blood, than I should bring her in so
    they can get a urine sample, but in the meantime I should just watch 
    her.
    
    Lori B.  

    Lori - If there is litter in the stool sample it doesn't matter.
    The amount the vet uses on the slide to check is tiny.
    
    It could have been stressed induced blood in the urine. Take in a 
    sample and let them check it. This way no office visit is required.
    
    I agree with Sandy, call your vet and be honest about your finances.
    Most vets will run a tab if the owner is sincere and wants the cat
    to be looked after.
    
    Keep us posted on Snowball.
    
    Barbara

    Also, most vets do not *require* a leukemia test before performing a
    spay.  If you cat tested negative once before, that is all you need to
    tell them.  If they insist that you lay down an extra $25 for the Felv
    test before the spaying, take Snowball to another vet.  If Snowball was
    tested before, they would have told you if she was positive.  
    
    Also, tomatoe juice will not kill the infection, but it will raise the
    acidity of the urine, thus helping to prevent the formation of alkaline
    crystals in the urine.  Alkaline crystals in the urine can lead to
    urinary tract blockage.  Just wanted to make sure that you knew this so
    that you wouldn't think that giving her tomatoe juice would cure all
    her problems.  If the cat has a urinary tract infection, tomatoe juice
    won't be enough, she will need antibiotics too.
    
    Don't be afraid to tell your vet that money is a problem and that you
    would prefer to be very conservative in testing and treating your cat
    during illnesses.
    
    Jo

    Have you ever had a urinary track infection?  I can tell you from
    lots of personal experience that it is VERY unpleasant.  Please 
    keep a careful eye on her.  We just got over a stubborn bout of
    FUS in Bob.  It took two courses of antibiotics and 3 urine tests
    but he's over it.  He never actually saw the vet. 
    
    The cost however, was somewhere around $50.    Here's the breakdown.
    
    No Sorb            $4.50  (black plastic "litter" for getting samples)
    First Urine sample $10
    First course of antibiotics $0 (I had amoxicillin pills already)
    Second course of antibiotics $13 (after he pee'd on the cat hammock)
    Second Urine sample $10 (He pee'd on the hammock while on antibiotics)
    Third Urine sample  $10  (He got the "all clear" from the vet)
    
    So this will give you an idea of costs.  Normally one course of
    antibiotics (3 weeks) will be sufficient to knock out the infection
    so your costs will be less.  Probably about $33 if you don't need the
    nosorb.
    
    I agree with those who have encouraged you to talk to your vet.  DOn't
    make your cat live with a UTI.  Aside from being extreemly unpleasant
    for Snoball it can turn into a far more serious kidney infection. 
    Also, usually cats with UTI's don't use their boxes very faithfully
    and that can become a habit if you don't knock out the infection
    quickly enough.  Then you end up with a cat that has poor box habits
    even after the infection is cleared up.
    
    Good luck.
      Nancy DC
    

    Well, I allowed Snowball to have the run of the house last night
    and I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not. :-)  She had bad
    diareah and missed the litterbox a few times, so I was able to obtain
    a clean stool sample (that's why I think it may have been a good
    idea to let her have the run of the house).  It was quite evident
    that she had a terrible case of worms and that the blood was in
    her stools and not in her urine.  I brought the stool sample to
    the vet this morning and they confirmed that it was ring worm and
    not FUS or any other UTI (thank goodness!).  I was given two pills
    to give to Snowball, one she had to take this morning and one that
    she has to take in three weeks.  Hopefully this'll do the trick.
    Now my concern is, if she was tested negative for worms before,
    and ring worm is something that cats get from their mother's, was
    the negative testing for FeLV accurate?
    
    Lori B.

    Lori, I think you mean roundworms.  Ringworm is a fungus, not an actual
    worm.
    
    Fortunately, roundworms are very easy to treat, and if she is a
    completely indoor cat they shouldn't recur after this bout of medicine. 
    I'm glad it wasn't a UTI after all.  I have mistaken blood in the stool
    for blood in the urine before, so don't feel too badly about it!!
    
    --Roberta
    

    Sorry, .39 should have read roundworm not ring worm.

    I'm glad to hear it was Roundworms instead of something much
    more serious.   We have been fighting cases of Roundworms in
    my house for awhile...actually it's been since we took in the
    last two strays in November and December.  We kept both strays
    confined to their own room for about two weeks...but obviously
    that was not enough time.   (Strongly recommend one month!!)
    
    Well what we found was that the series of two pills was not 
    enough to fix the whole problem.  So my vet suggested that
    we try a series of three pills...(one pill a week) and so far 
    that seemed to work.  (fingers are crossed!!)  I guess my
    little furfaces had a very bad case.   Just keep your eyes
    on Snowball after you give her the second pill to ensure
    they are gone for sure.
    
    Here's hoping Snowball has a happy and healthy life.
    
    Sandy
    
         

    I have a small apartment so there's not a room that can be designated
    as her own.  Does this mean that I should keep her confined to the
    bathroom for the next month?  I've been doing this for the past couple
    of days, but let her roam around last night.  I feel so bad for
    this poor kitty.  We're trying to get her used to us and now we're
    going to have to keep her confined.
    
    Lori B.

    If you can't confine her....just make sure you scoop the poop
    atleast 2-3 times a day.   I believe this is where another
    cat can catch it!   Maybe keep her confined during the day
    while your not home and let her free when you come home. 
    Just keep a close eye on her.    
    
    This is gross...but mine was also throwing up worms....and they
    were still alive.  So my other cats got real curious when they
    saw this blob of stuff on the rug and things were moving in it.
    There were six cats staring at this blob...so we tried to clean 
    that up immediately.
    
    Good luck....Sandy (who I think is Roundworm free)
                                                      

    When I had Jesse and then brought in the ferals I learned about
    roundworm and how to spot it.  At this point we'd had Jesse for
    a while and I'd also learned that the "pot bellied" look that
    all the ferals had - and Jesse - meant roundworms.  
    
    Well, knowing that Jesse had been on his own for at least a year
    I knew he HAD to have roundworms.  My vet wouldn't give me medication
    however, without a stool sample.  So I got one and sent it over.
    It came back clean!!!!  I was quite frustrated as I K*N*E*W he
    had worms.  Well he obligingly threw up three of them next morning.
    
    So you see, even when the cat has a bad case, sometimes it doesnt'
    show up in a stool sample.  That can also be influenced by where 
    the worms are in their life cycles.  They are only detectible and
    treatable during certain parts of the life cycles.
      Nancy DC
    

>    If you can't confine her....just make sure you scoop the poop
>    atleast 2-3 times a day.   I believe this is where another
>    cat can catch it!   Maybe keep her confined during the day
>    while your not home and let her free when you come home. 
>    Just keep a close eye on her.    
    
    I am able to confine her to the bathroom although it's a small room
    and I feel bad that she doesn't have much room to run.  As far as
    scooping the poop, I do that as often as I can, but I'm confused about
    you saying that another cat can catch it.  Does this mean that Snowball
    can get the worms back from her own stools?
    
    Lori B. 

    My vet feels that roundworms are not contagious via the litterbox. 
    Most cats do not step in their own or other cat's feces unless the box
    is so full they have no choice.  If you are scooping twice a day I
    think things will be fine.
    
    My T.K. had a bad case of rounds and it was confined to just him.  I
    did worm Nikki cause he goes outside and had Murdock and Kelsey's poops
    tested several times with negative results.  Neither of them were
    vomiting or showing any signs of having worms.  This might sound weird
    but I can tell who did the throwing up without watching them due to the
    fur present in the vomit.  Nikki's is black, T.K.'s is white, Murdock's
    and Kelsey's is beige.  I scoop litterboxes once in the morning, when I
    get home from work, and then check them again just before bedtime.  I
    think that is pretty dilligent and the litter lasts longer.
    
    --R.
    

    .46
    
    I assumed you had other cats....and if that was the case
    I feel another cat could catch it from the Box.  In my
    house we had one stray cat that had a roundworm problem, 
    we went through the de-worming, another cat go it, he went
    through the deworming, and then the first cat caught
    it again.  But maybe he never got rid of them..who knows!   
    
    But if Snowball is your only kitty....by all means free 
    her from that bathroom.   You know what happens when 
    we assume....sorry I confused you.
    
    Sandy ( who hates roundworms....YUCK!)
    
                                                             

    Well, we had Jesse for quite a while before worming him and
    none of the other cats have shown any signs of roundworms.
    Who knows... maybe we were just lucky.