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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

4636.0. ""FIGARO NEEDS HELP; I DO, TOO!"" by ODIXIE::BANTEKAS () Fri May 10 1991 10:54

    Figaro is still having problems... If you remember, Figaro is a stray
    of about 5 months we adopted when we were vacationing in the Smokies. 
    He has had diarrhea since we had him.  Vet checked him out before we
    even brought him home, gave him first shots and wormed him.  Went back
    for second round of shots, told him about problem and also took stool
    specimen..checked for parasites and worms.. nothing.  Decided to give
    him the three dose worming to really clean him out .. recommended
    either boiled rice and boiled chicken or a good all natural cat food. 
    We kept him on boiled rice and chicken for two weeks (only problem is I
    think he was getting some of our other cat food put down for other
    cat..he's really fast and sneaky.) So I decided to only put down the
    natural stuff for both.. Its Nature's Recipe BTW.  After two weeks we
    still have diarrhea.  It's not water but really realy soft.  Another
    recommendation vet gave us was to give him Amodium AD (1/2 to 1cc)
    twice daily.  Have done that also but nothing has helped...Have a call
    into the vet who last visit said there were a lot of other tests he
    could do, but seeing Figaro was the picture of health, glossy coat,
    very playful and constantly purring, he didn't feel were warranted at
    this time.  Any other suggestions??
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4636.1sounds familiarICS::AREGOFri May 10 1991 11:1516
    Don't know if this may apply, but several years ago I had a husky with
    the same problems you've described.  With a large dog it was a
    nightmare, when accidents occured.  I was very frustrated with two
    different vets, who only treated the symptoms vs. the cure.
    
    Finally Vet #3, had us experiment with various food groups in the rice/
    hamburger meals.  Ex. one day I added a hard boiled egg.  No reaction.
    Next day it was flour, etc., until most food groups in dog food were
    covered.  No reaction!  Now what?  The vet discovered my dog was
    allergic to the red food dye in most supermarket brand dog foods.
    
    Your cat may have an allergy to a food product.  It's worth the
    question to your vet.
    
                                 Good luck,
                                    Carol
4636.2This worked for MidnightDEMON::MURPHYFri May 10 1991 11:1712
    
    Have you tried giving him "Tender Vittles" either poultry or gourmet;
    not beef or seafood?  I had the same problem with the stray I took in 2
    years ago, Midnight, and after all else failed my "new" vet suggested
    trying this and it worked.  I had him on Tender Vittles poultry flavor
    for only 2 weeks.  Since then, he's been on his regular diet of Mother
    Hubbard mixed with Science Diet Lite (he's 12 yrs. old now); abandoned
    at age 10.
    
    Good luck!
    Pat
    
4636.3Could Be a VirusSANFAN::FOSSATJUFri May 10 1991 12:4223
    I had a similar problem with Stitch who was born to and abandoned by a
    feral mom.  It seemed that after he ate something he would have to go
    to the box within 15 minutes and it was always loose and smelled awful. 
    We took him back and forth the Vet I don't remember how many times and
    tried different foods, boiled chicken & Rice, turkey, vittles,
    everything.  When that didn't seem to help Scott insisted upon barrium
    (sp) x-rays and that showed the problem.  Scar tissue had formed on the
    intestine and he was passing food through him almost as fast as he ate
    it.  The scaring was caused by a bug he had probably been born with
    (his poo's had always been a little off).  Scott gave him an injection
    to calm down the colon and then some cortisone and anti-biotics and
    within lesst than two weeks his poops were completely normal.
    
    I think that considering Midnight's background there could be a
    possibility of a similar problem.  If the changes in diet don't help at
    all and there is absolutely no improvement then suggest that you would
    like to have some Barrium X-rays taken.  It does not hurt the cat, they
    do not have to be put under for it and if anything, the barrium sooths
    the colon.
    
    Let us know how he's progressing.
    
    Giudi, Pippin, Gino & StItCh
4636.4WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityFri May 10 1991 12:518
    Has he been tested for coccidia and ghiardia (sp)?  Both of these can
    cause severe diarrhea, and both can be picked up from being stray and
    living in the wilds.  I think that they are hard to detect in a stool
    sample too.  I had a kitten that had coccidia once, and it took several
    stool samples before we finally were able to detect the coccidia.  A
    week of antiobiotics (Albon) and she was fine after that.
    
    Jo
4636.5SANFAN::FOSSATJUFri May 10 1991 14:218
    If I remember correctly from Stitch's bout with coccidia (after testing
    for worms and it coming up neg and showing nothing else) we weren't
    able to detect/diagnose it until I found the littler box literally
    splattered with blood.  I think the vet said the blood came from the
    parasite rupturing or something like that - it was about 4 years ago
    and I'm not quite clear on it now.
    
    Giudi
4636.6JUPITR::KAGNOI'm51%Pussycat,49%Bitch-Don'tPush it!Fri May 10 1991 14:339
    Coccidia does take a while to diagnose.  Sometimes the stool sample has
    to be spun down several times.  I remember when I first got Kelsey he
    always had loose stools with what appeared to be blood in them.  The
    vet spun down several stool samples looking for coccidia when it was
    determined he didn't have worms.... and it ended up to be the kitten
    food was too rich for his digestive tract and we had to switch him to
    something different with no dyes which really helped clear up the
    problem.
    
4636.7Thanks for help, noters!ODIXIE::BANTEKASFri May 10 1991 15:2113
    Thanks for your suggestions...I have a call into vet and will pick up
    tender vittles on my way home.  The Nature Recipe bag states "no
    additives, completely natural"....both cats love it..but thus far there
    has been no changes..it's to the point that the siamese just looks at
    the litter box in disgust.  So I empty it morning and night and every
    two days I wash it out. We are using the sand type litter.  I do trust
    the vet..he has been great with all my problems with my epileptic dog
    plus blind dog.  He now comes to the house so Jessie won't get upset 
    about being out of the yard (that's when she has seizures..) I'm just
    thankful there have been no accidents..and to think I was worried at
    first about litter training this kitten..will post news on Monday.
    Again, thanks noters!
      
4636.8"UPDATE ON FIGARO"ODIXIE::BANTEKASMon May 13 1991 18:127
    Update::::  Vet was impressed to hear about our note file.. he had just
    about decided to try Albon although nothing did show up in test
    results.  Has been on it since Friday night and only result I can see
    is with the frequency .. He said not to look for any improvement for at
    least a week and Figaro is to stay on it for two full weeks.  Thank God
    it seems to taste pretty good to him and it only takes two of us to get
    it down him......