Is my cat sick???

[Cami]

Hey guys! Just a quick question for other cat owners.
My cat Silver, female, aged 2 has never had a "normal" BM. Her stools are always VERY loose. I have always chalked it up to her odd obsession with water and the fact that she drinks/plays in water all the time. More water=looser stools. About 6 weeks ago she had a bout with diarhea and I took her to the vet. A fecal test was done which showed nothing abnormal but I was sent home with antibiotics. Her diarhea cleared up but only to the point of returning to her "normal".
Sorry to be so graphic but her stools went from puddles (normal for her) to the diarhea then after antibiotics back to puddles. So, its been a few weeks now and the stools are getting closer to the diarhea form again.
Nothing is new to her diet. She eats Wellness Super 5 Mix lite, Wellness vitmains for cats and Old Mother Hubbard treats ONLY.
She shows NO signs of being ill.
I have had cats for the past 20 years. My last cat who passed at age 17 just 2 years ago had chronic renal failure for the last 4 years of her life. She hovered near dehydration for years and always had very firm stools, even with daily IV fluids which I administered. Is loose stools just normal for some cats and I am used to harder stools because of dealing with a sick cat for so long?
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[michelle8702]

Has she had all her checkups?

And her shots too? Ask your vet to do a test for feline luekimia and also feline H.I.V. I don't know if they are even possibilities but I still had both of my pusses checked just to make sure. I have heard that it isn't a pretty sight to watch when they do have these illnesses though so that might have something to do with it. Your vet knows about her having very soft stools doesn't she? What has she said? My cat laila had kittens a while ago and she drank all the time after that. Came to find she had a Urinary track infection and I think any infection can give a cat diarehha let alone people! It is good to catch those quick though (urinary track infections) Because they can cause some serious problems and a lot of people don't know their cats are sick until it is really bad! It is a good thing you pay attention to that stuff I would take her in and have them take a urine sample from her she might even have stones or something to that nature. GOOD LUCK

 

[elbykitty]

Hello. If your cat has had all the blood work done, liver and kidney functions. Leukemia and HIV then it may be something in the food. I have 4 cats and had some trouble with my cats when I feed them Wellness. Wellness is a excellent food but it just is too rich for some cats . I have since switched them over to Felidae and no more problems with loose stool, and their coats look wonderful, and has worked great with my 16 year old cat and her sensitive tummy. My dogs are also on Canidae, originally on Wellness and had problems with loose stool with them also. Is is the cat spayed? Going in and out of heat can cause hormone changes that can lead to loose bowel movements. I would first rule out everything with my Vet and if unable to find what is wrong, then you may consider switching food. Good Luck
Elbykitty
Mom of Oscar and Lilly

 

[Cami]

Thanks for your replies.

Yes she was spayed at 6 months of age. Her yearly physical is scheduled for July 21st. She had all of her original kitten shots and I have opted to not have her receive anything else other than what is required by law. They presently do not offer titers on cats, but I do have them run on my dog.
She shows no signs of any UTI's. Like I mentioned in my original post I dealt with a cat that sufferred with renal failure for 4 years and know what symptoms that a UTI or even other bladder/kidney issues would present as.

When the diahrea started I took her in within 12 hours of it's initial start. No tests were run at that time except for the fecal. That was clear of anything abnormal, no worms, blood etc....Her temp was normal nothing felt on physical exam. Eyes, ears, mouth heart lungs all checked out ok. The anitbiotics were prescribed as a preventitive for a possible bacterial infection in the gut causing the diahrea.

She is now just over 2 years old and has been on Eagle Pack, Wellness, Wellness Lite and Natural Balance. There has been no change in her 2 years of life with regards to the loose stool on any of the different foods. Last year with concerns mentioned to the vet at her yearly visit a full blood panel was run and everything was perfect. The vet also then chalked up the loose stools to the high consumption of water. She is a true water baby and is either drinking it, sitting in it or playing in it. She is literally wet 75% of the day.

My concern is the fact that a change was made from the diahrea back to the loose stool after antibiotics and now is returning back to the more watery consistency. I've got a call into the vet now and will see what she recommends. There are no other symptoms of poor health. She eats wonderfully (a little too good) hence her need to be switched to a lite version of the Wellness dry. Her coat is wonderful and she is as active as ever. I hope the vet offers up some suggestions.

 

[michelle8702]

my first cat

Died of feline leukimia. Granted this was years ago but my veternarian kept telling us that he would be fine with anti-botics and that we should just wait it out. Needless to say his passing was anything but graceful with dignity. He was losing control of himself and they ended up telling us that with his death going the way it was that we should have had him put to sleep! I was so angry I literally threw stuff at my vet who was going on about he had this cancer of the blood. I still feel horrible because I wanted to put him down in the state he was and they kept saying he would be fine and to hold out. Maybe you should get a 2nd opinion. Just my experience still makes me feel horrible that he was forced to live out his final days the way he did.

Not that your cat is going to die from runny stool or anything I am just suggesting a fresh pair of eyes. Maybe a younger or more expereinced vet. The vet I have now is awesome I drive over an hour out of my way for her to treat my 2 dogs and my 2 cats. I love her!

 

[boxer]

My cat Silver, female, aged 2 has never had a "normal" BM. Her stools are always VERY loose.

Well, now this just isn't normal. No animal should have constant diarrhoea. That doesn't necessarily mean that she's got some nasty disease like cancer - but it is decidedly abnormal and a clear indication that something is wrong. That could be a physical problem with the cat - ro it could be a problem with diet. Have you ever considered trying her on something other than dry cat food? Just like dogs, not all cats can cope with a kibble diet and the grains it contains - actually it's often worse for cats since they are true carnivores, and grain is a totally foreign substance. It is possible that she might do much better on a natural raw diet, homecooking, or even just canned food (though that usually has grains too).