Older cat with bowel problem

by Peg
(Vermont)

I have a cat that is 14 with a digestive track issue.

She has always been a finicky eater.

About two years ago she had a really bad spell and I almost lost her. She was vomiting nonstop and not drinking or eating. The vet finally managed to stop the vomiting with some medication and we reintroduced food and water. They did xrays and found nothing. (She had been loosing weight slowly for three or four years and hit bottom at a little over 4 pounds after this episode.)

Since that time she has become a bit sturdird buy is still very frail and very skinny and doesn't keep up with her coat. Her bowel movements are more like puddles and have a very foul odor. I have taken her to a different vet and as yet no one seems to know what is wrong (blood tests etc all come up with nothing.)

As she is so fragile I have nixed more testing (I am concerned that any thing very invasive will only cause a more serious issue.) She has an electric blanket to keep warm in her bed and we feed her what she will eat. She always prefers "people food" including pizza (which we don't give her but that she will steal if she has the chance.) She loves chicken breast and there are some prepared cat foods she will eat. I have also switched the cat household (she is one of 4) to a completely non-grain dry food that is always available.

As far as I can discern I think she has IBS. I would do what I could for her but am at a loss. She doesn't make it to the box very often and the puddles are a real challenge to keep up with day in and day out. I would like to know if anyone has any ideas for feeding her and or if there is anything I could introduce into her diet that might help with the smell (she went for coconut oil for a while but turns up her nose these days)

She has always been my baby and I am very torn up about what to do for her. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks and thanks for the site! Having 4 feline kids is a challenge and your site has given me some great ideas as we are going to be moving to a new home and I would like to make the transition as smooth as possible .. for all of us including my husband.

RESPONSE:

It is so difficult when our babies start showing their age and having health issues. Lots of TLC helps! Regarding her loose stools. it is very possible she has developed IBS and is having trouble digesting. Since we give our cats raw meat food, we don't have this problem too much but we have had some that required medication.
Try adding FortiFlora to her food. This is a feline nutritional supplement with Probiotics to help balance the bacteria in her digestive tract. We used this with our Lucy who almost died from diarrhea caused by the Corona virus. She still has some issues occasionally but this stuff helped. Make sure there is fiber in her food to help with the water balance. Add a good quality fish oil to help with her coat and brush her often to keep her coat clean and cut down on hairballs.
Another good supplement is called Vital Liquid by Orthomolecular Specialties. Many cats do very well on this.
Sometimes drugs are needed such as sulfa drugs, metronidazole, or steroids but these should only be used if bacterial overload is the problem (sulfa) or if allergic reaction is suspected (steroids) which I assume you have already investigated with you vet.
Make sure she can easily get to her litter box and that it is kept very clean. When cleaning up accidents, use an enzymatic cleaner to completely clean up the smell or she may continue going in the same spot. Puppy pads can also help protect the floor if she is going in the same spot and you can slowly work to get her back in the litter box. She also may be "box shy" because of the diarrhea and may associate the box with her problem and be reluctant to use it. A new box with new sand my help.
As to her diet, we have better luck with natural foods than with commercial foods. Try chicken, rice and veggies with vitamins, all mushed up together and see how she responds. (Check out our homemade cat food recipe and modify the ingredients and amounts for feeding only 1 cat.) You can also add the Fortiflora or Vital Health to each meal if she is eating the food well.
I hope some of these suggestions help. In the meantime, keep giving her lots of love and TLC!
Good luch and let us know how it goes.

Donna, House Full Cats Mom