Kitty with Soft Stools

Question
Hello Jules,
We have a 9 month old kitten adopted from the shelter.  She has had some issues with soft stools and gas (all of which smell terrible - she can clear out a room).  She did have a slight parasite problem when we first brought her home which we thought had been cleared up thru antibiotics (2 rounds).  I switched her to Innova EVO cat/kitten food and also tried introducing some pure pumpkin into her diet with limited success.  We'd prefer to try and treat this without placing her on meds.  She doesn't display any other symptoms, she is a happy, active kitty.  Any thoughts on her diet or do I need to get her back into the vet?  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Lynn,

Have you had her checked again to make sure the parasites are gone? What parasites did they find? Did they even test her stool(s)?

Antibiotics are *not* going to clear up parasites, only infections, so I am questioning why they gave her antibiotics (and 2 rounds at that!). And if there is any sort of infection, a culture and sensitivity (C&S) should be done to make sure the correct antibiotic is used.

What was she eating before you adopted her? It could be that the change to a different food has upset her digestive system. Also, antibiotics will contribute to diarrhea, etc. Can you find a good probiotic, such as Primal Defense or Dr. Goodpet? I would add a tiny pinch to her meals to help replenish good gut bacteria.

Any change in diet should be done gradually, so you could try feeding a mixture of her previous food with the Evo. Just gradually increase the amount of the Evo over a period of time. Also, make sure that anything you feed her does not contain grains. And I would not feed dry food, only human-grade, no-byproducts, canned foods. Here is a link to help in deciding what to feed her: http://www.holisticat.com/Keeping-Cats-Well-Fed/ In all honesty, I prefer a raw diet and that is what I feed my kitties, but I realize this isn't "doable" for a lot of people. So, choosing a better canned food is another route to go.

I would try the above to see how she does before going back to the vet. And in my opinion, I think you need to find a better vet if they are prescribing antibiotics for parasites. Not good. :)

Please let me know how she is doing, 'kay? And if you would, please answer the above questions.

Hugs,
Jules