more on soft stools in FIV cat/reply

Question
QUESTION: Hi, Jessica.  I read your response on soft stools in FIV+ cats.  Our cat was diagnosed with FIV when just a kitten and our vet believes he was exposed through his mother.  We welcomed him into our home at about 6 months since he lived on our upstairs deck anyway.  Since then he never returned to the outside, as it should be.  He was skinny when he arrived but is rather chubby now and has been living with us for over a year now.  I made the mistake of giving him canned tuna recently which he want gaga over.  I won't do that again.  His stools are runny and stinky but no blood or water.  He is not lethargic nor drinking excessively.  He is also playful, trusting and affectionate.  I am certain he feels comforted but can't tell if he's uncomfortable.  I am thinking I should perhaps skip the Kaopectate and provide him with some canned pumpkin (recommended by a cattery owner) or either boil some rice and turkey/beef/chicken or perhaps just buy the canned stuff.  I am also wondering if his soft stools will now be permanent.  Really can't afford innumerable tests and antibiotic tries at the vet right now.  How about doing something homeopathic like bone meal or echinacea?  What do you think?  DB

ANSWER: Hi Dee,

I recommend trying him on the bland diet on mushy white rice mixed with boiled chicken breast for a few days, or alternatively, chicken baby food mixed with a little pea baby food. My cats seem to enjoy this better.

Also, I highly recommend that you purchase a Proviable kit and start him on this as soon as possible (see http://www.entirelypets.com/proviable15ml.html). This is a beneficial bacteria supplement that can help to balance the flora and fauna in his gastrointestinal tract. It contains more live cultures than yogurt that are proven to reach the intestines in a beneficial state in cats.

However, if you don't see an improvement after a week or so, I really would recommend getting him to the vet. I just finally had the ultimate stool culture run on one of my cats, because we've been battling diarrhea that wasn't responding to any treatments, and I was heartbroken to find out that two of my cats actually died because of a completely treatable but uncommon cause of diarrhea called campylobacter. This is a bacterial germ that requires a very specific antibiotic not commonly prescribed for cats to treat. There are also protozoan germs such as giardia that many cats carry in their intestines that won't become a problem until their natural flora is thrown off for some other reason. Then, the germs multiply out of control and cause diarrhea. At this time, they require antibiotics to inhibit their growth. Most vets prescribe this antibiotic, typically Flagyl (metronidazole) or Panacur (fenbendazole), without needing to run tests. With any luck, your kitty will respond to it and your problem will be solved.

Best of luck!

Jessica


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, Jessica.  His stools solidified, however, I am wondering if I should still purchase the Proviable kit and still put him on the rice/chicken mixture or or the chicken/pea baby food.  Should I forget about the canned pumpkin?  I appreciate your helping us out.  The girl, who wrote to you, Gallina, is my daughter.  She is terrified that her fat and happy cat will turn ill and die.  Minky is one of six rescue cats in our home.  Minky has learned to gently play (he is a gentle cat) with the others and has discovered cat toys.  He eats away from the other animals so we will try the special food mix in his dish tonight if you give the go ahead.

Answer
Hi Dee,

If his stool has solidified, I would not recommend making another change in his diet such as switching to chicken and rice, baby food or switching completely to canned food (if you don't normally feed this). This could cause another upset. But adding fiber in typically does not cause any problems. Canned pumpkin is fine, but I find that my cats don't like it, and this is why I recommend pea baby food instead. The fiber content tends to be just as beneficial, and most of my cats will eat a couple teaspoons of this as is, or you can feed it with a syringe around meal time. Mix it into a small amount of canned food, or into a couple tablespoons of baby food as a treat, which should not cause any stomach upset.

The Proviable kit I recommended to you comes with a paste that is best for acute cases of stomach upset. I wouldn't hesitate to buy some to have on hand in case he gets another upset belly. But now that his stool has firmed up, you probably only need the maintenance capsules. These are a good idea for cats who are prone to sensitive stomachs or who have compromised immune systems. You can get those here: http://www.entirelypets.com/proviable80c.html

In case your vet never mentioned it to you, you may want to have the kitty retested for FIV. If he tested positive due to maternal antibodies, which are still sometimes (though uncommonly) present at six months, they should all be gone by now.

Hope that helps!

Jessica