Diarrhea for 3 years

Question
QUESTION: I have two British blue sisters that I bought as kittens 3 years ago and have a constant problem with diarrhea.  They have been like this the whole time.  When I first got them I had them at the vets all the time on special diets and medication, but to no avail.  Eventually the breeder suggested I put them on raw rabbit and slippery elm.  I did this and I have to say it worked for a long time.  Then they refused to eat it any more, so I had to put them on the wet and dry natural food with no additives or preservatives again.  We have spells of perfectly formed pooh and then all of a sudden one or both of them will have the runs again.  This will go on for ages and then may go solid again for a short time.  They do not have access to any other food and are indoor cats.  What can I do and what can be wrong with them?

They have one of the water fountains, which they love, I top it up daily but don't change all of the water each time.  Could the water affect them?  I wash the food dishes after every use.

It drives us crazy with the smell and mess and always having to clean bottoms, which they hate.  Please help!!

ANSWER: Hi Gillian,

All I can offer you is the plethora of possibilities that I'm sure by this point you have ruled out.  The first one would be any internal parasites.  Has the vet ruled out hookworms and roundworms (treated with Stongid), tapeworms (treated with Drontal), and coccydia (treated with Albon)?  Are you absolutely sure they are parasite-free, as this would be the most obvious problem.

There is the possibility of food allergies, which again, as you have switched foods so many times, I'm sure you have ruled out.  And by the way, the "prescription diets" are crap.  I'm not sure what cat food is sold in Britain, but have you seen a wonderful holistic food called Halo?  That would be my first recommendation--to try them on that.  Let me know if you need instructions for switching foods--it MUST be done over a period of at least a week so their stomachs can adjust.  Do you follow this process when switching foods before?  I have had nothing but positive results from Halo.  I had a client whose Poodle had perpetual digestive issues for the four years she had him, and after a week on Halo, his stools went completely normal.  I also had a client whose 9 year old dog had chronic skin allergies to the point that his skin turned black, and after about a week on Halo, his skin completely cleared up.  There is so much to be said for holistic food, and it's so sad that people don't understand the roadkill and cancer-causing agents they are feeding their beloved pets when they feed commercial diets (Purina, Science Diet, IAMS, Pedigree, Eukanuba, Fancy Feast, etc.)  The following are several articles about nutrition:

What's Really in Pet Food?
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?more=1&p=359
Feeding Your Cat (Article)
http://www.catinfo.org/#My_cats_are_now_eating
Gluten and Toxins in Pet Food
http://www.celiac.com/articles/1129/1/Gluten-and-Toxins-in-Pet-Foods-Are-they-Po
The Dangers of Commercial Pet Food
http://www.examiner.com/x-24832-Houston-Pet-Care-and-Behavior-Examiner~y2010m3d1
Holistic Pet Foods and Natural Pet Products
http://www.examiner.com/x-24832-Houston-Pet-Care-and-Behavior-Examiner~y2010m3d2


There is also the possibility of their being a particular ingredient that was in each of the foods that their digestive systems have trouble processing.  What specific foods have you tried?

Another important point is that when you are dealing with purebreds, there are always some genetic conditions prevalent either due to the way they have been bred down over the years, or due to a less than scrupulous breeder that perhaps bred two animals with health or genetic issues.  If they have been like this since the day you had them and they have no parasites and dietary changes haven't helped, I would be inclined to say that they have a genetic defect and have sensitive digestive systems.  In my personal opinion, I would always stick with mixed breeds.  There are so many less problems largely because of the degree of hybrid vigor since they are mixed, and they are such wonderful pets.  Not that that helps you much in your current predicament.

Yet another possibility is stress.  One of my six, Luna, gets severely stressed if I am gone for more than 2 days, and her stools go loose.  It is difficult to say if it is stress-related without doing a thorough evaluation of your home life, and it is also unlikely that this is the culprit if you have had these issues with them since the day you brought them home.

Please provide me with the answers to the above questions and I will then write a follow-up.  Thanks!

Best regards,

Holly Martin
Cat Care/Behavior Counselor
Texas A&M University
Animal Science B.S.


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

QUESTION: Thanks for your reply.  In answer to your question on the foods I have fed them, I have tried all the names you mentioned and more in the UK. All being natural with no additives or preservatives.  I do introduce a little at a time mixed with the old food. They are treated for parasites regularly.  I have tried to find Halo in the UK and do not seem to be able to find any one who sells it.  Any ideas?
Many Thanks

Gill Craven

Answer
I'm a little confused... all of the foods I mentioned (other than Halo) only make/sell foods full of chemicals, additives, and preservatives and are loaded with carbohydrates and little to no real meat.  I referenced them as the COMMERCIAL FOODS you should AVOID.

Have you tried ordering online via www.HaloforPets.org?  I would think they would deliver most anywhere...  Other holistic foods that I have used and would recommend are Organix and Wellness CORE, however I recommend their wet food, and highly push the HALO dry over the others.  Have you tried Organix or Wellness CORE?

Did you read the first two articles?  I believe they are two of the most informative, eye-opening articles you will ever read.  Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns, or if I can help you further in any way.

Best regards,

Holly Martin
Cat Care/Behavior Counselor
Texas A&M University
Animal Science B.S.