Need a cure

Question
Dear Jessica,
I have a 13 year old cat of siamese descent. A few months ago i took him to a vet for a check up and he was parasite free. He is an indoor cat and is never out of the house. Lately he has been having diarrhea on and off. He eats well and drinks only bottled water. He does not eat human food, only commercial canned food for cats, like friskies, sheba etc.  I have amoxicillin for cats or kaopectate. He throws up the kaopectate. He usually will not eat a full can of food all at once so we serve him a small portion at a time and save the rest for him he eats at his own pace. How long is it safe to keep unrefrigirated food in an air conditioned room, and is it proper to warm the food when taken out of the refrigerator? I live on a limited income and cannot afford the high fees charged by the vet; so any help you can give me will be appreciated very much.
                Thank you,
                 Cassy

Answer
Hi Cassy.  I certainly understand your situation, but I do think it would be best to get your kitty to the vet somehow, as soon as possible.  An indoor-only cat is not likely to contract worms, but some can carry hidden protozoan infections for years before they show symptoms.  Also, at this age, many cats require a special diet, as their bodies become less able to digest food.  Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an extremely common disease in cats which causes diarrhea, gas, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.  It is ultimately deadly in most cases, due to serious complications (organ failure, malnutrition, cancer), if not controlled.  Fortunately, it's usually managed with a very inexpensive steroid.  Gastrointestinal cancer is also a concern.

As for now, stay away from Kaopectate.  They have reformulated it to include a salicylate, which are toxic to cats.  So never use this unless a vet specifically tells you to.  In my experience, vets are not recommending this medication any longer but are switching to loperamide (Immodium).  The dosage needs to be followed carefully on this, since overdosing can cause severe constipation.

And as for the amoxicillin, definitely don't give this.  It commonly causes diarrhea.  Also, if it's the liquid form, it expires after just 10 days and needs to be thrown out.  Pills keep on the shelf much longer but still pose a diarrhea risk.

Canned food is okay to leave out at room temperature for 2 hours, and then it should be discarded.  It's fine to heat up food that's been in the fridge, but only heat the food once.