Cat's tummy trouble

WeAreGhosts

My cat has a runny problem, but she's not going all the time, just once every 24-36 hours as normal. She seems okay in herself, a bit jumpier than usual maybe, but she's still eating and playing.

The usual advice is to give them chicken for a troubled tummy, but she refuses chicken completely. I have tried her with some boiled fish, but she won't eat that either. She just wants her regular food.

Is there anything else I could try, or should I leave her to eat as normal?

This has been going on since Monday. How long do I leave it before ringing the vet?

pinkteapot

Ours had a runny issue on and off for a few months last year. We were feeding wet and dry at the time. Vet said that of the wet pouches, to only give the chicken and "white fish" ones as they are the plainest of the wet foods.

If you feed wet and dry, you can also try doing dry only for a few days as dry is less likely to upset their stomachs.

If it settles, keep her on the restricted diet for a few extra days then gradually reintroduce the normal diet.

Keep her in, in case she's eating anything dodgy outside.

Keep an eye on her. When ours had a bad bout he also developed a fever, which needs vet attention. Their ears and paws get hotter than usual if they've got a temperature (this isn't definitive - thermometer up the bum is the only accurate way to determine temperature, but it can be a guide). If they get a fever they tend to then become quiet and withdrawn, but not always.

If she seems well in herself and isn't hot, I'd give it another couple of days before taking her to the vet. However, as it's coming up on a weekend I'd probably go tomorrow. Our vet is only open for a few hours on Saturday mornings, then it's the ludicrously expensive out of hours vet if they go downhill at a weekend. If your area is the same, a check-up tomorrow might not be a bad idea?

As it's come on suddenly and been constant, she's probably just "eaten a bad mouse" (what the vet told a friend of mine once when hers had an upset stomach!) and it'll pass, but any change in behaviour, litter tray frequency, temperature, etc, and she definitely needs the vet.

WeAreGhosts

Oops, I always forget to say she's an indoor cat for the time being, until we sort her eye out. She hasn't been outside since the summer, and she hasn't seemed too bothered.

We've recently had work done on a floor and we're thinking it might be stress-related. She's also had a few trips to the vet and now every time the front door opens she scarpers under the bed - she must think we're taking her back there (although she's gotta go back next week, not looking forward to that).

I've got a Feliway plug in on its way, we've just used the spray before but it doesn't seem to be enough.

I've kept her on dry since Monday, but she's still runny

We go to Vet4Pets so they're open every day thank goodness, we've needed them on more than one Sunday!

After her runny episode last night she wanted to play, so hopefully she doesn't feel too off.
I am thinking, though, that it's stress related, so we're leaving her to do her own thing and hoping that it'll pass. Will ring the vet if it hasn't cleared up by Sunday .. I think that'll be long enough.

WeAreGhosts

Oh, she's also due fleaing and worming, they're both spot ons not tablets - does anyone know if it's still okay to do them when she's got tummy trouble?

GwylimT

Whats her diet like? Dry foods are one of the biggest causes of digestive problems in cats. Personally after 48 hours is when I see the vets where otherwise healthy adult cats are concerned.

Instead of giving cooked chicken give raw, its far easier to digest. Get some fortiflora and sprinkle it on top of each meal.

Have you tried zylkene? Its a good stress reliever.

WeAreGhosts

She's on dry mainly with wet a few times a week. She's extremely fussy and stubborn and I've tried all the 'good' stuff but the vet says give her what she will eat.

I have tried raw chicken before but she sniffed it and that was it.

I haven't heard of Zylkene. I'll have a look. Thanks.

WeAreGhosts

Ended up at the vets. He gave us some stuff to mix into her food which she has flatly refused, even on tuna! She's got a nose like a police sniffer dog!

Also some gastrointestinal biscuits ... which contain cereals

We'll have to wait and see ...

paddypaws101

Try mixing the 'medicine' into a little fluid and with a needle free syringe, gentle syringe it into her mouth

WeAreGhosts

paddypaws101 wrote: »

Try mixing the 'medicine' into a little fluid and with a needle free syringe, gentle syringe it into her mouth

I've tried that once before and nearly lost my fingers! I will give it another go though.
Even the vet struggles to get anything in her mouth

teddysmum

You mention 'on' tuna. Have you tried rolling the medicine in a ball of treat (tuna or whatever she likes) so no medicine is actually visible ?


Will she accept pate ? That is what I use for my small dogs, as it makes a ball easily and is quite slippery so slides down the gullet. (Joly is on an antibiotics , at the moment, but thank goodness they are 'chewable' so that he loves them and thinks they are a treat.)


Vets used to tell you to starve during a tummy upset, but apparently policy has changed.

WeAreGhosts

I have tried mashing it in/hiding it/rolling it, yes. She must have a really strong sense of smell!

She doesn't like pate much, she generally likes flakey meat in jelly.
She's into prawns at the moment, might see if I can do anything with them to hide the medication.