Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

themadvix

Ramouth has a point - prokolin has a probiotic included but also (I think) calcium carbonate to help bung them up. And you can also get probiotics that should help - Fortiflora is a good make. Both available online without a prescription for *much* less than from your vet! (We use petdrugsonline - via TCB, or animmed direct).

Given the dubious nature of the term IBS in humans, I doubt very much it's anything more than a 'cover all' term in vet medicine either, so I wouldn't be talked into expensive steroids until you've tried other, cheaper options. If it's IBS in the true sense (i.e. that something is triggering the 'irritable' bit), I'd suggest trying other diets first too. (Disclaimer: I have no veterinary training, but do have some personal experience of cat bowels, especially with my recent cat-sitting kitty, who had very similar sounding symptoms on a recurring basis - antibiotics and probiotics/prokolin were what the vet prescribed on both occasions).

badmemory

Well I don't know what they do about cats but... Many years ago (& I do mean many) our dog started acting like it had IBS.  I even had to start wearing slippers!  A country type vet solved it in one visit.  No expensive meds.  Just stop all bought foods & feed on shin beef & potatoes in jackets.  She had her own pyrex dish that went in the microwave with the beef & small or chopped up potatoes to be cooked.  Never had a recurrence unless she had bought food.  I never fed my cat on tinned stuff & wouldn't feed the family on it either, but with the dog I wasn't in charge until after the fact.

themadvix

Agreed badmemory. I also know of a dog who has to have a raw diet to stop bowel issues. The problem with vets (and I mean this as no disrespect to them, they are extremely knowledgeable about animals and I have huge respect for their expertise) is that in a lot of cases their education on diet has been influenced/supported by the big food manufacturers, so they are not always very knowledgeable about more natural diets. That's not to say that it's easy to feed a raw (or other, less shelf-bought) diet - it involves a lot of time, research and balancing to ensure all the right nutrients are there and it isn't cheap, but it can be a much better option for the animal involved. I would never feed my two tinned/pouch food, but they do get organic dry kibble alongside their homecooked chicken (breast 🙄😂, pampered much?!) as a compromise.

badmemory

To be honest I think what you say is also true about doctors.  Again this is not because of any lack of knowledge but because the only people who seem to be advising them are those with vested interests & too much of the "one size fits all".  I suspect that when  they find a family member is involved  they will look a lot deeper but they can't do that for all of us & all our ailments, they just have to follow what they are advised.  No GP can possibly know it all, it just isn't credible, because all is much too much.  What worries me more is specialists who have a particular bee in their bonnet.

Jellytotts

If you get another bout of sickness and the red face issues it might be worth having your gallbladder checked out.  I’d have cyclical bouts of tummy issues and various foods would make me flush as my liver wasn’t coping…I lived with it until it was very clear what was causing the issue and then had it whipped out (it was so full of stones and sludge it was doing me more harm than good).

newgirly

Gosh lots of replies today! 

The vet did give me some prebiotics on the day which she is having now (had to Google pro kaolin Ramouth 🙂) think you are right about the food, she’s now on an expensive vet food for issues but the vet did day I can feed chicken breast as well. The cat will be eating better than us 😆 the vet did say they should test before giving her antibiotics but I did think when I got home the doctors don’t even do that! Oh well, it’s a step forward I hope, if its not an infection I’ll be trying a different diet first before any medication. 

Hi Jellytots, that’s interesting I had a scan a few years ago (about five I think) and they found one tiny gallstone which I was told wouldn’t cause an issue (the pain was a strained muscle which went). I’ve always had an issue drinking port at Xmas, I would go bright red with spots when I drank it on Xmas day 😆 Will keep an eye on it but I feel like it might be I’m just picking everything up lately, not helped by the vet telling me the cat can pass on the infection if it is that to humans 😱 

With the ebay money in theory if the car goes for the price agreed which it should, I should have some money left, however I’ve spent another £34.20 in Lidl yesterday so only £90.04 / £500 left, this means I mean have to dip into it for food. 

newgirly

Oh dear, it was car collection day and they brought a diagnostics tool which picked up a gearbox issue, it has had an issue in the past so we accepted a lower offer of £2k. At least it’s done now and I can stop paying for the tax and renewing the insurance. 

Visited the in-laws today to drop round mothers days gifts and took ds1 who had not seen them since dds wedding last June 😱 he’s very elusive at the best of times but it’s too long. MIL is Spanish and insists on feeding you even if you have just eaten, he was the perfect distraction though as he was hungry so she had a great time cooking him steak as well as many other things  😆

Now I have a shortfall to make up due to the vets bills plus I went to Lidl today, although I can make the planned mortgage op still I think everything else will have to be raided to get by 😩

South_coast

Keep going NG, if you can still make the OP and manage by raiding pots then that's another month ticked off 😀! 

Glad the car is gone, you're on a mission at the moment!

newgirly

Thanks southcoast 🙂

I had a good day today, met dd and her hubby and took dh and ds2 to the cinema to see scream, then back to ours for pasta and salad where they stayed a few hours. Now in bed super early with tea about o watch the new Attenborough Wild Isles and hopefully work out the finances 😩 

Happy Mother’s Day to all mums, be they person or pet mums, and daughters (or sons) of mums and grans no longer here 💕 

daisy_1571

I've sent you a pm with a hp related pic I think you'll like ng