Dallas has been sick...

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doombuggy

doombuggy

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many of you know about Dallas, the guy who started hanging around my back porch after Cedric & I moved in and was "rescued" on 9/1/11 and lives with us now. :mrgreen:
He vomited big time on Sunday morning before I went to work. Since he and Cedric eat the same food, I assumed he might have scarffed down a dead bug or something when we went out on the lani the provious morning. I also found diarrhea in the liter box. Again on monday, diarrhea in the litter box, but slightly less. Yesterday and today the same thing, only very little. This cat usually has big solid poops. so to the vet we went, as I was afraid he has swalloed something and would need more than I could give. Dr doesn't think that, but wanted to do a blood test to check on IBD. So I came home with FortiFlora (which Cedric can have too, since these 2 yutzes eat each other's food) and Metronidazole for him to take for the next 10 days.

So if he has IBD and can only have certain foods, anyone have diabetic friendly food that would also cover IBD? Note I just got back to work fromt he vet an hour ago and have done no research on this possiblity.
While a friend's vet said not to believe all you read on the internet, I am certainly going to ask others for some help and their opinion! :mrgreen:

here's a fairly recent photo of Dallas with Cedric:
Mybag.jpg


i did want to mention that he's eating and acting fairly normal, but he was 14.2 lbs on 5/9 and was 13.8 today.
 
Raw food takes care of both diabetes and IBD. In fact, it is IMO the best food for both conditions.
 
14.2-13.8 = .4 lb = .4 * 16 oz = 6.4 oz, so just under half a pound of weight difference.

Some could be fluid, so monitor for dehydration:
Gently pull up the scruff and let go. It should snap right back. Skin tenting at the neck suggests be moderate - severe dehydration.
Delayed gum pinking up after you press and remove a finger will spot milder dehydration.

And 0.25 lb (4 oz) could be average daily feces excretion.

Have you got a cat sized digital scale? Maybe look on Craigslist baby stuff, or at a second hand shop, as new ones may be pricey.
 
on the Fortiflora:
They are supposed to like this stuff, right? The vet says to give at a meal, but since he/they get 4 small meals a day, I have decided to put some on the food int he am and some on the food in the pm, starting today. For the amount of food I give in a meal, it seemed like an aweful lot of brown stuff to put on a small amount (about 3 table spoons) of food. Dallas' dinner was eaten by 9:45 last night (they get fed their last meal of the day at about 7pm), but Cedric's was practially untouched. I had put a little of the powder in his food as well because they "switch bowls" eating each other's food. I was concerned that he could tell something was in there, but this morning, all of the Wellness Turkey I put out, with the FortiFlora in it, was gone. That could be that Cedric was so hungry that he didn't care....I think he usually ends up eating most of the food in the feeders during the day. This week I have had to throw some out. yesterday I came home and the food in Dallas' feeder was untouched.

His poop is still pretty soft/pudding like, but he went more today than the last 2 days. I started him on the Medtronidazole last night. He gets 1/4 tablet every 12 hours. Cedric keeps hoping up on the counter to attack the pill bottle, so I had to put it in the cupboard. As I said to my mom the other day, he chews EVERYTHING except the one thing I want him to chew - his toothbrush (he licks that).

Anyway, what are your thoughts on the Fortiflora?
 
I've become a big fan of Fortiflora. I started using it when Motska was having some antibiotic-related diarrhea earlier this year -- it has good bacteria in it (like yogurt does) and also contains something called "animal digest," which makes cats and dogs really like the taste of it.

Motska no longer needs it for any digestive issues, but she loves the taste of it, so I still mix in 1/2 packet to her morning meal and 1/2 packet to her evening meal, in order to get her to eat. She goes through phases of inappetance every so often (she'll lick up the water I mix in with her food and leave the solid food behind). But now I add it to her food, so that I don't have to worry that her BG will crash, because she has decided not to finish eating her food during the day while I'm at work. It won't cause any harm to continue using it after her tummy troubles have stopped -- if you choose to keep using it.

Also, if you'd like to continue using it (or have some more handy -- just in case), you can get it online (I use Amazon) a little cheaper than at the vet's office -- you don't need a prescription for it.

Kris
 
Thanks for the tip, Kris! Since they scarfed up all the food this am, I wasn't sure if it was because they were hungary or because they liked it. Cedric could have turned up his nose last night at the Nutro I had put out. Not their usual brand, and I don't think he's all that crazy about Chicken (not fond of Wellness chicken, and this one was a chicken & turkey mix).

Spoke with vet's office and they said Dallas' blood panel is normal. whew. He's got enough special needs with that darn ear! He is too cute though. This morning he was up on the 1/2 wall in the bathroom again (I got to the loo when I get up 1st thing). Yesterday he got up there and decided he was going to rub against the towel (bath sheet really) that was hanging there and he lost his balance. I was on the hopper so I hoped for the best (He landed on his feet). He speaks to the AC tonight so I can get a better handle on his puddin poo. I want to see if he ate something he shouldn't have on Saturday when we were on the lani.
 
Last night I gave him his 1/4 pill and put some of the fortiflorra on his food. I have been trying to spinkle the stuff on all his meals since there seems to be ALOT in the packet. But yesterday I forgot to put it on his 2 small snacks that he gets in his quto feeder thru out the day. I put it on his dinner (some on Cedric's too) and after hea ate, he stared hacking. Poor guy was scared. I thought he was going to vomit but he did not. so it was either the 1/4 pill (which I have been having a harder time getting him to swallow) or the powder - maybe he inhaled some? i try to mis it into the food.

anyone else have problems with this stuff? Vet said to give it for 30 days, but now I am worried. He has to take the pills, as I am pretty sure they are a type of antibiotic (mentioned in first post). After nearly $1000 spent at the vet over the past 4 weeks on these guys (Cedric had his regular check up plus dental; Dallas had bacteria in his ears, follow up, then was sick last week whihc is why he's got these pills & fortiflorra).

thanks for your thoughts. I am worried (on top of the news that WDW has required mandatory OT of its part timers and they scheduled me for a 12 hour shift - thank god Cedric is OTJ). nailbite_smile
 
No real advice just a bunch of prayers for both your boys...Boy do I know what it is like to be a nervous wreck over a sick furkid.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
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