Diarrhea / 2 months need advice

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Pace and Frank

Member Since 2011
Frank was dx 1/4/2013 with gastrointestinal lymphoma. He started a treatment plan of Leukeran 2mg and prednizone 8mg alternating days. March 6th his Oncologist started him on an IV Chemo drug.....the pills ( Leukeran ) were not working. For the last two months Frank has suffered with massive diarrhea , diarrhea like you have turned on the water faucet. We have tried metronidazole 62.5 mg and that has not helped. The Oncologist changed Frank to sucraifate the same day of IV Chemo and that has not helped the diarrhea. I have sprinkled Forte Flora over his food and no help. Frank is also taking mirtazapine every third day to help with his appetite . I continue to give him sub-q fluids and a B12 shot weekly . He is steadily losing weight and his BG's are all over the chart due to the prednizone . Am feeding him FF. Please , any suggestions on how to help Frank with the diarrhea would be so greatly appreciated , he can not keep going like he is.

God Bless this site . With our love Pace and my precious Frank
 
Sorry you are having all these issues with your kitty. I heard canned pumpkin was supposed to be good to remedy diarrhea. (Pure pumpkin, not the pie filling). Also probiotic pearls instead of fortiflora.
 
Sorry to hear about Frank's problems.
I had a civie with bad diarrhea for about 2 mths and we tried metronidazole and albon.
Also tried a different probiotic - http://www.renewlife.com/ultimate-flora-critical-care-50-billion.html - Whole Foods sell it as well as other vitamin suppliers.
(capsule - break open and give about 1/3rd per day - dissolves in food)

His diarrhea cleared up - not sure if it was due to any of the above or because I stopped giving him beef flavoured food (???).
 
I experienced this with my civvied Pepper. The Leukeran affects rapidly dividing cells; this includes both tumor cells and gut-associated lymph tissue. This means that when the Leukeran is working, its killing both cancerous AND non-cancerous cells in the intestinal tract and they slough off. That's where the diaarhea starts.

We used prednisone and Reglan, if I remember correctly. It tamped it down a bit.

What I was told then is that vets usually treat to control, not to cure, because the latter generates more adverse effects and the quality of life declines. So I'll ask you the tough question - at what point is the quality of life so diminished by chronic diarrhea, pills, and chemo that it becomes kinder to help Frank across the Bridge? Is he eating, drinking, purring, playing, and preening?
 
One of my diabetics has had problems with chronic diarrhea off and on for years and we've tried an assortment of things including drugs, which I'd rather avoid and didn't work all that well. Last weekend it particularly bad and I used plain Metamucil (pure psyllium powder) mixed in wet food with added water. It didn't take much, maybe less than 1/8 tsp. It comes in capsules but for some reason they're glued together and a real pain to open. Health food stores should carry loose psyllium powder. I also gave him plain low fat yogurt, must have live active cultures.

Psyllium absorbs a lot of liquid - good for diarrhea but he didn't eat well that day. I don't know if it was because he felt full from the psyllium or just didn't feel well. I'd prefer to use pumpkin and while some cats like it, Wendall isn't one of them and won't eat anything with a glop of canned pumpkin in it. I'm planning to try this dehydrated pumpkin powder and hope he won't notice: http://www.dydusa.com/firmup_pumpkin/

It's so frustrating trying to treat one problem and having something else complicating it.

Best to you and Frank,
Deborah
 
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