Hi, Lolly is having some GI problems and eye problems

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Martha and Lolly (GA)

Martha and Lolly (GA)

Member Since 2015
Hi, Lolly has been diet regulated diabetic since February 2015. She's been very healthy, and right now seems fine, playing, purring, preening. But two days ago, I noticed she was scooting. I checked her bottom yesterday, and she was leaking watery brown liquid stool. Probably unrelated, I noticed her nictating membranes were coming up about a quarter over her eye; they stay up for a while, then go down. Nothing is red or inflamed, but I did notice some clear discharge from the left eye.

I took her to the vet today; on the way over, Lolly did her usual going to the vet poop (she gets really scared, no matter how many times we've gone and come back). the vet expressed the anal glands, which she said were full, but not infected. The vet also said that Lolly was constipated, that the poop was hard as a rock, and there is liquid stool around the compacted stool in her. She told me to add pumpkin or a tsp of miralax to her food for a week. She also prescribed metronidazole. I was a little confused by her explanation of how the metronidazole would help; she says there is not a GI infection.

Re the eyes, of course Lolly did not show the nictating membrane while at the vet (she did it as soon as I got her home- but only ocaisionally) Still, the vet showed me how the membrane, and rest of the eye looked healthy. The vet asked about discharge, and said not to worry as it was clear.

Tonight, there was discharge from the left eye again, and this time it was a little gunky.

Can anyone tell me whether the metronidazole should be used to clear up the liquid/hard stool combo she seems to have? Also the vet was concerned that she might not be getting enough fiber - she eats two 3 oz cans of Fancy Feast Classic pate a day. Her civvies are getting this too. (Mickey is not doing well on it, but that's another post)

Finally, do I have to bring her back about the eye? Might this just clear up, if I watch it?

Thanks!
 
The metronidazole may have some calming effects on inflammation in the GI tract.
Diabetic cats may urinate excessively when not well regulated, leading to some dehydration, and thus constipation.
Pop over to Feline Constipation for more of the ins and outs of the feline GI tract.

Gentle wiping of the eye with a moist clean cloth to clear out goop, and preservative-free eye drops such as Systane, may help rinse the eye and reduce irritation. Keep monitoring and if it gets worse, discuss with the vet.
 
Are you doing any renovations in your home? Any new dust or even sprays you're using, cleaners, air fresheners, perfumes etc..? There are cats who become allergic to even pollens in the air, especially at this time of the year...or, let's just say that there's eye irritation that happens to cause them to weep. You have been to the vet so, that's a good thing. :) Like BJM has said, try just wiping with a moist cloth or a make-up remover pad and warm water. The natural tears (preferably preservative free...you have to see it say 'preservative free' and can be gotten more cheaply at Walmart), also help with irritation. Just keep an eye on it (pun not intended). If the discharge turns yellow or green, it's likely viral.

Constipation in a diabetic cat I have dealt with in my previous cat. And, no...your vet is right, there isn't the roughage in the low carb diet that is in higher carb diets. Look for the lower carb foods that have a higher finer content. Some will have more fiber and lower fat. They raise one or the other to take the place of the lower carb content. You might also add a bit of water to the food to add more moisture as BJM has said, they do become easily dehydrated (even on a low level) due to increased urination. But, the one thing that you do NOT want to do, is to let that constipation get out of control or go for too long as that sets up a whole other ball game that gets difficult to deal with. I've been there and thousands of dollars in vet bills in trying to reverse a blockage. And, here's a little trick that shouldn't upset the diabetes. Plain old, over the counter Zantac (you'd need to ask your vet for a dosage though for kitty's weight but, approximately 1/4 of a 75 mg tab...check first with your vet though!) will move the bowels.

The metronidazole (why do I have so much trouble spelling it?) better known by brand name I think as Flagyl, does have a calming effect on the bowel and inflammatory situations (which may also work on the possible irritation of the eye as well). We used it in our dog for colitis and it calms down the mucous membranes etc.. That's possibly why it was given??? I'm not sure though.

I know, easier said than done but, try to relax now that you have vet cooperation. And, it could even be that Lolly got something brushing her cornea which caused an abrasion or irritation. It's only if they're sneezing, coughing AND having eye issues that they begin to think about anything else going on.

Take a breath (as many have told me in here with great wisdom) and try to calm down. Don't forget that we tend to put our Sugar Kitties under "microscopes" now so everything they do, gets watched and worried about. It's not always necessary but, good to be alert for changes.

And, by the way, not all cats will thrive or do well on Fancy Feast. We have to play around with what works for our cats while keeping in mind the carb content. There's so many different kinds out there to choose from. :)

:bighug:
 
My cats (except my diabetic, like Evo turkey and chicken canned. If you can't find it in your area, it canned be ordered and shipped.
 
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Thanks for the advice. I'm glad I caught it-- I really can't monitor the boxes other than to know if someones been having diarrhea. I have 6 cats and a foster. There haven't been huge clumps of urine- so I don't think she's urinating more. Also, her BG has been great, so I think she's still well regulated.

I've tried 1/4 teaspoon of Miralax mixed in- she won't touch it. I don't know how others get their cats to eat new stuff in their food- mine detect anything new a mile away. I'm going to try the pumpkin today. I'm wondering if squash would have less taste?

I gave her the metronidazole last night and this am. She is passing a lot of gas, which she's never done. Does this sound like a normal side effect?

I can't afford Evo- I have 7 cats, I'm spending $50 a week as it is. Is there another brand with fiber that is less expensive? They free feed, so feeding her separately is a problem.

I understand the micro worrying thing @Louellen ;) - but now I'm worried about the constipation; I read the entire feline constipation site- amazingly good, I thought I understood the human GI tract much less the feline. Now I want to get some beneficial fiber into them all- the kind her gut needs to produce good bacteria, not just bulk. Looks like pumpkin is better than the Miralax.

The eyes are just plain weird. I'm going to post separately on this, see if I can get more eyes on it (weak attempt at joke)
 
You might be surprised to find out that she might like pumpkin. Mine did but, every cat is different. :)
 
you can mix the miralax with water and syringe it in.... most give 1/8 of a teaspoon to start with.

I also am having good success with a probiotic called pearls ( human version)
 
Regarding Lally's eye, perhaps, washing any stuff with sterile eye wash might help. Within the last few days, I read that tap water may contain a virus that causes inflammation of the eye. Such tap water may be fiue for drinking causing no stomach issues, but not for the eyes. Best of luck to you and Lally, Sophie and Pudge (GA)
 
sophie said:
Regarding Lally's eye, perhaps, washing any stuff with sterile eye wash might help. Within the last few days, I read that tap water may contain a virus that causes inflammation of the eye. Such tap water may be fiue for drinking causing no stomach issues, but not for the eyes. Best of luck to you and Lally, Sophie and Pudge (GA)
Click to expand...

I think tap water is harsh so, I agree with you on that one. There's all sorts of things in it. Perhaps, some bottled water or even some saline solution used on human eyes???
 
We tend to use distilled or purified water for anything like that - we buy ours in Walmart, but I think most of the major stores carry one or both for just a few $ for a gallon container. Standard saline solution (preservative free) would work just fine too - good idea Louellen. Often the ones that are sold as being for contact lens wearers are the preservative free ones.
 
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