IBD and pumpkin...help?

[allie and newkitty]

Dealing with a stress-related IBD flare here...Pumpkin, though helpful during normal times, is not touching this and I fear may be making things worse by giving it right now. Is that even possible? The # of bowel movements (all liquipoo) today is more than we have ever seen before. Eating extremely well. She is getting 1 fat tsp. (close to a tsp and a quarter) of pumpkin BID, up from just a tsp.

 

[hmjohnston]

Re: Help! Can too much pumpkin make diarrhea worse?

No idea- just moving it up the line.

Although I recall another post that someone had used pumpkin to stem diarrhea in their dogs and we suggested it for constipation in their cat.

I don't know if it works both ways, sorry.

 

[BJM]

Re: Help! Can too much pumpkin make diarrhea worse?

Since it provides volume and the intestines are contracting to move things through rapidly, I suspect it may. Maybe re-title your post as "IBD and pumpkin" to get more suggestions.

Are you adding water to the canned food? Maybe cut back a titch.

You say stress is the issue - some ideas.
Feliway calming collars and/or diffusers may help, as may compounded Prozac rubbed in the ear (vet trip for that one).
If outside animals being seen, block the views.
If noise and commotion, set up an out of the way, quieter place.

 

[allie and newkitty]

Thank you both for your replies! She had a stress-related flare in March due to multiple vet visits and abx's for her lung infection. Pumpkin brought her out of it. This time it's not helping at all. She had D seven times yesterday--way more than she has ever done before and I think it's because I gave too much pumpkin. I gave her some flakes of an Imodium and today she has only had one BM (albeit pudding poo). I was adding water to her food and I will cut that back. This time the stress is from she has had four trips for cold laser therapy in two weeks, an a/c man in the house and upstairs so she hid under the bed all day, 2 or 3 days of thunderstorms and then fireworks. We are about to have another storm too.

ETA: I set up 2 Feliway diffusers today, one in the bedroom and one in her main litterbox room. I can't do the collar as she has never worn one and I think it will stress her out more than it will help. I will check into the prozac if she is still stressing (hiding from me when I leave because she thinks a vet visit is on the way, etc). Thank you!

 

[BJM]

You can test the collar option with a plain one to see how she handles it when you are home.

Have a nice energetic play session first, then put the collar on.

Use a breakaway collar designed for cats; these prevent the cat from getting stuck if the collar loops over something.