My very first "poop" thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)
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Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)

Well, actually it's my 2nd, after Mullet's excellent adventure with chocolate a couple of months ago...

This time it is Bob. I can't remember Bob ever having problems with either constipation or diarrhea in his 12 years of life. Since Monday night, I've been finding small puddles, always in the LBs thank goodness. Last night I determined it was Bob, and not Mullet who was leaving these foul smelling treasures in the boxes. I had noticed that Bob would leave the box, moaning and howling, after using it. But Bob has always done that. Like he's telling the world he has done his job, and now it is someone else's job to make the box presentable for his next visit, and to do so NOW. So I didn't think anything was amiss. I have two cats who share 5 boxes (meantime, in 30+ years of living in and owning various homes, I've never lived in one with more than one bathroom, so my cats should feel pretty damn special).

Anyway, I've confirmed that Bob is the one with the problem. The messy details...

No evidence of blood, mucous or worms. Just small puddles of liqui-poo that are the same color of the food, maybe a litter darker. No change in diet, unless FF and Friskees have changed ingredients in the past week. He did eat a few scraps of pork ribs last weekend, but the poops didn't start until days later. Mullet and three people ate the same ribs, with no ill after-effects. So I don't think it's too serious a problem, but I know diarrhea is NOT a good thing, and after dispensing gallons of sub-q fluids last year to the little guy, I don't want to have to deal with treating dehydration by making him look like a camel every day.

So, today, I'm a newbie. What is the standard first step treatment to make the puddles change back into normal deposits?

Thanks in advance,

Carl, Bob and Mullet
 
Someone was using pumpkin- the real deal stuff, straight- to help with diarrhea in her cat last week. She didn't think it was working fast enough though.

I used it for the constipated poo for Sneakers and then got mirilax because she needs it daily.
 
Liqui-poo... LOL! Does Bob have a history of hairballs? I know when my cat had a hairball blockage, she developed Liqui-poo for a few days until the hairball passed.
 
@ Heather - I remember seeing the pumpkin thread, and I'll read it, thanks!

@ Melanie - no, Bob is not prone to hairballs, maybe he has some sort of blockage?

@ Hope - thank you!
The following information is adapted from a fact sheet distributed by Alley Cat Allies (ACA), which was reprinted with permission from the book Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, by Delbert G. Carlson, D.V.M. and James M. Giffin, M.D.; pages 192-193, 198.
Click to expand...

Funny, but I actually have that book, and I had just finished reading the section on diarrhea before posting the question! None of it fits perfectly, but the closest thing is "ingested toxins". But I'm struggling to figure out what he could have gotten into, and coming up empty. No vomiting at all either. He did get a Revolution treatment this weekend, but it's his 3rd one and nothing occurred the last two times. And I was careful to make sure it was put on a spot there's no way he could have licked any of it off. I suppose he may have gotten some off of Mullet, but they never groom each other.
 
I'd try a probiotic. It adds the good bacteria to the colon and helps w/ both liqui-poo and constipation. Fortiflora is OK, but a live culture is better. My vet recommended Petdophilis. I live in a small unincorporated town and i found it at the local vitamin/ health food store so it should be easy for you to get or something like it.
 
If this continues you could try slippery elm bark. Make sure it's the only ingredient.

Get it in capsule form.

Open the capsule and fill the small end with the powder. Mix with baby food (or canned food) and lots of water. Do this BID for a max of 5 days. This should stop the droops.....

Too much slippery elm will cause constipation, hence why you want to limit the amount and frequency. I've used it on Maui and it does help.
 
This is really just a sidebar...not useful advice at all...

1. I love the name Mullet. Well-done.

2. I used to mix / eat / drink slippery elm bark constantly when I used to sing night after night in a heavy rock band. Really good for the throat, especially after belting it out...and since you brought it up, regularity was not a problem...happy side effect, I guess. Except that one time in Columbus...but that's another story for another time :).

R
 
Since this is sudden, I would want to make sure it's not bacterial, before trying to plug him up. I would take his temperature, and maybe send a stool sample to the vet, at the very least. Also, you might want to keep an eye on ketones with Bob's DKA history. Marilyn had 0.2 BBK while in the 100's (and OTJ)...which may be quite small...but still had me scratching my head. I was just using up strips before they expired...and was totally expecting a good old "zero point zero". The stress of the diarrhea, and whatever is causing it, may elevate his BG and ketone levels. If this persists, I wouldn't hesitate to give SQ fluids.
 
Beware that diarrhea is not always really diarrhea. By that I mean that Jesse had diarrhea and an X-Ray confirmed that he was actually constipated and the liqui-poo was squeezing by the blockage. He needed to have an enema (and thankfully the vet let him stay overnight though that! :-D )
 
Carl, I am SO glad you posted this! I hope you find the "cure" for Bob. I'm having a time with Tidus and don't agree 100% with the IBD diagnosis the vet gave. Nothing else is wrong with him except liquid poo. He is eating Friskies special diet beef and chicken. If I give him Stella & Chewy's (raw) he "firms" up but 1- I can't afford to feed him as much as he WANTS to eat and 2- he still gets into the food I feed the others.

I'm thinking to try the slippery elm bark or a probiotic but now I'm worried that he's blocked? Would I use 1 or the other or both? However he's had the liquid poo for over a month, could he still be blocked? Is it worth a trip to the vet?

In addition he seems to pee and liquid poo at the same time. I used World's best litter so I can see the pee around the poo. (sorry for gross details) but today he used a pee pad and there was pee and liquid poo. Now I'm concerned it's something else since he is using "appropriate" places to go, but not his normal places. UTI? I'm trying to test for ketones but I never get him when he goes, I just know from the amount (I'm going through litter and food more with him than the 16 others combined).
 
Carl how did you not mention this in all your helpful posts for me last night -come on I'm the queen of Poop Threads I think. Is it rough to get him to a Vet? The idea of him being constipated is quite real - blockage of some sort can result in the liquipoo. Also - ANY chance he licked some of the stuff off Mullet? That would also be a real cause. Has he popped ANY real, regular poops?
Hope this clears up soon - nothing worse than poopy issues.
Oh and FIVE LB's? really? Geez don't let Robbie know...
 
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