Pinky having diarrhea post antibiotics - are these probiotics okay?

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Danoodle009

Danoodle009

Member Since 2023
A couple of weeks ago, Pinky was having a bout of jaundice and this is how we discovered that he is diabetic. Though they didn't test to actually discover what was wrong (the vet said she was limited on ways to diagnose), she gave him an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, and a strict wet food and fluids diet. He is doing much better now - no longer yellow, happier, getting around better. However! Because of the antibiotics (and the new food probably hasn't helped any), my buddy has been having some bad diarrhea. I want to give him a probiotic, but I'm not versed enough in reading nutrients to know what is okay. This is the one we picked up:

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-cat-digestive-probiotic-soft-chews-count-of-60-3498887?cm_mmc=PSH|GGL|SPP|SBU04|0|OB-WellandGood|uSTUSB2dJ8Yeq7zDkrJmUX|||0|0|||18151227095&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtvSdBhD0ARIsAPf8oNmfJfhASxz6Dfa5DjshhJuBZj6Wcacl-0YHvs8E99crRR-cdH3kVLcaAga4EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

But I wanted to get someone else's eyes on it before I give it to him to ensure it's okay. I gave him a little plain, unsweetened greek yogurt and canned unsweetened pumpkin (one teaspoon and half a teaspoon, respectively) on Sunday and it definitely calmed his stomach. It had been loud and protesting, and it quieted down within a few hours and he was eating better. However, I know that dairy can make everything worse, so I don't want to give him too much of that. I was just desperate on Sunday as he had started vomiting. Post the little pumpkin yogurt I made, he has not thrown up and had a better appetite.

Are these pre/probiotics okay? How long will it take his poor belly to recover? He is still on subq fluids (he gets another 100 MLs tonight) so I am not worried so much about getting dehydrated, but I want his stomach to feel better. Thank you!
 
Also additional question - I read on here that because he has a heart murmur, subq fluids can cause him to go into heart failure. How can I work to prevent that from happening? What are the signs? Is it better to ensure he's getting fluids elsewhere? The vet didn't mention that it's dangerous so now I am worried.
 
The one probiotic most of us use to regulate stool and GI tract is S Boulardii. You start with 1/4 capsule a day and you can increase to x2 a day of needed, but it does take a few weeks to start working. This is the one I use: Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS - 5 Billion CFU Per Serving - Probiotics + Prebiotic Supplement - Intestinal Tract Support - Up to 90 Servings (Delayed Release Veggie Caps) https://a.co/d/c3Zizw4

I can’t speak about heart murmur. Minnie had cardiomyopathy, but that’s not the same thing. When she had too much fluid build up, I’d give her pet the cardiologist furosemide x2 a day. If you’re concerned about the subq fluids, you can try to add water to his food and see if that works.

Note, if you don’t want to have to repeat his medical history, you can just add the link to your original post at the top of your new post like Diane did yesterday :cat:
 
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Oh thank you! Sorry, I am new to all of this, so I will definitely do that.

Do you think the one I have will do in the meantime?

It's difficult to tell about his dehydration levels. He is eating plenty of wet food, and I am seeing him drink often (but not concerningly often). He urinates frequently enough. I just worry because his skin doesn't snap back well - but as long as I have had him, it never has. He is a big boy and has a lot of skin and fur on his back, and it's never been quick to go back. Should I look for signs elsewhere of dehydration?

My original post about him can be found here: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/newly-diagnosed-senior-cat.272700/
 
No need to apologize, it’s not a big deal. It just helps folks see the history and it’s less work for you so you don’t have to explain it all every time!

I have a similar issue with Bobo because of his CKD. I have a hard time judging by the skin too. I just started adding water to every wet food meal. Like 1/4 or 1/2 a teaspoon not a ton but it makes me feel better. He drinks well too. The other thing you can do if give him water with a syringe but I wouldn’t do that unless you’re really sure he’s dehydrated. I will do that when he throws up and I feel like he needs to replenish some of that water he lost.
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
Other than turgor testing, you can also feel his gums. A well-hydrated cat's gums should feel slick, not sticky.
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THANK YOU for this! I just checked his gums, and his gums are slick/warm/damp. This makes me feel much better, as turgor testing doesn't seem to be a good way to measure on him. I'd like to avoid subq fluids on him moving forward unless I absolutely have to, so I will use this to test his hydration.
 
Danoodle009 said:
I read on here that because he has a heart murmur, subq fluids can cause him to go into heart failure. How can I work to prevent that from happening?
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Murmurs can be caused by lots of different things, some of them benign and just due to aging. An echocardiogram would tell you what causing the murmur, preferably done by a cardiologist vet. Only certain heart conditions mean a cat cannot be given subq fluids.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Murmurs can be caused by lots of different things, some of them benign and just due to aging. An echocardiogram would tell you what causing the murmur, preferably done by a cardiologist vet. Only certain heart conditions mean a cat cannot be given subq fluids.
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Thank you for this! Every vet I have spoken to so far have discussed his heart murmur as something that will probably kill him. I will get him evaluated soon for that. His previous vet has no record of it, but she mentioned that they may not have checked for it at the time (he was only seen twice, once in 2013 for an ear infection and 2016 for vaccines).

An additional question I have - before all of this happened a few weeks ago, he was (unfortunately) a free grazer on dry food. Now that I have him switched to wet food, he eats incredibly slowly. He eats well - it just sometimes takes him up to an hour to eat a meal. He'll eat several bites in one sitting, walk away for a while, come back, eat more. Sometimes I have to go find him. I used to feed him 3 meals, but I broke the second into 2 smaller meals because it took him several hours in the afternoon to eat it. Is this normal behavior, or is this a result of him being used to free grazing? The way he eats when I present it to him makes me think he likes it. While on the hunt for a good wet food, he turned his nose up at many.
 
Danoodle009 said:
I'm not sure! The vet didn't indicate what grade it was. After reviewing the different grades, I would say that it isn't "loud" as I can't feel/hear it whenever I am close or have my hand against his chest.
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Edit to add: reviewing the doctor's notes who diagnosed him, she indicated that it's grade 5/6. I'm not sure if it's just because he was anxious while at the vet and that's why it was so noticeable by his accelerated heart rate, but I don't feel a "thrill" or vibration when I feel him. At this point, he doesn't seem to have any of the symptoms associated with heart disease/heart failure/thromboembolism, but I don't know if that's something that can just happen.
 
Danoodle009 said:
she indicated that it's grade 5/6.
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Highest is 6 (VI). I would be concerned with a 5/6. A .ot of my cats have a 1, some have a II and one even a III and vet was not really concerned.
I looked at the labs and HCT was 35 which is low but normal. The lower the HCT the worse murmurs sound
 
Larry and Kitties said:
Highest is 6 (VI). I would be concerned with a 5/6. A .ot of my cats have a 1, some have a II and one even a III and vet was not really concerned.
I looked at the labs and HCT was 35 which is low but normal. The lower the HCT the worse murmurs sound
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Can heart murmurs sound worse due to stress? The ER vet indicated that it wasn't a heart murmur that was significant enough to be concerning and that I should just remain aware of it, but by the time he got to the vet that indicated a 5/6, that was the third stop for the day.
 
Many kitties are grazers with wet food too. Just add a little water to it so it doesn't get as crusty if left out. The added water is good for a diabetic anyway.
 
Ale & Minnie (GA) said:
The one probiotic most of us use to regulate stool and GI tract is S Boulardii. You start with 1/4 capsule a day and you can increase to x2 a day of needed, but it does take a few weeks to start working. This is the one I use: Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS - 5 Billion CFU Per Serving - Probiotics + Prebiotic Supplement - Intestinal Tract Support - Up to 90 Servings (Delayed Release Veggie Caps) https://a.co/d/c3Zizw4

I can’t speak about heart murmur. Minnie had cardiomyopathy, but that’s not the same thing. When she had too much fluid build up, I’d give her pet the cardiologist furosemide x2 a day. If you’re concerned about the subq fluids, you can try to add water to his food and see if that works.

Note, if you don’t want to have to repeat his medical history, you can just add the link to your original post at the top of your new post like Diane did yesterday :cat:
Click to expand...
Wendy, I just searched for a post about diarrhea and how to treat and came across this post. Newman has diarrhea tonight so I ordered the above link that you posted to be delivered overnight tonight. You said to start with 1/4 capsule, but do you think since he has diarrhea now I should do more? It just started this afternoon, so I want to try get ahead of it. Thank you!
 
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