It's WORKING !!!!!!!!!!

[jenluckenbach]

OMG :eek: OMG :eek: OMG :eek:

I have been giving Lucas Pumpkin for only 2 days (4 meals) and some metamucil for only the last 2 meals (I felt the pumpkin was working, but not quite enough)

And lo and behold, this evening a perfectly formed, almost hard poop!!!!!! :cool: After all these months! :D

*SIGH of relief*

So if anyone needs a quick diarrhea fix, now you know! (but remember, one still needs to know the CAUSE of the diarrhea.......which in Lucas' case = cancerous intestinal tumors)

[K & L]

That's good news Jen! I sure can relate to what you're dealing with, even though Hazel's was a different kind, it's a rough thing to go through. Good luck with all this.

[catmandu]

The Found Cats Are Cheeering That Thier Good Friend Ralph Is Doing A Whole Lot Better.
We Pray That Our Orange Pal Continues To Get Better And Better.

[Uabassoon]

Yay! I'm so happy to hear that you found something that will work for Lucas :)

[momcat]

That is WONDERFUL news! Hopefully Lucas is feeling better as a result of your efforts. Please keep us updated on how he's doing?

[kuhio98]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_30_125.gif
I'm so glad to hear this. I bought pumpkin for the kitties once and none of them would touch it. Sure glad Lucas likes it.

[kb2yjx]

Glad to hear that the pumpkin is helping Lucas!!!

[Catty1]

SO glad to hear that! and hopefully the shots will help the tumours a bit, so Lucas is comfy!

HUG that dear boy for me!

Catty1

[jazzcat]

That is Great Jen!!!!!

Way to go Lucas!

[sirrahbed]

This really is good news. I would not have thought about trying metamucil. Anyway, I am glad that this and the pumpkin has helped Lucas :)

[orangemm]

Yay! Lucas!! Keep eating that pumpkin and Metamucil!!!

Good going, Jen. glad it works!

[Killearn Kitties]

I'm SO pleased that you have found something that gives Lucas (and you) some relief. I hope that it continues to work for the sweetie.

[Sonia59]

Good news! :) Give scritches to your Lucas ;)

[jenluckenbach]

Well, that was sure short lived. Soft puddle of poop this morning. But last night for dinner I did give him less of the metamucil because he really doesn't like it. Looks like I may have to find a good way to force him to take it. :( It comes in capsules, but instructions say to follow with at least 8 oz of water or it may sick in the throat. So I don't feel safe just popping the pill into him. I'll figure something out. ;)

[CultureJunky]

It's great that Lucas is doing well, and you're bound to have some setbacks now and then, just remind yourself that you're doing the best you can for him, and that'll get you through ;)

[jenluckenbach]

OK, this mornings trick was to open a capsule and dissolve it in water and syringe it into him. He wasn't so sure he liked this idea, but Lucas is a trooper, and we got it done. This way I know he got the full amount (except for the bits that leaked from his mouth :o )

I may also try mixing it into the pumpkin, since he likes the pumpkin, but my instincts tell me he will taste the fiber and not eat it all (this is what happened when I mixed it in canned food and when I sprinkled it on his dry food.)

Trial and error.

[catnapper]

YAY Lucas! I knew your meowmie would find something that worked!

I tried the pumpkin last year for Angel and it didn't work at all. I was certain it was a wasted trick, but now I hear its worked for Lucas I'll keep it in mind if I have any more troubles in the future.

[catlover4ever]

Jen, that's wonderful news. As for having another soft poop after his hard one, just think how a human's system behaves. Sometimes you have one good one and then the next few can be soft, once Lucas gets enough in his system I bet it will balance out.

[Lizzie]

I wanted to post congratulations yesterday, but was at work and then had my hands full of kittens so couldn't. Anyway, congratulations on some success - it must have been a wonderful feeling to see normal poop after months of mess. I agree with other posters that, as with all creatures, there will be times it works and times it doesn't seem to work.

I've used Metamucil for years, but never in capsule form. I've sprinkled it over dry food, which is not the best way but it helps a little. It works best in wet food because you can put more into it. After a lot of trial and error, I figured out the best way to stop it making the food hard. Mix some boiling water with the food so that it is rather sloppy, then sprinkle on the Metamucil and mix it in very thoroughly, let it sit for a minute while it hardens up the food, then mix in more hot water until it's nice and moist again, wait another half-minute to make sure that it hasn't hardened up the food again and if it has, add a little more water. I know it's a rigmarole but it's worked well for me with both my Artful Dodger and Ginger. They wouldn't eat the pumpkin pie filling so you are lucky, and so is Lucas, that he likes it.

Good luck! This is the time of a cat's life that really sorts out the true cat lovers from the ones who like them more as accessories.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Woo hooo!!! At least you found something that will hopefully continue to work. I was going to ask you how you got the metamucil in him, but I see that's an ongoing trial and error that you're still figuring out. I know with CJ, even though his poops are mostly good these days, he still has 1 or 2 liquidy ones thrown in for good measure now and then. There is no rhyme or reason to it so it's really hard to figure out why mostly firm but some liquid. But I figure as long as their mostly firm, we're doing good. :)

Hope things continue to go good! :D

[sasvermont]

Just kidding.

I am going to try the medimucal on Miley. I once had a vet give me instructions for one cat to take Immodium .... I don't recall if it worked. I don't know if Miley would eat pumpkin. I know I wouldn't.

Right now my Miley girl is struggling with stool issues AGAIN. My vet and I have put our heads together and decided to do some more testing to rule out certain things. So, after spending bucks and time on the phone and internet, I have ordered a few kits to work up some results to rule out TF, the parasite mentioned by me in an earlier thread. It is a problem some of the breeders of Abys are having......and I just want to rule it out. And, if all else fails, test wise, we will assume that Miley is really positive with FIP (another incurable disease) and that we will treat her symptoms until we can no longer do that.

Miley is such a sweet and tolerant cat that I would think by her being so easy to medicate and treat, no matter what it ends up being, she will be compliant.

As we get further down this road, I will let you guys know what we come up with. Each cat is so different and they don't talk, so we have to guess all the time...... too bad they can't email us or something. Cats are so stoic. You never know what is going on with them.......bunnies are not the best of communicators either!

To have a cat with stool issues is exhausting and rather disgusting at the same time. Miley has now decided that she can use the litter and/or the hardwood floor near the litter box. That doesn't work for me.

I am so glad you have found the fix for your guy. Keep us posted on his continued health and welfare! If he has a limited time here, it is good that he can spend some quality time in the litter box, without major issues. I know Miley would be happier without issues. I would be too!

Good luck Lucas deary.