Hair in Stool, urinating more

[MyCatPaulie]

Paulie urinated and had a bowl movement at 9:30 the stools was very soft now he just went both again and his stools was held together by what looks like a long piece of hair, what should I do, our vet is closed, should I call the emergency vet?
Also all summer he was on z/d and would only urinate once a day, usually he would wait to go right up until it was almost 24 hours since he had gone last. He is off z/d dry now and on wellness dry and all of a sudden he is going twice a day now. Do you think this is a problem? We took him off the z/d because he was throwing up and seemed very lethargic but now he's better but could there be a kidney problem?

[CatsMeow]

Get her to the emergency vet, she cold have a digestive disorder!.... and or kidney failure and a kidney infection or.... :eek:

[MyCatPaulie]

Catsmeow, I'm so nervous. do you think it was just from the piece of hair. He is acting fine

[CatsMeow]

Catsmeow, I'm so nervous. do you think it was just from the piece of hair. He is acting fine

Well, there is another thing, he could have digested hair. But hair in stool IS a sign of digestive problems.

[MyCatPaulie]

I don't know what to do. I called the emergency vet by my house and they said unless he's throwing up he should be fine. Are all other vets closed on the holiday?

[Catty1]

All I can think is to keep him hydrated. Gently lift the skin on the back of his neck and let go. If it settles into place, he is ok for hydration. If it stays in position, or resettles slowly, get water into him, even if it takes a syringe or turkey baster to do it.

He MAY have swallowed a piece of string or even human hair that caused the soft stool.

You'd have to call around. Do you have a regular vet? They should have an answering service or an emergency # to call. Please try that.

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks for your help! I do have a regular vet and there answering machine instructs you to call the emergency vet I tried, I don't know if I should look up other ER vets and call them even if I have to drive far or wait and see how he does. It looked like a human hair for sure so I'm hoping it just came out with the stool but I don't know why he would urinate twice in such short time.

[Karen]

You can always try Angell Memorial, they are in Boston, but have people available 24 hours a day. (617) 522-7282

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks so much Karen! Is it ok if I call them just to ask a question?

[Karen]

Thanks so much Karen! Is it ok if I call them just to ask a question?

Yes. That's what they are there for.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Well I sure hope it's nothing serious.:( At first it just sounded like he/she had a hairball in his/her stool. Sometimes my cats will do this and it's normal. My cats urinate several times a day and this is also normal. A cat that holds their urine is more likely to get UTI's just like people that can't urinate very well. He/she may be drinking more water now so this is causing Paulie to urinate more. Try not to panic and hopefully the ER clinic will be able to answer any question you may have. Good luck.:)

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks for the reply's everyone!
Karen, I called the clinic you suggested and they were very nice, they said if he's not throwing up and there isn't a piece of hair sticking out he should be fine. Thank you for suggesting to call there, it was a big help!
Catty1, thanks for the tip on being hydrated, I lifted his skin like you said and it went right back into place so that is great news.
krazyaboutkatz, thanks for the info. This happened at 11:30am unless he's acting different should I just wait and make sure he goes by 11:30am tomorrow. I hope he doesn't have a UTI, do you know the symptoms of that? Should I expect his stool to be back to normal or do you think it will still be soft when he goes again?

[Karen]

Thanks for the reply's everyone!
Karen, I called the clinic you suggested and they were very nice, they said if he's not throwing up and there isn't a piece of hair sticking out he should be fine. Thank you for suggesting to call there, it was a big help!

I am glad they were able to help you, they are open 24 hours a day year round just for this sort of thing. It's a wonderful, well-respected organization.

[MyCatPaulie]

I have never heard of them and they were very helpful, I apprciate you tellin gme about there service! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

krazyaboutkatz, thanks for the info. This happened at 11:30am unless he's acting different should I just wait and make sure he goes by 11:30am tomorrow. I hope he doesn't have a UTI, do you know the symptoms of that? Should I expect his stool to be back to normal or do you think it will still be soft when he goes again?

Some symptoms of a UTI are when a cat strains to urinate and nothing or very little comes out, being in pain while trying to urinate, peeing very little (more like little dribbles than a normal round pee clump),sometimes there can be blood in the urine too. Just because he's been peeing a bit more than normal dosen't mean he has a UTI.

Since you've been changing his diet a lot, this is probably why he's making loose stools. I think that most or all of the Wellness food is also grain free so sometimes in the beginning a cat's body needs to adjust to this and they will either have some diarrhea or loose stools. It should become normal again within a week or two. I wouldn't worry too much unless it continues longer or he becomes dehydrated.

You can always call your normal vet tomorrow with any more questions that you may have. So is Paulie your first cat?

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks krazyaboutkatz! Yes Paulie is my very first cat, we got him last June from the SPCA, he has been such a wonderful friend I just wish I could get him feeling better, if he's not itching it's somthing else :(. This mornin ghe urinated at 7am so that was good! I'm going to pick up his new prescription food at the vet's tomorrow so I am going to leave her a note then asking if he should be ok. Thanks again for your help! :love:

[CatsMeow]

Ok I did some research and they either:

Swallowed a hairball
Ate human hair


or they might have a few problems (such as loose hair... or the mange)

The mange is where their hair comes of easily, and if they were grooming, some hair might have came off

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks for your help! My vet prescribed a medication called metronidazole. Has anyone ever heard or used this before, I'm worried because she doesn't have diarrhea just soft stools that aren't formed also what if there is still a piece of hair stuck and this binds her up even more? She wants her to take it twice a day for five days. she also wants him to drink more water, does any one know of a special bowl cats like to drink out of. Thanks again!!!

[Catty1]

That medication is for any 'bugs' or bacteria that may be Paulie's digestive tract.

As for water, my cats get filtered water in stainless steel or ceramic bowls.

If Paulie eats wet food, mix it up with some warm water to make it a bit goopier - that's another way to get more water into her system.

I hope she feels better soon!:)

[Catlady711]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Metronidazole+in+cats&l=1

[MyCatPaulie]

Thank you both for your help!!!! It's weird because one day his stools will be normal and then the next day they will be soft :confused:. That's why I'm sacred to use the medication because it's not an everyday thing and they aren't like pudding or anything just not firm.

[Catty1]

USE IT. Trust me. I used the same stuff on tiny foster kittens - it's a normal med to get the bugs and any protozoa out!

If untreated, those bugs will reproduce and grow. Not a good thing!;)

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks for the advice. I started the medication today, is there any side effects I should look out for? How long was your kitty on it, Paulie just has a round of 5 days twice a day.

[Catty1]

That's how long my kittens were on it. If you want to know about side effects, just call the vet. :) Or just wait and see how Paulie does.

I hope Paulie feels better soon.:love:

[MyCatPaulie]

My vet to watch out for if he starts acting drunk, I really hope that doesn't happen :(. I hope this works for Paulie the vet said if he keeps having soft stools we'll have to change his food but the wellness he's on now is helping his allergies so I don't know what we'll do. Thanks for your help!

[Catlady711]

Thanks for the advice. I started the medication today, is there any side effects I should look out for?


http://lmgtfy.com/?q=metronidazole+in+cats%2Bside+effects&l=1

[MyCatPaulie]

Thanks for the link CatLady ;)! Do you know how quick side effects pop up? Would he have already had a recation to this medication? He took one pill at 12:30. Sorry I have so many questions, Paulie is my first cat and I want to make sure I do everything right!

[MyCatPaulie]

Hi everybody, Paulie seems to be sleeping more today, is that anything I should be concerned with?

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi everybody, Paulie seems to be sleeping more today, is that anything I should be concerned with?

I would call your vet with any concerns about Paulie. It could be a side effect though. Good luck.:)