Skinny Update

[Craftlady]

Been on new food for a week. Mixed old with new until Wednesday. So for couple days I thought mircles with new food would stop the diarreha. NOT :(
Vet says "be patient". He might try (if goes 2 more weeks) a diet of rice/turkey/peas. I hope it comes processed and I don't have to cook. :) He ran that past me quickly on the phone as a future option. This new food SMELLS but the gang likes it. Go figure :)

I will be :D once Skinny can make tootse rolls for potty.

[slick]

Thanks for the update. I've been wondering. Nosey kisses to you Skinny.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I sure hope that this new diet will work for Skinny. All fingers and paws are crossed here. Thanks for the update.

[jazzcat]

We are sending good kitty vibes Skinny's way in hope the new diet is all it takes. Hang in there!!

[Cataholic]

Let's hope it works! The meal you mentioned, rice/turkey/peas, sounds like a babyfood combo. Ask the vet if Skinny can take in canned baby food? It would be easier than cooking it, though if you cooked once a week, or even once every two weeks, and froze a few days supply, that wouldn't be too bad...

Good luck!

[Craftlady]

It's been 2 and half weeks now on the food. The frequency of potty is slowing down the amount is not, the texture reminds me of half set up pudding. Before it was a total mess that had no texture whats so ever. I'm sure the vet's office is going to love this description when I call them today. ;)

We've gone through 1 (5lb) bag in two and half weeks. I have one more 5 lb bag.

Do I think this diet is working, I don't know to be honest. After 30 plus days it's getting easier to clean up the litter boxes. I cant tell if it's because the texture is getting easier to handle or I'm getting better at cleaning it up. :confused:

I had to call the new vet's office last Friday and update them. At that time he said "be patient" I'm really trying to be patient. I'm just getting so tired of this.

Skinny continues to be a joy in our lives. He is constant motion 95 % of the time. He is learning "mr squirt bottle" is NOT his friend. :D Mom is winning the battle over the countertops. :)

I'm going to call the vet's office today to update them. At this point once this bag is done the other two will go back on their regular food. That will be a hard adjustment for me and them because I leave out measured amount of food all day. It's to expensive to feed everyone this special diet. It's looking like this is going to go on for a little while longer. :eek

Thanks for listening to my rambling at this early hour of the morning :)

[moosmom]

I will be once Skinny can make tootse rolls for potty.

Anyone for Kitty Litter Cake??? :D

Come on Skinny. Make the Tootsie Rolls. I will now look at Tootsie Rolls in a whole new way :eek:

[Craftlady]

Vet just called we have to motor up road (24 miles) and pick up intestinal antibotic. Plus I'm to give him little bit of regular yogart (non flavored) 1x a day for next 3 days.
He thinks that with intestinal antibotic and new food things should speed up. Lets hope ;)

[HayleyRosie]

I hope everything goes well for you and Skinny is well again very soon. Keep us posted.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Prayers and positive thoughts are on the way for both you and Skinny. I sure hope that the antibiotic and yogurt will help his tummy problems. Please keep us updated.

[Craftlady]

I called our new vet today. He was off today and will call me tomorrow. The other vet in the practice was but since our vet knows our situation, we can wait till tomorrow to hear back. The gal at first was concerned that I would want to wait a day and I told her this has been on going thing since Sept 1st , he is eating and peeing and playing just fine. Then she understood. Poor gal can't remember everyones situation in the vet office. :)

Skinny's last doses of antibotic were today. I needed to know what the vet wants to do next. We are about done with the second 5# bag of special food. He is half way done with large container of plain yogart which he loves. I was giving him 2 lg tablespoons 1x a day. Vet said just 1x a day but way things were not going, I starting yesterday an added a dose. Skinny went wild :D

Still not making tootse rolls. :(

[stacwase]

No tootsie rolls? I don't know what my dogs would do if my kitties didn't make them special tootsie rolls every day!

I hope you feel better soon Skinny! Your bottom must be getting sore.

[Craftlady]

No more pills :D :)
I'm to judge potty for next two weeks if things don't improve even in a another week, Skinny will be put on a diet for irritable bowel syndrome which is venison and peas. Our vet is going on a weeks vacation starting tomorrow. I wished him a good time and he wished us luck. Told me to call the other vet (owner) if I needed anything while he was gone. :)

Tomorrow I have to stop at office and pick up another 5# bag of low resdue food.

[catcrazylady]

Thank goodness for happy news!! Do you think that tootsie rolls are ever coming in the future???http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/biggrin.gif

[Craftlady]

I've seen them before when we first took him in over Labor Day weekend. So I know he can do it. :) Our vet keeps telling me to be patient things are improving but it's hard after all this time not to get discouraged alittle bit. But we keep :) here.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that Skinny doesn't have to take pills anymore. :) Hopefully he'll improve in time so you don't have to put him on another different diet. All fingers and paws are crossed here. Good luck. :)

[Craftlady]

Well, today when we stopped at the vet's to get more food I spoke with our vet. We are going to keep low residue food 2 more weeks. Then we go to yet another special food. :eek
I continue to give him 2x a day yogart. I forgot one dose and he returned to really runny potty, so we don't forget anymore.

Skinny would be on the new special food for 2 weeks and if no improvement would go back to the low residue. If the new special food works than he is on it for life. If what they were quoting me before it isn't cheap. However, according to vet it isn't to bad in cost. We shall see.

He is calling his condition inflammed bowel not irritable bowel. They sound the same to me.

I mentioned to our new vet, I felt like poor Skinny was being a ginnie pig and he said unfortunately this condition is hit/miss when trying to treat. Thank god he still has his lovely personality through all torture I've put him through. :)

Please keep good thoughts.

[catcrazylady]

Poor Skinny! He is just having a hard time getting over this!! Glad to know that he is staying happy through the whole ordeal. Poor little guy! I hope they get this figured out soon and the food will work. You have been going through this for a long time. Good luck to you and a big THANK YOU from Skinny for taking such good care of him!!!http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/smile.gif
Good thoughts and prayers from me and my nine!!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Prayers and positive thoughts are still on the way for Skinny. I sure hope that at least one of these diets will finally help him. Please keep us updated.

[Baby'sMomma]

Our cat, Baby, had either inflammatory bowel disease (the human term for it which is why your vet is calling it inflammed bowel) or alimentary lymphosarcoma. Both illnesses present with the same symptoms, so be sure to ask your vet about this , he may want to do bloodwork. Unfortunately, the sarcoma can only be confirmed with an intestinal biopsy, so if Skinny is older, then your vet will not perform this procedure (as in our case). Baby did well on Purina DM for a while and then preferred beef flavored baby food towards the end which we supplemented with K/D (?) when we thought he wasn't getting enough nutrients. Also, do not use any furball preventative and no more treats as these irritate the bowel. All helped somewhat with his stool (which never went back to tootsie roll consistency by the way, but did improve), along with daily pills of prednisone along with an anti-nausea pill. Also, watch his water intake - using room temp water as opposed to cool or cold water and if you have a water softener and use salt pellets, consider changing to potassium. Hang in there because you will constantly be adjusting his diet - you have to be consistent in what you are feeding him but at the same time, once you realize that diet is no longer working, be prepared to change it again. You will constantly reassessing his diet and condition for the rest of his life. I hope in Skinny's case that it is inflammed bowel and not alimentary lymphosarcoma and that he lives a long healthy life - Inflammed bowel is manageable but don't ever expect his bowels to go back 100% to the tootsie roll form you are seeking. Best of luck to you and health to Skinny!

[Craftlady]

Thanks for great information, Baby'sMomma.
Our vet has not recommended blood workup or biposy's.
Diarrhea is his only symptom. Water I use is bottled water no refrigeration. While it's in bowls say during summer it will cool down little bit from a/c in the house but not to "chilled" temperature. I'm good on that point :)
Our vet is treating it as "inflammatory bowel disease" and not "irritable bowel disease. In reading up there is a difference, I have learned :)

Diet seems to be the key since all medications have been tried from previous vet and our new vet. He has no plans for further medications. If the venison doesnt work we go back to low residue. There is a good possibitly we are dealing with a food allergy.

Coccidia started this whole mess off. :(