Beans Update

Beans checked out fine at the vet, except for his diarrhoea. His temperature is normal and he's not dehydrated. He's there now while they wait for a sample that they can culture. My vet also suggested IBS, certain protein intolerances (the usual that I've been through before) and that he might have another birth defect to do with his digestive system. I'll be calling Michelle at the shelter this afternoon to find out if he had any digestive upsets while with them and what food they gave him.

One problem is that when the tech contacted your vet, they didn't know who they were talking about. It was your vet that gave the health certificate, right? We need to know what treatment he was on previously.

I'm home sick at the moment and need to crash back into bed for some hours before I go back to pick him up. If you can get some information to me before I go back to my vet, that would be helpful.

Lizzie, The food Michelle said he was on when I picked him up was Hill Science diet the adult maintenance. I gave him that but when the diarrhea started my vet put him on the Science Diet W/D like what I told you. It got better with that but as you know with IBD they go through bouts of it. I am sorry I hadn't gotten the records to you yet but I got sick and couldn't go pick them up. I plan on doing that this weekend. If your tech wants to call my vet, Dr Joyce was the one that saw Beans the three times I had him there and she can tell your tech was treatment she gave. Or if she can't come to the phone when they call just tell the nurse or receptionist that the recordm ismunder my name and tell them Bean's name and they shoudl be able to tell you the treatment. He was on Fiagyl almost the whole time I had him. He was also on pred a little while when the diarrhea wouldn't get any better. he also got injections for it but can't remember the specific med. I hope that helps.
Melissa

oh I forgot that when he had the touch of URI he was on Baytril too. And for his ears with the yeast he was on Treasderm drops.
Melissa

Tresa did get through to someone who was able to give her information but the only thing they faxed her was a list of the drugs he'd been given. They would not fax her notes from the vet. Was any kind of test run on a fecal sample - for giarrdia and such? When you said culture, I assumed it was the kind they have to send away to a lab and that they'd run the usual tests at the vet.

I did have Beans on w/d from the start but, since it didn't seem to help him and I'd had such good results with using AvoDerm on both Dagda and Ashley (both with very mess, stinky stools with blood before the change in diet), I very gradually mixed in the AvoDerm. For two weeks it seemed to work. How long were the period when he didn't have runny stools when he was with you?

Sorry, everyone, I know parts of this could be in a pm to Melissa, but I would appreciate others' input and opinions on what could be causing Bean's outbreaks and what can be done about them. Could it all be down to stress?

We have no experience with Cats in that condition although Miquelitos can be pretty wet and stinky.
We pray you Vet can help Beans get over this, as its a pain to have to daily clean and wash everything.

I'm so happy to hear Beans is acclimating better. I'd have scooped that boy up quick if he was on the East Coast, but I think I have enough M*A*S*H Unit cats now. :rolleyes: Does your vet carry "amphoral" by chance? I had a litter of kittens some years back with the worlds worst diarrhea! They had all the routine tests, and meds, and the only thing that worked was the amphoral. Nasty tasting and it has to be given 3 times a day for 3 days. By the second day the babies I had were almost 100% better, and by dose # 9 were good to go. They were covered with poop as was everything else, and it was awful. :( I waited a week or two after meds and they all went off to new homes. I hope precious Beans starts feeling better soon. Have you thought of adding pumpkin to his food to help bind his stools? Plain 100% with no spices etc. Many cats love it. I'm not going to attempt spelling the active cultures that are in yogurt (acido...) but capsules from a health food store will also help Beans replenish the good bacteria being washed out of his intestines. I hope you can get to "the bottom" of Beans problems, and wish you tons of luck. ;)

What do you mean, if he'd been on the East Coast!? He was a lot further east than he was west. :D

I haven't tried anything yet, except to change to AvoDerm and that worked until last night. For a few days he'd been pooping in the front hall instead of going down the hall to the litter room and I thought it was just a behavior matter that I'd have to figure out. Then, late last night, the stuff just came pouring out of him and I knew it was time for a vet. My vet is a big believer in pumpkin but that means switching to wet food and I've kept Beans on dry since I didn't want to make that change also. I'll also pick up some yoghurt which I've used often,usually with success. Actually, his poop isn't that smelly, but it is slimey which indicates inflammation (I think). I really don't need another diet in this household but it looks like I'm going to have to deal with it. The kittens, of course, want anything that isn't theirs and are very aggresive about getting it. I'm out of isolation rooms and the garage is too cold at this time of the year!

I doubt if my vet is going to go with amphoral. He's a big believer in not using drugs of any kind until you know the reason for the illness. Since Beans' problem could be for a multitude of reasons, he'll probably advise food changes first. I am going to push for some med though, since Beans' bum was red raw.

Just got off the phone with my vet. We are going to try the hypo-allergenic diet, antibiotics for anything in his gut, centrine (short-term) to stop the diarrhoea, and a general de-wormer (even though tests don't show any evidence), and his sample has been sent out to a lab. If that doesn't work, we are looking at surgical diagnostic tests.

Jan - do any of your RH cats have intestinal problems? We are wondering if the RH is Beans' only birth defect.

Any undate on Beans? Is he still adjusting well and being good for you? How are his ears looking, and has his diarrhea subsided? Sorry Lizzie, I just had to ask! ;) :p

Thanks for asking. First of all, I should let everyone know that I renamed Beans. His name is now Surya. I was afraid that he'd been named for his disability because when he's startled he jumps like a jumping bean. I wanted to name him for his golden eyes and Surya is the Hindu sun god.

Surya overall is doing very well. He wants to play with Darcy and Cattulus, the two 7-month-olds, and moves towards them often. They are very nice to him, they don't smack him when he gets close, but they are so used to playing together and don't know how to include him, so they just dash off. I know that Belle would give him a good head wash if he was able to curl up near her, but he doesn't get really close to any of the other cats except Raven, a very shy but naughty FIV+ boy. They've slept on the same comforter together. When he wants a cuddle on the bed with me, he sits at the side of it and then rears up on his hind legs. The bed is rather high so he can't jump up, though he does jump down (which makes me cringe). I try to keep the others away while I'm cuddling him on the bed but it always ends up with several of them storming forward, Surya growling and snapping and then getting down. It's early days yet. No-one is being mean to him and he's stopped hissing.

I do have a serious problem in that he won't go down the hall to the litter boxes to poop. He goes in the kitchen, under the table, in the front hall, etc. I believe it is because the distance to the boxes is greater than he wants to travel, and with his bowel irritation, he's more likely to need to go a.s.a.p. I'm figuring out what to do. If he enjoyed being in one of the bedrooms that are set up as sitting rooms, as many of the other cats do, then he'd have litter boxes very close by. But he likes being in the large open plan area and I don't want litter boxes by the kitchen. I can't move him downstairs because those cats would be mean to him. I'll probably end up putting litter boxes in the front hall. I can partially screen them with something so it isn't the first thing people see when I open the front door. I've put a pile of empty boxes in the car from our copy center, and I'll ring the kitchen area with them so he can't get in there. Cleaning up very wet poop from the legs of a mahogony pastry table at midnight is not something I want to have to do again.