Miss.Contessa's Trials...

[Freedom]

Hmm, in addition, I'd worry that a growing kitten won't get the nutrition she needs from a senior formula.

What has the vet suggested?

Does she get treats? Those may also be the culprit.

I'm don't recall the history, sorry. Have you tried a better quality food, rather than a grocery store variety? Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover is a high quality food. You can find a place that carries it near you by going to their web site; you put in your zip code. Other high quality foods include Old Mother Hubbard, Fromm's, Canidae, and Merrick. any of these in the kibble form should work fine.

Let us know how she is doing!

[emily_the_spoiled]

There are a number of brands of wet and dry cat food available that do not contain corn, other fillers, or preservatives. When I took my guys off food with those ingredients the diarrhea (and vomiting cleared up almost completely)

Good luck!

[warmbear]

Obviously you missed my previous posts.

Miss.Contessa has always eaten dry food (until now). She has been tried on every concievable & ultra-expensive dry kitten food, and has constant water for stools since day one. She has been on antibitotics & probiotics... She has been on kitty kaeopectate. Nothing has worked.

She has been to the vet more times than I can count. She has never even had all of her kitten shots, because the vet is afraid to give them all to her, because of this chronic, ongoing problem.

She has not been altered, because the vet will not do it until her bowels get better. She was recently in heat for a few days (about a week).. She is undersized at less than 5 pounds (she was the runt of the litter of 7), although she seems to have attained her full growth (I think that this unending problem contributed to her lack of size because it causes a constant nutritional loss).

She does not eat treats, nor human foods. (She absolutely hates treats, and we never give her human food because of her problems)

[emily_the_spoiled]

Sorry about all of her problems. I found that the vet wanted me to switch to an (expensive) prescription cat food because one of my guys was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. But removing those things from his diet seemed to really help. I eventually converted most of them over to a raw diet (and yes I make their food ), but if you just want to try a little before going that route the Evo brand by Innova was quite popular in my household

[warmbear]

We have already been the prescription food route.. It was a waste of money, as were the other ultra-expensive kitten foods the vet had us try. We have tried them all; Both at the vets, and at the pet shop as well. Each food has been given a month's trial (or more). She has a diagnosis of colitis, but that is just based on the symptoms, and her stool samples.

I am aware that the senior foods are not as nutritious as the kitten foods, but if the senior foods can stop this water for stools, she will be getting more nutrition from the senior food than she has been from the kitten foods with this problem.

[Catty1]

I am sure you have tried these too - canned pumpkin (not pie filling) and Metamucil.

Just in case.

[emily_the_spoiled]

You must be really frustrated right now. The only way they can positively diagnose colotis is to do a biopsy of the GI tract and not all vets can do something like that. I spent ALOT of money on Tanner last summer so I can understand what you are feeling. Thankfully he is 3 yo, so he doesn't need as much as a kittne (but try and tell him that )

If the senior food doesn't work there are holistic pet places that sell frozen food for a raw diet. I am not sure where you live and whether they are available there, but that might help a little...

[warmbear]

I live out in the boondocks. (LOL).. We are lucky to have a WalMart 30 miles each way from us. The pet store is 50+ miles each way, the vet is 30+ miles each way. We also tried all the kitten food available at the "feed" store (30+ miles each way). Of course, we tried all the grocery store brands of kitten food first, and they did not work (obviously).

The situation is more than old, and I feel badly for the little cat.

Her tiny behind has to get very sore from all those trips to the sandbox. The vet would still have us coming in every week, if I did not say NO very firmly. (I simply cannot be forever running to the vet's office, I have two disabled adults in my house that I have to get to doctor's visits etc. -- besides, we have already tried everything suggested by the vet, and nothing has worked.)

Increasing fiber in her diet does not seem to help & and psyllium doesn't help and gives her terrible kitty GAS, which is not a good combination with watery stools (understatement).