F4 cats with digestive issues

[Jacq]

She could be allergic to what's in the kibble. Many cats are. Try picking just one protein at a time to feed her for a while, and see which one causes the issues.

 

[John Popp]

It's important that you talk to the breeder and find out exactly what they were feeding their cats and kittens so you can establish a baseline. It's also important to find out what they have in place for a program for sensitive stomach kittens/cats. Once you have that under your belt and the stools have firmed up you can begin introducing new foods in limited quantity.

I've seen others recommend the boiled chicken and rice although we have always had better results with boiled chicken and plain yogurt. We have also found that any abrupt change in diets can definitely lead to loose stools and have worked hard to provide a varied diet that helps us put together a plan that suits all of our cats. It's certainly a juggling act with some foods not being enjoyed by all and then on top of it there are medical needs of some which promotes some dish jumping to get at stuff they aren't supposed to have.
Two other things that stand out is fish should only be fed to a cat on a very limited basis. Best to keep it as primarily a treat and always better to choose food made from smaller fish. The other is the fruit and vegetable content, things which cats in the wild would have little taste or use for. Consider a mouse for instance and how small their stomach would be. That should be a good approximation as to how much fruit and veggies should be in their diet, and with larger prey such as a rabbit they would be leaving much of the undigested uneaten.

Lastly, hard to compare a shelter cats digestive system to that of a hybrid. There has been generations of domestics that have been eating crap for food and it's only been the last 10-15 years that we have had a variety healthy food choices available for our cats. Then of course there are the good names of pet foods who have been bought up by large conglomerates and the only thing good left in the product they sell is the far removed name on the can.

 

[Foodgoddess]

Thanks to everyone, for the helpful input.

 

[Foodgoddess]

John,

The food we are feeding the Savannah's is the same food the breeder gave them. I have taken her off food for 36 hours, as suggested by post on Vet's Corner. She is on water only, and has stopped vomiting and diarrhea. Will continue to follow directions I found on post to another member. Hopefully this will be a solution. Thanks again for advice.

 

[Brandy DW]

Don't let her go too long without food though, because otherwise it can cause fatty liver issues, which then makes it so that they don't want to and won't eat at all. Taking a pet off foods entirely is sometimes a slippery slope, be careful and if you're not sure it's always best to speak with a vet or vet tech.

 

[shelby]

What kind of special feeding bowl is helping with the loose stools in the male? I suggest putting bothof them on semi or fully cooked chicken legs(no bone) for 48 hours and see if this makes a difference. I f it does...food is more than likely the cuprit;>)

 

[Patti]

I would NOT take her off food for more than 48 hours, and during that time be sure to provide her with plenty of water. As has already been pointed out, raw is probably the easiest diet for a cat to digest so you might want to consider starting her on raw once her fast is over. If you take in another fecal be sure to request a diarrhea PCR panel if you're not sure that's what's been done in the past, however there are other things that can cause diarrhea besides an infection.

It's possible the cats are allergic to one of the ingredients, in fact chicken is one of the most common allergies that cats can have. Many of the additives in processed food can be allergens as well. Trying a limited ingredient food such as Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck may solve the problem. Another cause of diarrhea and vomiting in cats is Inflammatory Bowel Disease. If your vet cannot find any other cause you might want to investigate this as a possibility.

 

[Foodgoddess]

What kind of special feeding bowl is helping with the loose stools in the male? I suggest putting bothof them on semi or fully cooked chicken legs(no bone) for 48 hours and see if this makes a difference. I f it does...food is more than likely the cuprit;>)[/quote

The special feeding bowl forces him to slow down when he eats. He eats so fast, that he vomits. The bowl has helped slow him down, and he no longer throws up. He still has a tendency to soft, watery stools, but no longer wolfs down his food, and then vomits it up

 

[Foodgoddess]

I would NOT take her off food for more than 48 hours, and during that time be sure to provide her with plenty of water. As has already been pointed out, raw is probably the easiest diet for a cat to digest so you might want to consider starting her on raw once her fast is over. If you take in another fecal be sure to request a diarrhea PCR panel if you're not sure that's what's been done in the past, however there are other things that can cause diarrhea besides an infection.

It's possible the cats are allergic to one of the ingredients, in fact chicken is one of the most common allergies that cats can have. Many of the additives in processed food can be allergens as well. Trying a limited ingredient food such as Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck may solve the problem. Another cause of diarrhea and vomiting in cats is Inflammatory Bowel Disease. If your vet cannot find any other cause you might want to investigate this as a possibility.

Thank you for info. My point in including my males info. Is that they both seem to have the same issues,obviously to a different degree. I have been researching the IBD. It seems to possibly fit. I will keep this in mind, if same problems continue to arise. You mentioned chicken as a possible problem. The vet's advice, from Vet's Corner was to start back with the boiled chicken. What would be a possible alternative? Also, after her surgery she was on high quality wet food, until her stitch was removed. She had no,problems with any of the brands I fed her. All were top quality, grain free brands.

 

[Patti]

Boiled chicken is very soothing to the gut, this is a good choice when reintroducing food. If she has a problem on the boiled chicken that would be a clue that she has an allergy to chicken and would consider an alternative protein such as duck, turkey, beef, etc. BTW, if you have her on the plain boiled chicken for more than a few days you will need to add a supplement to make sure she is getting the proper nutrients (calcium, vitamins, minerals, etc.)