Oh noooooooo please enjoy your adventure with the only dog ophthalmologist in the greater Seattle area (they have 2 locations but it's the same folks). My dog had to have, I shit you not, LASER EYE SURGERY.
I got a new cat a month ago and he is a perfect sweet fluffy angel EXCEPT he is seemingly biologically incapable of solid poop. The vet said oh it could be the transition to new food, give it time. I gave it time. The vet said oh it might be stress, just try to keep your home calm. Um sir I have anxiety and I can't help that my psychic nervous cat can sense it. He's an empath! And now I don't know if I should try new food that's easier on his guts or if that will only prolong the diarrhea stage of development in this young cat's life. The poops are in the box, which is great, but he has long hair and likes to dip it in the poops, which is less great. He's sick of me chasing him around the house with a roll of TP trying to wipe his ass! I'm sick of wiping hairy poopy buttholes all day long! The first time I see a solid turd I will weep in relief.
My previous elderly cat had severe IBD, and his main issues when it flared up (and towards the end, when I think it had morphed into lymphoma) were diarrhea, and here is a list of things I did that helped, try them or not if you'd like to:
- try limited ingredient wet food to see if there's a food sensitivity (Merrick has good salmon and duck ones, and KIWI has some venison and beef ones, and also KOHA has pouches of limited ingredient that come in duck, lamb, and a couple others and are also mixed with a bit of pumpkin), also make sure to mix a bit of water in with the wet food every meal, to keep him from getting dehydrated due to diarrhea
- S. Boulardii probiotic strain -- you can order capsules online, just get a bottle of them (it's probiotics for people, but this particular strain is very helpful for cat diarrhea, particularly IBD) -- give for-cats probiotics also, but try adding a half-capsule of this mixed in to one to two meals each day, this really helped keep my cat stable for a long time
- this is annoying, but I found that a small meal every 4 hours helped him be able to actually digest his food, which he couldn't do with larger meals
- ask your vet about getting him a round of B-12 shots -- you can get a weekly shot for 6 weeks (either in-office or they are very easy to do at home if you get pre-filled syringes from the vet), and because of how the body processes it you don't need to do an expensive test first to verify deficiency, the cat won't overdose on B-12, and being deficient can cause/exacerbate diarrhea, and especially if it is IBD, cats are likely deficient because their bodies aren't fully absorbing nutrients
- ask your vet first, but a half-capsule of psyllium husk (exactly what's in Metamucil capsules) mixed into wet food with a little water can help with both constipation or diarrhea issues for cats, try it in one meal, give it a day or two, and then do it again if the poops haven't firmed up yet
- there's also a paste you can get -- doesn't need a prescription, you can order from Chewy, but do discuss with your vet first just so they are aware if you want to try it, called Pro-Pectalin, it has I think clay and pectin in it, it's a non-med diarrhea aid, you can have the cat lick it off your finger or mix it into food, once a day for a few days until poop firms up (and it isn't dangerous, so it won't cause any weird side-effect issues)
Sorry for the brain dump, but hopefully some of this might be helpful info!
Oh nooo! Related possibly helpful thing I had to do with my previous ill cat -- a bath towel (with a couple of puppy pee pads under it in his final months) just lived covering the bottom 1/4 of the bed, so that if he had pooping issues (when he had uncomfortable poops, he tended to go outside the litterbox and on something comfortable -- which I get, he was sick and it was a postural thing -- and he almost always wanted to be on the bed if he was going to vomit, and he tended to go on the towel once I just always had it there) I didn't have to strip and launder all the bed covers/sheets, but just toss the puppy pads and wash the towel. (Also helpful if he gets diarrhea on himself and won't let you properly clean him off, if you kind of train him into only going on that part of the bed after using the litterbox, you will contain residual messes to the towel.) But also, if you rinse as much poop off as you can, and then toss your bedclothes (or whatever has the problem) in the washer and cover it with baking soda, then dump a lot of white vinegar on it and wait until it stops foaming, and then wash normally with detergent, the smell will completely disappear.
Not sure if it will help your guy, but one of my cats used to frequently get the runs so now I add a little bit of organic pureed pumpkin (fancy!) to her food.
These animal eye docs are great! They took care of my cat's eye and by took care of I mean removed it because it was causing him a lot of pain. But they were so smart and kind and skilled.
Dr. Jones and everyone working there: just the best, the best, the best, aren't they? My pup Cady was blinded by glaucoma in one eye at 9 (misdiagnosed by another large, indifferent Kirkland vet practice), and NW Animal Eye pretty much salvaged the sight in the other for the next five years, through meds and surgeries and stayovers and checkups. Unbelievably compassionate and loving staff. She LOVED going there. They said she was their favorite. I bet they say that to all the girls, but Cady believed it.
I watched The Proposal last night thinking it would lift me from my Covid Continues malaise. It did not. It definitely needs your attention. The last line of the movie is literally sexual harassment. Not bani wei.
I watched every movie in Shit, Actually and all the Butt News movies and I’m not quitting now. National Treasure it is! (I’m a little mad at you about Blair Witch Project.)
I'm so sorry for Barry's travails, and for your and Aham's, too! The worst. But he may be dog hero! So much good info here, I will be cutting and pasting all over the place against the day I acquire a new animal, which will inevitably have the butt news nobody wants.
I humbly nominate one of the least Nic Cage-iest of Nic Cage movies, City of Angels. I just watched it for the first time in like 15 years and I wished I had your review of it to help process my feelings.
Should not have read this while eating a hot bowl of chili!
Barry really delivered on the Butt News end though.
Oh noooooooo please enjoy your adventure with the only dog ophthalmologist in the greater Seattle area (they have 2 locations but it's the same folks). My dog had to have, I shit you not, LASER EYE SURGERY.
I got a new cat a month ago and he is a perfect sweet fluffy angel EXCEPT he is seemingly biologically incapable of solid poop. The vet said oh it could be the transition to new food, give it time. I gave it time. The vet said oh it might be stress, just try to keep your home calm. Um sir I have anxiety and I can't help that my psychic nervous cat can sense it. He's an empath! And now I don't know if I should try new food that's easier on his guts or if that will only prolong the diarrhea stage of development in this young cat's life. The poops are in the box, which is great, but he has long hair and likes to dip it in the poops, which is less great. He's sick of me chasing him around the house with a roll of TP trying to wipe his ass! I'm sick of wiping hairy poopy buttholes all day long! The first time I see a solid turd I will weep in relief.
My previous elderly cat had severe IBD, and his main issues when it flared up (and towards the end, when I think it had morphed into lymphoma) were diarrhea, and here is a list of things I did that helped, try them or not if you'd like to:
- try limited ingredient wet food to see if there's a food sensitivity (Merrick has good salmon and duck ones, and KIWI has some venison and beef ones, and also KOHA has pouches of limited ingredient that come in duck, lamb, and a couple others and are also mixed with a bit of pumpkin), also make sure to mix a bit of water in with the wet food every meal, to keep him from getting dehydrated due to diarrhea
- S. Boulardii probiotic strain -- you can order capsules online, just get a bottle of them (it's probiotics for people, but this particular strain is very helpful for cat diarrhea, particularly IBD) -- give for-cats probiotics also, but try adding a half-capsule of this mixed in to one to two meals each day, this really helped keep my cat stable for a long time
- this is annoying, but I found that a small meal every 4 hours helped him be able to actually digest his food, which he couldn't do with larger meals
- ask your vet about getting him a round of B-12 shots -- you can get a weekly shot for 6 weeks (either in-office or they are very easy to do at home if you get pre-filled syringes from the vet), and because of how the body processes it you don't need to do an expensive test first to verify deficiency, the cat won't overdose on B-12, and being deficient can cause/exacerbate diarrhea, and especially if it is IBD, cats are likely deficient because their bodies aren't fully absorbing nutrients
- ask your vet first, but a half-capsule of psyllium husk (exactly what's in Metamucil capsules) mixed into wet food with a little water can help with both constipation or diarrhea issues for cats, try it in one meal, give it a day or two, and then do it again if the poops haven't firmed up yet
- there's also a paste you can get -- doesn't need a prescription, you can order from Chewy, but do discuss with your vet first just so they are aware if you want to try it, called Pro-Pectalin, it has I think clay and pectin in it, it's a non-med diarrhea aid, you can have the cat lick it off your finger or mix it into food, once a day for a few days until poop firms up (and it isn't dangerous, so it won't cause any weird side-effect issues)
Sorry for the brain dump, but hopefully some of this might be helpful info!
Update: Tonight he sneezed and sharted on my bed. I mean, it happens to the best of us, but c'mon dude!
Oh nooo! Related possibly helpful thing I had to do with my previous ill cat -- a bath towel (with a couple of puppy pee pads under it in his final months) just lived covering the bottom 1/4 of the bed, so that if he had pooping issues (when he had uncomfortable poops, he tended to go outside the litterbox and on something comfortable -- which I get, he was sick and it was a postural thing -- and he almost always wanted to be on the bed if he was going to vomit, and he tended to go on the towel once I just always had it there) I didn't have to strip and launder all the bed covers/sheets, but just toss the puppy pads and wash the towel. (Also helpful if he gets diarrhea on himself and won't let you properly clean him off, if you kind of train him into only going on that part of the bed after using the litterbox, you will contain residual messes to the towel.) But also, if you rinse as much poop off as you can, and then toss your bedclothes (or whatever has the problem) in the washer and cover it with baking soda, then dump a lot of white vinegar on it and wait until it stops foaming, and then wash normally with detergent, the smell will completely disappear.
Nooooooo
Not sure if it will help your guy, but one of my cats used to frequently get the runs so now I add a little bit of organic pureed pumpkin (fancy!) to her food.
You could ask your vet about Fortiflora (or other cat probiotics) I have used them in the past for my cat and they seemed to help.
My dog thinks fortiflora is the yummiest ever.
man I had no idea that the title of this newsletter would be QUITE SO literal
Definitely delivering on the promise of Butt News
I've woken up to diarrhea pies, but the up-walls version. Oh Walter ❤️
These animal eye docs are great! They took care of my cat's eye and by took care of I mean removed it because it was causing him a lot of pain. But they were so smart and kind and skilled.
https://www.northwestanimaleye.com/
Dr. Jones and everyone working there: just the best, the best, the best, aren't they? My pup Cady was blinded by glaucoma in one eye at 9 (misdiagnosed by another large, indifferent Kirkland vet practice), and NW Animal Eye pretty much salvaged the sight in the other for the next five years, through meds and surgeries and stayovers and checkups. Unbelievably compassionate and loving staff. She LOVED going there. They said she was their favorite. I bet they say that to all the girls, but Cady believed it.
Poor sweet Barry. He looks so worried in the first picture.
I watched The Proposal last night thinking it would lift me from my Covid Continues malaise. It did not. It definitely needs your attention. The last line of the movie is literally sexual harassment. Not bani wei.
I watched every movie in Shit, Actually and all the Butt News movies and I’m not quitting now. National Treasure it is! (I’m a little mad at you about Blair Witch Project.)
I'm so sorry for Barry's travails, and for your and Aham's, too! The worst. But he may be dog hero! So much good info here, I will be cutting and pasting all over the place against the day I acquire a new animal, which will inevitably have the butt news nobody wants.
FWIW, Butt News Movie night is a highlight of our weekly routine! Even when it involves Nic Cage and clues that endlessly just lead to other clues.
Oh, Barry. Hang in there, poo-champ. xoxo
I humbly nominate one of the least Nic Cage-iest of Nic Cage movies, City of Angels. I just watched it for the first time in like 15 years and I wished I had your review of it to help process my feelings.
Those veterinary probiotics are fucking magic. I hope Barry feels better!
Wait, does this mean we *should* watch Blair Witch Project????