cat with diaorrhea - but only when she goes outside

On Mon, 24 May 2010 09:08:32 +0100, Mike Scott
wrote:

Gandalf wrote:
....
If she'll stay indoors (some cats absolutely won't) that might be all
the 'treatment' she needs. Taking her to the vet can be pretty
expensive.

Especially if it's not something a vet can treat. Knocking on £50 just
for the vet to look in the box, never mind analysis of stools.

Yes, she will stay indoors, but loves to be out - she absolutely loves
to run the garden length.


I know ALL about that: my elderly cat has multiple health problems, and
I'm out of work

Are you feeding her a 'good' cat food? There is a tremendous difference
in price.... and quality, among cat foods. Basically, you get what you
pay for.

Yes. It's some of the James Wellbeloved range - I'm told this is pretty
good stuff.

....
I hope your cat's problems are over. I really worry when my cat isn't
well

She's been indoors a few days now, and the problem has cleared up
completely. Maybe we'll wait a while, then let her out under observation
for short periods and see what happens.

Thanks again to all.

When my (indoor only) cat first got sick, over a year ago, I decided to
start feeding her a very expensive, 'natural' food. I figured: better
food, might help her immune system, etc.

Well, slowly, over time, she started to develop diarrhea. Very
intermittent at first, then happening more often.

At first I thought it was due to her health problems. Then I decided to
switch her back to her previous food.

Her diarrhea disappeared as soon as she was eating (100%) her previous
food.

It is possible that you cat's food, along with something outdoors, might
be upsetting her GI tract.

If you cat is otherwise healthy, if she was mine, I would try another
food, just in case her lower GI tract is always a little irritated, and
then a little grass or other vegetation is enough to cause the diarrhea.

If her GI tract IS irritated all the time, it could get much worse,
before too long.

Switching to a different food might help her, and, it shouldn't hurt
her. But it may give you some valuable information

Look for a food with a different grain than what's in what she's eating
now. Add the new food to the 'old' food, and gradually add more of the
new food over a week to 2 weeks, to make the adjustment easy for her.

Good luck.




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