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Hi there, my 2 british shorthair kittens came home to me 9 ...

Sent to Cat Experts October 6 2007 at 3:57 AM
   

Hi there, my 2 british shorthair kittens came home to me 9 days ago. They have been presenting with bright red blood and mucus in stools for 4 days with soft stools - not completely runny, but soft. I took them to vet and he was quite relaxed about it saying it was a spot of colitis. He gave me Pro-Kolin. Yesterday I attempted to give it to them and it turned into a traumatic experience for both of us - lots of crying, wriggling and distress - in the end I had to give up. For 12 hours the little girl hid from me. As the relationship is just beginning I am really worried about frightening them and causing them stress which ironically cannot be good for the gut. They now are not getting their medicine and I don't know what to do. Would also like a second opinion on the colitis - don't understand how this could not be serious - the books say blood is a dangerous sign and it certainly is in humans. They also will only eat wet food (kitten pouch). This morning dont seem hungry.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 6 2007 at 4:22 AM (24 minutes and 33 seconds later)
         
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Hello, XXXXXXX, and congratulations on your two new furry additions! : )

Blood in the stool with mucus, can be indicative of several conditions, but in young kittens, especially with mushy stools, it's most likely due to intestinal parasites (worms and single-celled organisms called protozoans), food allergies, or an intestinal virus or bacterial infection. If the vet did not do a stool sample analysis, this must be done. They most likely need a deworming medication or one for coccidia or giardia, if intestinal parasites are found.

http://www.petplace.com/cats/hematochezia-blood-in-stool-in-cats/page1.aspx

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/worms.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/coccidiosis.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/giardiasis.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/allergies.html

Check the ingredients in their wet food in a pouch; if it contains corn, gluten, soy, wheat, dairy products and/or artificial additives and preservatives, these are all common allergens for cats, so try to feed them a more 'natural' food which contains none of these allergens. I'm not sure if these brands are all available in the U.K., but Wellness, Innova, Felidae, Solid Gold, and Nutro, are all premium kitten foods. Just read labels, and you'll find a good food for them.

You can see a description of the Pro-Kolin medication, here, and it comes in both a liquid and a palatable paste, which they should lick from your finger. (I don't know which one you have) It should help bind the stools and soothe the stomach. However, you can also offer them 1/2 teaspoon of plain, unflavored yogurt with active cultures, once daily, and this, too, should help bind up their stools, as it's a 'pro-biotic' and will add 'good' bacteria to their intestinal tract.

Here are helpful instructions on how to give both liquid and tablet medications to cats:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/pilling_a_cat.html
http://www.petplace.com/cats/how-to-give-liquid-medication-to-your-cat/page1.aspx

I'm so sorry that this was a traumatic experience for you and your new kittens. If you have someone to help hold the kitten, while you administer the medication, it would be easier. If not, you can wrap them in a large towel, disabling all four legs and with just their head sticking out. Don't ever try to mix medication into food, as they will detect it. However, you CAN try to put a liquid, bit by bit, or a very finely crushed pill, into some softened butter or cream cheese, but that might upset their stomachs more, considering the loose stools. Also, if you have, or can get tablets in this medication, bring them to a pharmacy that does 'compounding', and they will finely crush the tablets, then add it to a cat-friendly base, which is palatable to them, and most pharmacies have beef, fish, or chicken flavor. If you call in advance to find out if they carry these cat flavored 'bases' to add to the crushed tablet to make a suspension, you can administer it as a liquid, and they shouldn't mind the taste.

I also question the diagnosis of colitis, in ones so young, so a second opinion might be a good idea, from another well-recommended vet, and if a fecal analysis was not done, it definitely should have been, so I'd not have too much confidence in this vet.

I hope your two furry cuties are doing better very soon, and these suggestions have been helpful!

Cher


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Reply
October 6 2007 at 4:34 AM (12 minutes and 35 seconds later)
         
Reply to Jessesmom's Post: Hi there
Many thanks for your detailed reply. They were wormed at the breeder and I gave them Stronghold when they got home (although I have to confess I was 3 days late in doing this).

They seem really distressed by the taste of pro-kolin so licking off finger isn't working either.

Is it imperative that I give them this medicine or do you think it will settle on its own? If it will settle I wonder if it is better to do this and cause them less stress. But obviously I must do what is right for them. How worried should I be?

I live alone - even putting them in a towel is going to difficult as they are still quite nervous of me.
Answer
October 6 2007 at 2:46 PM (10 hours and 11 minutes and 56 seconds later)
         
Hello again, and thanks very much for your accept.

I'm sorry for the delay. I had to log off shortly after I sent your answer, as I'm in the U.S. and it was 4:30AM for me. As you can see, I'm online late, and then sign on again in the early afternoon (my time).

If they're put off by the taste of the Pro-Kolin (paste?) which is supposed to be palatable to cats, then, no, don't bother offering it to them on your finger and distressing them further.

The worming medication is to be repeated in 2-3 weeks, if it is to be effective (or, follow directions on the product, as some may vary). I know that Stronghold (spot-on?) is made to treat tapeworms, roundworms, fleas and mites, so this was a good choice, to cover all bases.

The medication the vet prescribed is an 'anti-diarrheal' to stop the loose stools, however, if your kittens have coccidia or giardia, which are microscopic intestinal parasites, they must be treated with an antibiotic type medication that is specifically made to eliminate those parasites. If they're not treated with the proper medication, IF their fecal check is 'positive' for these parasites, the condition will not resolve itself. Sometimes, it's difficult to make a positive identification of these conditions, as they may not be obvious upon the first, or multiple tests, so the vet will treat for them, anyway. In the U.S., a medication called Albon is usually used to treat coccidia and Metronizadole is used to treat giardia. I don't know if your kittens received any type of medication like this from the breeder or the vet; you'll have to call and ask. The medications might have a different name in the U.K.

The main concern with diarrhea or loose/mushy stools in young kittens, is dehydration, because they're losing fluid through the abnormal stools.

If the taste of the medication is very 'obvious', then they would detect it in food, if you mixed it in. I feel it's important to have a fecal analysis done to determine the cause of the current mushy stools, and proceed from there. Give them the 1/2 tsp. of plain, unflavored yogurt, as I mentioned previously, just mix it into a little canned kitten food. If the pouch food is more 'chunky' or 'slices', buy some canned kitten food that's mushier and mix the yogurt into a small amount, so you know they've eaten it all.

In addition, feed them some plain, boiled skinless chicken breast (no onions or garlic added), mixed with plain boiled white rice. This too, will help solidify their stools. If the problem is just diarrhea, caused by a problem other than intestinal parasites, with the bland food, encouraging more drinking (you can add children's unflavored Pedialyte to their water--actually, mix half and half with water to help keep their electrolytes balanced), it might resolve on it's own. But, if it's caused by parasites, the most appropriate medication must be given, to eliminate the problem.

If the medication the vet gave you is a liquid (not the paste), follow the directions I gave you in my last answer. Wrap the kitten in a large towel, hold her like a baby, cradled in one arm, but slightly upright against your upper chest; put
just the tip of the dropper in her mouth from the side, where there is an opening between the upper and lower teeth; squeeze in a little at a time, and wait for a swallow after each bit. Gently stroke the throat to encourage the swallow reflex. Speak to her the entire time, and offer some food she likes, or a healthy cat treat, afterwards as a reward. Don't let her see the towel before the next dose, or she'll run. Then repeat, for the other kitten.

In desperation, try adding the medication to softened butter (a small amount) mix well, and offer from your finger, like a treat.

I hope things improve very soon!

Cher


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