Taking my soulmate-cat to the vet today :(

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Gonna have to take Zara to the vet today :(. She's been having a diarrhea on and off for the past week and the usual probiotics, gentle food, wormer haven't resolved it. This morning there was a little blood in it (fresh). It's probably just a bug, but much as I adore and worship Bibi, Z is my feline soulmate, she has been with me since I was an MA student, through house moves, friends moving, my other cat's death, getting Beebs, getting Beebs well, my PhD, getting my first lectureship and moving across the country. She sleeps in the crook of my body and purrs her quiet little rumble for me when she's happy. Cross your fingers for us.

[Catzpyjamas]

Fingers and paws crossed for you both.

[cozietoesie]

Fingers crossed - how old is she?

Good luck at the vets and let us know how you get on.

[iloveeverykindofcat]

She is 5 - it's been an eventual 5 years. ;)

[cozietoesie]

Only young then. See what the vet says, I think.

Best of luck.

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Well I think it's tentatively good news - no temperature, no tenderness in abdomen, not dehydrated, which taken together indicate probably nothing terrible. We've got her on a different probiotic and as she's insured and given Bibi's illnesses, we've sent a stool sample off for testing. Thanks for the hand hold x

[cozietoesie]

That's not too bad at all. How is she doing now herself?

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

Everything crossed that she makes a full recovery

[Shriek]

ooo. all paws crossed for her and thats a lot of paws in our household!

hopefully is just nasty gut bug that might need some AB's or resolve on its own.

[iloveeverykindofcat]

She's well in herself, eating, etc. It's just, much as I love all cats, you know how there's one you just have an extra special connection with, you can communicate perfectly with them, and they are 100% your cat and you are their person? Zara is that cat to me.

[cozietoesie]

Gosh - I think we need a picture!

[iloveeverykindofcat]

:)

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

She's so pretty!

[cozietoesie]

Lovely girl. She has a very calm and wise look to her.

[SevenOfNineTrue]

Lovely cat!

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Thank you :). She's a darling.

[TheEmmaDilemma]

Sounds hopeful. Fingers crossed for you both.

[Catzpyjamas]

That sounds pretty positive 😸

[cozietoesie]

How is she doing?

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Much the same - still loose stools with small amounts of fresh blood, but eating and acting fine in herself. Hopefully we'll get some lab results tomorrow so we can treat for viruses/parasites etc.

[cozietoesie]

Let's hope then. Let us know of progress?

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Thank you I will. So glad she’s insured now!

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Well, the fecal sample results are in. Zara has.....absolutely nothing. Hmm. So we're kind of back to square one here. She hasn't done any more blood and her stool isn't liquid but nor is it as formed as it should be. It was worse last night as she point black refused to take her probiotic yesterday (got it into her this morning) and I think I've come to the conclusion that fish makes it worse so she's on chicken and turkey meals only for now. So, on the upside, we've ruled out sinister causes. On the downside, her stool is still loose for no known reason. Any thoughts or tips?

[cozietoesie]

I don't know whether to say Good News or Bad News. The unknown is always worse for me.

Is there any way she could have been eating things she shouldn't?

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Possible, but unlikely. She only goes out in the yard and is both a crap hunter and finicky about what she puts in her mouth. If the omission of fish doesn't work, I guess we'll do a total diet overhaul and put her on some veterinary sensitive stuff....which I don't really like....I much prefer to have them on the high meat natural foods. I guess we could try again with raw. That's what cured Bibi, after all. Still, I've always been told that with diet you have to do one thing at a time to isolate the cause. So we'll start by putting her on only Thrive poultry (very pure, very expensive).

[cozietoesie]

Good luck on the 'sensitive' food - I bought some from the vet for Seniorboy (on vet's advice for something) and he wouldn't touch it. Next door's young cat liked it fine though.

I'm guessing that the vet gave you no clear steer? It sounds as if it's diet-related though, going from basic principles. One of the vets who post may give you some comments but I'd almost be tempted to go onto a stricter diet for her if it continues. She's such a young cat that you need to get to the root of the problem.