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The litter tray

Wet food & loose poo

30 replies

StopLaughingDrRoss · 22/02/2016 17:17

Sorry for the TMI thread title and content!

Have recently moved my beloved Boycat onto a mixed wet/dry diet - mainly because I thought he must be dreadfully bored of the same flavour dry food all day (he had bad bladder issues just over a year ago and has been on specialist urinary dry food ever since - which only comes in chicken!)

I'm not sure if it's agreeing with him, to be honest. He's started bringing in dead mice (developed the taste for meat?!) and wailing at me from about 6am - i could live with these as that's sort of part and parcel of cat ownership. BUT - I have also noticed his poos have got quite loose and today for the first time since he moved in (and did a protest poo on the front door mat) he took a big poo in the middle of the room. It was rancid - really wet and not healthy looking at all!

He was wormed end of Jan (6 month tablet which he definitely ate) and is flea'ed every month as he goes out. I've got him on Butchers Classic as it's obviously gluten free and with his history, not sure I want him on foods with cereal.

I just wonder whether to put him back on the dry only - he seems to enjoy it as I still feed him this every morning and he demolishes it. Or do you think it's something other than diet?

I'm totally brassic for a few days (am waiting on a £600+ insurance claim to pay out for a different issue) so unless you think he sounds horribly ill, I'd like to avoid the vets. He's happy in himself and his routine hasn't changed... help!!

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RobotMenu · 22/02/2016 19:03

We've had this depending on the food - some give dry poos and some go straight through her. Can you try something else? It might just be too rich to start with as he's not used to it.

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 22/02/2016 19:21

Do you think I can work up to it? I didn't think Butchers was particularly rich but i guess compared to a dry diet, it could mess him up. Perhaps more mixed (although he is getting a full meal of dry in the morning and only a third of a can at night... so maybe split both across the two meals?)

Just wary of messing too much although he isn't an overly fussy boy and seems to eat anything?

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cozietoesie · 22/02/2016 19:25

Why did you change his food if the original was agreeing with him? He'd soon tell you if he was bored with it, I reckon.

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 22/02/2016 20:41

Do you think so, Cozie? Am sorely tempted to go back as I don't want him unwell.. I guess I was just wanted to give him variety and more than just dry food..

His coat is in much better condition since he's been having wet food though so he's clearly getting much more water on his diet (his coat wasn't hideous before, it's just so soft now!)... but then if he's losing moisture through awful poos, I'm not doing him any favours!

Argh! I just want to do right by him...

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PolterGoose · 22/02/2016 20:52

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cozietoesie · 22/02/2016 22:17

That markedly better coat condition gave me pause I'll admit - but from what you say, his poo has been getting looser? If the vet prescribed his dry food, I'd personally put him back on it if he'll eat it happily and see if that sorts the problem. ( For some reason.)

How much water does he drink each day when he's on his dry, do you think? And how does he get it?

Maybe one of the vets who sometimes post will comment.

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 22/02/2016 23:46

Thank you both - it may well be quantity.. He's a big cat though (5kg) so thought this was about right as he's a healthy weight for his size...

The vet said he could move off the special dry food to good quality wet or dry - so thought would treat him to a more varied diet.

I think I'll take your advice though Cozie and get him well again by going back to dry only again (I have 9kg in the cupboard so he's set for a few months anyway!). He's got another vets appointment in a couple of months and will definitely get some more advice then provided he's settled down. If not, I'll speak with them sooner.

Thank you!

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 22/02/2016 23:51

Oh - and he always has water down in his bowl although I rarely see him drink from it.. i have seen him drink at length from a puddle out the back! I do keep an eye due to his past issues but he was checked recently and all crystals etc had completely gone so hope he's drinking enough (another reason I thought wet might be a good idea!)..

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iloveeverykindofcat · 23/02/2016 07:16

Most vets aren't experts in nutrition. Dry food for a cat with bladder issues is very counter intuitive to me - they need more moisture, not less! I'd really encourage you to take a look at raw feeding. You don't have to make it up yourself - you can get it frozen and ready to serve from companies like Nature's Menu. I'm the last person I ever thought would be proselyting about a way of feeding - but it's been nothing short of a lifesaver for the cat who came to me with chronic loose stools and frequent bloody diarrhoea. Then when my other cat started getting loose stools it sorted her out too! The bone content keeps everything firm and regular.

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cozietoesie · 23/02/2016 08:20

It's certainly a possibility isn't it? I've always fed wet food and not had any signs of bladder issues. (Until very recently with Seniorboy but then he's so old that I'm prepared for pretty much anything so a touch of bacterial cystitis - which is what it seems to have been - is not unexpected.) it seems counter-intuitive to me also but it might be good to have him stabilised for a few weeks if his original food will do it and he'll eat it.

Keep us up to date with developments. I think that this one might run and run, I'm afraid.

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 23/02/2016 08:22

That's definitely a good thought - I always imagined it as expensive though and I am on quite a tight budget! But online I expect it's cheaper?

His dry food is special urinary so whilst not possibly as great as pure wet, its not as harmful as the regular shop bought stuff. I would like to move him away from it though...

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 23/02/2016 08:24

And loving the pun, Cozie Grin

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cozietoesie · 23/02/2016 08:33

Oops. That was unintentional. Grin

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potap123 · 23/02/2016 08:33

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 23/02/2016 18:15

That link makes for interesting reading potap123 - and reinforces my decision to try and get him on some wet food.

I had a look at previous thread about wet food (on p2 of here) as well as taking on board the post from Iloveeverycat and have splashed a but of cash to get some Natures Menu in for when he's settled down a bit.

Hopefully the better quality and smaller pouch will be a winner.. I shall no doubt let you all know!

Thanks again for all your help here - MN at its best

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StopLaughingDrRoss · 23/02/2016 18:17

Just to add - I think the pouches I've got are raw and then steamed in the pouch... so not quite the full one but I don't have much freezer space so let's see how we go!

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iloveeverykindofcat · 23/02/2016 18:53

Best of luck, let us know how it goes! It's always going to cost more than store brand stuff but once you get into a routine of buying online in bulk at times when delivery is free, it doesn't work out too badly.

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potap123 · 24/02/2016 08:30

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potap123 · 24/02/2016 08:31

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RobotMenu · 24/02/2016 09:24

The thrive ones aren't complete meals, though are they?

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potap123 · 24/02/2016 09:28

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potap123 · 24/02/2016 09:30

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RobotMenu · 24/02/2016 09:41

Great - that's good to know. I must have the wrong one - I've looked at so many now. Sorry!

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potap123 · 24/02/2016 11:12

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RobotMenu · 24/02/2016 12:34

I'm thinking of Applaws wet cat food! Their dry is complete, but the wet food tins (that I've seen) are labelled complementary.

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