Expert: Jessica - 10/17/2010

Question
My 4 year old DSH has problems with occasional diarrhea. It usually occurs once a month and lasts for a few days. It is normally just runny accompanied by a bad smell. I have taken stool samples to the vet in the past and they have ruled out bacteria and parasites. He is given Purina Indoor Formula and has been eating this for the past 3.5 years. He eats, drinks, and acts normally. There have been no recent changes except for us setting up a nursery for our baby that is due in a month, but the diarrhea started before this. The litter box is in our bathroom. During the episodes of diarrhea he would poop on our bathroom rug that was next to the tub but we solved this by hanging it up at night. Now he is occasionally pooping on the floor where the rug was.

Some background: He was adopted from the shelter as a kitten and was a stray before that. He is a nervous cat and will run and hide from most people when they first enter our house. We are wondering if this could be a nervous stomach issue. We have one other DSH that is the same age but she shows no sign of any of these problems.

I have talked to my vet about the problem but wanted to come here for advice before we spent anymore money on possibly unnecessary tests.


Answer
Hi Jennifer,

Yes, it could certainly be a nervous stomach issue.  It's believed now more than ever that colitis in cats is strongly related to stress.  Because cats are such sensitive creatures, keeping stress to a minimum for them can be difficult.  I recommend a product called Feliway.  I use the plug-in diffusers in my own home.  You can learn more about the product at www.feliway.com.  It's a little pricey for the initial set up.  I found it least expensive on amazon.com, and the refills are least expensive at entirelypets.com.

Most vets recommend to also add a fiber supplement to the cat's diet.  Each vet seems to prefer a different method, and it can range from adding a teaspoon of Metamucil to a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to the cat's food twice daily.  My own cats prefer a teaspoon of pea baby food mixed into canned food, and some will even eat it without cat food. Although fiber might seem like it would just encourage bowel movements, it actually adds bulk to loose stools to help firm them up.  It's helpful to give to a colitis patient every day to keep them regular.

When a cat is suffering only occasional diarrhea, fiber therapy is usually recommended first.  If the diarrhea becomes more chronic, cats often have to go on an anti-inflammatory such as prednisone.  Fortunately, cats don't suffer the side effects that humans do and tolerate long-term use of this medication very well.  Most cats are able to be tapered down to a very low dose of this medication and still have their symptoms under control.  

Best wishes!

Jessica