Baxter with a tummy virus. How long before he is better?

[drunkmike]

Hi everyone its been a while since I have posted but things have been very busy and we have had no kitty problems until this past weekend.. *sigh*

2 Saturdays ago I had a bunch of friends/family over for a get together at my place. We had lots of food, fun etc. etc.. I have a Sheltie with a very picky stomach so everyone knows that the animals are NOT to be fed people food (especially not the cat) so I don't think it was a issue of someone giving them food intentionally, maybe he picked up something that was dropped.. I am still up in the air about this.

Early Sunday evening Baxter had a half loose / half normal poo that smelled AWFUL! There was no straining or anything so we left it be and just kept an eye on him. Early the next morning he had a all runny / watery poo and that was it for the day other then peeing.. The following day things started to "harden" up and returned to almost normal.. Then Friday it started all over again and continued for the weekend. He was still eating, drinking, playing, acting normal so we just left it alone hoping it was just a tummy virus. Early Monday morning he went to the vet. She checked him out, ran a test on a poop sample from before we left (a float something or another?) and was pretty set on the fact that he just had a bacterial stomach virus and we should give it a few days and meds to see what happens before we move further. He was given a injection of Centrine along with 8 doses in pill form, a prescription of Metronidazole 250mg once daily and some Neo-Predef powder for his bottom since it was pretty raw. Everything seems to be working towards the better and he has been spending alot less time in the litter box, but his bowels are still not completely solid. He has only been on the meds for 2 days now so should things be clearing up or should I be scheduling another appointment? He has started getting back into the swing of daily life and definately seems more normal then the past week. He is more bright and alert (he slept alot before.. I can imagine he must have felt horrible), is back to meeting me at the door when I get home from work and following me through the house like usual. I have really tried to just let him do his own thing and keep the dog from bothering him so he can heal and sleep it off.

I know I am just being a worrisome parent, but do things sound like they are working towards the better here? How long should I wait before seeing normal bowel movements if the meds are working correctly? I hate bothering him constantly and following him every time he uses the litter box and checking his gums/mouth to make sure he is not dehydrated a few times a day. I can tell he is starting to get aggrivated with me (especially when its med time.. He knows to run when he hears the pill bottles ). The powder seems to be doing wonders for his rear as it is almost back to normal looking and does not seem to bother him at all anymore. I had the vet "trim" his butt (he is a Maine Coon type breed with a very fuzzy butt so this turned into a huge mess with the runs) and I have not seem him have to clean it once since.

Sorry for the long post, but I am just looking for some insight on things.. Does everything sound like its getting better? What should I look for and what do I need to ask on my next visit to the doc? Thanks in advance!

[Traci]

Did the vet actually identify the bacteria from the fecal exam? Did she look at it under a slide? Did she recommend a culture then or did she recommend to do a culture after the current course of meds?

Did she say if Baxter was dehydrated? Did she give him sub-q fluids at the vet visit?

What have you been feeding him as for cat food? Is it consistently fed or do you change brands or types? Dry or canned? (brand and type, please)

What types of food did you have for your company? Were you cooking a lot of meat? Egg or dairy products?

I think your vet's approach is a good one, and you should start seeing results in a couple more days. It takes time for the intestine to clear from pathogens, infection, or parasites or bacteria. Did the vet recommend or give you a sample of bland food or recommend one with a bit more fiber on a temporary basis?

Did she mention the possibility of stress-caused diarrhea? Do you frequently have a large number of people over? If not, this could also be stress-induced, which can really reak havoc on the GI tract.

[drunkmike]

Unfortunately I was not able to take Baxter to the vet myself so my girlfriend took him in. We work different shifts so its been nice for having someone constantly here to keep an eye on him, but we have not been able to talk other then over the phone so I am getting my information as we go.

The vet did look at the sample under the slide and she did recommend a culture after the meds to see how things worked out.

Baxter was properly hydrated at the time of the visit.

He is being fed Purina One Natural Blends dry. His food was changed a few months back so I don't think it had anything to do with this ordeal.

The foods at the party were pretty vast.. There were alot of meat, dips, finger foods. Pretty typical stuff that we have frequently.

She said that if the meds started to help his belly and the stools started to change she would rather do that then start flopping his food around because he is a extremely picky eater and probably would not have touched anything else anyway. But she did say that if things did not change that we were probably going to have to go down that route next.

I was actually the one who mention the stress thing because it has happened to us once in the past. When we moved to our current house, he lost all control of his bowels on the trip here (less then a 20 minute car ride) and then for the next day or so his stools were very wet. There were quite a few people here at the party, but nobody that he has never met before. He is a very friendly cat and shy's away from no one. We did in fact bring home a new love seat the day of the party too so I was kinda thinking that + the party might have been enough to push him over the edge. I was just not sure that stress alone could make things as bad as they had been for him.

He has been good except for taking his meds! He HATES taking pills.. We still have not seen any solid poops but I have not seen any liquid either. The vet said that the meds were supposed to slow his system down a bit so I am assuming that a day and a half without poop is not too bad. I am hoping to see something solid soon though. Thanks for any help Traci!

[Traci]

Mike, try to be patient, it can take a week or more for normalcy. The intestine is a rather complicated organ with complicated function. A great deal of this has to deal with giving the GI tract a break so it can repair itself, so the meds can take effect on the intestine and help it clear from bacteria and inflammation.

If the stool is less watery at least by now and appears to be at least, soft, that would be a good thing. In case you are feeding any sort of kitty treat, hold off on them, and just feed his normal diet. No human treats, no licks of any human foods.

I assume he is eating and drinking normally?

The stress very well could have a lot to do with this, stress can induce as well as exacerbate numerous health issues. They simply cannot tolerate simple changes, cats prefer their environments unchanged and do not deal well with changes in the environment. Remember also, that some things, some events, can cause transient stress in cats, meaning, you may not see outward signs of stress until weeks or months after the event or environmental change. Then, sometimes all hell breaks loose with kitty's GI, or any other health condition.

Hang in there, give it another couple days, then please post back on whatever progress you notice. As long as he's eating normally, drinking normally, is playful and generally active and NOT showing signs of continued watery diarrhea, feverish, lethargic, etc, then just give this alittle time.

P.S., how about a new pic of Baxter? We haven't seen him in what seems like ages

[drunkmike]

Well still no poo!

I called in to talk to the vet and she said that as long as he is still eating, drinking, acting normal and not straining like he is TRYING to poo and nothing is coming out that we don't have a problem. She said that I should be seeing something very soon though. She said that his system just needs some time to clear up and to just keep an eye on him for the next few days. He is not eating as much as he used to before getting sick, but he is still eating so I am going to try not to worry. I have been scooping/cleaning his litter after every time he goes just so I can keep an eye on whats going on in there. He is peeing fine and we have heard no straining or sensitivity in his belly.

Any ideas on this? Thanks again Traci!

I will post some pics of him in another thread after I get settled down for the night.. The pup needs to be ran around and Bax needs his meds so I will try to post them in a bit!

[Traci]

Is his abdomen extended? (the appearance of a pot-bellied stomach)

Are his mucous membranes (gums and inside of ears) a healthy pink?

Do his ears feel hot to the touch?

Is the stool at least in tiny amounts and appearing to be forming as opposed to watery or mucousy?

Is he playful and active?

If his abdomen is normal in appearance, doesn't squirm or seem agitated when you pick him up or handle him, is eating and drinking, mucous membranes are normal, ears not hot to the touch, and seems playful and energetic, your vet is right, give this a few more days.

Are you still feeding the Purina Naturals?

[drunkmike]

Is his abdomen extended? (the appearance of a pot-bellied stomach)

Are his mucous membranes (gums and inside of ears) a healthy pink?

Do his ears feel hot to the touch?

Is the stool at least in tiny amounts and appearing to be forming as opposed to watery or mucousy?

Is he playful and active?

If his abdomen is normal in appearance, doesn't squirm or seem agitated when you pick him up or handle him, is eating and drinking, mucous membranes are normal, ears not hot to the touch, and seems playful and energetic, your vet is right, give this a few more days.

Are you still feeding the Purina Naturals?

Phew what a week! Sorry for taking so long to get back but early yesterday morning Baxter woke me up during his normal "poop ritual". Every time before he has to poo, he will sit at the baby gate (his litter box and food is in a closed area behind a gate to keep the dog out) and will give a few meows. I used to think it was hurting it, but he has been doing it for as long as I can remember so I guess its almost a "warning" as to what is about to happen I was dead asleep but stressed worrying about him so I shot out of bed and ran to see what was going on. Baxter was just hopping back over the gate looking proud as can be and he left me a nice little present in solid form right next to the litter box (on occasion he will stand a little too close to the side in the box and it will make it onto the floor instead of into the litter) no biggie! I wanted solid poop and he gave it to me

Everything has been normal since aside from some sneezing so it seems he may have picked up a little bit of the flu from the doctors office. He is eating, drinking, peeing, pooping, playing as usual so things seem to be back to normal! He has 2 more days of his antibiotic Metronidazole and then that will be done. I have a feeling I will be calling the vet tomorrow to ask what she recommends about his sneezing but other then that things are back to normal around here for a change! Thanks for all your help as usual Traci!

Pics to come in another thread!

[Traci]

Mike, when you say he gives a couple meows, are you saying he meows BEFORE getting to the other side of the gate where his litterbox is, or when he is AT the litterbox? Some cats, those with a sensitive GI tract, inappropriate diet, or a history of constipation/harder than normal stools will do this, as an actual pain response (hard stools hurt). Please make sure you can determine the difference.

As for the sneezing, call your vet right away and inquire if they had any URI cases at the clinic. The last thing Baxter needs is a URI!

Other than that, I'm thrilled to hear he finally had a normal stool!