Conference misery::feline_v1

    When I first got Nippa, she had been on a diet of milk, baby cereal
    and tuna (her mommy abandoned her).  She had the same problem, and
    when I brought her to the vet, she said Nippa had worms. Has T.C.
    been checked for worms lately?
    
    michele
    
    p.s.
    I had in the intrem started weaning her from her old diet to the
    proper diet.
    

    
    No, T.C. hasn't been checked for worms but he's had this problem
    since I've had him (6 months).  He's stayed with the vet a few weeks
    and I would think if it were worms the vet would have caught it.
    Would it hurt just to get the Hartz de-wormer and give it to him
    anyway?  If it were worms, would this clear it up?
    
    I think I'll take a sample to the vet to check just to be safe.
    If that's not it, any other suggestions?
    
    Donna
    

    dewormers are poison and should only be given if the cat tests positive
    for worms. And yes, a cat could live 6 months (or 20 years) with
    worms. It seems that round worms can only be detected in a stool
    sample during certain stages of the life cycle (eggs and when they
    are full grown), and I think that their life cycle is about 3 weeks.
    This is why you could bring in a sample, have no worms detected,
    and then bring in a sample a week later and find worms. Anyhow,
    it cost me $6 for the fecal, board and deworming for Alex at the
    vet; they had to worm her twice, and there was no charge for the
    second time. I guess what I am trying to say is let the vet do it.
    
    Deb

    What are you feeding your kitty???   My "kids" have  terrible problems
    with Purina, Crave, and most of the Grocery Store types of foods.
    And believe me, this is not a pretty site with a Persian!!!  Anyway,
    if your kitty won't eat the Science Diet, you might want to try
    Iams....most pet stores have free samples.
    
    cin...who's kitty's stools look like rabbit pellets!!
    

    Or maybe Hills C/D.
    

    Iams worked great with my 2 cats -- haven't had a problem since
    they started on it. At first they looked at me when I changed the
    food, like "What is this junk?" But after giving them a few bits
    of it as a reward (sitting up and taking it from my hand) they LOVED
    it! As a matter of fact, the food made them look and feel better!
    
    (Try not letting the cat read the ingredients label on the box/package
    of food -- soon as they find out it's GOOD for them, they already
    don't like it)

    Thanks to the reply that multiple stool samples may be needed to detect
    worms.  I am still concerned about my new cat and worms.  His sample
    tested negative.  I did find tapeworms later, and he has been treated,
    but his poop is still terribly foul-smelling!  I'll have him tested
    again for roundworms. 
    
    By the way, he had continuing diarrhea since I found him.  He's also
    been on antibiotics for over 5 weeks (urinary infection, then upper
    respiratory infection).  The vet said his intestinal bacteria had been
    suppressed by the antibiotics, so I should feed him plain yogurt to
    restore them.  It worked!  Even though still very smelly, his poop is
    solid.  And he loves the yogurt!! 

    I just went through the same thing with my 3.  I thought one of
    them must have got reinfested with worms and that it had spread
    to all 3.  I brought in the stools and was told no worms.  I was
    very confused at that point because they stunk so so bad and they
    were starting to get severe diarrhea.  Then I noticed that I had
    bought a bag of Iams instead of their Science Diet.  All of a sudden
    everything is back to normal.  Then I got in a jam where the only
    food I could find was the Science Diet and it took one day for them
    to start there stinkies again.....  That's enough for me they are
    staying on Iams if that's the sort of reaction they have on the
    Science Diet.  I wonder if the manufacturers of Science Diet are
    experimenting with their ingredients....  
    
                                                       KIM

    Odd. When I tried to wean my cats towards Iams, they ALL got sick
    and had diarrhea for several days. The Iams people claimed that
    "that's normal, it's just taking them time to adjust". After two
    weeks of constantly cleaning up regurgutation and emptying very
    loose stools, our vet told us that we had better switch back before
    they get dehydrated. 24 hours after switching back to Hills, no
    problem.
    
    Perhaps cats get used to one type of food, and some of them actively
    resist attempts to change? 
    
    Bryan

    Interesting speculation about whether Science Diet might cause
    smelly/unformed stools.  I'm having trouble with Kosh, who seems
    otherwise in good health and has been checked out by the vet.
    Has anyone ever seen any WET (canned) IAMS?  I use IAMS kitten
    food to start all babies because of its teeny bite-sized pieces,
    but use Hills P/D (extra high nutrition; probably causes extra
    high odor, ugh) for all kittens and queens, and C/D for the rest
    (unless Cosette and Fantine are on diets in which case they
    get R/D for reducing:  it works like a charm 'cause they won't
    eat it!  ;-)
    
    Kosh has been on the food for about 2 months now, enough time,
    I would have thought, for her to adjust to a change in diet.
    But maybe it just doesn't agree with some cats...?
    
    Thanks for the suggestion,
    
    	Penelope   
    

    Penelope,
    	I had the same problem with Tabbatha.  She wouldn't eat the
    IAMS dry food when I put it down for her.  Then I tried this.  I
    put the food in the Microwave for ~25 sec.  It softened it up just
    enough so that Tabbatha would eat it.  Now that's all I give her
    and her coat is really starting to shine!  I can't wait until she
    is old enough to show!
    
    Holly

    I personally feel that cats and kittens do not need "wet" food once
    their teeth are strong enough to chew the dry stuff.  
    
    Unfortunately in order to break them from the wet food habit, you
    have to deal with lots of begging for a week or so.
    
    Your just a softie, Pen...
    
    Purrs
    cin...whose "kids" don't really don't care for canned food anymore!!
    
    

    Another way to get them to eat Science Diet dry food that I've found
    very successful is to soak it in water to make it soft!  Crystal
    has been very finicky eating lately and wouldn't touch the dry food,
    but soaked it goes almost as fast as the wet--  (doesn't do much
    for their teeth, admittedly, but better than a straight "wet food"
    diet, I think).
    
    diane

    I thought I would throw and update on the situation in here for
    everyone's information.  A fellow feline noter in the office who
    breeds kittens thought it did sound like worms.  She suggested I
    go to the pet supply house and pick up some Nemex 2 which is a 
    worming medicine.  It is actually for dogs but she said it was fine
    to give to cats too.  I gave it to T.C. on monday and he seems to
    be getting better.  His doodles (Did anyone see 3 men and a baby?)
    aren't quite rabbit pellets, but they are a lot better.
    
    Thanks Molly!
    
    
    Donna
    

>    I've talked with the vet about it and he doesn't seem concerned.
>    He suggested I feed him Science Diet, but T.C. would rather starve
>    than eat that stuff.  He proved it by not eating for 2 days when
>    that was all he was offered.  He even turns his  nose up to the
>    Science Diet wet food.  This really amazed me since he is the biggest
>    food pig in the world.
    
Stinky poop is from the food he eats...now, to get him to eat science
diet, add a little bit to his regular food, increasing the ratio gradually
over a week and finally get him to eat science diet only....BTW if he gets
hungry enough, he'll eat....animals may hold out for awhile, but they are
NOT suicidal by nature so they WILL eat as long as the food is not spoiled.
Cats are simply notorious for not liking ANYTHING to change.

Just for the record, my cats were still a little "stinky" with canned
science diet, but the dry only seems to help alot.

    I found that my kitten (8 weeks old) would get terrible gas on 
    Science Diet wet for kittens.  I've since switched her to Friskies for
    Kittens and Purina Kitten Chow with a little bit of Iams for kittens
    mixed in.  The gas has stopped (although a straight side order of
    Iams makes the gas return).