possible causes of occasional diarrhea

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yngver - 28 Feb 2006 20:10 GMT

What could be some of the possible causes of occasional diarrhea (like
2-3 times a week for the past couple weeks) in an 8 year old cat who is
eating and behaving normally? She is not losing weight; in fact she's
gained a few ounces over the past month or so. I suspect it might be
that we have switched foods a couple times in trying to find something
all three cats will eat, but she has always been the one that wasn't
all that choosy. The stool is normal color, just soft although
sometimes it was kind of runny. I've been watching her and she doesn't
show any urgency or added frequency although if another cat is near she
will hang around until the cat leaves the room. (We have two litter
boxes in the same room, on opposite sides).

She has an appt. with the vet next week but I was wondering what the
possibilities might be if they have diarrhea but do not appear to be
ill. One of the other cats had an episode awhile ago too but not at the
same time so I'm not sure if it might be food related or something
else, like bacteria or a parasite. The third cat seems to be perfectly
normal in the stool dept.
-Yngver

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Anna - 28 Feb 2006 21:06 GMT

>gained a few ounces over the past month or so. I suspect it might be
>that we have switched foods a couple times in trying to find something
>all three cats will eat, but she has always been the one that wasn't

Switching foods abruptly can cause loose stools. Changing to another brand
should be done very slowly. Just add a small amount of the new food to the
old food on the first day. Then add a little more of the new food each day
and a little less of the old until eventually they are just eating the new
food. This could take a week or longer.

>She has an appt. with the vet next week but I was wondering what the
>possibilities might be if they have diarrhea but do not appear to be
>ill. One of the other cats had an episode awhile ago too but not at the
>same time so I'm not sure if it might be food related or something
>else, like bacteria or a parasite. The third cat seems to be perfectly
>normal in the stool dept.

Bring a stool sample to vet. You never know, it could be a parasite. You
only need a sample from one of them as if one of them has it, they all do.

Anna

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yngver - 28 Feb 2006 23:44 GMT

> >gained a few ounces over the past month or so. I suspect it might be
> >that we have switched foods a couple times in trying to find something
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> and a little less of the old until eventually they are just eating the new
> food. This could take a week or longer.

You're right, we never do that. We just offer the new food and see if
they will eat it. We were recently at a cat show and got a bunch of
samples of different foods and treats to try, so maybe it's one of
those. Our cats ate a variety of foods when young with the idea of
preventing them from getting fixated on one food but now that they are
middle-aged maybe they can't handle changes so well.

> >She has an appt. with the vet next week but I was wondering what the
> >possibilities might be if they have diarrhea but do not appear to be
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Anna

Thanks, I plan to do that. I hope I can get a fresh sample, which isn't
always the case. And yes, unless I actually see the cat in the box, I
can't be sure which one produced the sample, but our vet says the same
thing--that if one has a parasite they all have to be treated anyway.
In a way I hope it's something that simple, or the food.
-Yngver

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-L. - 28 Feb 2006 22:43 GMT

> What could be some of the possible causes of occasional diarrhea (like
> 2-3 times a week for the past couple weeks) in an 8 year old cat who is
> eating and behaving normally?

Coccidia, giardia, worms, change in diet, stress...

>She is not losing weight; in fact she's
> gained a few ounces over the past month or so. I suspect it might be
> that we have switched foods a couple times in trying to find something
> all three cats will eat, but she has always been the one that wasn't
> all that choosy.

Bingo.

>The stool is normal color, just soft although
> sometimes it was kind of runny. I've been watching her and she doesn't
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> normal in the stool dept.
> -Yngver

Hi Yngver - nice to see you again. :) I suspect it's switching the
foods. But since you are going to the vet, have them do a stool sample
analysis to check for parasites. Coccidia can cause recurrrent bouts
of diarrhea, and many times kitties have no other symptoms.

-L.

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yngver - 28 Feb 2006 23:38 GMT

> > What could be some of the possible causes of occasional diarrhea (like
> > 2-3 times a week for the past couple weeks) in an 8 year old cat who is
> > eating and behaving normally?
>
> Coccidia, giardia, worms, change in diet, stress...

Are worms, etc. likely in the dead of winter, however? The other thing
that does concern me is stress--I think she is more sensitive to stress
than the other two and although it doesn't really involve her, the
other two fight (not physically, just posturing and growling until one
backs down) a lot and I know it upsets her. But I don't know what to do
about that since it's been going on ever since we took in the third
cat, two years ago.

> >She is not losing weight; in fact she's
> > gained a few ounces over the past month or so. I suspect it might be
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Bingo.

They all eat the same canned food, and have been for a long time, so I
don't think that's it. But the finickiest of the bunch will only eat
one certain dry food, and sometimes not even that. It's too caloric for
the pudgier two so we have to give them other food, but lately they
have been turning up their noses at what they used to like. The one
with the diarrhea would really love to go back on SD Oral Care--her
very favorite--but we had to stop feeding her that. I wonder if having
eaten a high fiber food for a couple of years and now switching to a
regular diet could be contributing to loose stools.

> >The stool is normal color, just soft although
> > sometimes it was kind of runny. I've been watching her and she doesn't
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Hi Yngver - nice to see you again. :)

Thanks. I post here once in a while but this board is so big and hectic
now it gets lost.

I suspect it's switching the

> foods. But since you are going to the vet, have them do a stool sample
> analysis to check for parasites. Coccidia can cause recurrrent bouts
> of diarrhea, and many times kitties have no other symptoms.
>
> -L.

I do plan to bring in a stool sample but sometimes the cats don't
cooperate--the vet wants a stool sample that's no more than a couple
hours old, naturally. Since the cats get up before I do--usually just
before dawn--I can't always tell what's fresh and what's been sitting
there all night. I just take in whatever is there.

I read about coccidia when you mentioned it and it occurs to me that
there were some mice in our house when the weather turned cold. The
cats won't eat a mouse but they will grab one and shake it until it
ceases to move (unless I can get the mouse into a cup and remove it to
the outdoors first). I wonder if it's possible they got some kind of
parasite just by picking up a mouse in their mouths.

Also, as I think about it, I'm not positive it's always the same cat
that's producing the runny stools. I saw her do it a couple of times so
I'm assuming, but I don't know for sure that the others don't have soft
stools once in a while too. It's hard to tell with clumping litter
unless you break it apart to see what's in the clump.

Thanks for the advice!
-Yngver

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Phil P. - 02 Mar 2006 07:22 GMT

> > > What could be some of the possible causes of occasional diarrhea (like
> > > 2-3 times a week for the past couple weeks) in an 8 year old cat who is
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> other two fight (not physically, just posturing and growling until one
> backs down) a lot and I know it upsets her.

Sure. Stress can cause diarrhea in cats- especially if its intermittent and
you can't find any other cause. Still, you might want to opt for a
fecal exam.

Good luck,

Phil

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yngver - 02 Mar 2006 18:12 GMT

> > > > What could be some of the possible causes of occasional diarrhea (like
> > > > 2-3 times a week for the past couple weeks) in an 8 year old cat who
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Phil

Thanks, Phil. I'm taking her to the vet next week anyway for her annual
check-up and will bring in whatever stool sample I can find. I have
been examining the contents of the litter boxes more closely lately
(yuck, but necessary) and it seems to be normal most of the time. I
have three identical litter boxes for three cats but they all seem to
prefer the same one, so there is some territorial dispute over who gets
to use the prime one, I guess.
-Yngver

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