Both my cats Heket and Squeaker have suddenly developed a massive case of the runs. We’re talking geysers of fecal material pouring out of them, which occassionally require me to bathe the cats ( :eek: ). Both of them seem perfectly healthy otherwise and there’s been no change in their diets (other than fewer birds). Any ideas as to what it could be and what to do about it (obviously, I understand that there could be a need to go to the vet, but I’m curious if there’s something I can do to correct the problem without a trip to the vet)?
Is Pepto Bismol safe for kitty consumption? I know that always dries up the brown desert for me.
I dunno and how would I get them to drink it?
Get them to a vet, please. There are lots of really nasty gut infections and parasites that can cause problems - and a cat getting dehydrated from the runs is very dangerous.
Oh - and Pepto is no longer safe for any critters, I believe - but ask your vet before trying anything. Cats REALLY can’t go long dehydrated!
In my neck of the woods, Giardia is a common cause of this kinda diarrhea. It can lead to dehydration. Pepto contains a salicylate that can be harmful to cats and really any cat with diarrhea that does not self correct in 24 hours should be examined. Bring a stool sample, even if it is litter soup.
Well, their stool is improving, and they’re not making an excessive number of trips to the ol’ litter box, so it might be transitory, but I’ll keep a close eye on them and get them to a vet if they’re not back to normal in the next day or so.
Ground beef and rice should have them back to normal quickly. My dogs gets the trots often from table scraps and beef and rice always gets him regular again.
Squirt it into the cat’s mouth with a plastic syringe. But be prepared to clean the medicine from everything in the room, including walls, ceiling and yourself. With luck, some of it might actually wind up inside the cat.
There is an old veterinary adage, “Cats are not small dogs”. Ground beef/rice is a good bland food to feed dogs, assuming most of the fat is poured off of the beef. Not so helpful for felines.