FIV+ cat with oddly coloured faeces - advice needed please

[carole1b]

Hi there I would say to keep him on bland food. I dont know if you have had him to the vert or what the background is please let me know. I have not been on the site for quite a while its been to painfull. We lost Tabby on the 8Th Dec last year he had had enough and the time was right to take him to be put to sleep. I still have Dennis eho is fit and well shes not FIV as far as I know.

[Allycat]

I hope I'm not digging up an old post. For what it's worth. My boy has funny poo's. On the odd occasion he has blood in them. At which point he goes on to boiled rice and chicken. I feed him normally, only switch if there is blood in his feaces. My vet agree's that sometimes animals are fed too many Ab's and steroids. He's a happy, naughty boy. Wouldn't change him for the world. If the time came that he needed a prescription of any kind he would have it. For now bland food ever now and again does the trick.

[carole1b]

I have just rang the vet who has said try Pro-Fibre for Dogs and Cats for a week its like a powder you mix with his food however he is on a tea spoon of Protenix already each day and its made no difference. Is it worth me trying this product as well is there an alternative you know of.

[carole1b]

 Tabby was back at the vets last night hes back on steroid tablets for this week a full dose to get him eating again (he was eating this morning very well) then i have to cust the dose to one every other day. Hes still on tablets to contol his poo,s he will be on thease long term they are antibiotics. So fingers crossed he will start to feel better very soon. He is 15.5 so any thing to help him is good but i am worried about long term steroids however the vet has reduced the ammount after 7 days then I need to have him back to the vet in a month to see how he is on the lower dose. Thanks for all of your support. Sorry about your oldies passing away xx

[Turbogirlie]

Hi Carole,

Depends on what is meant by long term.  With steroids, they boost the animal's appetite but can also depress them and reduce the immune system further.  So if on steroids need to monitor his general health closely.

Fizz is only just 5.  When diagnosed with FIV in Feb this year, he was chronically anaemic.  He was on steroids from the end of January, 2 x 5mg prednicare steroids per day.  Once his rbc was acceptable, we then weaned him off the tablets gradually as you can induce nasty side effects if you just stop them dead.  He cam off them mid May.

Due to anaemia again, Fizz has been back on the steroids since 9th August.  Again 2 per day but we are in the weaning off process.

I guess each case is very individual but, my thoughts are that I'd rather Fizz have a few quality years with the potential of losing him early, rather than him having miserable years - he really is such a lovely lively cat and seeing him run down with anaemia, no life in his eyes is too much to bear.

I hope you and your vet can sort out some kind of longterm help for Tabby.

Good news about the stools - sorry but I've no experience on this problem.

 

[Desley (booktigger)]

Fingers crossed for the visit on Mon.

[LittleLijah]

No experience either with steriods but I hope Tabby will be back to good health soon.

[Schmew]

Hi Carole,

Steroids are a tricky one, as you are seeing they do have a positive effect on your cats health but can also have side effects that can shorten your cats life. All three oldies I've lost were on steroids towards the end - I knew they weren't going to last forever, and that the steroids would help them in the time that they did have left. I am happy I made the right decision for my cats at the time as I believe quality of life is very important.

Hope Tabby goes on ok at the vets

x

[clarenmax]

I haven't got any experience at all with steroids hun, sorry x

[carole1b]

i called the vets last night they said to bring him in on monday they sugested its not the tablets giving the funny poo colour nor internal bleeding so thats good. His poo was not as red today howevre he was sick in the night and has been sick on and off for a few days now. He also has gone off his food a bit I am giving him some appitite tablets the vet gave me last time to get him eating again. I wanted to know if any other people with FIV cats have had them on steroids for long periods of time they seem to do Tabby good but i hear that they may shorten his life. Has anyone any opinions on steroids ?? Help !! worried

[carole1b]

Has anyone had problems with funny colour poos ! over the last few weeks some of Tabby,s have been a dark reddy brown color i am not sure but i dont think its blood if it was think he would have croked it by now. I am woundering if itd the pills hes on as most of his food apart from his biscuits is light coloured. He is on pills for his poos to be more solid but some days are better then others. Last night he did a runny one it was the funny colour and really did smell very bad. Has anyone had any of this happen to thier little fluff ball ??