Cruiser
Top 25 Winner- Region 1- 2011-2012 | 
 | | Purred: Fri May 25, '12 3:57am PST |  | |  | | Did the diarea start, when you changed their food? Some kitties experience throw up and/or diarea, depending on what they were being fed, to what you are changing over to. Mostly this happens with kittens, but it can happen to any cat. Diarea can happen if you change them over too fast. It should be done over 2 weeks. The first week, you grad increase the new food, at the end of week 1, you should be at 50/50, the second week, you grad decrease the old food.
If the diarea started before that, then it might be another issue, like the hairballs or a blockage of the hairballs.
I give Petromalt, once a week, I have LH kitties, they get combed every day, but still, this is the time of year they blow their coat, so it just helps to keep things moving. I see alot recommend the pumpkin, but I have no experience with it.
You can do 1 of 2 things, which ever works best for you. You can give them the Petromalt or pumkin, and see if they expell the hairballs or you can take them to the vet, to see if it is hairballs and/or a blockage, they can do this with an x-ray. It would show if there is a blockage or if their intestines are inflammed. It would show up as dark, on the x-ray.
Being that you don't know, if it is the hairballs, or the food, I would take them to the vet, to rule out a blockage.
One other reason for the dry coughing, and don't get upset or scared, as it is most likely not, but just something to be aware of, for the future. A kitty that has heart issues, will cough like that, with nothing coming up. That morning, Bump did it, he also couldn't use his back legs. When the ER critical care vet asked me, what else he was doing, and I told her about the coughing, that pretty much confirmed it, but, we already knew, he had HCM, and this was the end.
Taking them to the vet, they can listen to their hearts, and rule that out.
If you not brushing them, and you never gave a hairball remedy, my gut tells me this is most likely hairballs, as this is the time of year, they blow their coats, and actually, the SH's are worse, believe it or not.
You don't want to let the diarea go more than a day or two, or you risk them being dehydrated. Best to take them in, and rule out other stuff. Better the vet tells you, its just hairballs, than to wait, and it was something else.
Your not a bad mommy, mine eat in their carriers, and I once forgot to let Smokey out, and went to work, she spent the whole day in the carrier. She was not upset, thought she was going to a show, as we travel 7 hrs one way to shows, so it was not a big deal to her. I now give a treat, just before I leave, so I know where everybody is. |  |  | |  |
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I have since started them on Petromalt. I haven't heard any retching/coughing and everything seems to be fine in the litter box now (previously, I did notice a rather skimpy supply of poop). My only question now is how to make Bart take the Petromalt. Lola of course loved it and now comes running if I even pick up the tube. Bart, however, runs the other way and stays clear of me for a few hours after I give it to him. Any suggestions there? He's always been a pain about giving meds and whatnot.
