Glad you found the issue. This problem can be difficult to diagnose. Obviously a CBC / Chem panel to start. Some horses with ulcers exhibit this symptom, usually with some behavior change, like not wanting to eat when food is out. Endoscopy can easily diagnose this and is not prohibitively expensive (approx $250 plus sedation in our area) Some horses seem to be carriers of salmonella or clostridium. There are PCR tests for this that can be carried out quite easily. Changes in feed are an obvious red flag, as is molasses, which someone mentioned. Cushings disease is another possibility. In really old horses (I have one who is 29, has always had a tendency to have 'cow pies' if upset or has any change in her routine - and now is more prone to that) they have much the same issue that really old humans have - organ systems aren't working as efficiently. Diagnosis is key. If nothing can be found, a prebiotic can safely be added (such as Ration Plus). Simple feeding of straight grass hay and water, plus hydrated beet pulp (very easy to digest) can help. Slippery Elm powder and Marshmallow root are generally very safe and easy to purchase at the health food store. They coat the stomach and intestines. Succeed (or it's main ingredients of the amino acids L-Glutamine and L-Threonine) can be very helpful in calming digestion.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Chocolate - Pate Du Chocolate With Creme Anglaise ================================================= 4 Ounces semisweet chocolate 1/2 cup butter 5 egg yolks 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups whipping cream Creme Anglaise (recipe follows) Toasted sliced almonds . Melt chocolate with butter; let cool. In bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and pale in colour; beat in cocoa. Beat in cooled chocolated mixture Whip cream and fold into chocolate mixture. Turn into 8 X 4 inch loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. To serve unmould pate and remove plastic wrap. spoon Creme Anglaise onto dessert plates. Top each with 1/2 inch slice of chocolate pate. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Creme Anglaise 5 egg yolks 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 cups hot milk 1 tsp vanilla. In bowlw beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and pale in colour; gradually whisk in hot milk. Transfer to very heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly and sauce coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not to boil. Stir in vanilla. Strain through fine sieve into bowl. Let cool; cover and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 day. Makes about 2 cups. This one comes from Marilyn it's YUMMY! Golden Lemon Cake Roll CAKE: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoons salt 9 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest Powdered sugar FILLING: 1/2 cup sugar pinch of salt 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 3 egg yolks 1 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest 1/2 cup whipping cream Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom only of 15X10-inch jelly-roll pan. Line with parchment paper and grease again. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, first 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until a light lemon color. Add second 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until thickened. Add cold water and 2 teaspoons lemon zest, mix well. Gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture, blend well. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and immediately turn out of pan onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Quickly remove paper. Starting at short side, roll up in towel; cool completely. In a small heavy saucepan, combine sugar, salt, lemon juice and egg yolks. Cook over low heat until thickened; stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in lemon peel; cool. Whip cream to soft peaks and fold into cooled filling. Unroll cake, spread with filling and roll again without towel. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. (Inspired from recipe in "Pillsbury Bake-Off Classics III.) *One lemon yields 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) lemon zest and 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) juice. Marilyn

I would hate to post prematurely but today she had a semi-firm poop! I think we just might be headed in the right direction :) Maybe finally, there is an end in sight for this poor kitten. In my desperation to fix her, I did exactly what you shouldn't do and switched multiple things all at once. I cut her Lysine by 1/4, took her off the Fortiflora and introduced both rabbit and the canned duck. At least now that I don't feel she's in a critical state, (provided she stabilizes), I can make introductions slowly while I continue to monitor her. Something I did has had to have helped her for her to get firm again, right? Oh, I really hope she gets better now. Carmen - I really feel for you having to go through that all winter. My girl only leaked a few times (on the way to the box) and it was a minimal amount. You were fortunate to be able to get it resolved! Controversy aside, my indoor/outdoor cats never had these issues either. I'm planning on leaving this one as an indoor (except for walking) so hopefully I can get a balanced diet for her. lfncy - Oh yeah, I have read your postings! I even tried the pumpkin you talked about. The dx between the T-Foetus and giardia seems to be a huge problem. What I just read was the way they make a determination between the two is how the parasite's tail 'swims'. Its got to be an ultra-fresh sample, also so they can see it wiggle. What I've been told (for kittens) is that it can resolve 'spontaneously' after about a year. It doesn't actually go away, they just don't have any more symptoms of it. I hope I've gotten to the bottom of this, as you did, without having to put her through the exploratory procedures. I looked on-line and didn't see Wellness in a duck or rabbit formula. That is definitely a brand I would use. I can't keep her on the RX food indefinitely, its premo-expensive and she eats like a chow-hound. If I can rule out that chicken or beef is tolerable, I could try those. Thanks for the well-wishes! I'll post an update when I can confirm how she's doing.

Acute Diarrhea- large and small bowel Primary GI Overeating Diet change Toxins/food poisoning Food sensitivity Hemorrhagic enteritis Parvo (dogs) Rounds, hooks, whips Bacteria- Camplyobacter, Salmonella, Clostridia Sharp/traumatic FB Intussusception Extra GI Acute severe pancreatitis Addisons Sepsis/toxemias Drugs- antibiotics especially Chronic Small Bowel diarrhea Primary GI Food insensitivity IBD Food responsive diarrhea Antibiotic responsive diarrhea Lymphangectasia Neoplasia- LSA, adenocarcinoma, mastocytosis, leiomyoma, myosarcoma Rounds, hooks, giardia, coccidia Chronic intussusception Extra GI Exocine pancreatic insufficiency Liver failure Renal failure Addisons Hyperthyroidism Chronic Large Bowel Diarrhea Primary GI Fiber responsive colitis Food sensitivity Irritable bowel syndrome Fiber responsive diarrhea Antibiotic responsive diarrhea Neoplasia- adenocarcinoma, lymphosarcoma (common in FeLV+ cats at young age) Whips Chronic intussusception IBS Secondary to chronic small bowel diarrhea Renal failure This is from my class notes. The easiest way to approach diarrhea is to first classify it as acute vs chronic (your cat has chronic diarrhea), and then to classify it large bowel or small bowel diarrhea, or both. Here's how to tell the difference between large and small bowel diarrhea: Small bowel diarrhea: Weight loss, polyphagia, vomiting, abdominal distension, halitosis common; normal to increased frequency of defecation; increased volume, no mucus or hematochezia (bright red blood) Large bowel diarrhea Weight loss, polyphagia, vomiting, abdominal distension, halitosis uncommon; increased frequency of defecation, normal-decreased volume, mucus present, hematochezia present Then you work through the list of differentials and test for or eliminate each one as a cause for your cat's diarrhea. Some things are easier to diagnose than others- parasites are easy when present, food allergy or irritable bowel syndrome usually requires intestinal biopsy for example. First thing I'd do is make sure you know your cat is FeLV and FIV negative; those are fatal diseases and may affect your decision to pursue further diagnostics. FeLV can cause GI lymphoma in very young cats, so I would be especially sure you weren't dealing with an FeLV positive cat who frankly has no hope for recovery before allowing the cat to suffer further and for you to waste money on more diagnostics and treatment. Your vet can test for FeLV and FIV with a few drops of blood and a 10 minute SNAP test while you wait. In any dog or cat with diarrhea, I deworm with 3-5 days of fenbendazole regardless of stool tests. Parasites don't always shed eggs into the sample you get. Sometimes I also treat for coccidia with ponazuril if I have strong suspicions even if I can't get a sample or don't see any in the sample. It doesn't hurt to deworm and may solve the problem. You can't test for giardia, coccidia, and bacteria by a sample from home. It must be FRESH and examined immediately, because once those bugs stop moving, it's almost impossible to find them. And no bacteria is just as bad as a bacterial overgrowth, but I can't believe anything they say regarding bacteria in an old sample anyway. I always give probiotics to patients with diarrhea to help re-establish normal intestinal flora. I hope you can get to the bottom of this soon. Diarrhea is no fun for your cat or for you.