I've used it for foster dogs. It's natural fiber! Have never had a kitty with poop issues (thank goodness). Glad to hear that this worked for your kitty :)

I give both my dog and 3 cats pumpkin on a daily basis. But I do it for a completely different reason. My dog is a poop eater, both his and the cats. Once I started feeding them the pumpkin he stopped eating it. Go figure.

Thanks Lisa for the info! I'll definitely give it a try if Jas's loosies put in an appearance again.

It sounds like Jas has tightned up? If so, it really is something to give thanks for.

lfnyc, I came over to this forum today specifically to see if I could find some answers to the very problems you detailed. (Mostly over on HomeDec)

I am at a loss what to do about the same issue. 14 YO Male Tabby, had a complete check up in Aug, blood work, teeth cleaned, everything ok. He has been exhibiting signs of IBS and had become constipated, and obviously in pain in the litter box.

Vet suggested the pumpkin. Actually said cats can never get enough fiber. She also gave me a prescription low residue dry cat food. Well the constipation is gone, but the stools are not always formed. I've tried switching back to the previous dry food and the pumpkin, and again, no constipation, but the foul smell and very soft stools to loose stools, cycle continues.

If anyone can help, I would be most grateful. He will use his box, but then turn around and need to go some more, only stops in his tracks to do it--not go back to the box. I'm at my wits end cleaning up the mess.

I've been mixing the pumpkin with a couple of tablespoons of chicken or beef broth, mainly to water down the consistency and make it more appealing and he does lap it up, so getting him to eat the pumpkin is not a problem. I don't know if I should increase/stop the pumpkin or what.

Thanks to anyone who can advise me.

A very frustrated cat mom :(

Has your cat been on any kind of anti-biotic? If so, a pro-biotic may help. Here is another dumb question. Did the vet ask for a stool sample to examine? Is he an out door cat who may have picked up an intestinal bug?
There were a few other factors in my cat's recovery besides the pumpkin, so I can't be sure of actual cause and effect, but here they are:
1) a pro-biotic called Pet Flora made by a company called Vitality Science. More expensive than the liquid acidophillus that you can get in pet stores...but who knows, maybe its more effective.
2)Slippery elm...I buy large capsules, open them up and transfer the powder into smaller #3 gelcaps (she gets 2 a day). Doing this requires a little time, but there are other ways of administering it and it comes in other forms.Do a web search if you want more info. It is supposed to be good for intestinal inflammation. My vet said it was OK.
3)A diet that is 75% Wellness canned chicken and 25% Royal Canin Dry Rabbit. No beef or turkey, no grains or soy. One of my vets wanted me to put Odee on and IBD diet, but I didn't like the ingredients. The only treats Odee gets are the Pill Pockets I use to give her her daily supplements.

My guess is that the pumpkin and the diet are more important than the Slippery Elm and pro-biotic. I would give her 100% canned food, but that just isn't practical. A couple times, her BMs have gotten slightly looser, I've upped her pumpkin and the next day, they are fine again.

Hope this helps...at least your cat is going again. My late cat was chronically constipated and that was the worst. best of luck and i hope some others can give you some other ideas, too.

Your information is most helpful. Thanks for the response.

Cat is indoor only, always has been. No other cats in the house. Had two others at one time, but they have passed away.

No antibiotics. Funny thing is, when they cleaned his teeth and had to sedate him, his stools the next couple of days did not smell at all. I was in heaven ;-)

The dry food given is Eukanuba Low Residue. Considered a prescription diet. He was on Purina One sensitive systems or hairball formula variety prior. That is what I have gone back to.

I give about a tablespoon size serving of the pumpkin twice a day. What I *don't* know is if the amount should be increased or decreased. It is a vicious cycle for sure.

Have sent an email to the vet requesting follow up advice. Will pass it on to you all along with any (hopefully) results.

Never heard of slippery elm, but am off now to Google.

thanks again.

Tryin; you said, "No antibiotics. Funny thing is, when they cleaned his teeth and had to sedate him, his stools the next couple of days did not smell at all. I was in heaven" .

There is a possibility that your vet gave him a hit of cortisone after the dental work...this may have had an anti-inflammatory effect on his bowels. Ask about that as well. I'm not a big fan of giving a healthy animal corto- steroids, but your puss is getting along in years. It is my understanding that if indeed he has IBD, then cortisol is one of the few medical options to help relieve the symptoms.

Tryin...one more thing...you mentioned that you mix broth with the pumpkin. Is the broth formulated especially for pets? If not it probably contains some kind of onion extract which can be lethal for cats and dogs. Instead try crumbling a soft cat treat on top of the pumpkin or mixing it with a bit of 100% meat baby food.

Oh dear, did not know about the onion extract thing. Never heard of that. I just used some ordinary canned albeit low sodium, fat free broth.

Very, very good point about the antibiotics. Will see what the vet has to say about that. It was really so odd IMO - no odor whatsoever.

Thank you again. I'm most grateful to any and all suggestions. I've had cats all my life, but this intestinal issue is a first for me.

I spoke with the vet today, and we are starting on fortiflora tomorrow.

It may take 2-3 weeks to see optimal effects, but I will keep you posted.

Reading about the pro-biotic in your post lfnyc, I knew instantly what path she was recommending.

I hope the pro-biotic works...it can't hurt. One of the tips I read on the Vitality Science website told me is that the probiotic will be more effective if the cat drinks distilled water...that the chlorine and flouride in tap water can counteract the 'good' bacteria. I distill my own drinking water, so its no big deal for me, but I don't know how far you are willing to go to buy gallon jugs of water and lug them home for your cat...especially when you don't know if it will indeed make any difference. Just thought I would pass the info on to you.

Did you ask your vet whether or not she gave your cat any cortisone or prednisone after the dental work? If so,
that may be what stopped the stinkers for a couple days. If Odee's problem had not straightened, I think my vet's next step was going to be prednisone.

I started giving Odessa 1oz of pumpkin per day (split between three meals). One flat tablespoon = 1/2 oz. After 6 weeks of total success, she started getting a little loose again (but nothing like before). I upped her to about 1.5 oz a day, and she's fine again. Just to see, I cut back on the pumpkin...and sure enough, there was a little looseness again. You might want want to up the pumpkin by another TBLS...especially if your vet assured you too much of it is not an issue. If it has a negative effect, you can always cut back again, right?

Lisa

Hey there! Sorry I've been away for some time; Jas seems to have tightened up. He and Coco were boarding at the vet's for some days, and were scheduled for spay/neuter procedure some days ago. The vet said Jas would be neutered only if his loosies don't put in an appearance again, and sure enough, they haven't, so they went ahead with the surgery, and Jas is back home today.

I'll check his stool tomorrow to see for myself. You're right, it really would be something to give thanks for. And if not, I'll try pumpkin therapy.

Thanks again.
Pranjal

I have a 6 month old foster kitty and I give him the occasional pumpkin also. He likes it warmed. I tryed all sorts of dryed food on him and still got nothing but runny poohs. Gave him a can of cheap 9 Lives canned Tuna w/egg and he has 90% perfect stool. Vet said if it works, let it go for awhile. He also told me that you can give cats Metamucil if needed. I have't gone that route yet, don't want to mess with his system right now. He's gaining weight, can't keep him down, and just a bundle of fun in the house right now! Sometimes you just have to find what may work or start from scratch.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this info. I remember in the back of my head, now about pumpkin but never tried it. I fed it to my two rather elderly German Shepherds this morning (along with their dry food and a sardine I give for Omega 3's). They gobbled it up.

Reason I'm so appreciative is that one of the shepherds has been thru the gamut with stomach problems including GDV (twisted stomach, two surgeries) and swallowing an entire dish rag while we weren't home and getting stopped up and requiring laproscopy (or whatever is the kind they go in thru the mouth).

Besides being 11+ years old (a little old for Shepherds), she has been a very picky eater since her GDV. I have to cajole her every morning. Not this morning, When I added the pumpkin she gulped it down. Brought joy to my heart especially since she is on anti-biotics for some skin infection (because she rubs too much because she has allergies). I know the anti-biotics can cause nausea and she already has been showing significant signs of lots of gas (another possible indication of intestinal problems) so I'm so glad to have the option of pumpkin.

For anyone else with German Shepherds, I have been doing research and they seem prone to intestinal problems. I would suggest adding pumpkin to ward off any possible problems, it is cheap and pretty easy. Just open a can. I'm feeding it also to my other Shepherd who is very healthy right now just hoping to ward off any problems.

THANKS AGAIN!

:(

Jas's loosies are back! Coco and he returned from their stay at the clinic and spay/neuter, Coco's been puking and both have runny stools; Jas's stuff has been sent in for testing, Coco's will go tomorrow, and the vet said to start them off on pumpkin right away.

Now the thing is, I'm not sure I'd find Libby's canned pumpkin here in the UAE, I'll check if Carrefour stocks it, but if not, should I just cook some fresh pumpkin to a mush and feed a tbsp of it to them?

Hi Elphaba I hope the pumpkin works as well for your sheps..they are big dogs, so they'll probably go through a can very quickly. If they are on anti-biotics, ask your vet about a good probiotic and a slippery elm supplement for intestinal inflammation as well.

Pranjal...sorry to hear that Jass' loosies are back. Have you tried the pumpkin yet? Will be interested to hear if he test positive tor T Foetus. Libby Canned pumpkin is pure puree, so cooking up raw pumpkin should be fine.Do they have pumpkins in UAE? If not, other people have posted that psyllium husks or Metamucil work also.

Hey there Lisa! Yes, we have pumpkins in the UAE; will start them on it tomorrow (it's late night here right now).

I forgot to mention that Coco was on Metacam after her surgery and I'm suspecting that's the reason for her loosies; the vet did inject her with something 9forgot the name) to stop her throwing up.

I know the vet wants to check Coco's stools too for Giardia and T. foetus just to make sure, but I'm just gonna try probiotics and cooked chicken with rice for a while for Coco (alongwith pumpkin, of course!) and Jassie and see if they tighten up. We'll know Jas's test results on Saturday.

pranjal: This is exactly what happened to my little foster guy. Him and 3 others went in for spay and neuter, then he just was not himself afterwards. The stools were loose, cow flops with mucus and or blood. Cooked chicken and rice is great for a week or two. You can substitute the chicken with burger or beef. Boil the meat and remove as much fat as possible. The antibiotics helped alot but never really cleared up the stools for him. We took him off of the dried hard food completely. He's eating cheap canned 9-Lives and has made great progress. It's been a awhile (month or more) and he's allowed very small amounts of dried food. So far, so good in the potty department. It's all trial and error, and very frustrating. Trying to find what works and what doesn't. About the time you want to throw your hands up, you'll figure something out. This whole process has been about 4 months for us and 2 vet visits. He loves the pumpkin warmed!

Jas's tests came out negative for Giardia and T. foetus, though it's no indication that he isn't infected (cysts are shed intermittently, and if the loosies continue, we have to keep testing samples every three days).

But ... the loosies are gone! Both Jas and Coco love cooked red pumpkin - and shamelessly beg for more LOL. The BM look normal now, after just 2-3 days of pumpkin therapy. Thanks a bunch again Lisa for the info!

pmk, Jas's problem has been going on for more than 5 months now (started with Giardia, that got cured, but there's always been blood and mucus in his mostly-runny stool). The vet said to continue feeding the kittens pumpkin for some time and gradually reduce the amount, and start feeding normal kitten food again, small quantities at a time mixed with chicken and rice so their tummies get used to it. I'll try some minced beef if they get bored of chicken n rice everyday (though it seems like they'd eat anything with pumpkin mixed in!). Good luck with your kitty, hope the potty dept stays good :)

It's been trial and error here too, and I don't know what I would've done if Lisa hadn't shared Odessa's experience with us. Lisa, if/when you meet the receptionist again, please thank her for us :)

I'm just hoping this problem gets cleared up once and for all! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed ...

Pranjal

Pranjal, that's wonderful news. I have been told that the
T-F bacteria is indeed hard to find in one sample. And I have read various sources (and my vet seemed to concurr) that if that is indeed the problem, it will eventually go away spontaneously, although it might take a very long time. I don't know if it is available where you live, but Wellness Canned Chicken seems to be working very well for Odessa. The smaller cans are expensive, but it also comes in 12oz cans that are rather economical. The other priceless advice I got from this board (and my vet) is that the less dry food a cat eats, the better off they will be.
Please keep us posted on JasPurr and Coco...they sound like real sweeties who are very lucky to have such a conscientous person caring for them.

L

1. Forti Flora is excellent. You can order it online as well as get it from your vet. I think I got mine from Purina website.
2. Flagyl does not always work for giardia. My cat had confirmed giardia and Flagyl did not work for him. However, Panacur did work. Had to be on it for six days though.
3. Might try switching to a very high quality food such as Innova. I feed Innova dry and Merrick wet. You can get Merrick online (free shipping) at their website. You may have to call around but you should be able to get Innova in your area (can also check their website). Innova was not involved in the recalls and contains no by-products. My cat was supposed to have to be on prescription food forever but he does fine on Innova plus Merrick. I recommend the Merrick Turducken.
4. I have not tried the pumpkin but I am going to do so. It sounds like an excellent supplement even though my cat is no longer having the stool issues.

Jas and Coco have been on homecooked meals (minced chicken+rice) and pumpkin, sometimes yoghurt, for over a month, and things were going just fine ....

Until ...

Jas made a nasty 'stool' - all mucus n no real stool actually, and the vet ran tests on it - inconclusive. The vet diagnosed colitis, and Jas got a couple of shots for it. He's been doing well after that. And we changed his food to Royal Canin hypoallergenic dry(mixed wth a lil cooked minced chicken). It's surprising that vets here encourage pet-owners to buy dry food - saying it's really good for the teeth

On dry vs wet food - it's surprising that vets here encourage pet-owners to buy dry food - saying it's really good for the teeth. I believed this 5 yrs ago but now know better. We don't get Wellness/Innova here; I'm gonna ask the vet to order some cans for Jas and see what works.

Until then, fingers and toes crossed!

Sorry to hear that Jas has gone soft again. About wet food...I will try to include a link to an article about several wet foods. The reason I got stuck on Wellness is because I liked the ingredients (no grains or soy) and it came in an economical 12 oz can. There are many other canned foods (even some Fancy Feast varieties) with decent ingredients.

I've read, and have been told by my vet that dry food does very little AFA dental health for cats...they end up swallowing most of the kibble whole. The small amount of dry that I give to Odie is also Royal Canin dried rabbit (its Vet Rx).
Did the vet give Jas a cortisone shot? My vet told me that if the diet didn't work, that would have been the next step for Odessa. I have been giving her slippery elm supplements (along with the pro-biotic) that are supposed to have an anti-inflammatory effect, but honestly, I don't know if they are doing her any good...I have a feeling its the pumpkin that is keeping her regular. But now she looks forward to getting her pills in the morning because she likes the Pill Pocket treat that I wrap them in.

Here is a link that might be useful: pet food choices

Thanks for that link, Lisa. Only one of the brands listed - Nutro - is available here, and doesn't agree with Jas :( We also tried Royal Canin Sensitive (Chicken-rice and Duck-rice) but no good.

The other brands we have here are Iams,Eukanuba,Whiskas, and Fancy Feast; I'm thinking of trying those for Jas (gradually) and if that doesn't work I'll order Wellness and/or Innova later. I want him to have canned food with maybe a bit of dry food as a mid-day snack. That Hypoallergenic diet seems to be working for Jas right now, though.

The vet gave Jas a shot of Colvasone and something else (Betamox I think, not sure) - he calls it his magic potion. That stopped the loosies for a while but the stool isn't brown - it's still yellow.

Never, ever did I imagine that I'd pray so hard for 'beautiful' kitty-chunks to appear in the litterbox LOL

Give sweet lil Odie a kiss for me :)