# 12 year old with diarrhea/loose stool



## icebox (Mar 14, 2007)

My cat, Icebox, is a 12 year old male (neutered) that has had diarrhea/loose stool for the past couple months with one brief improvement.

This cat has always been healthy, but lately he can't hold the bowel movement long enough to get to the litter box and is making a mess at least twice daily, and I am really getting tired of cleaning the messes and the smell when I come home.

I have moved a litter box very close to his usual sleeping area and that helps, but he is still making messes. He has never done this in all the years he has been here.

He displays no other problems, is eating good and generally appears to be normal.

I have not changed his diet lately, but it looks as if he may be drinking more milk than usual, but I have thought that may be because he is losing fluids. His normal diet includes, baked chicken which I give him a few bites daily. Dry foods include, Pro-Plan, Iams and Science Diet; he normally eats Pro-Plan only. And once a day I give him Whiskers Treats.

I have two other cats in the house and they both seem ok.

Any ideas or suggestions will be welcomed.

Thanks...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Other people will chime in about the food, but I would stop the milk right now. Most cats can't process it.


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## icebox (Mar 14, 2007)

marie73 said:


> Other people will chime in about the food, but I would stop the milk right now. Most cats can't process it.


Marie, I had a sneaky suspicion that was what would be suggested. I am going to stop it, but as you know it is difficult to deprive the other two healthy cats of something they enjoy and I can't keep them apart enough to keep milk available all the time.

Milk is all I could think of that may be causing the problems, but they have been getting milk forever. I guess problems can develop with time, though.

Thanks for your quick reply.

Icebox is my first cat and is my old guy so I am fond of him enough to go to extra lengths to get him back in shape.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Billydkidd said:


> Marie, I had a sneaky suspicion that was what would be suggested. I am going to stop it, but as you know it is difficult to deprive the other two healthy cats of something they enjoy and I can't keep them apart enough to keep milk available all the time.


If you want to continue to offer milk to your cats, buy lactose-free milk in case your oldster has developed a lactose intolerance that is causing his digestive upset.

Much more importantly, though, is to get Icebox to a vet for a blood workup, including a Total T4 test to check his thyroid function. Hyperthyroidism is a fairly common illness in older cats, and diarrhea and excessive thirst are common symptoms of this disease. While you've got him at the vet for bloodwork, it'd also be a very good idea to have a full blood chemistry and CBC run to check his other internal systems and organs.

Laurie


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

There are also milk-alternatives that are completely safe for cats available in pet shops (and even the pet isle of a lot of grocery stores).

I agree with Laurie that a vet should also be the first stop on the list.


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## icebox (Mar 14, 2007)

laurief said:


> If you want to continue to offer milk to your cats, buy lactose-free milk in case your oldster has developed a lactose intolerance that is causing his digestive upset.
> 
> Much more importantly, though, is to get Icebox to a vet for a blood workup, including a Total T4 test to check his thyroid function. Hyperthyroidism is a fairly common illness in older cats, and diarrhea and excessive thirst are common symptoms of this disease. While you've got him at the vet for bloodwork, it'd also be a very good idea to have a full blood chemistry and CBC run to check his other internal systems and organs.
> 
> Laurie


I have also noticed a small amount of blood in the stools. This morning I found two messes and both have small amounts of blood. The Vet has thought in the past that he may have thyroid problems, so that may be the issue.

I will get him to the vet next week.

Thanks for all the helpful replies.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Ah, well if your vet has suspected hyperT in the past, you should DEFINITELY get that checked out ASAP. Untreated hyperT can do devastating and irreparable damage to the internal organs (esp. heart and kidneys). It's not a wait-and-see disease. If it's suspected at all, diagnosis and treatment should be initiated immediately.

Laurie


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

Billydkidd said:


> Marie, I had a sneaky suspicion that was what would be suggested. I am going to stop it, but as you know it is difficult to deprive the other two healthy cats of something they enjoy and I can't keep them apart enough to keep milk available all the time.
> 
> Milk is all I could think of that may be causing the problems, but they have been getting milk forever. I guess problems can develop with time, though.
> 
> ...


just eliminate it for awhile at first so you can see if it's the problem. if it is, buy the lactose-free and then they can all have some.

chronic diarrhea can also be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome, which you may or may not be able to treat with a diet change. if your vet is like mine, the first thing he'll suggest is science diet z/d (i didn't argue with him, i just didn't use it lol), but there are a lot of grain-free foods without carrageenan (both bother my cat) and there are novel proteins available without going to the hydrolyzed in sd. rabbit, pheasant, buffalo, and nz brushtail are likely not proteins you've fed him before. they also use prednisone, which is a fine anti-inflammatory used in moderation but if you can eliminate the source of the inflammation, that's probably better than using steroids to alleviate symptoms. it's not always food allergies, it could still be hyperthyroidism but only bloodwork will tell you that. good luck.


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