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Cat Stool

Loose Stool

Find out what a vet recommends for dealing with loose stool.

Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, D.V.M.

Q. How can I firm up my cats stool?

Elaine Wexler-Mitchell names possible reasons behind soft stool and ways to combat soft stoolElaine Wexler-Mitchell, D.V.M., says: Cats normally have firm, formed stool. Soft stool results from intestinal parasites, food intolerance, dietary indiscretion (eating things your cat shouldn't), inadequate fiber intake, stress, and disease such as colitis. Many owners feed their cats a variety of foods, treats, and table scraps. Although your cat may enjoy eating these items, they are not equally well digested thus lead to variations in stool. Cats who go outside may ingest food they hunt or eat another cats food at a neighbors home, which may also cause soft stool.

If you are unable to identify food items that trigger soft stools, and you cannot control stool consistency with one particular diet, you can try giving your cat a pet psyllium fiber supplement such as Vetasyl. If stools are still soft, ask your vet to check your cat for intestinal parasites and other health problems.

 

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Reprinted from Ask the Vet About Cats © 2003. Permission granted by BowTie Press.

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Reader Comments
while I would love to try Vetasyl, it seems that it only comes in capsule form. My cat would never take it that way. I need something I can mix in with her dry food. I believe she has a food intolerance and have been giving her Anti Diahrrea Formula from AllergicPet.com daily for a mon th and 10 drops work well when mixed with her dry food. It does make her stool smell like the medicine (not too nice). Any suggestions?
Elaine, Rocky Hill, CT
Posted: 2/25/2012 11:29:16 AM
good information, thank you
janet, bethlehem, PA
Posted: 9/8/2011 4:30:55 AM
Many Manx cats and kittens tend to suffer from soft, semi-liquid, smelly stool which their owners have repeatedly linked to canned food and even quality dry food. These cats and kittens reportedly have to use their litter box up to five times a day, some time after they had some commercial food. This problem can affect kittens' weight and growth rate. Canned and dry food may also cause flatulence in Manx cats, as some owners report. This problem can be very frustrating for both cats and their owners, as a result some owners choose to keep their Manx cats and even kittens outside when they are not able to produce hard stool, thus exposing them to cold weather and a risk of predators. The following home-cooked diet has been effectively proven to produce regular, hard, normal stool without any unpleasant smell. Feed your Manx (or any other breed with a soft / semi-liquid stool problem) a mix of home-cooked poultry (turkey, chicken or duck) or fish with little amounts of cooked white rice. A few finely chopped grains of white rice added to each meal are enough to prevent the 'poopy butt' syndrome the Manxes are known for. You can adjust how much freshly cooked broth can be added to this wet food (most cats enjoy drinking fresh, low-fat, non-concentrated broth). Both poultry and fish should be fed to a Manx on a daily basis to provide necessary nutrients. The exact ratio is 2 Tsp. of cooked and chopped fish or poultry to 1/3 teaspoon of cooked, finely chopped white rice. Depending on steak thickness, cook fish for 30-40 minutes, turkey or chicken for 60-90 minutes. Once the broth starts boiling, let it simmer under a lid for the time indicated. Never add any spices or onions to the poultry or fish when cooking, just water and a tiny bit of salt. Cooked poultry can be safely stored in the broth in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, the best storage time for fish is 24 hours. Rice can be cooked in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. All food should be at room temperature when it is fed to cats, never hot or directly from the fridge. The home-made rice-added diet tends to stabilize stomach problems almost immediately, with permanent results after 4-5 days (flatulence and smelly, drippy stool are eliminated). If a Manx cat gets its home-cooked meals 3-4 times a day, 1 Tsp. of premuim dry cat food can safely be fed at bedtime, this amount should not affect its digestion or stool quality.
Gloria, Burnaby, BC
Posted: 3/30/2011 8:07:25 PM
good article, thanks
janet, bethlehem, PA
Posted: 10/21/2010 4:21:51 AM
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