Why is my old cat with pancreatitis having diarrhea and accidents?

Hello, thank you for your question about Abu. Based on your description of Abu's episode and current intermittent diarrhea I would be suspicious that he may have a mild underlying GI problem. Generally, cat's GI systems are very sensitive, and often when they go through a bout of pancreatitis it can sometimes become a chronic issue leading to occasional diarrhea/vomiting. Some cats have a condition called triaditis, where they experience pancreatitis and concurrent inflammation in their intestines. This would explain Abu's moodiness and his diarrhea. Cats with this condition often need to have anti-nausea and anti-diarrheal medication intermittently to help them cope with their symptoms. It is often challenging to completely cure this condition. I would recommend having Abu reevaluated by your veterinarian to ensure that he is still comfortable and not experiencing a full re-lapse. Your veterinarian can then discuss potential medication options for your to have at home. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hi from Bangladesh! Don't worry, it may take a few more days to see improvement. You may also try a bland diet of boiled chicken, rice, and plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to help firm up the stool. Using a probiotic for cats and dogs can help as well. Hope this helps!!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Winnie! The diarrhea is likely part of the pancreatitis. Be sure that she is on medication for diarrhea (metronidazole or tylosin). If she isn't on medication for diarrhea because this is a new symptom, call your Vet when they open to see if you can pick up medication for the diarrhea. I hope this helps and I wish Winnie a speedy recovery!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would get a probiotic like Purina Fortiflora. If the metronidazole isn't working I would ask for tylan and Hill's i/d to help control the diarrhea. The drug can cause GI upset seen as vomiting and diarrhea. You can discuss trying a lower dose with your Vet when they call you back. Lowering the dose will make it less effective against the lymphoma. I wish you the best!

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! If the food appears different than the one he normally eats it is possible that perhaps there is a different additive or food coloring that has upset his stomach (or is it possible it is a different flavor even though the brand is the same). We can see some pets have GI upset from quick changes in diet. That being said, we can also see diarrhea from other causes, including GI parasites, bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory bowel disease, as a symptom of systemic illness, and more. If he is still energetic with no vomiting you could try getting a probiotic from your vet or the pet store for him which can sometimes help with diarrhea and feeding something bland for a few days (such as plain white rice and shredded boiled chicken or lean ground chicken) or picking up the food you normally get at the pet store and trying this for a few days. If he is having urgency so often he isn't making it to the litterbox, however, it is quite possible he has colitis http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=677 and will likely need prescription medication to get the diarrhea under control, so the fastest solution to eliminating the problem is to have your vet examine him!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Pancreatitis in cats is often a chronic problem with occasional flare-ups. Treatment usually consist of pain relief and low fat diet. In more severe cases iv fluids, intravenous pain relief and appetite stimulants are necessary. In that respect the treatment Mahji received sounds appropriate. Antibiotics are not necessary in most of cases of pancreatitis but it is a common practice to use them. It is hard to make comments on the problem with oedema. I assume that the oedema was caused by overzealous intravenous fluids therapy and Mahji has fully recovered after a course of diuretic. The key in long-term management of pancreatitis is low fat diet. There are prescription diets for cats with pancreatitis but this type of food can be easily prepared at home (cooked lean meat with some vegetables). Using appetite stimulants should be only short term, however some cats require longer therapy with anti-sickness medications to treat nausea (metoclopramide or maropintant are the most commonly used). I hope that will help and I wish all the best for Mahji

I'm so glad that Mr B is feeling better. A prescription diet would be ideal, if he will eat it. However, it is more important that he be consistently eating something. Regular food intake and meals keeps the pancreas working at a steady pace to help digest food, rather than going from 0 to 60 so to speak; meaning not needing to work, then working really hard. Since he is an older guy, he is just more likely to start to have health problems. If he does have a recurrence of pancreatitis, it would be a good idea to talk to your vet about an abdominal ultrasound (sonogram of the abdomen) if that was not preformed yet, to see if there are any other issues going on, such as an obvious tumor, etc. I hope that information is helpful. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!