Why does my senior cat have persistent diarrhea but a good appetite?

Poor Milo. This frequent diarrhea in a cat his age could be caused by stress, pancreatitis, or hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can be common in senior cats. He needs to see a vet for this problem, and I recommend getting a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis done. These tests are tailored to senior cats and look for diseases like hyperthyroidism. Once the cause of the diarrhea is found, the vet can discuss treatment options. Please take him into a vet in the next few days. I hope this helps!

I'm so sorry that Shady is having problems with diarrhea. No, diarrhea is never normal, so we should continue to look for a cause and figure out how to resolve it. You did not mention if the diarrhea started before the Denamarin or after. While we like to continue Denamarin even after the liver enzymes are normal, I would certainly discuss that with your veterinarian if the diarrhea started after the Dermarin was started. If the diarrhea started before you added the Denamarin, then I would discuss with your veterinarian other options for diagnostics (such as sending a fecal sample to the lab) and treatment (such as anti-diarrheal medications). Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Shady feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Lily! Diarrhea even in old cats isn't normal. I have diagnosed parasites especially giardia in cats who are strictly indoors. You could try a sensitive stomach food and some probiotics to see if this helps. If not, I would strongly recommend your vet to take a look at her. Your vet will likely do a fecal and possibly blood work, thyroid test and x-rays. I would also make sure they rule out giardia and campylobacter. In older cats, I worry especially worry about inflammatory bowel disease and GI cancer. If your vet is concerned about this, they will be able to talk to you about potential diagnostics (Ultrasound and GI panel, etc) and treatments to help her feel better. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon!

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!

If this was caused by a food change I would expect him to be back to normal by now. There may be something else underlying going on here that is the cause of Zebco's diarrhea and weight loss, such as intestinal parasites, pancreatic disease, diabetes, or even thyroid disease. I would recommend taking him to your vet for a through examination and potential tests (bloodwork, fecal exam), to hopefully identify the underlying problem so that he is treated appropriately. In the meantime I would suggest feeding Zebco a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese to help settle his stomach a bit. You can also try adding 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in his food daily to add fiber and help harden the stools up. Best wishes with Zebco and I hope he feels better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and diarrhea can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Otto evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Diarrhea can be a sign of a number of different diseases ranging from hyperthyroidism to infections to inflammatory bowel disease or even intestinal cancer. Some of these diseases can be fatal if left untreated, and regardless of the cause of the diarrhea if it goes on it could lead to dehydration and nutritional deficiencies. I think you need to see a veterinarian - you could look into Care Credit as a payment option, or you could ask your local shelter if there is any subsidized veterinary care near you. www.carecredit.com