Being Prepared: What to do when your Kitty has the runs?

As weird as it sounds, it happens to the best of us– even our feline companions– the dreaded diarrhea. For them it can be worse than for us, especially since they can’t necessarily vocalize the issue, and since we, high strung blundering creatures that we are, tend to overreact and generally freak kitty out even more.

So what to do?

I hope you’re reading this as a preventative, because if you’re not prepared ahead of time, there’s not much to do other than use common sense and take your baby to see the doctor. I would NOT try many of the home remedies that tell you to feed your cat HUMAN anti-diarrheal medications like Pepto Bismol. I saw this on a veterinary website. Pepto and its storebrand counterparts contain Salicylate, aspirin essentially, is TOXIC TO CATS and should NOT be given to them under any circumstances.  On the same site, for a vet in NJ, they recommended giving a blend of hamburger meat and rice. Beef is another no-no and can often upset kitty’s tummy further.

So…what to do?

After being woken up this morning at roughly 5:30am by Sage standing on my chest, nose to nose and screaming in my face, I thought something was amiss. Also, Luna was in the litter box making a racket and 5:30am is not her normal time for a daily constitutional.  After successfully getting Sage back to sleep for a while, she was up and started the first of many trips to the litter box about an hour after breakfast.  And by midday, they were both having some messy issues.  At that point, hubby having gone to work and me a non-driver– and during a heavy week of rent, taxes, and no paycheck til Thursday– going to the vet for a few cramps and the runs wasn’t an option at that point. So, I went to my handy dandy The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier.  Frazier’s book is my Feline Bible, and while there are a lot of her techniques that won’t work unless you’re Jackson Galaxy– and others that I’m skeptical of (like a raw diet) but others see working in their own feline friends, Frazier’s book is an excellent guide to help you treat some common ailments like diarrhea.  And, help you have a more holistic approach to your kitties’  health.

You will need a few things when dealing with your feline companion’s bowel issues.

#1: Common Sense. 
If your kitty has this issue routinely, every week, you are definitely dealing with a longterm issue that needs veterinary advice.  You may be looking at a bigger health issue.  If kitty is exhibiting other symptoms– lethargy, depression, anxiety, fear, pain, or anything unusual– seek medical advice immediately.

If your felines have diarrhea once a year, like mine do, then this regimen may help.  Please use only for healthy alert cats. Do NOT use for a diabetic feline– seek your vet’s assistance.

#2: Patience and Calm
Treat your feline friends like you would your children. If your own child has diarrhea, are you going to pitch a fit, scream and stomp around that your kid just shat himself? I would hope not. Please don’t do that to your kitty no matter how much you yourself have to clean.  After today, cleaning blankets, myself, the bathroom, hall, bedroom, and putting down towels, I know how frustrating it gets. But what kept me calm was the knowledge that I was there to help and not hurt– and my reaction could exacerbate the situation.  I’m lucky, my girls are calm and don’t bite, though scratching isn’t out of order. I just find that being calm, having patience, and yes, a positive attitude, serves to put your kitties at ease, regardless of how poorly they might be feeling.

#3: Some basic hardware and the remedy ingredients
Frazier has an excellent medicine chest and hardware suggestion list in her book. Those of you who know me, know I’m a self-taught herbalist and have a massive home apothecary. But, for this all you need are a few things– which you might already have in your pantry.  I’ll give you one list and please note, all the herbs are dried and use organic whenever possible.

Chlorella, wheatgrass, barley grass or liquid chlorophyll, or a combination
Acidophilus
Slippery Elm bark powder,
rosemary
horsetail
an oral syringe of at least 4cc
1-2 ounces of raw chicken liver
1-2 ounces of raw chicken or turkey giblet
2-3 ounces of raw chicken
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of cooked white rice
food processor or stick blender
appropriate saucepans

Here’s what I call the Kitty Anti-Poop Remedy

Into 1 cup of freshly boiled water steep 1 teaspoon EACH of rosemary and horsetail. Steep for at least 15 minutes.  The rosemary will help soothe the stomach, intestines, and will serve as an anti-inflammatory. The horsetail will help replenish lost nutrients and minerals, as well as provide silica which soothes the digestive tract.

Strain tea into a small saucepan. Over medium heat whisk in your greens. I use 1 tsp each wheatgrass powder, chlorella powder and barley grass powder. I’ve used liquid chlorophyll but it’s rather messy and since it does need refrigeration, it doesn’t keep forever. The powders give me more control, last much longer, and I personally like better.

Even though cats are carnivores, cats will consume grass particularly when digestion is an issue. Chlorophyll aids in digestion and is packed with nutrients, which is particularly helpful when kitties don’t feel well.

After your greens are incorporated, whisk in 4 tsp of slippery elm powder. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken. Lower heat and continue whisking for 5 minutes. The mix should be a thick, tapioca-like consistency.

Place the pot in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Once completely cool add your acidophilus.  I use powdered capsules. Again, they keep longer than liquid and, for this purpose especially, capsules are usually dairy free. Please don’t use any dairy for your felines as that may make the problem worse.  Empty 12 capsules into the mixture and place all into a glass jar. Refrigerate any unused mix and discard in 4-5 days.

Dosage: 3cc by mouth up to 3 times a day before meals.

Giving won’t be easy if you’re on your own– but it is possible. If you have a partner to help you, so much the better. I tried my best, got some green funk in my hair a few times. But, green funk is better than having to wipe a feline behind.

In Frazier’s book, she recommends that cats fast during a period of diarrhea.  My problem with that is Luna. If she doesn’t eat every 12 hours she gets very nauseated and will barf from one end of the house to the other. No, there’s no food in her stomach, so it’s pure bile, but she does not do well without food. She’s a healthy girl and there’s no medical reason for this, but I can’t put her on a fast without her feeling far worse.

Frazier also recommends feeding her high calcium chicken broth recipe after a fast.  Again, I’m left in the same position with Luna, and she won’t touch pure chicken broth.  So, I decided to make a thin, bland gruel that would fill them up just enough to prevent nausea and still give them a little time to work through any bugs in the system.

Into a saucepan, quickly brown off your chicken liver, giblets, and chicken. Leave the liver and giblets whole. The chicken, white meat is easiest, you can cut into largish pieces.  Add your chicken stock and simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes. Add your rice and continue simmering for 15 minutes.   Remove from heat and allow to cook for 15 minutes before adding to the food processor or blender.  I use a stick blender– easier to clean and the mix doesn’t have to be cooled.  Puree until its a gruel-like baby food consistency.

Feed 2-3 tablespoons of this gruel every 8-12 hours. No other food should be given. You shouldn’t have dry food down anyway, but if you do, remove that at the first signs of the poops. Make sure kitty has water down and simply monitor the situation.

If it continues for more than 24 hours, make a vet visit.

After spending a few hours with the girls upset tummies before my brain turned on and I scouted around for my kitty remedies, I can say that we’ve had no more incidents– not since the first dose of the remedy. I did just feed them dinner– which they reluctantly ate (after they realized that was it for tonight).

As I’m typing, Sage started howling again.  She’s a very vocal girl and tells me when she has cramps, when she’s tired, hungry, cold, bored, and so on and so forth.  She was just crying up a storm and I thought I was jinxing a good streak by tap tap tapping my remedy, which I’ve used successfully in the past and thought it was high time I share it.  No problem. She was just happily informing me she felt better.