Question:
hello, my name is janie and i have a kitty that i rescued from the pound, his name is stewart, stewie for short. He was very tiny maybe 4 weeks old. I took him to the vet and he got shots and was treated for tapeworms and ear mites and diarrhea. He had diarrhea and pus in his stool, the vet gave me ablon on 6-7-06. I gave him the prescribed dose and took him back for his other shots last Tuesday the vet said he looked great. He got some more shots and had frontline applied to his back, which he licked at ferociously. The next day, last Wednesday he started not acting normal. By Friday he had diarrhea again, today he had pus dripping out of his anus. He looks like he is only 8 weeks old. He eats all day long. He poops around 10 to 12 times a day everyday. He acts like he is starving all the time and cries while he is eating. I feel really bad for him because I had to put him in a bathroom because the pus was getting all over the house and I need to clean it up. He is very attached to me and he is crying for me. Is it possible that even though I gave him the medicine as prescribed, he has the same problem as before, coccadia? Could this be from the frontline? Could it be from his shots, the prior shots made him very lethargic? Should I put him back on the medicine (i have some left) until the vet opens up on Tuesday? Should I ask about getting a stronger medicine? Sorry the posting is so long, but I wanted to make sure I gave an accurate question.

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What did your vet say about the pus?

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the first time i took him to the vet I told the doctor he had pus, so he was checked for worms and given albon. I am not sure if they checked for coccaidi when they checked for worms.

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I would take your baby to a different vet on Tuesday and then please post with an update.

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I have been giving him the albon. 24 hours later I checked on him and he has poop oozing from his anus. He went poop while I was in there and it was soft but not diarrhea and there is no pus in it. I think that he is still not feeling well, but he is playing. He seems like he was when I had first given him the medicine last time. He was oozing out poop from his anus alot but he was better within 2 days. Does anyone know how soon the albon starts working for the coccadia. Also how soon before I should let him out of the bathroom.

Answer:
Janie,you said you got him at 4 weeks old
I was really surprised reading about all the shots,medicin,Frontline he has gotten at that young age.
Even at 8 weeks,I would not put any flea-meds on him.
I too would take this poor kitten to another vet,he has had a lot of things put in to his system at such a young age,little kittens are very fragile.

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Stewart was very sick when I got him. He had Advantage applied while he was in the pound at 4 weeks. He had shots for various vaccinations and tapeworms and was treated with the medicine for coccaidia when he was 5 weeks old. I did not know there was another way to treat all of these problems. They applied the frontline 6 weeks after the advantage which would be when when he was 11 weeks old, he also had more vaccinations.

He looks like he is 8 weeks old but supposedly his age is 12 weeks tomorrow. He was very frail when I got him. His teeth were very tiny and his rib bones were and still are very soft, not like the kittens my sister got. But I picked Stewart because he was sick, I did not think anyone else would take him home because of his situation.

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I took stewart to a different vet and the vet said the stewie probably has coccadia. He did a stool sample and said he did not see any signs of parasites. He told me to continue the albon. He also told me to buy some Nutro kitten food. He said that would help him to heal and have a better immune system. Also he would not poop 12 times a day as he would absorb more nutrition and want to eat less. Stewart seems a lot better. I had started giving him the albon on 7/17 at 2:00 am. His butt is not oozing out stuff anymore. I am worried that when I take him for his rabies shot or when I take him to get nuetered he will get sick again. Stress is supposed to make coccadia reoccur.

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That sounds like a better vet! Good luck with the recovery.

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Janie,I don't think your vet will neuter him if he is not strong enough yet,he's 12 weeks now,right??
My 3 male cats were all neutered at 6 months,but nowadays neutering can be done at almost any time.
Neutering of course is a really simple procedure,but the anasthezia is hard on a sick animal.
I would also hold off with the rabies shot,until he is 100%,it's not like he is going outside.
I am really happy the little guy is feeling better and hopefully will continue to improve keep us posted,please!

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that is a good idea to wait for him to be nuetered. My sister got 2 kittens the same day I did and they were only 8 weeks old and the pound wouldn't let them go with her without spaying them. The vet did not think it was a good idea to spay them that young. Stewart is supposed to be 2 1/2 pounds to get fixed. He only goes out on the patio. So I think I will wait until he is 6 months old. I have let him out of the bathroom. He was a little wild yesterday but today he has really calmed down. Thank you for the advice.

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Glad to hear little Stewie is doing better. I also agree with waiting until he's stronger and 100% healthy before he gets his rabies shot and neutered.

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I had to take Stewart to the vet again. He threw up and started having diarrhea again! So I went to yet another vet. He also did a stool sample and said that because of the diarrhea the cocaddia may not be showing up. He said that for now he would also treat the cocaddia. He upped the dose to 1cc of albon every 12 hours and added 3/4 cc of flagyl every 12 hours and 1/2 pill of centrine every 12 hours for his diahrrea. He also gave stewart a shot of penniccillin .5 and centrine .5 for diahrrea. My poor kitty. He is so sad. And he keeps going poopy on hard surfaces instead of his box. I think he wants me to see that there is a problem. I sure hope he gets better now. Today was $178.00. Thankfully my sister was with me and she put it on her credit card. I just went into the bathroom and he is sooo sick. He seems really tired he just had another diarrhea. I sure hope he gets better soon. I am having such a hard time sleeping I am so worried about him. I feel so bad that he is still in the bathroom.

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poor little Stewie, thank goodness he has you pulling for him.

Has Stewie had any bloodwork done????
I think I would like to know how his systems are working and if there is anything else going on.

I keep checking in, hoping for a positive and lasting change...paws crossed, Kimmee

Answer:
Janie,I am sorry to hear about little Stewie
Of course he's sad,his little body is being drained from both ends,if he keeps vomitting,is there enough time for the meds to work??
I am always leery about lots of meds for a little one and what it does to his system,but I suppose it's something he needs..
I am not very knowledgable in treating diarrhea,but I know from this Forum,that dogs are fed bland food,like boiled chicken and rice,for a kitten it would have to be mashed up,natural yougurt has also been mentioned,but someone else would know more than me,maybe Prin..
Is he drinking and eating at all?
I really,really hope you'll see some improvment soon,it must be very hard on both you and him Thank's for sticking with him

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I would suggest to tell the clinics to stop running the fecals in house and send them out to an outside laboratory for full check (including giardia, campylobacter, etc.) An outside lab will check for everything they can. They have more toys and technology than the little clinics can ever have. Coccidia is one of the smallest eggs that post people can still see with a regular microscope. But I'm shaking my head that you've been to the vet so many times and there is no mention of anyone actually seeing anything and no suggestion of sending his stool away!
I would also do a full work up. Complete blood work and probably xrays to visualize everything inside as well. Probably keep him in hospital on iv fluids since he is probably dehydrated with all the diarrhea he's had as well.

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I cannot believe this. Stewart is sick again. I just want to cry. He was doing great while I was giving him the antibiotic and diarrhea medicine but as soon as it stopped he started having gas and he has diarrhea again. He is still taking the albon. I feel so bad. I cannot afford to keep paying to go to a vet. My sister had to put the last bill of $178.00 on a credit card, when I take him to the vet tomorrow it will probably be the same amount. I cannot afford to pay for it. I feel so bad, I was trying to do a good deed by rescuing him. Does anyone know of a place that will help me get Stewart better for free. Or will take him and treat him and let me have him back. He is the greatest kitty in the world. I am crying right now. What should I do. I really need some advice.

Answer:
The last thing you want is the kitten dehydrating or you could lose him.

I am very surprised that the vet would vaccinate a sick cat. Most won't go nuts with other treatments either until the digestive problem is dealt with. I'd get him into someone else, if you have the option, soon.

It is probably very stressful and scary for him to be in the bathroom by himself. Imagine a baby child all alone and sick. He needs you for comfort. I don't blame you for not wanting a mess though.

Please take him in and get him some help, even if it means you have to leave him there for observation. They need to see what you see and get to the bottom of the problem.

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...that you already took him to another vet.
Like another poster said, I'm surprised they didn't do a full work-up on him.

But that's the past. He needs help even if it's in the form of pain management until someone finds out what's wrong. If you can't afford to get veterinary care you can't let him suffer. I'd take him to a local shelter and see if they can help you. It may mean that you have to surrender him but maybe not. If you do, its better that he gets the care he needs so he isn't hurting.

Poor little baby. Just reading the posts makes me sad. You said you thought you were doing a good thing rescuing him and you have. Someone else might have just let him die in agony. Don't give up on him.

Starr

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Janie,I am so sorry,for you and poor little Stewie
You clearly love him a lot and it is not fair,but that's life,not everything is..
When kittens are taken from their mom at 4 weeks and don't get the benefits of mothersmilk and later get sick,they don't have much to fight back with,unfortunately..
I don't think what your vet did to this very young kitten was right,but that is in the past..
I don't know of any place that would treat him for free,shelters right now are overloaded with kittens,so a sick one would probably not stand a chance
Maybe your new vet could work out a payment plan for Stewie.
How is he behaving,is he sickly,weak,or is he still playing and eating?

Answer:
Originally Posted by janielear275
I cannot believe this. Stewart is sick again. I just want to cry. He was doing great while I was giving him the antibiotic and diarrhea medicine but as soon as it stopped he started having gas and he has diarrhea again. He is still taking the albon. I feel so bad. I cannot afford to keep paying to go to a vet. My sister had to put the last bill of $178.00 on a credit card, when I take him to the vet tomorrow it will probably be the same amount. I cannot afford to pay for it. I feel so bad, I was trying to do a good deed by rescuing him. Does anyone know of a place that will help me get Stewart better for free. Or will take him and treat him and let me have him back. He is the greatest kitty in the world. I am crying right now. What should I do. I really need some advice.

So sorry poor Stewie has had a relapse. You have been an to him already.

You're lucky you live in the U.S. as I don't know of any free vet services in Canada, well B.C. anyway. Go to Google and type in "California no cost/low cost veterinary services."

Good Luck and please keep us posted.

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Janie,
There are usually subsidized vet care programs in most counties across the US. I am not familiar with CA, but know they exist as I support a few here in MN. I tried googling for CA and didn't find a specific one, but your local ASPCA or HSUS or a local shelter are usually very familiar with area programs, so I would suggest opening up your phone book and giving them a call!

Otherwise, you can call some of the vets you've been to and ask if they will let you work out a payment plan. Or if you have a relationship (like a checking acct) with a bank, you can try asking for a small loan or a credit card of your own that you can make monthly payments to.

I am so very sorry to hear what you have been through with Stewie! You were an angel to take him in the first place. I'm sure if you shared your story with your local shelter, they would know of someone who can help.

Good luck and please keep us updated! And give Stewie a !

Answer:
I had a really good cry and then went and got him out of the bathroom. He is drinking a lot of water. He seems to be happy and playing. He just has a lot of gas and very loose poop but not as much as before. I really appreciate all of the kind comments. I think most of my anxiety is because I feel so inadequate. I am relying on Vets to tell me the problem and he is still sick. I am taking him to the doctor tomorrow and I am borrowing the money from my daughter. I called a couple of phone numbers but no one could help me. At least this isn't happening on the weekend like the last 2 times. I had to wait to see a vet. Thank you all so much.

Answer:
Janie,of course you are anxious and worried,we all feel that way when our babies get sick,feeling helpless and frustrated.
Since the little guys cannot tell us what's wrong,we have to rely on the vets and finding a cause,is often a crap-shoot of meds and tests hoping for results.
I am glad to hear he is still active and playing.
Maybe just a normal kitten-life,with a good diet,without meds etc...would make him better,maybe he just had a bug,but then again it could be something more serious,needing the meds,too many maybes
Please keep us posted about little Stewie

Answer:
Hi Janie, you're probably sick of thinking about this - and not finding a solution - but maybe there will be some clues here: http://www.vetinfo.com/cdiarrhea.htm...20in%20Kittens

When you go to the vet, be ready with any questions. For instance, you can ask, what have the tests up to now EXCLUDED, and then you can begin to narrow it down. No question is too stupid.

One thing I'd do right now is get him some probiotics, it's like super-concentrated yoghurt which restores some of the good bacteria in his gut. Even a small pot of yoghurt containing probiotics (the label will say say so) will do. Ask the vet if this will interfere with any meds he is taking (I doubt it).

Keep up the good work! The little ones tear your heart out don't they - well, they all do, but Stewie sounds like a fighter.

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I am taking him to the doctor tomorrow
Janie, is this the same vet as the second one or a different one? Is Stewie still eating? I would also give him probiotics, but like badger said, check with your vet re his meds.

Fingers and paws still crossed for little Stewie.

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