Hello friends :)

So as mentioned on my "Pooing on the bed" post, Orion has been struggling with foul smelling soft stool (or sometimes even diarrhea) and flatulence, since the day we brought him home (almost 4 weeks now). Breeder advised us to feed him one can of wet food a day, and Taste of the Wild dry. I researched it and don't like the Taste of the Wild. We fed him the Taste of the Wild exclusively for the first two weeks, and then started slowly transitioning him to our other dry food (Orijen). His stool has remained the same regardless of food. Early vet visits resulted in a giardia diagnosis, which we've treated him for, medications have run their course as of last Friday, and he's still having these issues. He also went nearly 2 weeks with no accidents, and then from last Thurs - Sunday we had 3. We are thinking a negative association with the litter boxes and diarrhea pain is what has been causing his improper elimination issues (on the bed).

We researched a natural treatment protocol used by holistic vets when traditional Giardia treatments fail, which includes giving them a harmless flavorless plant-derived digestive enzyme called ProZyme Plus on an empty stomach for a 4 week period. They've all reported a 100% success rate at treating Giardia with this, and I'm much more interested in giving him something that's not chemical, that doesn't taste like crap (that Panacur is just HORRIBLE getting down him), especially since the first medicinal treatment didn't even work. Vet ok'ed it and said it wouldn't hurt.

Since Sunday, we've only given him dry food, and his stools have firmed up...he also seems to be having an easier time going physically, and also where he's supposed to. I guess maybe the canned food and Giardia do not mix well in his body, they seem to go right through him. We started giving him the enzymes yesterday (Tuesday), and that is going well too. His last bowel movement today was completely solid, so I'm really hoping this is going to do it. We think it is best to keep him on dry food only for the next 3 1/2 weeks while we complete this natural protocol, to help him have more consistent and firm bowel movements, until the Giardia is hopefully completely eliminated. Then reintroduce the canned food slowly back and see how his body reacts. Anyone see anything to be concerned about with this feeding plan?

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~*~Holly~*~

Orion ~ Light Gold Black Rosetted Bengal, born 5/19/15
Apollo ~ Tuxedo Marbled Tabby, born 1/7/12

The only way to know for certain if the Giardia is gone to to take a stool sample to the vet and have it tested. Raiden got horrible diarrhea July 23 and his stool only now has completely firmed up. I took two stool samples to the vet and both came back clear. I'm now using a probiotic daily sprinkled on top of his food that seems to finally be helping. Sometimes these things take longer than we ever hoped it would take. I'd be careful in giving something to cure something that isn't there to be cured! The vet told me that sometimes it just takes a while for the digestive tract to heal! Happy to hear the stools have solidified!

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~*~Holly~*~

Orion ~ Light Gold Black Rosetted Bengal, born 5/19/15
Apollo ~ Tuxedo Marbled Tabby, born 1/7/12

A product specifically formulated for pets that can help in digestion is great! Many of us humans take a probiotic or supplements to help. It doesn't take much to get things out of whack down there.