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jessica | 4 years ago
Recurring Anal/Rectal Prolapse In Kitten

We just began an adoption trial with an adorable 4 month old kitten named Georgia. She’s very playful and happy but we instantly realized a few things seemed off with her health.

She’s got a watery eye, sneezes occasionally, scratches a lot, shakes her head occasionally, has a lot of gas, has diarrhea on and off, and is dealing with some mild bowel incontinence. But, most concerningly, seems to be dealing with a recurring anal or rectal prolapse.

We’ve taken her to two vets where she’s been given full examinations and deemed healthy. She has had two fecal tests, which return good results – no parasites are seen. She has prescription eye drops, a prescription antibiotic, prescription canned food, and a probiotic that we’ve just started. But no one seems to be as concerned about this rectal issue as we are.

Throughout the day, we notice a tiny bit of pink tissue poking out of her rectum. It’s very small and comes and goes. She also passes gas when this happens. And sometimes poop leaks out. She licks her butt a lot too.

Sometimes a cylindrical round bit of red tissue protrudes much further and what looks like a piece of poop can be seen poking out too. This tends to happen most often when she wakes up from a nap. It seems that her muscles relax and her bowel starts to come out. It will be out for seconds to a few minutes after she gets up and is moving around and then it pushes itself back in. It’s very disturbing to see!

We already have one special needs cat and, while we absolutely love this kitten and want to keep her, I’m afraid that this is going to be a recurring issue that will become very stressful. The vets we’ve seen are trying to treat the underlying cause, which they assume is diarrhea. But I’ve read that some parasites don’t show up on fecal exams or under microscopes – is this true? I’ve also read that stitches and surgery can help if this doesn’t improve on its own but that, with some cats, this is just a recurring problem throughout their lives.

Help! 🙂

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think that almost everything you are worried about it fairly normal for a newly adopted kitten. I always tell clients that we put these guys through a tremendously stressful time when we move them away from their family and into a new home. It’s a huge advisement and with that the immune system gets totally stressed out. Upper respiratory infections are a very common sequela. Also most kittens come with parasites. I send out at least three fecals before I deem them to be parasite free. Also stay on a good kitten food. Between the change in homes, families and diets I see loads of issues like this and they almost all resolve completely within a few weeks. All I really care about for the first few weeks is if they are happy, eating and playful and gaining weight. Stay in touch with your vet and I swear love cures almost all of these new kittens. Best of luck.

    1. jessica Post author

      Thanks! I hope you’re right. I was feeling the same way until this prolapse thing started. That has overwhelmed me as it seems to be getting worse, not better. And the vet visits and prescription foods are already getting expensive! Just afraid there won’t be a quick fix and we’ll be dealing with two very expensive special needs cats soon.

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Robyn | 4 years ago
Hello! I Will Try To Keep This As Short As Possible But Is Hard Because So …

Hello! I will try to keep this as short as possible but is hard because so much has happened.

I have 3 cats. My male cat is the one I am worried about the most right now. About a month ago all 3 got URIs and went to the vet. They were treated with antibiotics however they weren’t helping much so I had to bring them back a few times! Due to financial issues I ended up bringing them to our local shelter/humane society where they have a free clinic right now due to Covid. Biggest mistake EVER! They were so mean to my cat and overly rough with him completely stressing him out. I wasn’t allowed to go in the room with him however was able to watch some of what was going on through a window. This stressed my cat out so much that a week later he got a urinary blockage (2 weeks ago now)… I have never had issues prior with the other vet. He is 8 yr old. Anyways the vet cathed him and sent him home since it was the weekend and they are closed… where he ended up going to the ER the next day because he was crying all night…. They took the cath out… gave him pain meds and fluids… and kept him for 5 hours… He came home that night and has been on pain meds as needed and prazosin 2x a day. He is also on Hills C/D wet (with minimal dry of the c/d) He has been seen 2x since at the vet and Monday they did a urine sample/culture…. They said he has white blood cells so was put on antibiotics…but once the culture came back it showed everything to be normal…so was taken off of them…. Prior to all of this he was free fed however I have been switching all my cats to meal times 2-3 times a day… and will continue with that because of weight issues . He has been peeing, however, sometimes when I am peeing he will come pee in his litter box at the same time… He shakes his back end and puts it up in the air kind of and the pee shoots or sprays out …. this isn’t every time he pees but it has happened 3 times that I have seen. His pee clumps aren’t as big as they were prior to all this and now vary in size… sometimes a golf ball size give or take a little bit bigger/or smaller. I also will see his back end/tail twitching randomly in the day. The vet said this happening more than likely was due to stress. I have been making sure to keep the stress level low at home, use feliway (idk if it helps) and new toys/cat nip.

My questions are…

1. When switching to a wet food diet…. Will cats pee more than usual? They were on a 90% dry diet before. Sometimes I add a little water to it as I don’t see him drink a lot.

2. He only has a few days left of the prazosin… Should he been weened or go off cold turkey?

3. Is the shaking and spraying like pee normal? He does so in the litter box however because of his angle sometimes it gets on the wall.

I am new to this… and have talked to/seen several vets however they all say different things so I am confused… I just want to know if this is normal….. I think he is probably irritated from being cathed and such… due to licking his private sometimes and whining (both aren’t as bad as they were before however still happen)

Thank You for taking the time to read this.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry all of this has happened. I will try to answer your questions BUT you really need to stick with a vet you trust and be prepared for this to take a while to resolve. In some cats it is a lifelong issue.
    I prefer wet to dry as it is a much higher water content and usually much less fattening. I even recommend adding water.
    I also advise clients to try to give Sq fluids at home.
    Prazosin is a question for your vet. Some stay on this medication long term as it seems to be very beneficial.
    I am not sure what the shaking is. Maybe try to get it on video and discuss with your vet. Maybe pain?
    You should also ask about anything you can try for stress? Like Feliway? Catnip? Toys? Confinement at night? An anti anxiety medication? This is a discussion for your vet. What really matters is that you have someone advocating for you and your cat and you do everything you can to avoid another blockage and learn how to manage this long term.

    Best of luck.

    If possible can you share your vet experience (with the costs included) in our storyline section. It might help others.

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Melik | 4 years ago
My Cat Doesn’t Poop For 4 Days And He Is Very Unhappy And Even Don’t …

My cat doesn’t poop for 4 days and he is very unhappy and even don’t even notice me

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is time to see a vet. Unless he’s straining to defecate I assume he is not eating enough, or strong enough to go to the bathroom. I also worry about dehydration, disease, illness and a whole slew of other possible conditions and causes. Please see a vet immediately.

    1. Melik Post author

      I took him to our vet today and yesterday and yesterday they said he has so much parasites and gave him parasite pill. Also they gave me an antibiotic pill, but he doesn’t eats drinks anything since 4 days. By the way they made enema to him today but he still hasn’t poop

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suerena schaefer | 4 years ago
I Need Help. My Cats Are Spraying! I Am A Client At Jarrettsville Vet. I Have 5 Indoor/outdoor Make Cats …

I need help. My cats are spraying! I am a client at Jarrettsville vet. I have 5 indoor/outdoor male cats and 2 dogs and they are all rescues. The cats were dropped off on our road at different times and I brought them in and kept them indoors for a year but they screamed for an entire year and darted for the doors and I finally gave up and let them go out. They have all been neutered and the one female dog was spayed. The cats have a litter box but only use it when it’s raining outside or snowing and even then it’s usually only 1 cat. Otherwise they prefer to come and go through their pet door and relieve themselves outside. I have noticed a few of them over the years spray once or twice but I’ve cleaned up the areas and never had a real problem with it or at least I thought. I recently fostered 2 kittens for 5 weeks. They were confined to a bedroom for the most part but were allowed to roam when my cats were outside. The kittens went to their forever home on Saturday. I have noticed in the last week that 4 of my cats are spraying everywhere!! Repeatedly. One of them sprayed 3 times today within 30 minutes. Twice on 2 different spots on the couch I was sitting on. I cleaned each spot right away as I noticed. I moved to lie on the floor to let my babies and he followed me and sprayed on the built in behind my head. I picked him up immediately and put him outside and told him no in a firm voice. I imagine that the kittens probably have something to do with this since cats are very territorial but I don’t know what to do to get them to stop. I’m not sure if I’m using the right cleaning products. I’m using “no more spray” by nature’s miracle. I don’t know if maybe they have a physical issue going on so I don’t want to rule that out. I’m now wondering if they’ve always sprayed a lot and I just didn’t notice it. But I have a very keen since of smell and I think I would have noticed it. I am NOT giving up my cats!! I love my babies ! I need help to end this! PLEASE HELP!

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is often a multi factorial issue. And therefore it is a harder fix to resolve. It always should start with making sure everyone is healthy and there are no urinary issues present. That requires and exam bloodwork and urine check on all cats. Which can be costly I know. Next we make sure there are enough litter boxes. One for each cat and then one extra. All let’s must be spayed and neutered. After that we address behavior issues. Like stress markings and territorial marking. If all else levies to not help we talk about feliway pheromones, separating cats and medications to reduce stress and marking. I find rhat there is just a fine line between how many cats will cohabitate together peacefully. I am happy to help but I have to reiterate it can take a while to figure this out and rectify it satisfactorily. Lastly don’t yell or punish. They have no idea they are acting inappropriately and it will only worsen the stress for everyone.

    1. suerena schaefer Post author

      They have all been neutered. I have only 1 litter box in the house that is rarely used since they go outside. They have a cat pet door that is up higher that they all use. They prefer to go outside in my flower beds. They actually all get along well. Three of them are brothers and the other 2 were introduced slowly to the crew. I will make appts for the ones I know for sure are spraying to get the blood work done. I ordered a feliway plug in and bought odaban to clean all surfaces that I know they have marked on. Thank you so much for your time and advice. I know it will take some tumor but their my babies and worth it.

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Heather | 4 years ago
My Cat Is 12 Years Old. We Noticed She Had Lost Some Weight Over A Short Period …

My cat is 12 years old. We noticed she had lost some weight over a short period of time and booked a visit to see our vet on Monday. Then she stopped eating over the weekend and became lethargic so we took her to the ER vet. They diagnosed her with CKD and it is very advanced. Her values were so high they needed to dilute their sample to get a reading. We were told it would not be inappropriate to euthanize her right then and there or we could hospitalize her but she might not handle the treatment well because of her heart murmur. It was such a shock I had no idea she was so unwell, but I couldn’t put her down without trying anything. She was admitted for 2 days and hydrated and while she did perk up and start eating, her numbers did not go down significantly. She came home and was perky for roughly 45 minutes, then laid down to sleep on our sofa and has been using that spot as home base for the last 2 days. She’ll get up to drink and use the litterbox and greet us but then promptly returns to her spot. She is grooming herself. These are some good signs. What worries me is she has already gone off eating. She didn’t have much the first day but today she licked some gravy off some wet food and has had a few treats. She is less perky already. The vet sent us home with mirtazpine ointment and subQ fluids… but nothing for nausea. My question is: should I force feed her? Should I have a tube put in? Should I let her go? I don’t want her to suffer if it’s her time but I also want to give her a chance if she can still lead a good life. She’s an agreable cat and tolérâtes the sub Q fluids well, though I don’t think she would like to be force fed. I won’t give up on her but I don’t want her to suffer either by putting in a tube or force feeding if it will only keep her with me another week.

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  1. Laura

    I wouldn’t force feed without vet guidance. I would, however, call your regular vet and have a serious conversation about what you can do for her, and what sort of prognosis your vet can give you.

    I will say she needs to start eating, so I would get her in to your vet today if at all possible.

    I’m so sorry this is happening. It’s scary when it’s so sudden. My heart goes out to you as my stinky kidney cat burps in my face. Let us know what happens?

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megan | 4 years ago
Hello! My Cat Has Been Going To The Vet Constantly, For Coughing, Gaging, Gulping, And Loud …

hello! My cat has been going to the vet constantly, for coughing, gaging, gulping, and loud breathing? noises. The vet examined him under anesthesia and said his throat was just red and irritated and sent him home with some antibiotics and prednisolone. He took it for a while but there were no changes. He mostly does the whole coughing gaging thing when he is exited. His vet can’t seem to figure out what is wrong with him, so i’ve been researching different sicknesses and seeing which ones matched his symptoms. I came across collapsed trachea. This is the only one i’ve seen that matched his symptoms and says it gets worse with excitement. What can be done to diagnose him with a collapsed trachea? I’ve seen that a fluoroscopy would be a good option but the animal hospitals around me don’t have the machinery to do that. There is a high tech specialist vet office about 2 hours from me, but it’s by referral only. Would i still be able to get a proper and correct diagnosis by getting a normal x-ray? is there any other options that could tell he has a collapsed trachea? he’s had chest x-rays before and nothing seemed abnormal, so that rules out some other sicknesses.

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  1. Sarah

    Sorry that there has not been a response yet. Have you spoken to your vet about your thoughts?

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Kerri | 4 years ago
We Are Having Some Issues With Our Shepherd That Two Vets, An ER Vet And Dermatologist …

We are having some issues with our Shepherd that two vets, an ER vet and dermatologist couldn’t figure out. My dog went to a dog park and a week later his leg started to not be as strong. The next morning after that his back leg was so swollen!

We’ve have ultrasounds, blood work and X-rays done and nothing. Now it is making his other back leg swollen as well. Please tell me you have experienced this or do you have any recommendations?

We are still awaiting results from the skin biopsy but I was hoping this has happened to someone else.

I feel at such a loss the professions don’t have a clue and I just want to help my baby get better!! ????????. Thank you!

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. When I get cases like these I refer to a university vet school. They are the best resource for finding answers when everyone else stumbles. I hope this helps. Good luck

  2. Laura

    Going to second Dr. Magnifico’s recommendation. Looks like you’re in Washington? Ask your vet to consult with WSU’s vet team, and possibly refer you over there.

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Tracey | 4 years ago
Hi There My 5 Year Old Cat Max Has Been Diagnosed With A Broken Back. His Back …

Hi there
My 5 year old cat Max has been diagnosed with a broken back. His back is broken in the middle of the spine.
The vet said she can’t believe he is walking and she does not know how to treat him so she has sent his x-rays to a specialist for opinion.
Max is home with me an he is still walking and just a little wobbly.
He’s always had a bit of a wobble when he walks so I don’t think this issue is new.
Just hoping someone can help me with what I can be doing for him now?
Also if surgery is an option, is it necessary? Is it the only option?
Really no idea what to do.
Thanks in advance.
X

4 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Wow! What a shock this must have been. I am no vet, but I vaguely remember reading something about allowing animals to heal with rest and limited movement. But I don’t think that was with the spine- I believe it was a kitten with a broken leg actually. Have you discussed what you should be doing with your vet? I know that you said they have advised you to a specialist, but was there any instruction that you were sent home with? I think if it were me, having seen my cat walking around etc… finding out that it had a broken back would completely floor me. Hopefully one of the DVMs will see this post and have more insight. I hope everything works out well for your cat. Please keep us posted????????

    1. Tracey Post author

      Thanks Sarah.
      Yes it was totally a shock.
      All they said is you can take him home keep him inside to limit his movement and they will call me when the specialist has responded. She also said that they are so surprised that he is walking.
      He’s only ever been to the vet for vaccs and he had a tummy upset when he was younger and that’s it.
      I’ve only moved to this area recently so I’m trusting this vet knows what they are doing.
      I have also contacted the vet that he went to originally when he was younger and they said they will provide a second opinion once I get the specialist report back and copies of x-rays.
      He is just acting so so normal. Eating, drinking, cuddling, he is walking and definitely not at all as wobbly as what he was two days ago.
      Anyways, thank you so much for responding and I will keep on posting with updates. x

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have seen multiple cats with broken backs. It is important to do a through assessment of then and understand their ability to urinate and defecate and restrict activity so they cannot further injure themselves. I recommend cage rest unless supervised. They also need to be spayed if they aren’t already.
    My biggest concerns are bladder and colon issues. Whether that be incontinence or retention. Also they can get pressure sores if not walking directly on their foot pads. Surgery is an option if the surgeon seems it to be helpful but most clients cannot afford it, or the surgery is too risky to do based on the amount of spine damage.

    1. Tracey Post author

      Thank you.
      Specialist and vet that has seen him say surgery is an option which will be major and very risky. They say it is an old injury and he may have had it for years and is one tough cat and has just coped and compensated and has had a flare up.
      I’ve decided not to go down the surgery line.
      I’ve been keeping him in doors and restricted his movement and he is walking a lot better.
      He’s eating, toileting, groovy, and drinking.
      I taught him how to walk on a lead when he was a kitten so I take him out in the garden a couple of times a day.
      X

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Candice | 4 years ago
Cat Polyp Removal (looking For Any Affordable Vets Near AZ Or Willing To Travel)

Hey guys,
I have a cat named Butters and he needs a polyp removal. I currently live in Arizona and I’ve called around and been quoted for $3000-7000. I’ve seen some comments on here of people finding clinics that does it for an affordable price. I’m willing to travel as well. Please help me find a clinic cause I really don’t like seeing my little guy not being able to breathe correctly ????

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I am not sure what you have done so far to help understand what is going on with your cat? Can you provide more detail? Who has seen your cat so far and what have they done?
    If you are suspicious of a polyp have your reached out to all of the local rescues and shelters to see if anyone locally can help?
    Have you reached out on social media? I’m sure there are local vets who can help. We just have to find them! Let me know. I’ll help too

    1. Candice Post author

      Hello,
      I’ve been going to Banfield to get my cat checked up and they directed me to a specialist (vca) and they said it would be about 1000-1500 just for the ct scan and then depending where the polyp was it was gonna be another 2000-3000 for the surgery. I’ve joined local Arizona animal pages and asked if anyone knew any clinic that would do it for a reasonable price but I haven’t gotten any answers yet. I saw your YouTube video removing a polyp and looked at the comment section and I’ve noticed there’s was a lot of people from Arizona who needed help as well. I’ve replied to the comments but also no reply.

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Jennifer | 4 years ago
Our 7 Year Old Rhodesian Ridgeback / German Shepherd Mix, Duke, Had Surgery A Couple Weeks Ago. He …

Our 7 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback / German Shepherd mix, Duke, had surgery a couple weeks ago. He came home with a small fluid pocket where his tumor was removed. It ended up becoming bigger, and retaining a lot of fluid. As of now it is getting smaller, at least a little bit, but I noticed it’s feeling a little more solid on one end. I’m not sure if that is normal. He seems to be doing fine in all ways otherwise, no discomfort or any other noticeable changes to his behavior. I’m not sure if I’m starting to worry over something that may be normal, but the portion that feels more solid is still engorged and it doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t know if it will start to feel more solid, if that’s normal… I don’t know.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Did you discuss this with the person who did the surgery? That’s the best place to start. I wouldn’t assume anything. It’s best to have it rechecked.