10/07 *Gremlin* Question about abnormal poop

Hello again. I thought I'd make a new threat as this is about Gremlin.

His stool has been somewhat unusual lately but I'm struggling to find information online about it and don't want to make an unnecessary vet trip just now. Gremlin is still happy! He's actually gained weight, yay! And has no other problems at this time aside from the usual. So I'm hoping someone here may have an idea of where I can start. If not, I'll contact the vet.

His stool has been on the grey side. Not pale but not dark, a medium grey colour. And sometimes it's super shiny, like it's coated in mucous or something. He always has a teeny tiny amount of blood on his stool but that's been like that for years. An old vet diagnosed him with colon inflammation due to the presence of the blood and he occasionally gets bouts of diarrhoea. Though he hasn't had the runs in some time.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I've seen possibilities of digestive issues, liver failure, and more.

 

He could have epi with gray stool. Any food change ? If it doesn’t become brown I would see the vet.

 

What is epi? No food changes. It's been grey for a while, I think. A couple of weeks at the least. Nothing else has changed.

 

It'a Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. Here's a link to info: https://www.dvm360.com/view/exocrin...in-cats-clinical-signs-and-treatment-response

It usually comes up as a diagnosis when doing a GI panel for bloodwork (called a Spec fTLI test) when a regular Spec fPL test for pancreatitis comes up negative even though a cat has been inappetent, vomits, or has diarrhea.

 

Ahh, okay. He has not had diarrhoea. The consistency of his BM has been perfect. And he's not losing weight, though I haven't weighed him since the vet visit a few weeks ago.

 

I don't have any ideas. Sending prayers.

 

I think I'd best contact my vet unless it normalises this week.
Thanks for the help and support all!

 

With EPI, a cat is typically losing weight. If Gremlin's weight is stable, it's less of a concern.

Have you tried probiotics?

 

I was thinking probiotics is something I may need to try. I wouldn't have a clue what to give him though.

 

This is one of the brands of probiotics recommended on the IBD kitties FB group I belong to and it's available in Australia: https://au.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-p...59410-4bb6-4f25-a3e5-41339e092af6&reftype=rec

I would start with a small amount, like a ¼ cap twice a day until you get to 1-2 full capsules twice a day over the course of a couple of weeks to allow Grem's system to adjust to it. Probiotics might cause some gas or diarrhea initially, but it goes away after using it for a while. Just take note of what shows up in the litter box to see how much he needs.

 

I think that is a good idea. It could be many different things- liver/gall-bladder/biliary system. Did they do bloodwork at your recent vet visit? I am really glad to hear that Gremlin is happy and seems well and has gained weight!!

 

I'll get some of those probiotics. Thanks so much Katherine!

Suzanne, yep, all blood work done which was the reason for the visit. Everything normal except kidneys which was normal for him.

 

That makes me think everything is okay! A lot of the stuff that they say to watch out for with gray colored stool would have shown up in bloodwork I think… if they did a CBC, Chemistry panel etc. you know, checking the major organs. It’s confusing. I hope it’s just a passing thing. Hug.