Author Topic: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?  (Read 29751 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #30 on: February 03, 2018, 10:14:25 AM »
Yay!
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #31 on: February 03, 2018, 11:33:21 PM »
Cool!  Still  fingerscrossed fingerscrossed fingerscrossed that it continues.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #32 on: February 07, 2018, 01:36:23 PM »
The taurine has not made a difference.  Jennie just had a big very smelly poop. I cleaned it out immediately, and even so the smell is still in the air. Some of it softish. She's still following the same sometimes normal poops sometimes these other kind.

Next step is to take her off chicken. Which will screw up my whole feeding method of the last 2 years.

Offline Lola

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #33 on: February 07, 2018, 01:48:07 PM »

Which will screw up my whole feeding method of the last 2 years.

:(

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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #34 on: February 07, 2018, 04:05:31 PM »
And, what if it's not the chicken or the turkey?  See, I cannot find a pattern here to either of these proteins. The only way to know of course is to eliminate them both.   See if it makes a difference, then add each one back, one at a time. But I am going to have to get her onto pork, first.  I can't feed her just beef!

Jennie really needs variety. With chicken breast and thigh, and turkey breast and thigh, and beef, she is getting 5 different things.

And the thought of eliminating her beloved wing on Sunday just makes me want to cry.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #35 on: February 07, 2018, 06:19:37 PM »
All right.  I've had a thought.  Could it be because she gets her whole chunk meals frozen? I mean, not frozen solid, it's been softened a bit, but I give it to her that way because it takes her longer to eat it. She feels more satisfied (psychological satisfaction) if she has to work at her meal.

If I give it to her thawed she practically swallows it whole.

I thought that, because they absorb the nutrients in their intestines, and of course by the time the meat gets there it's not frozen any more, it is okay.  But I wonder.

Anyone know? It might explain the seemingly randomness of it. Well I know I said every Wednesday and Saturday, but what if there are other times I am not recording it.

Opinions please!

Offline Pookie

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #36 on: February 07, 2018, 10:08:30 PM »
Hmm . . . you might be onto something there.  It might be worth a try to go 1 week with thawing the chunks completely, just to see if it makes a difference.  And try it before eliminating proteins.  You can always do the elimination later.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #37 on: February 10, 2018, 08:35:44 AM »
Darn those chunks take a long time to thaw!  funny2

I have had another thought, in the mean time.  When her poops are small "normal raw fed poop" They have no odor.  Only the bigger ones have that foul smell.  Bigger with a foul smell does indicate the food is not being properly digests, but why?

On the other hand, perhaps the bigger poops are clearing the anal glands, and that is why the strong odor.  Jennie does have trouble with her anal glands, and has to have the periodically emptied at the vet. Sometimes I can flip her upside down, jiggle her bottom and have them spontaneously erupt, but it doesn't always work.

The anal gland theory came to me the other day when I noticed they were starting to be visible again. (A little brown dot on either side)  Then she had one of those room clearing poops.  Later, I noticed the anal glands were no longer appearing full.

I've also got some pork bone broth to start her on, and I've started adding SEB to her last meal of the day, and she's back on the s.boulardii.

Offline Lola

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #38 on: February 10, 2018, 09:56:37 PM »
Not on topic, but.... do you know why Jennie had trouble with her anal glands? 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #39 on: February 11, 2018, 08:33:26 AM »
Not on topic, but.... do you know why Jennie had trouble with her anal glands? 

It's on topic if it's causing the smell, though. No I do not know why. Both Mazy cat and Jennie have to have their anal glands expressed by the vet on a regular basis.  I've had one other cat, my Bibbs, who did, too.

None of the others, Baby, Sissy, Squeaky, Ootay or Tolly, ever did.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #40 on: February 11, 2018, 07:52:35 PM »
I've stopped the extra taurine.  It wasn't making a difference, and Jennie got...weird on it.  Grouchy.  She actually went after me and tried to bite me one night, when I was brushing her, in bed.  Our nightly ritual, which she loves. Sometimes I might get a little too...enthusiastic and she will let me know to go more softly, but not like this.  I stopped the instant she told me to, but she actually came after me.  I had to shove her away with the bed.

She also was getting very grouchy with Mazy cat and Queen Eva.

  She still gets it with her prey model meals of course, but no more extras.

We're carrying on with the completely thawed meals (as opposed to partially frozen) and, I've added the pork bone broth, but I am not sure I will give it to her every day.

On the elimination trial front, since I've just run out of turkey breast (well I have more in the freezer but it isn't cut up yet) I am going to not use that this week and see what happens.

I am still dithering over the pork, whether to serve it raw or poached.  She and Queen Eva are getting a small piece of cooked pork each day to get their bodies ready for it.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #41 on: February 18, 2018, 09:03:51 AM »
Jennie is enjoying her thawed meals.  As it turns out I was wrong about her eating them too fast when thawed, in fact she seems to have to work even harder on the meat when it is thawed completely.  I've also started gving her a little SEB in her last meal of the day, and have resumed the s.boulardii once a day (1/4 capsule)

The only protein she is not getting at the moment is turkey breast.

There have been no big loose smelly stools, though some of her normal "raw fed' poops are still a bit smellier than I would like.

This morning her breakfast was taking so long to thaw, I gave it to her half frozen. Big mistake.  Ten minutes after she ate it, it came back up.  Now she's not used to it frozen, I guess her tummy can't handle it.  I felt so bad for her!

I'm going to be cutting up turkey breast today and adding it back into the rotation this week, so I will soon know if this is something that she can't handle any more(she has continued to eat turkey thigh, chicken breast and chicken thigh and beef, with no issues)

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #42 on: February 19, 2018, 09:09:45 AM »
Started Jennie back on turkey breast today.

Offline Catgirl64

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #43 on: February 22, 2018, 06:56:42 PM »
It sounds like she is doing better, then? 

Offline Lola

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Re: Jennie developing an intolerance to beef?
« Reply #44 on: February 22, 2018, 09:32:07 PM »
If it matters any... our furkids eat all their raw meals right from the refrigerator...completely thawed. 
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