ugh!!!! still pooping!

[evansvillegirl26]

I posted a few weeks ago about Tonks all of the sudden pooping everwhere and having wet butt as well as peeing on the couch and the kitchen floor.   She is normally 100% litter trained. She is fixed. Nothing has changed in her diet or daily life. I clean the litter box everyday. She went to the vet and they said she had a fungal infection. She got a steroid injection, antibiotics and special skin shampoo for us to give her baths with. Well the next day she quit pooping everywhere and no more peeing.Totally back to her litter box. She went thru all her antibiotics then about  a week later she started pooping everywhere again. Took her back to the vet. Got more antibiotics, still giving her the baths.  The antibiotics are done and she is still pooping EVERYWHERE! We are taking her back tomorrow I think they may do a urine culture. I just don’t know if this is behavioral or what.  It’s so hard not knowing what is wrong with them.  I just don’t  know why else she would start pooping everywhere!!

[BinkyBunny]

Quite a mystery. I know that iwet butt and urine issues can certainly be a physical problem, but it’s harder to tell with poops because that can also be a behaviorial issue. Is it scattered like territorial droppings or does Tonks leave piles – which is not territorial. Does she seem to show any hind leg weakness at all or seem less energetic? How old is she?

 

[jerseygirl]

Was that a fungal infection in the urine? I’d be interested to know this as I’m watching my doe very closely at the moment.

When you put her on the second course of antibiotics, did she stop the pooping then too? Is the ‘pooping everywhere’ where ever she is in the house or just specific areas?

[evansvillegirl26]

The fungal infection was on the outside. She was red and irritated right outside where she pees but also right behind her tail. With the shampoo they gace us it has seemed to clear up. She did not stop pooping after the 2nd round of antibiotics. She is not pooping in piles it is scattered ALL over the place!! She a year and 6 months. I just got back from the vet and they seemed to think that after 2 rounds of stong antibiotics that it is now behavioral. I guess in the last month she’s been having to get baths, she was not feeling good with the fungal infection and now she’s acting out. They said to try and start all over on the litter training. So since she was all ready trained when I got her i’m cluless!! I’m going to read over the info here to figure it all out but if you have any tips that would be great!!!!! Thanks for listening!!

[BinkyBunny]

Just to be sure – has the redness cleared up now?

Also, have you changed with any lotions or ???. Have you changed hay? (I’m thinking of scent things here – where products are coming from)

Regardless though, it would be a good idea to start back with litter training again. (I’ve even had to do refresher courses with Rucy and Jack who are litterbox veterans. Not unusual to have to do “reminder training” of what is THEIR territory and what is the general territory.  (I actually may have to do this again as the last week, they have been gradually doing more outside of the box – but I am pretty sure it is kitty related as they are crossing paths more.)

What is her set-up right now? Is she in a pen or a cage and where does she normally do her territorial poops. I know you said everywhere – but is it all over the house? Or is more in one area than another?

[evansvillegirl26]

Her set up right now is an xpen 36×24 I have a regular litter box with yesterdays news litter and hay in it. During the week days she’s in it at night and while i’m at work but the rest of the time she’s out. On the weekends she’s out almost the entire day. (except for now we are keeping her up more with all the pooping) She has a spot she has found underneath one of my curio cabinets shes pooping under. She’s pooping ALOT in the kitchen which is where the cats food and water is. And she is randomly pooping in the living room and on the couch. I am trying to keep her off the couch now but it is hard becuase thats usually where we snuggle but with the pooping and the peeing she is just going to have to learn to go back to her box. She normally runs the house (except our bedrooms and the bathrooms) but I bought a gate last night and I am going to block off the hallway so all she has is the living room andthe kitchen and i’m putting an extra litter box in the kitchen. It seems if she can’t learn she gts less running time around the house but when we are in the living room and she’s not out oh she stomps that back foot cuz she’s mad!! Do you think that will set her back? Her being mad or is it a lesson she has to learn? I guess if it gets too bad I can move her xpen to the family room (where we don’t hang out) I just like having her in the same room as me! I am also thinking of getting a second xpen to make her living space bigger.

[BinkyBunny]

Okay, I get the picture. I wonder what set her off to decide to reclaim everything? Hmmm. Either way, I would start off with more confinement to let her know what is HER territory and what is the general territory. (which is what you are doing, but you may have to confine even more. It’s good you have an xpen though because they offer plenty of stretching room during confinement.

Yes, she will be mad, and she may even poop more at first, but I would confine her, then let her out with short supervised bursts (they will be short because, she will poop, and you will have to put her back.) It usually takes a week. One time I just had to confine mine to their pen for three days straight. Just be sure to give her toys and stuff to work on and play with.

And then increase her time out as she gets better. But becareful not to allow too much freedom with just one good day.

If your gal is stubborn it could take even a month especially if she has been now doing this for a bit and set in habits.

This will show her she is a member of your herd, but not the boss.

Get ready for some sulking and bad behavior. But in the long run, it’s better for all of you.

[evansvillegirl26]

Thanks!! I am going to try all that!! I’m really glad I have you guys! My vet even suggested finding a chat room or something with other people who have buns and I told her all about your board and how much help and advice I always get!! I don’t know what I would do without you guys!!!!

[KatnipCrzy]

If her problem was urine related, medical wise- then that can explain poo’ing outside the box.  If she had a bladder infection, urinary tract infection, or a skin infection that cause pain or disconfort when she pee’d- she could associate the litterbox with pain or discomfort.  And any associated pain or discomfort could cause her to try eliminating elsewhere.  Cats are notorious for peeing (and even pooping) outside the litterbox if they at all associate it with pain.  They seem to think “it hurts to pee in there, so I will try other places to see if that is better.”

 

[jerseygirl]

Thanks Julie!^^ *Sorry evansgirl26, I’ve being hitching a ride along on your investigation as I’m having some similar issues.

[MooBunnay]

From your description of where Tonks is pooping, it definitely sounds territorial. Places like the couch are always popular places for them to mark. I think that BinkyBunny’s advice is definitely the best, its hard to get them back into being litter trained if you can’t supervise them or confine them to an ex-pen for a bit. Don’t feel bad about it, Tonks may be a little angry about the situation, but hopefully that will motivate her to litter train faster My husband is very good at litter training bunnies and his technique is to clean their cage about twice daily in order to keep the floor uber-clean, and he puts all the pee that he mops up and the poops in the litter box.

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