Problem Child?

[Animagus]

Jupiter was advertised at a rescue shelter as a 10 week old shy kitty. We received his papers only a few days after we brought him home and found out he had been 12 weeks old during adoption and has had an umbilical cord hernia surgery.

Within a couple of days of being home, he wasn't eating anything and threw up twice and we saw trace amount of blood in the vomit. We took him to the vet and he was given intravenous fluid to re-hydrate him. We were sent home with a medicine to stop him vomiting and within a couple of days he was doing fine and adjusting to his new home.

We brought home another younger kitten, Watson, and they seemed to become friends quite quickly. Watson is fearless and a fluffball filled with energy but he came in with really bad diarrhea. He was prescribed meds for it and recovered as expected.

In the meantime, Jupiter had developed URI and conjunctivitis and stopped eating. I had written here and got very good advise which helped me get him to start eating again and he was on the mend with good appetite and an ointment for his eyes.

Soon he started having diarrhea and we thought he must have been infected by Watson and the doctor agreed to have him take the same diarrhea medicine Metronidazole as Watson. We had given both their fecal samples for testing and the result came in as all clear for Watson and Coccidia for Jupiter. The vet's office called and told us to pick up the antibiotic Sulfadimethoxine for Jupiter and we started him on it since July 30th. He has been eating well and playing and been generally active though the diarrhea continued.

Today, in the wee hours of morning, he had thrown up undigested food. And then later in the morning, he threw up 3 times, a small foamy vomit each time. He then curled up and went to sleep and in the late afternoon, I saw he had thrown up clear liquid with a little foam in it.

I called the vet and he has advised to stop giving him Sulfadimethoxine for the time being and start him back on the diarrhea medication Metronidazole and introduce probiotics in his diet, reason being the antibiotic may have impacted the good bacteria as well and he needs some help getting back some of his good stomach bacteria.
I understand this, but I'm wondering
1) Will the Coccidia recur as we have not completed the entire dosage.
2) Is Ponazuril a good option instead of Sulfadimethoxine?
3) Could there be any other reason besides Coccidia and the side effects of the antibiotic that could cause diarrhea and vomiting?

He has stopped eating once again and I was advised to give salmon kitten food as it is easier to digest than chicken and other flavors. I will try enticing him with a little beef/liver pate mixed in with it. I saw him drink some water, so he is staying somewhat hydrated. We also played with him to get him hungry.

Any advise on what may be going on with his little body is very welcome. Please share any similar experiences and what worked/didn't work, it may help!

Thank you for reading this very long post! <3

 

[Daisy6]

Poor furbaby. Jupiter is too cute to go through this.

Does your vet have a copy of whatever papers you got from the breeder?

 

[Furballsmom]

1) Will the Coccidia recur as we have not completed the entire dosage.
2) Is Ponazuril a good option instead of Sulfadimethoxine?
3) Could there be any other reason besides Coccidia and the side effects of the antibiotic that could cause diarrhea and vomiting?

Hi!
Do you have another vet you could speak with, or a university veterinary medical department?

 

[silkenpaw]

Jupiter is adorable!

Yes, the coccidiosis may come back. Or it may not. You’ll just have to test for it at some point. Metronidazole can also cause vomiting, so be aware of that. The most important thing is to keep him eating and drinking, as you are doing.

Sending him healing vibes. Please keep us updated on how he does.

 

[Animagus]

Poor furbaby. Jupiter is too cute to go through this.

Does your vet have a copy of whatever papers you got from the breeder?

He's a rescue kitty and I've given a copy of all the medical records I have to the vet.

 

[Animagus]

Hi!
Do you have another vet you could speak with, or a university veterinary medical department?

I could speak with another vet who had seen him initially, so they may not need me to bring him in. Jupiter finds vet visits quite traumatic.
Are there any specific questions I should ask them? Maybe any other illness that could be hiding in him besides the coccidiosis which would have vomiting and diarrhea symptoms?

 

[Animagus]

Jupiter is adorable!

Yes, the coccidiosis may come back. Or it may not. You’ll just have to test for it at some point. Metronidazole can also cause vomiting, so be aware of that. The most important thing is to keep him eating and drinking, as you are doing.

Sending him healing vibes. Please keep us updated on how he does.

Thank you for the healing vibes, I am hoping his immunity improves and takes over soon!!
He actually started vomiting after I missed the nightly dose of Metronidazole, but not sure if the absence of a dose contributed. He had been getting it the prior 4 nights and that could have been enough to cause the eventual vomiting. I really hope it's the medicine that caused his vomiting!

 

[Animagus]

He ate a little last night after my boyfriend and Watson played with him which probably got him hungry. He did throw up again in the morning but it was partially digested food and not just liquid and foam. I'm hoping that's improvement. He also ate a little can food in the morning, here's hoping he keeps it in. I should have the probiotics by evening and will start him on it tonight.
I didn't give him the diarrhea medicine (Metronidazole) yet to let his stomach recover a little. Should I start him on it tonight? Or wait till morning so he adjusts to the probiotics first?

 

[Animagus]

He actually started vomiting after I missed the nightly dose of Metronidazole, but not sure if the absence of a dose contributed.

Sorry for the misinformation, I've been giving him Sulfadimethoxine for the coccidiosis last week, not Metronidazole.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! These various items you've mentioned would be good questions for your vet
I'm going to guess, though, that the vet may be hesitant to comment about any other possible illnesses without actual blood work/tests.

 

[di and bob]

You can also call and leave your questions with the desk and be called back later,or E-mail them in. You shouldn't have to bring him in every time. As long as he is eating and drinking, even with some throwing up, that is good. He has a touchy stomach right now. You might try some kitten food and even kitten milk to get some extra calories and nutrition into him. Poor baby, I'll keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[catlover73]

It seems like Jupiter is throwing up quite a bit of undigested food. Have you tried feeding smaller meals throughout the day? Could it be possible that sometimes he is eating too fast? Throwing up bile without undigested food could be a sign of nausea that is not present all the time. If the throwing up continues he may need to go to the vet for another nausea injection to re-settle his stomach.

You may want to look into buying Feliway wipes or spray to apply to the carrier before you take Jupiter to the vet in the future. My Starbuck is very scared to go to the vet. She was abandoned out a car window as a 4 week old baby. She is 12 years old and is still scared of riding in the car. We use Feliway wipes on the carrier before she goes in it. She does not like being in the carrier either. The wipes make a huge difference for her. She is much easier to get in the carrier. She does not scream in the car or pee on her self. She is much calmer in the vet office. She also does not spend hours hiding after a vet trip. Perhaps this is something you could try using for Jupiter.

 

[Animagus]

Hi! These various items you've mentioned would be good questions for your vet
I'm going to guess, though, that the vet may be hesitant to comment about any other possible illnesses without actual blood work/tests.

Yes, I think I'll ask the vet these questions. They are very good with responding in a timely manner. Thanks!

 

[Animagus]

You can also call and leave your questions with the desk and be called back later,or E-mail them in. You shouldn't have to bring him in every time. As long as he is eating and drinking, even with some throwing up, that is good. He has a touchy stomach right now. You might try some kitten food and even kitten milk to get some extra calories and nutrition into him. Poor baby, I'll keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

I didn't think of emailing, maybe I'll call and ask if they support that. I can list out timings and details better that way. He is eating and drinking albeit vomiting, so that keeps my hopes up! He is eating Royal Canin kitten food, I haven't changed him to the salmon because I want sure if the change will add to the upset stomach.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

 

[Furballsmom]

I love email, hopefully they do, then you can have details written down to refer back to

 

[Daisy6]

I could speak with another vet who had seen him initially, so they may not need me to bring him in. Jupiter finds vet visits quite traumatic.
Are there any specific questions I should ask them? Maybe any other illness that could be hiding in him besides the coccidiosis which would have vomiting and diarrhea symptoms?

You can't talk to a different vet without bringing him in unless he or she has copies of Jupiter's updated medical records and has had open communication with your current vet. Calming pills or treats may help if Feliway does not.

 

[Furballsmom]

The OP can speak with whomever, where-ever, no worries.

 

[Animagus]

It seems like Jupiter is throwing up quite a bit of undigested food. Have you tried feeding smaller meals throughout the day? Could it be possible that sometimes he is eating too fast? Throwing up bile without undigested food could be a sign of nausea that is not present all the time. If the throwing up continues he may need to go to the vet for another nausea injection to re-settle his stomach.

You may want to look into buying Feliway wipes or spray to apply to the carrier before you take Jupiter to the vet in the future. My Starbuck is very scared to go to the vet. She was abandoned out a car window as a 4 week old baby. She is 12 years old and is still scared of riding in the car. We use Feliway wipes on the carrier before she goes in it. She does not like being in the carrier either. The wipes make a huge difference for her. She is much easier to get in the carrier. She does not scream in the car or pee on her self. She is much calmer in the vet office. She also does not spend hours hiding after a vet trip. Perhaps this is something you could try using for Jupiter.

Thank you for suggesting feliway, I haven't tried it yet! Just like Starbuck, Jupiter must have had a bad experience with car drives before I got him. I'm pretty sure he was on a long drive as a kitten because his initial medical records are not from near the rescue shelter or foster home. Also, is it a good idea to take Watson in the same carrier as they're good friends and may help him feel safer? Watson is a lot calmer on rides.

Jupiter usually takes his time eating and takes breaks in between as well. He is eating a little more now. We're collecting his stool and vomit samples. But if blood tests are required, at least I can try the feliway wipes to ease his visit.

 

[Daisy6]

How big is the carrier? Both kittens must be able to stand up and turn around in it if you put them together. It also helps to get a Sherpa or similar soft-sided carrier so when Jupiter will feel comfortable and be easy to get out of on the exam table.

 

[Animagus]

How big is the carrier? Both kittens must be able to stand up and turn around in it if you put them together. It also helps to get a Sherpa or similar soft-sided carrier so when Jupiter will feel comfortable and be easy to get out of on the exam table.

I'll have to check, they've both grown a bit since I got them. Jupiter claws at the doors of the carrier and I was worried he may just rip apart a soft carrier. If it is a good idea to take them both in a single carrier on vet visits for Jupiter, I'd absolutely invest in a larger carrier! I've currently put a foam bed at the bottom of carrier to give him some grip. He hasn't tested it out yet but I hope that helps. Watson liked it.