- Joined
- Jan 25, 2012
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Hi everyone,
I haven't been on the boards in a while, but a sudden issue has come up and I'm seeking help from anyone who might have some insight. Apologies for the length!
My 10-11ish year old tabby (unsure of exact age) has always been a good, but fast eater, and I'm used to him regurgitating food periodically because he eats too fast. We've had him checked out by the vet in the past with no obvious problems, and tried to modify the behavior with an elevated bowl, smaller meals, etc.
More recently, over the last 4-6 weeks, he's been regurgitating more frequently, and losing a bit of weight. Even though he was acting 100% normal otherwise, I was worried so we took him to our vet yesterday to see what might be going on. I was shocked and saddened to hear that she palpated what seemed to be a large mass in his abdomen, and is assuming it is lymphoma. She immediately begins talking more palliative care than treatment options, offering a steroid to "make him more comfortable" and/or another drug that will suppress the need to vomit. She mentions an ultrasound but warns against a major surgery.
Being a person who likes facts, I opted to schedule the consultation for the ultrasound (done at an internal med vet elsewhere) and agreed to try out just the steroids. It wasn't explained to me that the steroids would be prednisolone, as I was assuming a shot. Even though I had my reservations, even telling my husband "I hate starting him on meds because he seems so normal right now," we began the prednisolone right after the appointment yesterday morning. The vet had prescribed 5mg tabs, 1 tab every 12 hours for 5 days, then 1 daily for 5 days, then 1/2 for 5 days, possibly continuing if beneficial.
By yesterday evening he was still eating quite well, but did seem more listless and tired. I knew from giving pred to a previous cat with IBS that lethargy can be a side effect, so I went ahead with a second pill yesterday evening as instructed. At that time he was still very interested in treats, but a bit less so with his usual kibble.
By this morning, he was a different cat. Little energy, enthusiasm or personality. A small appetite where only ate a few bites of his breakfast, and then less than 20 minutes later he threw it all up. Then a short while later, threw up again, mostly liquid, then again an hour later, totally liquid. I called the vet and explained the situation, insisting it had to be the pred (even though she seems unconvinced), because this is way too coincidental and had never happened before. Usually his vomiting is undigested food immediately after eating, no nausea, and he goes right back to eating again. But now, he was absolutely nauseated and miserable, more than I'd ever seen.
So we decide to end the pred immediately since he had only taken two pills, and hope that he would begin to come out of the adverse effects and start feeding again slowly. That conversation was about 8 hours ago, and it's been 20 hours since the last pill, and he still will not touch or act interested in ANY food or drink at all — his favorites, plain chicken, tuna, broth — I wave it under his nose and there's no major response. This is a cat who, yesterday, would knock you down for a single treat, LIVES for mealtime. He's not a picky eater. Now he seems very weak, probably dehydrated, and either in pain or is nauseated still, or both. He's been laying down all day, extremely lethargic and unhappy. I don't know how this can happen! I've been trying to do some research and this seems like an anomaly.
We have an appointment at the emergency clinic in a couple of hours for a consult and to hopefully get IV fluids to stabilize him again so he'll perk up, get an appetite back, and return to the normalwe had just yesterday. I get that he may have a serious situation going on regarding the possible cancer and prognosis there, but this sudden downfall after one day of meds has me terrified. Has anyone experienced anything like this?
I haven't been on the boards in a while, but a sudden issue has come up and I'm seeking help from anyone who might have some insight. Apologies for the length!
My 10-11ish year old tabby (unsure of exact age) has always been a good, but fast eater, and I'm used to him regurgitating food periodically because he eats too fast. We've had him checked out by the vet in the past with no obvious problems, and tried to modify the behavior with an elevated bowl, smaller meals, etc.
More recently, over the last 4-6 weeks, he's been regurgitating more frequently, and losing a bit of weight. Even though he was acting 100% normal otherwise, I was worried so we took him to our vet yesterday to see what might be going on. I was shocked and saddened to hear that she palpated what seemed to be a large mass in his abdomen, and is assuming it is lymphoma. She immediately begins talking more palliative care than treatment options, offering a steroid to "make him more comfortable" and/or another drug that will suppress the need to vomit. She mentions an ultrasound but warns against a major surgery.
Being a person who likes facts, I opted to schedule the consultation for the ultrasound (done at an internal med vet elsewhere) and agreed to try out just the steroids. It wasn't explained to me that the steroids would be prednisolone, as I was assuming a shot. Even though I had my reservations, even telling my husband "I hate starting him on meds because he seems so normal right now," we began the prednisolone right after the appointment yesterday morning. The vet had prescribed 5mg tabs, 1 tab every 12 hours for 5 days, then 1 daily for 5 days, then 1/2 for 5 days, possibly continuing if beneficial.
By yesterday evening he was still eating quite well, but did seem more listless and tired. I knew from giving pred to a previous cat with IBS that lethargy can be a side effect, so I went ahead with a second pill yesterday evening as instructed. At that time he was still very interested in treats, but a bit less so with his usual kibble.
By this morning, he was a different cat. Little energy, enthusiasm or personality. A small appetite where only ate a few bites of his breakfast, and then less than 20 minutes later he threw it all up. Then a short while later, threw up again, mostly liquid, then again an hour later, totally liquid. I called the vet and explained the situation, insisting it had to be the pred (even though she seems unconvinced), because this is way too coincidental and had never happened before. Usually his vomiting is undigested food immediately after eating, no nausea, and he goes right back to eating again. But now, he was absolutely nauseated and miserable, more than I'd ever seen.
So we decide to end the pred immediately since he had only taken two pills, and hope that he would begin to come out of the adverse effects and start feeding again slowly. That conversation was about 8 hours ago, and it's been 20 hours since the last pill, and he still will not touch or act interested in ANY food or drink at all — his favorites, plain chicken, tuna, broth — I wave it under his nose and there's no major response. This is a cat who, yesterday, would knock you down for a single treat, LIVES for mealtime. He's not a picky eater. Now he seems very weak, probably dehydrated, and either in pain or is nauseated still, or both. He's been laying down all day, extremely lethargic and unhappy. I don't know how this can happen! I've been trying to do some research and this seems like an anomaly.
We have an appointment at the emergency clinic in a couple of hours for a consult and to hopefully get IV fluids to stabilize him again so he'll perk up, get an appetite back, and return to the normalwe had just yesterday. I get that he may have a serious situation going on regarding the possible cancer and prognosis there, but this sudden downfall after one day of meds has me terrified. Has anyone experienced anything like this?