So confused: Medication Side Effect or Getting Worse?

RD2TUX

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Hi,
13 year old cat was vomiting about once a day for a week but seemed fine. I made an appointment as I was concerned about some chronic issue - kidney or thyroid. However the appt was a week away. Yesterday my cat started to vomit vomit vomit for an hour. And he was straining to defecate. So I took him to the emergency vet. The vet sedated him with "light sedation" did bloodwork which showed (normal but dehydrated probably but wants kidneys checked) and an X-ray. The X-ray showed "maybe some foreign material in the colon which should pass." They gave my cat cerenia and subQ fluids.

Once home my cat was extremely dazed. Not lethargic. Just staring. And his mouth was hanging open slightly both sides. He was still sedated obviously but would not sleep. I called and they said this was normal. When he was still like this - they said "probably an unusual reaction."

This morning he was better. He ate, though he is mainly only able to lap as his mouth still seems affected. However around mid-day he squirted some VERY FOUL SMELLING SMELL from his anus. I cleaned him up. But he's been now wanting to hide. Not lethargic but staring and slow moving again and now not really eating at all. He did the foul smell again. He is not vocalizing. No pain but no poop either.

I cannot tell if he is bad because of his condition or because of these weird side effects from the medication. He has not vomited at all. But now he's really becoming not interested in food and he just generally doesn't look normal. He just sits and stares.

I will be taking him in tomorrow but I'm worried sick.

Ideas? Could the medication be causing this? Or maybe he actually is blocked by something? Could severe constipation cause all this? But why can't he chew anymore?

Sorry, freaking out!
 

Alldara

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Constipation can cause them to vomit shortly after straining to poop. Constipation can also cause the anal glands to get blocked (that fowl smelling discharge from the butt that released).

You can give some human grade Restorilax and increase water in food. (What my vet recommended for Nobel) My vet said 1/4 tsp twice a day to start and then down to once a day. You must mix in water until the water is clear and then add to food or feed via syringe. Nobel is 15 in August, had clear bloodwork, and I was told his old man bowels were just a bit lazy.

It can also cause them to not want to eat. Or throwing up the same food can cause them to think it's the food, or be turned off by the food.
 
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RD2TUX

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Thanks for your reply! I'm hoping that is what is going on. Will go into the vet in a few hours to be sure. My boy did eat a little and drank a good amount of water this morning - so that's reassuring to me. I'll definitely take your suggestions.
 

Alldara

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Thanks for your reply! I'm hoping that is what is going on. Will go into the vet in a few hours to be sure. My boy did eat a little and drank a good amount of water this morning - so that's reassuring to me. I'll definitely take your suggestions.
Let us know how it goes! You can ask your vet if they want him on a different laxative while there :)
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. Find out what sedative they gave him and how much. Then, look it up yourself on the internet to see if there are 'typical' side effects associated with it.

Sometimes Cerenia can cause lack of appetite, although I am not sure it is common. Nonetheless, he may need to take Cerenia pills for a few days, and possibly an appetite stimulant. A Cerenia injection usually wears off in less than 24 hours. But I would want to get to the bottom of this 'maybe some foreign material' in his colon first. I don't know if that means another x-ray or what, but you can ask the vet about following up on this aspect. And ask the vet to check his anal glands to make sure they are not impacted or infected.

Also, while you are back at the vet, find out about the blood work - most vets will do a CBC (blood count related) and a Chemistry Panel, the latter of which would reflect numbers related to his kidneys. Vomiting/dehydration can affect the kidney values so they may have to repeat blood work in the near future.
 

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Constipation can cause them to vomit shortly after straining to poop. Constipation can also cause the anal glands to get blocked (that fowl smelling discharge from the butt that released).

You can give some human grade Restorilax and increase water in food. (What my vet recommended for Nobel) My vet said 1/4 tsp twice a day to start and then down to once a day. You must mix in water until the water is clear and then add to food or feed via syringe. Nobel is 15 in August, had clear bloodwork, and I was told his old man bowels were just a bit lazy.

It can also cause them to not want to eat. Or throwing up the same food can cause them to think it's the food, or be turned off by the food.
If it helps ease you worries, I also have an "old man" cat (it's honestly his nickname lol) who has constipation issues. He would vomit almost daily, lost interest in food, and just kind of wandered about the house. Vet also recommended Miralax for Casper which we give 1/8 tsp every other day. So far this has helped!
Good luck, I hope you find a solution soon for your sweet kitty!
 
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RD2TUX

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Thank you all so much!
I followed all this great advice and just returned home from the vet again.

They are repeating bloodwork and adding in the full panel to check thyroid et cetera (emergency vet was not able to run the full panel before). Results due tomorrow. Vet said she is concerned that something chronic might be going on.

Xray was not repeated but it was read by the radiologist. Same vague statement but this vet is not really considered about an obstruction. BUT vet thinks its all more likely inflamed - colitis related. They got a stool sample and it was negative. Holding off on the laxative as she does not think he is blocked/constipated anymore - see below.

More acutely, he actually may have passed some stool last night at some point. Hard to tell given the type of litter we use if it was urine or liquid/diarrhea. I asked the vet to check anal glands et cetera and she said she saw no evidence of a problem there.

We did give him an appetite stimulant. Adding a probiotic too. I thought that something as wrong with his mouth but she said she saw no evidence of a problem. So I will keep giving him food to try to get him to eat and move his bowels.

He's finally sleeping/resting and doing okay for now. Waiting to see how the night unfolds!
 

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Thank you all so much!
I followed all this great advice and just returned home from the vet again.

They are repeating bloodwork and adding in the full panel to check thyroid et cetera (emergency vet was not able to run the full panel before). Results due tomorrow. Vet said she is concerned that something chronic might be going on.

Xray was not repeated but it was read by the radiologist. Same vague statement but this vet is not really considered about an obstruction. BUT vet thinks its all more likely inflamed - colitis related. They got a stool sample and it was negative. Holding off on the laxative as she does not think he is blocked/constipated anymore - see below.

More acutely, he actually may have passed some stool last night at some point. Hard to tell given the type of litter we use if it was urine or liquid/diarrhea. I asked the vet to check anal glands et cetera and she said she saw no evidence of a problem there.

We did give him an appetite stimulant. Adding a probiotic too. I thought that something as wrong with his mouth but she said she saw no evidence of a problem. So I will keep giving him food to try to get him to eat and move his bowels.

He's finally sleeping/resting and doing okay for now. Waiting to see how the night unfolds!
All positive movement so far :)
 
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RD2TUX

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Well the blood work came back. No thyroid, kidney, diabetes issues... Yay! But his WBC count is up which could indicate infection or inflammation ranging from bacterial, viral, parasitic to inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, and cancer.

He pooped several piles yesterday so that was really good to work whatever was in his colon through.

But he is still not right. Eating baby food and some boiled chicken little bits at a time. He did have some normal wet food but threw all that up about two hours later with a giant watery mess. Not your normal cat heave fur ball throw up but more like a human would do with they have the 24 hour bug. So I am thinking infection.

He is not hiding but he is not happy. He's flat. My other cat keeps trying to wash him. Poor things. I really hate to him this way. If I sound dramatic I am because he is not your normal "maybe he ate something" under the weather. He just looks so sad and slow. Yet at the same time he's not sleeping/lethargic. Really odd combination! I've never had a cat do this - and I've had a lot of cats!

We are doing an ultrasound Thursday if he continues to be bad.
 

Alldara

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Well the blood work came back. No thyroid, kidney, diabetes issues... Yay! But his WBC count is up which could indicate infection or inflammation ranging from bacterial, viral, parasitic to inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, and cancer.

He pooped several piles yesterday so that was really good to work whatever was in his colon through.

But he is still not right. Eating baby food and some boiled chicken little bits at a time. He did have some normal wet food but threw all that up about two hours later with a giant watery mess. Not your normal cat heave fur ball throw up but more like a human would do with they have the 24 hour bug. So I am thinking infection.

He is not hiding but he is not happy. He's flat. My other cat keeps trying to wash him. Poor things. I really hate to him this way. If I sound dramatic I am because he is not your normal "maybe he ate something" under the weather. He just looks so sad and slow. Yet at the same time he's not sleeping/lethargic. Really odd combination! I've never had a cat do this - and I've had a lot of cats!

We are doing an ultrasound Thursday if he continues to be bad.
Glad to hear about the bloodwork. Did they give him an anti-nausea?

Very weird thing, but my friend and I, both had cats cease eating the same week. Everything came back clear and then with some anti-nausea pills they became back to normal. There was human to cat contact between the two homes ... I don't know if it was some kind of bug or what.

Was the vet able to offer any Recovery food?
 

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Your poor buddy :(. How is he feeling today? Are his b.m.s still smelly? Some cats with gut issues don't tolerate chicken. For those kitties, I offer boiled hamburger broth with only a little pink salt. A liquid diet allows the inflamed gut to calm down. In a couple of hours or days, I offer the actual meat. On the supposition that he also has mouth soreness, you can ask your vet if he can be given some slippery elm decoction (during a recent flare-up of diverticulitis, in desperation I drank some of the marshmallow root/slippery elm decoction that I had made for a sick feral cat and felt better quickly - in fact, I was able to go to work as long as I could sip the mr/se decoction throughout the day). Also ask about CoQ10 to help ease the gut as well as heal mouth soreness.
 
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