Acid ingestion?

[ritz]

I've been feeding Ritz raw for almost two years.  She loves all kinds of protein.

Within the past week she has been throwing up right after she eats, mainly in the evenings.  It happens after eating all kinds of meat. Last night by the third time it was mainly bile.

She always wants food after she vomits.

I have been giving her baby food, and she keeps it down.  And yesterday I gave her re-hydrated Stella & Chewwy's chicken and she kept that down.

I think she either eats too fast or has  excess bile/acid in her stomach.  Note that one time she threw up about three hours after she last ate. so sometimes it appears it might be going too long without eating.  And tonight it was about eight hours in between food.

But this is a new pattern; my schedule hasn't changed--she still goes without food for about 12 hours.

So, any ideas, specifically how to get her to eat more slowly and is there a pet antacid you could suggest?

I really don't want to take her to the vets--he'll blame the raw feeding and prescribe anti-nausea medicine and an antibotic.  (And I have pet insurance, so cost is not an issue.)

Thanks.

 

[peaches08]

Regular Pepcid AC, I believe 1/4 of a pill. Sorry you're dealing with this, and I agree that it sounds like acid stomach.

 

[ldg]

You may also want to feed her one piece of S&C NOT rehydrated, wait a few minutes, then feed her one more, THEN feed her the meal. This will help absorb the acid in her tummy, so the meal won't come up.

For Lazlo (9 pounds at the time), the oncologist's prescription was for the full 10mg pepcid a/c (regular strength) pill (buy the generic, famotidine. The pepcid a/c pills are triangular; the generic are round). If given one hour after a meal and one hour before any food, it provides 24 hour coverage. You can try 1/2 a pill first to see if it helps.

The 1/4 pill is typically used if giving in the am and the pm, and most people give it with food, which really kind of makes it moot. It only works for THAT meal when used that way.

 

[peaches08]

Thanks for the clarification on pepcid LDG, I remember reading that someone gave higher dosages but I couldn't remember who.

 

[lcat4]

My Lewis has been having some vomiting bile issues and grinding his teeth - indicating excess stomach acid.  We went to three meals a day in general, but I also started giving him maybe a teaspoon of his food one half hour before meal time (especially in the AM).  It almost seemed like the anticipation of food made his stomach acid worse and the bite of food settles everything down.  I also give the 1/4 tablet of Pepcid a couple hours after breakfast and then give gelled slipper elm powder (1/8 tsp with a tablespoon warm water) with his late dinner.  All of the above seems to have helped. 

He also went through a period of (all of a sudden) regurgitating his raw meals.  I started home cooking some of the meats and he stopped the immediate vomiting.  He still gets more than half his meal as raw turkey, but all other meats are cooked.  I'd like to try to re-introduce the meats as raw at some point, but we're good for now.  Hopefully you don't have to go there. 

 

[ritz]

Thanks for all your ideas. She is always starvin' marvin' by the time I get home.
Good idea about giving her some un-rehydrated S&C to absorb the acid.
Would freeze dried treats (versus food) also work?

 

[ldg]

Yes, I usually use FD chicken.

 

[goholistic]

You've already got some good advice here. You're right that it could just be excess acid. Any chance it's an obstruction? 

  Or constipation?

I just feel the need to say to be cautious of perhaps a more serious issue that would cause abnormal (for Ritz) vomiting. Did you say she vomited three times last night, with the third time being all bile? I don't want to be an alarmist, but I'm still on edge since Sebastian's pancreatitis. I probably would've called the vet already, but that's me.

It's a shame about your vet wanting to blame the raw food. I'd be concerned about a long-term relationship if he/she wants to point the finger at that for every issue Ritz is having. It may prevent proper diagnosis and treatment because of a personal bias. 

.....IMO.

 

[ldg]

Good point, GH, but I believe Ritz is keeping most of her food down - especially if she vomits at first? :dk: If that's the case, then it is most likely bile build-up.

I also know Ritz completely stresses for vet visits... but that said, are there no other vets in your area Cindy? There must be a way to find a raw friendly vet. Or at least a raw neutral one? Or you just use the closest available vet, because Ritz stresses so much? :dk:

 

[goholistic]

Good point, GH, but I believe Ritz is keeping most of her food down - especially if she vomits at first?

If that's the case, then it is most likely bile build-up.

I know, I know....it's probably nothing serious! I just feel like I have to say it.

Poor girl...vomiting sucks! How is Ritz today?

 

[ritz]

Thanks for all your concerns and suggestions.

Giving Ritz some freeze dried treats (100% meat) a few minutes before I give her Raw seems to have helped--no vomiting these past two nights.  I'll keep on giving her a few treats.  She's been more hungry than usual--but that's a topic for another thread!

Ritz has historically thrown up and then wanted food within 15 minutes; usually, she then keeps down the food.  And it happens regardless of the protein/meat I've just given her.

I should find a cat-only vet, it's on my list of things to do. There is a holistic vet about 40 minutes from where I live, and I've thought of taking her there.  She stresses being picked up, not so much while at the vets:  she is scared silent.

 

[ldg]

I'm so glad she's been keeping her food down! I hope there isn't an issue (the increased hunger).

 

[goholistic]

I'm so glad she's been keeping her food down! I hope there isn't an issue (the increased hunger).

    Continued vibes! 

 

[ritz]

Food / hunger is always an issue with Ritz, it's more MY issue than hers.  She lived the first four to six months of her life on the streets, so may always be food driven.  And she weighs at least 11 pounds.

I've 'lived' with anorexia for 40 years, so...

She threw up again last night, probably didn't allow enough time between the freeze dried morsel and the venison/beef.

She's fine today because I'm home more on the weekends and can feed her more frequently.

I'll get some Pepcid tomorrow, though I'd rather go the FD chicken route.

 

[ritz]

Update: Feeding her the freeze dried morsel in the evening before dinner has helped somewhat (she keeps her food down), especially if I start with a mild meat, like quail and rabbit, in the evening. So I feed her venison or beef in the morning.
But sometimes FD doesn't work. Or, maybe there is something else going on.
Case in point: This morning I woke up at 2:40 a.m. to the sound of rain (:lol3: and Ritz throwing up --undigested chicken giblets. Of course, she wanted food shortly thereafter (normal time to get up is 3:15 a.m.).
And sometime yesterday afternoon she throw up what I think were lungs (chicken's, not hers!) But none of the chicken giblets I'd fed her at 3:15 a.m. or my sister fed her around 8 a.m.
I guess I'll have to cross off lungs and other parts of the chicken (and there were some weird organs I was getting from a woman who butchers her own chickens.) She eats them eagerly, but then sometimes throws them up a few hours later.
She is doing the three P's fine: playing/pooping/peeing. And sleeping with me once again.
She is hungry because I'm cutting down the amount of treats she is getting (she has gained weight). Though I think some of her meows are just for show; I've increased slighty the amount of protein (from 3.0 oz to 3.2 oz).
But I can't understand why she is fine one meal with some food and not so fine other times. Any thoughts?
My carpet is developing a strange color pattern at this point.
Thanks.

 

[joules]

Just wondering if you've got an update on Ritz. Hope things are better!

 

[ritz]

Thanks for asking...
Ritz can go for five or six days without any problem. And then, she'll throw up.
I've also identified another potential precipatating factor: if my routine (and, thus, her routine) changes around eating time, then she may throw up.
Case in point: I typically get up around 3 a.m., including the weekends. That's when Ritz wants to be fed, and I am a morning person anyway. But Sunday I woke up sleepy, so I fed Ritz, and decided to go back to bed. In the hallway I hear a little "Meow", like "what is going on", she jumps onto the bed, wants her back scrached, rolls over onto her side as though she wants a belly rub, then gets up and throws up. On my bedspread and the rug. (Guess who didn't get back to sleep....) As is 99% of the case, she wanted food immediately thereafter and kept the food down.
When I get home from work, and she hasn't eaten for 10-12 hours, I fed her light-colored meat first (typically chicken or turkey breast) and then dark meat (anything from beef to tripe). I also give her probiotics and L-theanine (the latter is a supplement to relax her).
Also, if I am active when I get home from work (as in doing heavy lifting, noisy chores), she sometimes throws up.
At this point, things are pretty status-quo. I *know* vomiting isn't normal for a cat. But frequency hasn't increased.
But I'm actually a little more puzzled/concerned about why she is drinking more water. I fed raw, so her water needs are minimal. (She is almost always hungry, not losing weight, peeing normally). Ritz is due to see the vet next month for her yearly wellness check, and you can be sure I will ask for some blood work and mention my concern about increased thrist. The vet blames her vomiting on 'bad meat'.

 

[goholistic]

Ugh...sorry to hear Ritz threw up on the bed. That is the worst. And the increased thirst....definitely keep us posted on this!

Sebastian is sensitive to the time, too, and may get morning acid if I sleep in past normal feeding time.

 

[joules]

Looking back at your previous posts, it's unclear to me whether or not you've tried dosing Ritz with Pepcid. It sounded like you weren't too keen on the idea of using a drug, but if she is experiencing excess acid, it certainly could help.

 

[ritz]

I'm first trying to feed her mild meat, like chicken, before other types of meat, in the evening. It usually works, unless I'm home later than usual.
I haven't ruled out Pepcid--nor taking Ritz to a holistic vet. She really doesn't like long car rides.
She needs to go the vet within the next month if not sooner, some other little anamolies (drinking more water, black feces, very sporadic cought) are occurring which may be nothing. Or add up to something.