Advice needed please: Boots - 11 years old Male - Weightloss and vomiting; test results pending. Cerenia and Elura, food assistance.

sebbyz1969

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Hello all,

Thank you in advance for all your advice. I'm finding it hard to catch my breath and I know that forums are the most supportive and wonderful places.

Boots:
11 years old
Bloodwork all normal for first test 3 weeks ago.
Recent weightloss of a pound over 3 weeks, intermittent vomiting.
Repeated bloodwork yesterday, all good again with some small changes to the results shown in red in the file attached; Vet said they weren't alarming. I'm waiting for the new results to be sent to me.

Current behavior.
He's been turning his nose up to his usual food (Friskies) so we offered dry food which he was very happy about and as a result, he hadn't thrown up for 3 days, until tonight when he threw up quite a lot of food, even after administering Cerenia (anti-nausea). I am not sure if he threw the 1/4 pill up but it was about 2 hours after administering it.

Over the last few days he's been eating pretty well, snacking throughout the day, eating a lot in the morning and evening at his usual mealtimes. This evening he seems hungry but sniffs the food and walks away.

I haven't given the Elura yet as he has been eating by himself and put a little bit of weight on (From 10.4lb to 11lb) in the last few days; it's a liquid and I know he will hate me for giving it to him even though I hear it's great for making him eat.

Pending Test results are highlighted in Red in screenshot.

X-Rays were unremarkable.

Unrinalysis all normal, no crystals or UTI.

He tested positive for FIV but I believe he had the vaccine as a young cat so I'm trying to locate his records to confirm that this positive would be as a result of the vaccine rather than the FIV disease. He's been with me since he was about 5 days old, no catfights, no exposure to out door cats, only my other cats and they don't fight. They do have access to a completely enclosed back yard which they can't escape (catfence). I can't imagine where he would have got FIV if it's not the vaccine anti-bodies.

Vet recommends ultrasound next after we get the other results.

Thank you for any insights into what you have done to keep your cat eating while awaiting tests:

After he vomits, should I keep food away until the next mealtime or offer every hour? I am a feeder so when he doesn't eat, I panic which I know helps no one.
I tried to give him some A/D (high calorie prescription food Hill's Prescription Diet a/d Wet Dog/Cat Food) but he was not interested at all.

Should I give him the Elura(appetite stimulant) if he's feeling nauseous or wait until after I give the next Cerenia dose?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!
 

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CactusWithWings

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There are two things I can think of, and this is not necessarily the case, is that maybe he ate a bug while he was outside that could potentially have caused him some issues. I would look up potential problem insects in your area that cats have a reaction to.
The other thing is something I hope isn't the case, it may just be getting close to his time. I know this is only my experience, but all of our cats that passed due to old age died between the ages of 11-13 years old. Again I hope that everything turns out ok, but keep it in mind just in case.
 

LTS3

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Possible gastrointestinal issue such as IBD? An ultrasound might show something but a biopsy would confirm IBD.

I'd give the Cerenia and appetite stimulant. Using a Pill Pocket will help the pill go down easier. Liquid meds can be a bit trickier because of the taste but ask the vet if you can mix the medcine into a little bit of canned food or something like meat only baby food or canned tuna. Your cat needs to eat if only enough to prevent fatty liver disease. Try warming up the canned food and using toppers to entice your cat to eat. FortiFlora works great to get inappetant cats to eat. Continue to offer dry food if your cat will eat that.
 

FeebysOwner

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Royal Canin also has a recovery food that you might want to try. As far as getting him to take meds try any of the following, just enough to make sure he ingests the meds:
1.) 'juice' from canned tuna and chicken, and then give him a piece of the meat as a treat afterward
2.) baby food meats (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut)
3.) lickable treats, such as Applaws, Wholehearted, Tiki Cat Stix, Inaba Churu, Vitakraft - just to name a few
4.) Tiki Cat Mousse (which is complete meal, not a treat)
Any of the above work about as well with either pills that can be crushed or liquid.

I don't withhold food after Feeby vomits, I will let her eat something if she wants to. But, some of that has to do with what is causing the vomiting. However, the baby food meats might be a good compromise - as they are easy on the stomach. Also, any of the above other foods/treats can be used to keep him eating.

He is still 'young', and his blood work looks pretty good! So, keep him eating - with whatever he will eat - and take the next steps as the vet advises.
 
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sebbyz1969

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CactusWithWings CactusWithWings LTS3 LTS3 FeebysOwner FeebysOwner
Thank you all so much for your suggestions. He woke me up at 6 this morning, full of beans, and led me to his food area, and ate like a champ. Perhaps not enough to qualify as a full meal but I'll take it and he has kept it down so I'm thrilled. He's been resting most of the day, meowing and wanting love when I peek in and he's awake.

I offered him food about half an hour ago and he wasn't interested so I'm heading out to see if I can get some of the suggested foods above, thank you!

I'll update as additional test results come in
- thank you again - I am so grateful!
 

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Try offering the canned Fancy Feast classic pate food. It's grain free and attractive to most kitties. If you rotate canned foods, the vomiting could be caused by fish or chicken intolerance. Is he constipated by any chance? That can also sometimes cause nausea and vomiting because there's nowhere for the food to go once ingested.
 

leo feliz

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was he exposed to chemicals?
that could be one reason...my kitten got kidney disese because of mycleaning products.
he got rid of it though,just not to worry you
 
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sebbyz1969

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Try offering the canned Fancy Feast classic pate food. It's grain free and attractive to most kitties. If you rotate canned foods, the vomiting could be caused by fish or chicken intolerance. Is he constipated by any chance? That can also sometimes cause nausea and vomiting because there's nowhere for the food to go once ingested.
Thank you - no, not constipated, although that was my first thought! I'll try the pate!
 
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sebbyz1969

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was he exposed to chemicals?
that could be one reason...my kitten got kidney disese because of mycleaning products.
he got rid of it though,just not to worry you
No chemical access, although I did overdo it on the greenies treats for a few days :/
 

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What you described is very similar to my oldest baby Frankie. He was a 20lb cat, ate constantly, showed no signs of illness or change in temperament but lost weight. He is currently 13lbs and has been diagnosed with IBD. DR. Mike explained to me that Frankies intestinal track has thickened and is body doesn't absorb all the nutrients that he used to.
Prior to his diagnosis he would vomit occasionally, have loose and sometimes bloody stool, and started feeling like a bag of bones.
He is on prednisone to help the inflammation in his intestinal track and when he has vomiting or diarrhea I give him metronidazole.
 
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sebbyz1969

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What you described is very similar to my oldest baby Frankie. He was a 20lb cat, ate constantly, showed no signs of illness or change in temperament but lost weight. He is currently 13lbs and has been diagnosed with IBD. DR. Mike explained to me that Frankies intestinal track has thickened and is body doesn't absorb all the nutrients that he used to.
Prior to his diagnosis he would vomit occasionally, have loose and sometimes bloody stool, and started feeling like a bag of bones.
He is on prednisone to help the inflammation in his intestinal track and when he has vomiting or diarrhea I give him metronidazole.
Thank you so much for your insight! I hope Frankie is doing well. Did you find that Frank stopped eating or was he eating normally but not absorbing the food as well because of the IBD?
Boots is definitely eating less than usual though eating more since we realized he was walking past the food plates. He’s 10.6lbs today.
He threw up after Cerenia again early this morning at we’ve switched him to Mirataz transdermal for nausea and appetite stimulant.
I would be so grateful for all your good vibes and prayers x
Thank you!!!
 

frankie the cat

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Definitely sending you good vibes. Frankie never stopped eating. He would eat and eat but was losing weight in spite of it. I actually didn't notice at first because it wasn't sudden weight loss. It was slow and subtle. Mind you Frankie is long past his free spirited years. So the only exercise he truly gets is when he jumps up on the sofa or bed to take a nap. It was my dad that said Frankie lost weight the moment he saw him. I couldn't see it. But I took him to the vet and he confirmed the weight loss. I had blood work done and the whole nine yards.
He started with the prednisone and metronidazole. Now only takes the prednisone. Should Frankie begin to lose weight again we will have to change his medication. Otherwise for the time being my old guy is holding on and doing well.
 
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sebbyz1969

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frankie the cat frankie the cat Thank you for that information. Boots is definitely not eating as he normally would. The Mirataz made him vocal as promised and he woke me up for food and attention at 3 am, but he threw up at 7am this morning. Not a lot, but some food. Luckily he's still hydrated and drinking well. I'm trying not to panic while waiting on all of our results.
 
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sebbyz1969

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Can I ask how you all deal with stress while trying to help your felines? I am constantly on the edge of a panic attack waiting to see if Boots will eat, how he is if I peek around the door.
 

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I am not sure there is an absolutely guaranteed way. I have been in a roller coaster mode with issues dealing with Feeby (~17 yo) since she was diagnosed with H-T last October. If it isn't one thing, it seems to be another. Is she eating OK, how is her heart rate, where is her weight this week, and on and on and on.

I find reveling in the good things - she took her meds without issue, she ate well today, her breathing rate while sleeping was good - whatever they are - and not dwelling on the bad things helps some. I personally find some TV programs late at night help me to re-focus before I go to sleep. During the day, I find some focused chores that need to be done which switches gears in my head for a while. You just have to tune into things that you find comforting/relaxing/distracting at least a couple of times a day to help offset the 'helicopter mom' syndrome (of which I am guilty of as well).
 

frankie the cat

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For me, I take it day by day with Frankie. For example the last day or so he was in isolation and I feared he was separating himself from us because he was ill. However, he is a temperamental old man, and at times just enjoys being alone. Also, today he had a soft stool outside the litter box with too much mucus like stuff. So that tells me he needs to get back on his antibiotics. So we now cross this bridge once again. This is always how he is before he has a bout of diarrhea. I enjoy the moments when he is a lap cat and extra needy. And allow him his space when Frankie is cranky. Love is the constant with him always. I love him in whatever condition he is in. And then I adapt to whatever the situation calls for. I just do my best. That is all that can be done.
You are doing all that you can. Boots knows and feels your love.
 
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sebbyz1969

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Thank you so much, I actually feel like a crazy person but I'm trying to reel it in. If not for the vomiting, I think I would not feel so panicky.

On another note, with Zofran, should I just give that as a preventative with Mirataz rather than waiting to see signs of nausea (head turned away from food when offered)?

Apparently, we have to wait up to 3 weeks for his big tests to come back. I guess I'm supposed to keep him stable until we know more. Would you think that they would want to add a steroid while we wait, or is that jumping the gun? I just feel like I'm not doing anything.

His weight is 10.6lb still today and pooped a little twice so some food is going through his system, thank goodness!

Thank you so much for being so kind, I am so grateful!
 

FeebysOwner

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On another note, with Zofran, should I just give that as a preventative with Mirataz rather than waiting to see signs of nausea (head turned away from food when offered)?
What did the vet say? Is there any reason NOT to give him the Zofran on a regular basis? I know in humans, in most cases, Zofran is given routinely to avoid the ups and downs that can happen with intermittent treatment. Whether or not this is true in your case for Boots, might be something to just ask your vet.
 
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sebbyz1969

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Thank you ♥

We've been doing pretty well with the transdermal Mirataz. Eating enough food to maintain his weight. No vomit for over 24 hours which feels amazing and Boots' is happy and purring, playful, and grooming. Still waking me up at 5 am for food but what a gift. I'm thrilled.

I've been told his VDI Standalone Vitamin D and Cancer Panel can take 3 weeks for results, doesn't that seem a bit mental, or is that the norm?
 
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