Can Anyone Solve This Mystery?

[hleeeex3]

Hi everyone, me again!

Kona had an exploratory laparotomy about a week and a half ago for her vomiting. She’s been recovering extremely well and hasn’t vomited for the past 10 days, but I found bile and some hair in the corner of her litter box. She’s never thrown up in there before.. it’s always been outside in the kitchen area. We’ve done bloodwork, X-rays, ultrasound and the exploratory surgery...and they couldn’t find anything wrong. Anyone else have a similar experience where every test has come back normal but their cat is throwing up bile/hairballs? Trust me, I’ve tried changing her foods...everything. The doctor said he’ll try asking around to get a G.I consult. Hoping to get some answers soon.

 

[abyeb]

I’m sorry to hear that this is going on. I hope your kitty is on the mend soon.

Did they run a fecal flotation to check for intestinal parasites?

The 4 Most Common Worms That Can Make Your Cat Sick

 

[mservant]

I'm sorry you are going through this with your cat, and hope the vet is able to find out the cause very soon.
Watch your cat closely and look for any signs out of the normal, then tell your vet about them.

Earlier this year Mouse started to vomit and initially I thought it was just a fur ball. When it carried on and started to be when there was no food and just bile coming up, and off his food, it was off to the vet. They couldn't see any obvious cause. Initially he was given an anti-emetic and antacid in the hope that would settle things down and get him eating again. It didn't help other than stopping the sickness for a couple of days so back we went.
It was when I mentioned to the vet that I was worried about a red area around a couple of Mouse's molars that the mystery unraveled. I had assumed the redness was because he usually gets a dental food and with him being sick this had been replaced with anything we could get him to eat. As soon as the vets were able to sedate him and take a proper look they discovered he had some infection under two molars but also deep infection under his lower canines and their roots had been reabsorbed. It had been the infection in his body causing the sickness. Within a day of the 4 teeth being removed and antibiotics started Mouse was showing signs of improvement, and just days later he was almost back to his usual pesky self.

 

[foxxycat]

What foods are you feeding?

Some cats have sensitive stomachs. My angel who passed in 2016 vomited anytime she ate corn type foods-includes Temptations treats and grocery store kibble.

After trying many brands 4Health indoor formula by tractor supply was the only one she wouldn't vomit. We tried high end foods from FROMM and Orijen and she puked those-those were too rich. The 4Health doesn't have corn but has potatoes and for the price you can get a huge bag for $20-put it in a 5 gallon airtight bucket in gallon ziplocks to keep fresh.

We didn't have luck with canned foods-they wouldn't eat any of it except occasionally fancy feast turkey pate and seafood mix. They didn't like shreds or any textured stuff. I had to mash with a fork and add hot water to it and they would lick the juice...

Sometimes they vomit for unknown reasons. Cerenia and Pepcid AC can be used for a week at a time to see if that calms things down-not a long term solution but give some time to calm down the vomiting-sounds like you have done everything.

Also constipation can cause vomiting so if the bowels need help ask the vet about lactolose, miralax and adding canned pumpkin- don't use all these at once-but try one and see if it helps. My girls get 1/8 tsp miralax in their tuna in the morning- just a Tablespoon of tuna-water and the dissolved mira to keep them regular. It seems to help...

 

[Brian007]

Are you giving her daily hairball treatment paste? I recommend that you do so, if you're not currently, for at least a fortnight to see if there are any signs of improvement. It could be that she's just an extremely hairball prone cat and needs continuous daily paste treatment.

In addition to the advice above, catnip is good for nausea and vomiting, as well as indigestion and other digestive problems. I used to leave a bowl of powdered catnip out at all times for Brian, who would self-regulate his dose. When he did so he didn't get the zoomies but rather gained the digestive health benefits. I could still give him catnip mice away from his kitchen bowl and he'd fall under its ecstatic spell, and roll around slathering.

You could also try adding psyllium husks to her diet as it's another good digestive calmer and hairball mover-oner. And feed a specific digestive food, like Royal Canin veterinary, for example.

I hope that she improves quickly as it's awful feeling nauseous and vomiting all the time.

 

[duckpond]

I have one cat that will throw up if he ever goes too long without eating. I do have to keep food out for him at all times, as long as he can nibble a bit when he wants he is good. If he gets hungry, he is a barfer. If he eats to fast he barfs, if eating large chunks, shreds or kibble he throws up.

Our vet worked and worked trying to find out why he was throwing up so much. Turns out he needs to eat more often, and with wet food he either needs small pieces, he prefers shreds, so i make sure its choped well, no large hunks he can swallow whole. And with dry food he does much better with small sized kibble. I feed Dr. Elseys chicken dry.

I dont know if this will help yours in any way. But by changing how i feed, and monitoring the size of his food we do not have a problem any more. No throwing up.

 

[Brian007]

duckpond , That all sounds very sensible to me.

 

[foxxycat]

That makes sense-just like people-some can't allow too much time in between meals-

in humans I heard if there's belly pain it could be an ulcer which could be nausea in humans-wonder if it's the same for kitties-

you can try small more often feedings, talk to the vet about adding an anti-acid medication short term like 2 weeks to see if it works or not..just thinking out loud.

If the vet does add this=remember it's very bitter tasting and best to put it in empty capsules, use a pill popper/butter and syringe water before and after pilling will make it go so much easier.

 

[Timmer]

If there is hairballs in the vomit the cat is ingesting the fur so do you brush the cat? I give my cat Royal Canin Hairball formula and that has helped her tremendously with constipation but I brush her every other day, too.

I had another cat who threw up stomach acid when her tummy was empty so perhaps giving your cat smaller meals might help.

I also had another cat who vomited her food up throughout the years and she died from kidney failure at the age of 8. My vet told me kidney cats produce more stomach acid than normal so they vomit a lot.

Not sure why the cat threw up in the litter box other than maybe it was just close by.
How is the cat doing now?

 

[hleeeex3]

Hi there! Sorry it's been awhile to post an update. But Kona is doing well! She's still eating the prescription food and doesn't mind it, but she is still throwing up bile and hair once a week .... I talked with the Dr. awhile back and he either said it might be a food allergy or motility disorder. He mentioned that the best thing we could do is maybe try steroid shots? I'm not sure... I'm at a loss here. I've tried all hairball things...But even if she's not throwing up hair she's throwing up bile. Any thoughts? Thank you!

 

[Timmer]

When you say bile, describe it, please. Is it like mucusy green or yellow? or the clear in color kind?

 

[Brian007]

She might just be a pukey kind of cat with a bit of IBS. I've known quite a few pukey cats who were otherwise perfectly healthy. I'd keep giving her routine hairball treatment and monitor her puking habits, maybe start a diary on her signs and symptoms. It's amazing what keeping a diary on a cat's health and behaviour can bring to light.