Cat hasn't been herself for the last 2/3 days. Vet gave her the all clear, am I just being overly anxious?

[YasTheCatLady]

Hi guys. You may remember me posting about my beloved boy Rambo who sadly passed away 3 months ago today. His diagnosis of mast cell cancer in his spleen and mouth came as such a shock as he had zero symptoms and the cells were only found in his blood after a routine pre op blood test before a dental extraction. He died after being put under for tests to see how bad the cancer was - the cancer wasn't as bad as the vet thought but an hour before I was due to bring him home, my boy took a sudden cardiac arrest and died. It was the most heartbreaking and soul destroying moment of my life.

Today, my post is about his sister, Nibbler. She was from the same litter as him and will be 15 next week. So she has been doing as well as she can be since losing her brother but over the last month, we had noticed she had been puking a few times. Sometimes 2/3 times a week, sometimes just once a week etc and sometimes with hairballs, sometimes just food, sometimes just bile and sometimes a mix. We took her to the vet on the first week and she ran her blood work and felt her tummy and said she had perfect bloods but that she winced a bit when the vet touched her tummy so gave her an antibiotic and anti-inflammtory shot. These seemed to help and she was back to her normal self and only puked once more but a tiny amount and the vet wasn't worried about it. She ended up puking again the following week and from then til now we have been to the vet about 4 or 5 times with her, I have lost count. Latest being today and yesterday. After the first shot of antibiotics/anti-inflammatories - they tried her on different probiotics which didn't really stop the puking that much. It used to be that she would only puke on an empty stomach and feeding her smaller, more frequent meals seemed to help but not every time. Vet still said it was a case of upset tummy/mild inflammation and/or hairball trouble.

For the last 2 days, I noticed she wasn't herself. She was hiding, wouldn't eat unless we put her to her bowl and even then it would only be a nibble or two, she wasn't peeing much and hadnt pooped in two days so we called the vet and it was a different vet to her usual one and he said she was dehydrated but not bad enough to be admitted for fluids so he gave me mitrazpine (sp?) and she was wolfing into food all day and all night and seemed like her normal self, pretty much. She woke me up during the night for food for the first time in a week and slept beside me and my husband. Now it is about 20 hours since her hunger medicine from the vet and she last ate today at around 10am and hasn't ate anything since despite having food out and even some of her favourite treats. Maybe she is still processing all the food from yesterday but me being me, I am worried she is going back to the not eating stage she has been in for the last 2 days before that medicine. She hasn't puked since Sunday and it was a lot that night.

She isn't lively or playful except for moments here and there but she was last night. I am worried that the pill isn't enough to get her back to normal permanently? Vet saw her again today and said her hydration was better now and he said she was over the worst but if she doesn't eat then bring her back for tests which is what I am worried we will have to do

All day every day I am checking on her, comparing how she is from day to day. In fact, she is all I think about. Its exactly what I was like when Rambo had cancer. Its draining but you can't help but worry. I try and get support from my husband and mum but they don't understand. I do suffer from severe life long anxiety problems and I do agree my experience with Rambo will be impacting me a lot but I also know when my cat isn't acting like my cat and right now she isn't but I just feel like I can't do right for doing wrong. My husband says the vet will be sick of seeing me and that I need to trust them that she is ok. I do trust the vet but they don't see what she is like at home. They don't know her 'norm', if you know what I mean?

Sorry for the novel I haven't been sleeping well for days over worry about Nibbler and everything else in life. Could just do with a friendly ear and advice

Thanks and I hope you and your furbabies are all keeping well xx

 

[Maurey]

In your position, I’d seek out a second opinion from a kitty-specific vet in a different practice, to avoid colleague bias. It could be something minor, but it’s always best to be sure, imo. You know your cats’ behavior best.

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Hi, thanks for your reply. My cat does go to a cat only vet practice. She has been seen by both the head vet and her associate and they both say the same things. She has been with that practice since she was 6.

If she doesn't start eating normally or near enough tonight then I am calling up first thing tomorrow to get her booked in for scans which they said would be the next step if she hasn't back to herself soon.

Its hard to describe how she isn't herself. Up until Monday (other than the puking) she was absolutely herself - still playful, followed us about, had a spark etc but I dunno, she just isn't herself. Usually when you open a pack of her food, she would dive to the bowl or if I opened up a pack of roast beef for myself, she would dive into the kitchen but she only did that last night when she had the hunger from mirtazapine. She hasn't done that today now its wearing off. She is just laying in the hall on the carpet which she sometimes does in the summer but rarely. She is usually more of a couch cat. She has barely even bothered with us today but did greet us at the top of the stairs when we came home which was rare and nice of her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Sorry for your loss of Rambo. I wonder if Rambo's death has taken a greater toll on Nibbler than you realize if she wasn't prone to vomiting before his death as she has been since. It is possible that mourning him is taking a toll on her health because it is such a life changing event for her.

The meds the vet gave her seemed to have helped and it is great that she hasn't puked in so many days! Did the vet only give her one dose of Mirtazapine? If so, did they explain why? I am trying to understand if they felt she just needed something to jump start her eating again, hence only one dose. If you are not clear about this, you might want to call the vet and ask about more doses, or at least gain an appreciation for their thought process. Also, ask the vet if in their mind it is possible that all this could have been caused by the loss of her brother.

I suspect that the vet feels as if additional testing needs to be done to see if it can they can pinpoint something going on that is more than just an upset tummy. The fact that the anti-inflammatory shot helped would suggest to me that her digestive tract is irritated and now the vet wants to see if scans will verify that. It is possible that the answer may be to place her on a longer term treatment plan to help resolve the inflammation in her digestive tract, and with time she will recover from the physical ailments that very well could have been brought on by the loss of Rambo.

Keep us posted!

 

[MissClouseau]

What tests did they run? At her age especially bloodwork is probably not enough in my opinionn. Urine test, ultrasound, checking the heart, and maybe also occasionally stool test if the vet finds it necessary and/or to check if there is a worm. Urine test and ultrasound could give you more answers right now.

Just like humans, a senior cat's body may give more severe symptoms than before to common problems. Like it's possible hairballs could cause more trouble than younger years. At her age she may also have something chronic like acid reflux, gastritis, etc

Until you figure out what's going on, it might help to keep Fortiflora at home for the times she seems a bit off. That might both help to get her eat and in case there is a digestive problem, it might help with that too.

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Hi guys, thanks once again for your replies.

She hasn't ate since about 9am today (6pm) now so the mitrazpine will have worn well off now and she isn't eating at all, not even her fave fish that she usually goes crazy for. She could smell it and she looked up and sat up but then lay back down and when I put it next to her, she just sniffed it and went back into her box. That was the deciding factor for me. So I called the vet and she is in tomorrow at 10am for scans - ultrasound and x ray I think? She can't eat after tonight but I don't think that will be a problem. Maybe she will be kept in overnight for a drip too. Whatever the vet recommends, we will go for. Mum is helping me cover the costs thankfully.

Tests she has had so far is urine, blood and physical. Blood wise she has had the full blood count, checked for special tumour markers and mast cells after Rambo and she had her thyroid tested. All came back fine. The only thing that came back a little high was one of the kideny results but both vets have said its nowhere near high enough to be caused by disease - more likely stress, dehydration . Least I think those were the causes, hard to remember exactly but I know it was something benign.

I walk by her and most of the time, she doesn't even look up at me whereas when she is fine, she chats to me and then follows me about. She was so like her old self last night after that tablet and up until Monday (apart from puking a few times a week) she was 100% herself as far as we could tell. She didn't even meow or fight to get into her carrier today and yesterday to go to the vet which isn't like her. She usually puts up a fight and screams the entire time of the 2 min car journey to the vet.

I will keep you posted all the way. Please keep your fingers and paws crossed for my baby. Once again, thank you all so much for your kind replies xx

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Sorry forgot to answer some questions - yeah the vet only gave her one tablet yesterday, didn't say why. I didn't think to ask why either. Never had to have a cat take of those before. Before Rambo died, she did puke but it was very rare compared to what it has been like lately. Say, once every month or 2? Usually always a hairball came up too.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Please keep your fingers and paws crossed for my baby.

 

[YasTheCatLady]

I've been told to not let her eat after 10pm tonight sbut I have left out that bit of fish for her that I made earlier and now she is eating it! Not as much as she normally would and she wasn't interested like normal while I was cooking it but I am hoping that is a good sign that she is eating now that the tablet from yesterday should have worn off! Still going to go and get her checked over and tested because either way, she hasn't been my Nibbler the last few days and we can't be too careful. Just hoping this is a good sign though!

I am so nervous about her being put under. She has been fine every other time but after Rambo dying a few hours after his, I can't help but have that as a very real worry in my head.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Sometimes, a vet can just slightly sedate a cat as opposed to full-on anesthesia. See how far your vet is wanting to go with sedation. While some level is going to be required for an ultrasound, some cats (including mine) have had x-rays with no sedation whatsoever. So, less time under any sedation might be an option to discuss with your vet as well. All-in-all, if Nibbler has no known underlying issue that puts her at risk of being sedated, it likely won't be any problem, even if she is almost 15.

 

[GustifursMom]

Try Nulo Cat & Kitten Cod dry food and Tiki Aloha wet food. These two food products, when used together, are absolutely stellar at fixing cat tummy problems. And by stellar I mean they are a damn miracle!

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Thanks for the recommendation, I will check it out!

Another Nibbler update, she is eating more fish! She can eat up until 10pm tonight and still has to be coaxed a little but still eating more than when we tried to coax her a couple of days ago. She even played with my husband and followed him around the house! Whereas I've had pretty much no interaction from her today at all

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Hi folks, just a Nibbler update

She didn't go to the vet today for testing as I text her vet last night after she started eating fully again and acting 100% normal again but we've to keep an eye on her over the weekend. Today, she has been absolutely fine and normal. She has ate her normal amount, played with us, followed us etc. Vet thinks yesterday was maybe a bad day for her because mirtazapine can cause sedative effects. I am glad she is doing well but part of me is still worried that its just still the effects of the tablet making her eat even though it was 2 days ago (51 hours to be precise) now since she had the tablet. Never had a cat take one of those before so don't know how long it lasts for. I should have asked the vet but I was on such a high after seeing her eat and be full of energy again. I will keep an eye on her over the weekend and if she goes back to the way she was before we took her to the vet on Wednesday then she will be going straight back for the tests.

Her hydration seems to be pretty much perfect now too. Her pee is a nice light yellow whereas when we took her to the vet it was almost brown.

 

[FeebysOwner]

This is all good news! But, yes, keeping an eye on her for a while just to be sure she is on the mend is the best way to go! Based on other members who have used mirtazapine, I don't believe it would last that long - so, here's hoping that is the case!

 

[Mailmans_Mom]

Glad your Nibbler is doing better. As someone who is a frequent flyer at specialty vets now, just wanted to suggest if you want to be 100% sure that she is 100% fine, go to an internist. They will run different blood tests that a primary care won't. They may have access to an ultrasound machine. (If you have the choice of multiple specialty hospitals, call each and see if they 1. have an ultrasound machine and 2. when the next appointment is with it. Some places book out for months.)

We're all in different situations and none of this is cheap. I spend most of what I own on my cats because I don't want regrets. I canceled a biopsy due to cost last month and it's still eating at me. So I just wanted to share my 2 cents.

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Hi everyone, thanks again for your replies. Nibbler's vet is aslo an internist and has their own X ray, ultrasound machines, operating theatre etc. I am waiting to hear back from her vet today to see what the next step is. Nibbler had been doing well for the last few days and still is on the eating, pooping and peeing front but she has been sick again twice. Yesterday she brought up two hairballs so I wasn't too worried but then today she brought up white foam and nothing else and looked like she really struggled to get it out. Both yesterday and today she made that horrible yowling noise beforehand. So I have called the vet and I am due a call within the next hour or so to decide if she should be brought in for tests tomorrow or Friday. As nervous as I am about putting her under after Rambo dying hours after being put under for his cancer tests, we have to do know one way or another what this is.

Cancer and IBD are my biggest worries. Least we know its not mast cell cancer after her blood work was sent away to the same hematology specialists that Rambo's were sent to. I will keep you all posted.

On the plus side, I weighed her and she seems to have gained 0.2kg! Its not much better deffo better to gain it than lose it

 

[daftcat75]

Has she been tested for pancreatitis? It's not a standard blood test so it might have been missed. If she's going back, please ask your vet about this.

I'm just an internet stranger. But it sounds like she likely has IBD and possibly pancreatitis. I would still get an ultrasound to verify there aren't any masses.

A general rule of thumb is that if she's able to gain or maintain her weight, it's probably not cancer. GI lymphoma plus steroids made my Krista hungry all the time. Yet despite eating twice her normal amount, her weight loss was still unrelenting. Until we began chemotherapy. Almost overnight her weight stabilized. I was still sneaking her nightly steroids pill into her inside a trigger food (a small amount of bonito tuna flakes) and that kept her lymphoma smoldering just a little too long.

Fish can be inflammatory. But exceptional times require exceptional measures. I got Krista through pancreatitis with Tiki Cat Aloha tuna and pumpkin and a lot of bonito fish flakes. But it probably didn't do her IBD any favors. It wasn't until I switched her to Rawz turkey which had no chicken or fish ingredients that she started to get better again. And if IBD was all she had, well, she'd probably still be with me, fat, happy, and resting in front of my keyboard. But dental struggles meant we kept going back to fish to keep her eating and kept flaring the IBD back up until the crisis had passed (usually begging the vet to do another dental despite having just done one a few months ago. FORLs is a pain like that!) And if my vets were more knowledgeable about IBD and lymphoma, perhaps one of them would have been able to tell me if our nightly "devil's bargain" of steroid pill wrapped in fish flakes was what kept her from remission. It seems so obvious now. But in the thick of it, we get stubborn, worn out, and narrow-focused.

You too will likely have to switch Nibbler off fish to something she hasn't had before to give her IBD a chance to heal. Rawz is the gold standard for IBD cats. Single protein, no gums, thickeners, or any other nonsense ingredients like clay and cranberries (looking at you Instinct! "Limited Ingredient Diet"? My cat's butt!) Rawz turkey first, and later rabbit were Krista's stable foods when everything else seemed to challenge her. (to put that nicely.)
Where to Buy | RAWZ

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Hi thanks for your thorough reply, I will reply properly in the morning or later in the day when hopefully I have some answers. Nibbler goes for her ultrasound at 11am (it's 1am now). Fasting her is a nightmare. Tried to get her to eat up until the threshold but she wasn't fussed and last ate about 3 hours before the cut off time but typically, was moaning for food half an hour after the threshold.

Yeah she has been tested for pancreatitis. She got the snap test and it came back negative.

Thanks again everyone. Will post an update tonight as soon as we have some answers (hopefully good ones! )

 

[YasTheCatLady]

Nibbler had her x-rays and ultrasound yesterday and all that was found is she has slight inflammation in her stomach so she has gastritis like the vet thought all along. No evidence of any tumours, blockages or obstructions were found anywhere and they repated all her bloodwork and everything came back fine too. She has been given an anti-inflammatory injection that lasts 3/4 days I think and if she is still showing signs of gastritis at her check up on Tues, she will be given a longer lasting one that lasts 3/4 weeks and vet said maybe she will need two of them over the coming months but thinks that will sort her out. We've only to feed her her normal Whiskas food and no treats such as fish for the time being. Vet said that if the few injections over the next month or so don't clear it up then they will have to go inside her and take a look through surgery but she is confident it wont reach that stage as she is gaining weight again and the inflammation isn't severe.

I will keep you all posted