Cat’s Intestines & Colon Inflamed

Moonstonelove

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Hey everyone!
Our 5 year old cat Dusty who is an indoor/outdoor cat ( he comes in before dark) started throwing up on Monday after eating a chipmunk while we were out. I got concerned & called the vet the next day after seeing him eat his morning food but then go seek grass outside & then come in & throw up. We couldn’t get in with the vet till that evening but Dusty then was eating & not vomiting or seeking out grass so I canceled the appt. because he gets stressed out going to the vet. He was fine on Wednesday with eating & drinking but I did notice that he was laying around a bit more which concerned me but then he was up running around chasing his sister & birds so I was like okay he’s fine. Thursday morning he ate his morning food went outside came in to drink & I noticed he threw up which concerned me so I called the vet back but of course was unable to get in till Friday afternoon. He was still up & about but when I got home from running errands I noticed he was getting very lethargic & I got concerned. I also followed him to the litter box & saw hime pee & poop. The pee was normal but his poop was light brown & in stool form but soft. I tried to call the vet to see if we could get in earlier but they said no they were booked ugh. So about an hour later I hear him meow & sure enough he throws up grass & phlegm that’s when I decided to take him to the ER Hospital I just felt so awful for him.
The doctor did X-Rays & told us they didn’t look good his intestines were inflamed, he had built up gas in his colon I believe & he recommended we take him to there other facility an hour away so we can get him on IV fluids & they will monitor him & can do emergency surgery if needed. He says he couldn’t see a blockage which concerns me that it could be cancer now after googling which I should never do. I got a call from the Dr. at the new facility at 3am saying he’s not displaying symptoms of a GI tract issue which is good but that they will know more tomorrow with the ultrasound. I haven’t really slept a wink I think I about cried at the facility to all the way home to in my bed. I’m so worried that he is going to be really sick & I’m going to lose him. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of issue in a younger cat? Thank you!
 

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My Mom's cat had something similar a few years back. He was around 6 years old at the time. I noticed him being lethargic and just not looking good. Took him in as a drop off that they would squeeze in and he just crashed on them nearly immediately after getting dropped off. He ended up needing to be hospitalized for a week with syringe feedings and an IV the whole time. His ultrasound showed a massive amount of inflammation with no blockage or masses to explain it. He came home once he was eating on his own again. I swear, he looked horrible still but we had a bunch of medications for a few weeks to help with inflammation, bowel movement and gas. Once he finished his treatments, he was back to normal and hasn't had any reoccurance (its been about 3 years).

We never did find out what triggered it or what it even was. My vet is a cat specialist but she was stumped. She said to keep an eye on him and bring him back at the first sign of reoccurance.
 
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Moonstonelove

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My Mom's cat had something similar a few years back. He was around 6 years old at the time. I noticed him being lethargic and just not looking good. Took him in as a drop off that they would squeeze in and he just crashed on them nearly immediately after getting dropped off. He ended up needing to be hospitalized for a week with syringe feedings and an IV the whole time. His ultrasound showed a massive amount of inflammation with no blockage or masses to explain it. He came home once he was eating on his own again. I swear, he looked horrible still but we had a bunch of medications for a few weeks to help with inflammation, bowel movement and gas. Once he finished his treatments, he was back to normal and hasn't had any reoccurance (its been about 3 years).

We never did find out what triggered it or what it even was. My vet is a cat specialist but she was stumped. She said to keep an eye on him and bring him back at the first sign of reoccurance.
OMG that is so scary! Dusty was alert at the ER & I was trying to distract him by playing with him with my hair tie which he was swatting & biting at so I thought that was a good sign but still he is a super active cat I knew when he didn’t want to be outside & just wanted to sleep on his cat condo yesterday something is wrong. I will take giving him meds even though he will hate it as long as it’s not super serious. I’m glad your moms kitty made it this definitely gives me hope as I sit & wait for this phone call from them which isn’t happening till 11. He is a big snuggler so this morning it was hard not getting his hugs I miss him so much. I’ll keep you updated on what the Doctor says. Thank you for putting my mind at somewhat ease.
 

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Good Morning, I had a similar experience years ago with one of my cats. I relate to the stress that is involved when nobody can figure out why. My sweet Jade ended up having a tumor that suddenly showed up and was blocking his intestinal tract. The Vet gave him a month. It would have deteriorated quickly. His quality of life would have been poor. It was sad. I understand your situation and hope you have a speedy and successful resolution.
 
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Moonstonelove

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Good Morning, I had a similar experience years ago with one of my cats. I relate to the stress that is involved when nobody can figure out why. My sweet Jade ended up having a tumor that suddenly showed up and was blocking his intestinal tract. The Vet gave him a month. It would have deteriorated quickly. His quality of life would have been poor. It was sad. I understand your situation and hope you have a speedy and successful resolution.
 
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Moonstonelove

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Im so sorry. I keep going to the worst scenarios in my head & im just hoping that the outcome is different.
 
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Moonstonelove

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Praying for you and your sweet kitty :redheartpump: Keep us posted.
Thank you! ❤ I will definitely keep you all posted it’s going to be the slowest day ever just waiting
 

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Hey everyone!
Our 5 year old cat Dusty who is an indoor/outdoor cat ( he comes in before dark) started throwing up on Monday after eating a chipmunk while we were out. I got concerned & called the vet the next day after seeing him eat his morning food but then go seek grass outside & then come in & throw up. We couldn’t get in with the vet till that evening but Dusty then was eating & not vomiting or seeking out grass so I canceled the appt. because he gets stressed out going to the vet. He was fine on Wednesday with eating & drinking but I did notice that he was laying around a bit more which concerned me but then he was up running around chasing his sister & birds so I was like okay he’s fine. Thursday morning he ate his morning food went outside came in to drink & I noticed he threw up which concerned me so I called the vet back but of course was unable to get in till Friday afternoon. He was still up & about but when I got home from running errands I noticed he was getting very lethargic & I got concerned. I also followed him to the litter box & saw hime pee & poop. The pee was normal but his poop was light brown & in stool form but soft. I tried to call the vet to see if we could get in earlier but they said no they were booked ugh. So about an hour later I hear him meow & sure enough he throws up grass & phlegm that’s when I decided to take him to the ER Hospital I just felt so awful for him.
The doctor did X-Rays & told us they didn’t look good his intestines were inflamed, he had built up gas in his colon I believe & he recommended we take him to there other facility an hour away so we can get him on IV fluids & they will monitor him & can do emergency surgery if needed. He says he couldn’t see a blockage which concerns me that it could be cancer now after googling which I should never do. I got a call from the Dr. at the new facility at 3am saying he’s not displaying symptoms of a GI tract issue which is good but that they will know more tomorrow with the ultrasound. I haven’t really slept a wink I think I about cried at the facility to all the way home to in my bed. I’m so worried that he is going to be really sick & I’m going to lose him. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of issue in a younger cat? Thank you!
Did Dusty eat a whole chipmunk on Monday?! I am just wondering if he is simply going through recovery from eating that chipmunk, even if no blockage was seen. Having a good degree of intestinal inflammation and gas could definitely lead to several days of not feeling well. Good luck with the ultrasound; hope it provides more clues for you!
 
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Moonstonelove

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Did Dusty eat a whole chipmunk on Monday?! I am just wondering if he is simply going through recovery from eating that chipmunk, even if no blockage was seen. Having a good degree of intestinal inflammation and gas could definitely lead to several days of not feeling well. Good luck with the ultrasound; hope it provides more clues for you!
He didn’t eat the whole chipmunk he ate the neck & brains & then leaves the rest for me to clean up. He brings his kills in our house if we don’t catch him in enough time. My husband said he caught him with a mouse on Wednesday night too & he eats all of the mice except the guts. He didn’t get to eating much of that mouse when he was found.

We just heard back from the ER Vet they said there is no blockage, tumor & his blood work looked normal just he is still inflamed. He also didn’t eat yet so they are trying to get him to eat & keep it down & then we can bring him home. I’m sure he is scared & confused because we are always with him since we work from home so he might be hesitant to eat. I feel awful but I know he’s in the best place I wouldn’t want to take him home still is inflamed. The doctor told us he will be okay though so I feel better
 

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This is usually called gastroenteritis. It's a buildup of gas in the intestines. Since cats don't pass gas like humans or other animals, it basically has to work it's way out on its own. It can be very uncomfortable for a kitty. I've been through this twice with one of my cats. It can cause diarrhea and vomiting, lack of appetite, nausea, lethargy, fever, and sometimes an infection is also present. Usually, my kitty is given an antibiotic, fluids, and an anti-diarrheal, and something to settle his tummy. It's a waiting game and a trying to get him to eat something to keep him nourished. It usually takes my boy 5-7 days to recover and up to a month to be completely well and back to his normal self.
 
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Moonstonelove

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This is usually called gastroenteritis. It's a buildup of gas in the intestines. Since cats don't pass gas like humans or other animals, it basically has to work it's way out on its own. It can be very uncomfortable for a kitty. I've been through this twice with one of my cats. It can cause diarrhea and vomiting, lack of appetite, nausea, lethargy, fever, and sometimes an infection is also present. Usually, my kitty is given an antibiotic, fluids, and an anti-diarrheal, and something to settle his tummy. It's a waiting game and a trying to get him to eat something to keep him nourished. It usually takes my boy 5-7 days to recover and up to a month to be completely well and back to his normal self.
I’m wondering if that’s what he has at the ER vet they aren’t giving us much answers. Except they ruled out all the major things. We didn’t get him home yesterday & they never called us back like they said they would. We called them twice & were on hold for 30 min then they said they would call us back & never did. We are just going to go there today. Did you kitty have your stay at the vet with this or was he home? It’s so expensive at this ER vet & over an hour away I do wish he were with his regular vet if he had to stay since that’s only 20 minutes away. Of course it’s a holiday weekend do he won’t be open till Tuesday 😩 I’m the worst with patience too I want my animals to be better right away lol. Our one cat got vestibular from an inner ear infection which scared the life out of me I thought she died in bed with us when the episode occurred but it took her a 6 months to fully get back to herself & it was the worst time in my life. I didn’t leave the house for a month because I wanted to watch her. I’ll do the same for Dusty as well my kitties mean the world to me. I’ll keep you updated what happens today I know my husband was ready to drive down to the place at 9:30 last night to take home home because he was getting mad at them for not calling or picking up our call.
 
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So we ended up just going to the ER Vet to visit Dusty & he was able to come home with us. He ate & kept it down so they are ruling it as gastrointestinal & we need to monitor him to make sure he doesn’t throw up. We had a small peeing accident on the way home because we let him out of the cat carrier which is fine I’m going to invest in a travel cat litter just to be safe since we kinda live far. He is very snuggly & wants to sit on the porch to look at the birds. He’s also ate twice since being home which is great! Hopefully things continue upward I’m so nervous now & my hubby left me alone with him for a few hours so I’m even more nervous.
 

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M Moonstonelove The first time he had a flare, he stayed in the clinic (not ER, just regular vet) for about a week. We finally brought him home because he was too stressed out. He got fluids and they were monitoring his output and vitals, blood work, and etc. When he came home, he still had the catheter in and we had to take him back for a couple of days. He started eating well so they took the catheter out on the second visit. We discovered that it was the Wellness food we had started him on about 2 weeks prior

The most recent time it flared up we knew what was going on, took him to the vet and the did bloodwork, gave him a B12 shot and sent us home with an anti-diarrheal, anti-nausea med, and some prednisone. This flare was caused by something in the rx food he's been on for several years. We figured it was either an ingredient change from a different supplier or a reformulation of the food. We put him on a different rx food and he's been fine ever since. Both times it took a good month for him to resume eating, playing, and being his normal goofy self even though he was eating and his litter box habits had improved.

So...you might want to think about the food you've been feeding him and see if you've opened a new bag of dry food or flat of canned food. Something may have changed with their formula or their ingredients.
 

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I can confirm cats can and do infact pass gas or at least can both burp and fart. Mine can clear a room if they eat something that doesn't agree with them.
My boy is a fast eater and frequently burps after eating.

Your cat is free ranging from what I see, this really makes it hard to pinpoint a single cause for stomach upset. Has anyone around you been using rat poison? Cats sometimes can get secondary poisoning from eating a mouse or other rodent that has ingested rat poison.

Are you able to keep the cat inside for a while or at least leash them? It would help eliminate certain things like poison or eating something bad as a factor.
 
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Moonstonelove

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M Moonstonelove The first time he had a flare, he stayed in the clinic (not ER, just regular vet) for about a week. We finally brought him home because he was too stressed out. He got fluids and they were monitoring his output and vitals, blood work, and etc. When he came home, he still had the catheter in and we had to take him back for a couple of days. He started eating well so they took the catheter out on the second visit. We discovered that it was the Wellness food we had started him on about 2 weeks prior

The most recent time it flared up we knew what was going on, took him to the vet and the did bloodwork, gave him a B12 shot and sent us home with an anti-diarrheal, anti-nausea med, and some prednisone. This flare was caused by something in the rx food he's been on for several years. We figured it was either an ingredient change from a different supplier or a reformulation of the food. We put him on a different rx food and he's been fine ever since. Both times it took a good month for him to resume eating, playing, and being his normal goofy self even though he was eating and his litter box habits had improved.

So...you might want to think about the food you've been feeding him and see if you've opened a new bag of dry food or flat of canned food. Something may have changed with their formula or their ingredients.
Currently we are feeding him Blue Buffalo but maybe I will try something new. I’m a bit concerned now because yesterday I he finally went to go poop in the litter pan but he strained & nothing came out. He is eating, drinking & being like his playful old self already but I’m keeping an eye on him outside that he doesn’t get into anything. He doesn’t go far in the yard so I sit outside literally all day with him it’s a lot but I’m okay with it. If I don’t see him poop I am going to call the vet as I wanna make sure he isn’t constipated. The ER said he went there we have 5 cars & I saw poop in the litter this morning but it could be anyone so I have to follow him. I’m saying lots of prayers he goes today if not I’m going to call our vet tomorrow to get him seen.
 
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Moonstonelove

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I can confirm cats can and do infact pass gas or at least can both burp and fart. Mine can clear a room if they eat something that doesn't agree with them.
My boy is a fast eater and frequently burps after eating.

Your cat is free ranging from what I see, this really makes it hard to pinpoint a single cause for stomach upset. Has anyone around you been using rat poison? Cats sometimes can get secondary poisoning from eating a mouse or other rodent that has ingested rat poison.

Are you able to keep the cat inside for a while or at least leash them? It would help eliminate certain things like poison or eating something bad as a factor.
I thought they passed gas too because they’ve been sitting on my lap & im like stinky lol. We actually don’t have any neighbors around us we live in the middle of nowhere but our one neighbor doesn’t use anything like that. Would they find poison in his blood work though? I dunno how that works. I’ve been sitting outside with him all day he doesn’t go very far just in the bushes & stuff so so far he has not eaten anything. I’m just concerned now because last night he went to poop in his litter box & nothing came out. They gave him an X Ray & 2 ultrasounds & see no blockage so now I’m worried why he didn’t poop. I’m going to follow up with our vet if I see this again. I’m also concerned they didn’t give us any antibiotics just anti nausea meds.
He is eating, drinking & being his playfully cuddly self which I think is a good sign because the day we took him to the ER he wasn’t eating & lethargic. I’m just going to keep watching him closely & if anything is out of sorts take him in ASAP
 
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Moonstonelove

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New update:
My husband found poop at the top of the stairs when he got up. I get up earlier than him & definitely would’ve seen it. It had grass in it, normal shape & color which is leading me to believe that it’s Dusty or our other cat Milkshake who tends to act out when she is mad at us & she is not happy about the vet smell that was on Dusty lol. Only reason I can rule our other cats out is our cat Smokey stays indoors, Bella was outside & Lucky was downstairs with me. Dusty came in from being outside & went upstairs to snuggle my husband in bed & our other cat Milkshake was up there too. Im most likely going with Dusty & im happy to see it wasn’t diarrhea but I’m not happy he’s going outside the litter box. Still going to watch him like a hawk
 
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