Changing diet for a junk food cat

[Musiaka]

So far Musiaka seems to eat Purina's Pro Plan Delicate!

 

[Flybynight]

Hope it agrees with him

 

[Musiaka]

The change hasn't made a difference so far. Musiaka is vomiting the same amount, with either hairballs or just stomach acid. Or maybe it's early to tell? I started feeding him Purina Pro Plan Delicate on the 27th

 

[Flybynight]

Maybe early to say for sure.

 

[lisahe]

The change hasn't made a difference so far. Musiaka is vomiting the same amount, with either hairballs or just stomach acid. Or maybe it's early to tell? I started feeding him Purina Pro Plan Delicate on the 27th

Our Edwina was doing this recently, too -- vomiting stomach acid, sometimes with small clumps of fur -- but it seems to be waning (knock wood and all that since it's a little early to draw real conclusions) after 1) giving her a few doses of Vaseline to clear her out, something that usually seems to work very well, 2) returning her daily egg yolk consumption to what it was a few weeks ago (I stupidly forgot about egg when I changed the cats' meal plan), and 3) continuing to brush her regularly. The big thing is that I think she needs the egg yolk consistently, to help her pass the fur. If she doesn't get that, the fur starts to accumulate and irritate, then gets vomited out, usually in small amounts rather than giant hairballs. I'm hoping that once the fur problem is under control her bile barfs will return to being pretty much under control, too.

I'd thought she was vomiting because of increased amounts of tapioca in various canned foods but, long story short, I'm pretty sure fur was the problem. I guess I'd forgotten about her seasonal patterns, when her coat changes! We've been having a warm autumn, with occasional colder spells so I wonder if that's affected her fur.

In any case, I hope Musiaka starts to feel better. It can take time.

 

[Musiaka]

Our Edwina was doing this recently, too -- vomiting stomach acid, sometimes with small clumps of fur -- but it seems to be waning (knock wood and all that since it's a little early to draw real conclusions) after 1) giving her a few doses of Vaseline to clear her out, something that usually seems to work very well, 2) returning her daily egg yolk consumption to what it was a few weeks ago (I stupidly forgot about egg when I changed the cats' meal plan), and 3) continuing to brush her regularly. The big thing is that I think she needs the egg yolk consistently, to help her pass the fur. If she doesn't get that, the fur starts to accumulate and irritate, then gets vomited out, usually in small amounts rather than giant hairballs. I'm hoping that once the fur problem is under control her bile barfs will return to being pretty much under control, too.

I'd thought she was vomiting because of increased amounts of tapioca in various canned foods but, long story short, I'm pretty sure fur was the problem. I guess I'd forgotten about her seasonal patterns, when her coat changes! We've been having a warm autumn, with occasional colder spells so I wonder if that's affected her fur.

In any case, I hope Musiaka starts to feel better. It can take time.

I give Musiaka daily eggyolk (although there recenty was a period when I stopped), but so far I haven't noticed any benefits except that he loves and taste and it's a great supplement vehicle - I mix in his b12 or probiotics, a tiny bit of water and he licks it up with delight.
Does Vaseline work better for Edwina than the regular malte pastes? I have never tried it actually. Was she also throwing up clear yellow liquid, even without hairballs?

 

[lisahe]

I give Musiaka daily eggyolk (although there recenty was a period when I stopped), but so far I haven't noticed any benefits except that he loves and taste and it's a great supplement vehicle - I mix in his b12 or probiotics, a tiny bit of water and he licks it up with delight.

Each cat gets roughly 1/8 of a yolk each day. I think it does/must help Edwina because she started to have problems right after I inadvertently halved the amount. It's possible that pumpkin puree helps, too, since that was also inadvertently halved at the same time! (And has now been restored.)

Does Vaseline work better for Edwina than the regular malte pastes? I have never tried it actually.

I've never given her malt paste! I just followed the general advice on Vaseline that's here on the Food Fur Life page. It's worked for us several times (about 1 cc, which is around 1/4 teaspoon, once a day for a few days). And Edwina loves (really, really loves!) Vaseline, it's like a treat for her, though it inhibits nutrient absorption so I only give it when I have to.

Was she also throwing up clear yellow liquid, even without hairballs?

Under usual circumstances (meaning without the extra fur that seems to come in transitional weather times) she only does this occasionally. But at these transitional weather times, especially in the fall, she seems to do it more, often with some fur mixed in. Her fur isn't long but she's a very fluffy cat and she's a fastidious groomer so brushing is important. In general, the best ways to keep her from throwing up the clear yellow liquid are to feed her a bedtime meal and feed her a snack during the night, too, though she doesn't always eat during the night. All this said, I think a big part of her problem is still food anxiety: the cats are rescues who came to us very underfed and it's taken years for her to even begin getting over what seems to be a nervousness that she won't be fed.

Good luck with the changes for Musiaka!