Constipation or obstruction?

[txcatlover94]

Our two-year-old cat became sick Friday night, throwing up in the middle of the night (liquid with a small clump of fur mixed in). She was really lethargic on Saturday and we could tell she was under the weather. Long story short and 3 vet visits later, including a trip to the ER, we're still not entirely sure what's wrong. Her main symptoms appear to be discomfort/pain, nausea, and occasional bouts of heavy drooling. She also is not eating. She was treated with fluids and cerenia yesterday which seemed to help as she was starting to look a little more comfortable and was eating small amounts. She came into the room early this morning and acted like she wanted to eat but ended up turning away (she did eat three small treats, though). Over the course of the day she was back to not doing well so we took her back to the vet. She's had bloodwork done twice, all fine, and a pancreatitis test which has not come back yet.

The vet has also done X-rays twice, once yesterday and then again today; there's something in her colon but not sure what it is. They treated her with more fluids and Laxatone. If she doesn't throw up then I think they're inclined to let us wait it out some more, but if she does then she has to go in for exploratory surgery. She just made a trip to the litter box and passed a lot of brown liquid, I'm really hoping that's a step in the right direction. The vet said it could take 12-24 hours for the Laxatone to work. She also hasn't vomited yet.

I don't think she's really been in the litter box over the past few days except maybe during the night last night, so I can't say that she has the usual symptoms of constipation, like meowing, etc. She did start to drool again after this last trip to the box.

Not really sure what my question is other than has anyone had a similar experience? And hard to say I know, but could this be constipation or does it sound more like an obstruction?

Thanks in advance!

 

[silent meowlook]

Unfortunately it does sound like an obstruction. I am not a vet and have not seen your cat, so I am just speculating here.
One of the worst obstruction I have seen, the cat had liquid diarrhea. That happens as it tries to move around the obstruction. She could have pancreatitis as well.
If you had a vet with allot of experience and extra training in ultrasound it would be beneficial. But with a regular vet, it might be just a waste of time and money.

Obviously an internal medicine vet would be best. But, I honestly don’t think you have that much time to get an appointment.

What is making me think obstruction is the nausea, severe nausea, (drooling) that didn’t resolve and the lack of appetite.The age of your cat, being so young also leads me to think this. Cats that are obstructedfeel horrible and start feeling worse.Medication and fluids perk them up temporarily, but unless the obstruction is relieved, when they wear off the cat goes back to being I’ll.

If your cat is constipated, that should have been apparent in the X-rays. There would most likely be a buildup of gas and fecal matter and possibly fluid. All of which are easy to see on X-ray.

If this was my cat, I would not be taking a wait and see attitude.
Couple of questions:
Is your cat overweight?
Is your cat indoor only?
What does your cat normally eat?
Does your cat have long or short hair?
Any particular breed?

If you have one of those multiple specialty hospitals in your area that has an Emergency department, you would be wise to take her there. It would be good to have another set of eyes on her.

When cats stop eating or their diet is greatly reduced, there is a risk of them developing Hepatic Lipidosis aka, fatty liver disease. This is a life threatening disease that requires a hospital stay and sometimes a feeding tube to recover. You don’t want her getting that. The more overweight a cat is, the higher the risk.

Please update this post with whatever you decide to do. I hope your kitty is feeling better soon.

 

[stephanietx]

I am wondering if she has gastroenteritis, which is a build up of gas in the colon. It's very uncomfortable and can cause lethargy, inability to get comfortable, lack of appetite, and nausea. Cats don't normally pass gas, so it just has to run its course and it's very difficult for the humans when this happens. The normal course of treatment is fluids, anti-nausea meds, and maybe an appetite stimulant.

 

[silent meowlook]

I am wondering if she has gastroenteritis, which is a build up of gas in the colon. It's very uncomfortable and can cause lethargy, inability to get comfortable, lack of appetite, and nausea. Cats don't normally pass gas, so it just has to run its course and it's very difficult for the humans when this happens. The normal course of treatment is fluids, anti-nausea meds, and maybe an appetite stimulant.

It would’ve shown up on the x-ray.

 

[txcatlover94]

stephanietx S silent meowlook

Thank you SO much to everyone who took the time to reply, I'm sorry wasn't able to reply to your comments sooner!

Scout (our cat) was treated with Laxatone and fluids on Tuesday and yesterday evening seemed to make a recovery! I don't know if she passed what she needed to (we have 3 other cats so hard to keep track of litter box usage) but she is now almost completely back to normal! We are so relieved.

Thank you again for the thoughtful replies, they were very helpful and appreciated

 

[silent meowlook]

I am so glad to see this!!! Thank you for the update!!