Kitten No Interest In Food, Nauseated After Eating

[Squeakies]

Hey everyone.
My 6-month-old kitten, Waffles, had a bout of puking this past Saturday. She had never thrown up before. It happened right after dinner, which she barely had a bite of (usually she is very excited to get her wet food, this time she had no interest).

The next day, she would not eat. No interest in food, barely drank water. I was able to hand-feed her a few kibbles and wet food off my finger. However, she spent the next two hours totally lethargic, not wanting to be touched, facing away from us. This is very abnormal behavior for her, she is a very snuggly and affectionate cat.

We took her to the vet yesterday, who took x-rays. The vet says that there may be an obstruction in her stomach (there was fluid in her stomach that may be hiding an object), but she cannot be sure. We were sent home with nausea meds, anti-diarrhea meds (she has diarrhea, soft but not watery), and probiotics.

Waffles seems like she wants to eat in the morning, runs downstairs and waits by her bowl. She takes a few bites of her food, then shakes her head, licks her lips and paces. I know this is a sign of nausea in cats. I have tried giving her chicken baby food, she likes it for a couple bites then same reaction. I have put crushed up treats in her food, which she seems to force down because she likes the taste so much - but still, she is eating nowhere near what she was before and barely drinking water.

I am so worried about Waffles, I wanted to know if anyone else had seen this behavior in their cat and what happened.

 

[Elizabeth Loyevskiy]

Glad you took her to the vet! When a cat has all of those symptoms combined it can be dangerous, so you did the right thing by taking her to the vet. For her diarrhea, 2 teaspoons of organic pureed pumpkin did wonders for my baby, cleared it up within 24 hours. You can get this at any grocery store, and make sure you get 100% pumpkin puree without any added sugars. I got mine from a health foods store. Also ensure that Waffles has plenty of fresh water and stick to a bland diet (cooked chicken/turkey breast without any additives). You could mix a little bit of pumpkin in there too!

Hope this helps!

-Elizabeth

 

[Squeakies]

Thank you for the advice! Did your cat also have unwillingness to eat?

 

[Elizabeth Loyevskiy]

Somewhat, yes, she stopped eating wet food and barely ate her dry food.

 

[Squeakies]

I'm going to pick up some nice chicken breast at the store today - best way to cook it is probably to boil it? That's the most bland easiest chicken I can think of....

 

[foxxycat]

I would ask the vet about Cerenia and Pepcid AC. She's got nausea from something. Until it's treated-she won't eat. Zofran is another one. Cerenia is available as injection or pill. I opted for injections-faster and less stressful plus if any vomiting going on-it will bypass the stomach via injection. They put it usually in the scruff at the neck right under the skin. I suggest sub fluids as well-these two go in the same area. I would keep an eye on that obstruction. It's very painful for them. Baby food is great but you know what it feels like to have a brick in our bellies-you can try the pumpkin but until the nausea gets treated-it may take longer to resolve and not all cats deal well with no food for a period of time.

Ask the vet about Cerenia and sub fluids! I have used this combo many times in my cats when they have been under the weather. One did have an obstruction-we did iv fluids overnight instead of surgery.

Keep us posted on Waffles!

 

[Squeakies]

Thank you very much for the info! She got sub-fluids yesterday and is receiving them again today (she's at another vet) - they're doing a test where they give her a liquid and watch how it moves through her with x-rays.
She is also on Cerenia, she handles pills very well and without a fuss. She still feels icky though, so that makes me think it must be an obstruction. I take zofran for my own stomach issues as well

 

[amysuen]

Poor Waffles! Did the vet say what the next steps were if it is an obstruction? Does he/she think it will pass on its own?

 

[Squeakies]

I haven't heard next steps if it IS an obstruction, but I'm assuming surgery unless it's something very small she thinks will work its way out. I am so careful with what I leave out... if it is an obstruction it has to be part of one of her toys. I haven't found anything missing from any of them, but who knows.

If it isn't an obstruction, she says next step is blood work

 

[foxxycat]

Poor Waffles...hope this helps!! My cat Honeybee (my avatar) ate a toy with yarn on it. she vomited 4 times in 5 hours while I was at work-they decided to give it time since she stopped vomiting but she got constipated afterwards. So the pumpkin will help. Honeybee licks it right off my fingers-I put it in a tuperware dish and add water-whip it with a fork to make it pudding like-she loves it. some cats don't like it. My other cat Pumpkin face HATES it. I have to swipe it on the roof of her mouth but for now we use miralax recommended from the vet. So far so good.

Hope Waffles gets better soon!

 

[foxxycat]

And the toy was visible on the xrays in her colon-she's lucky it only got hung up in the very beginning of her colon-otherwise she would have had to be cut open. I don't put out any toys now unless they are those tiny mice with fur.

 

[Squeakies]

No obstruction, everything is flowing fine.
She is undergoing blood tests, doc wants to keep her on fluids overnight to rehydrate her (I know she is seriously dehydrated), or I can pick her up and bring her back tomorrow. I think it's better for Waffles if I leave her tonight so she doesn't have to go home and then get pulled right back to the vet the next day.

Maybe the blood tests will show something.

I have a plastic water fountain for her - I wonder if leaving the water in for a couple days might make her sick?

 

[Sarthur2]

I wouldn't think so. Sounds like something else is going on. I hope the blood tests will show what it is.

 

[Squeakies]

Update:
Waffles has a low white blood cell count. The doctor thinks it may be her machine (she said it has been acting up), so she is sending to lab just to be sure. She is also retesting Waffles for leukemia - Waffles was tested two months ago and came up healthy, but she wants to be sure.
Vet also said low white blood cell count could be the result of all kinds of infections.

 

[foxxycat]

Hoping your Waffles is ok. And she gets better soon!

 

[Squeakies]

No leukemia!
She stayed overnight with the vet, tests came back this morning. SO relieved - the vet seemed concerned that she could have it, so I spent all night worrying. She is doing well, but still has low white blood cell counts. I'm going to pick her up early this afternoon and take her home. I visited this morning, brought her favorite blanky and big stuffed bunny that she snuggles with.

 

[Squeakies]

Update:
Waffles is eating ravenously. I figured out that taking the nausea medication was making her not want to eat - she would reject any food. The vet said stop taking it immediately, and she has been doing great since. She is on antibiotics to fight off whatever caused the issues in the first place, but is acting like her old self. If I had not gotten her to the vet for fluids, she probably wouldn't have made it.

Thanks everyone for the advice - hoping she doesn't have a downturn!

 

[Sarthur2]

What a relief!