Kitten Started Throwing Up a Bit of Blood?

[Katelyn K]

Hiya, sorry to be back here with not so great news. A little backstory first, my kitten Edgelord for the last like few months and counting has been sick, we took him to the vet he apparently had an immune infection from his mom and has been dealing with it for months even with the medicine. He’s started fighting me and my dad when we give him the medicine real bad, to the point where he’s thrashing about and trying to run away when we give it to him. Even if one of us tries to hold him whilst doing so, I refer to his thrashing as him ‘trying to do a backflip’. It probably doesn’t help he doesn’t eat a lot either.

Basically cause of that immune infection thing he’s not the strongest kitten, my father describes him as sickly. These past few weeks Edgelord has been throwing up a few times a week. I don’t know if it’s because of the immune infection or because he doesn’t eat enough after/before we try giving him his medicine or if he just really really doesn’t like the medicine.

Whilst I was getting ready for work this morning my father informed me Edgelord had thrown up blood. I don’t know how much, my father had already cleaned it up by the time he told me. I had to leave for work before I could check up on Edgelord. Kitten was just eating in the kitchen like normal before I left. I’m just really stressed at the moment because my coworker suggested he might not make it cause of the throwing up blood thing.

I would just take him to the vet but my father says we can only take him to the vet about 1 more time, cause each visit we bring him costs like $200 and the medicine we give him costs like $70 at the vet. I might start digging into my saved money at this point for him. I apologize if I went on a tangent, I just am very confused and stressed on what to do for Edgelord at the moment. I was just wondering if anyonehad any suggestions.

 

[stephanietx]

I would call the vet and explain that he's throwing up and ask for a different medication. The current medication can be causing his tummy to be upset and then he's not wanting to eat.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Dig into your saved money and get him to the vet. It isn't likely that the meds are causing him to throw up blood, unless there is a warning on the meds to only feed with food to avoid stomach issues/ulcerations. Check on him when you get home and talk to your dad to see if he is sure the kitten actually threw up blood, and how he did the whole time you were gone.

As far as meds, there are tons of ways to give them to him that avoid forcing him to take them. Lickable treats, some canned tuna in water (or chicken), even baby food meats (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut). They all are generally appealing enough to hide meds in a bite or two (just to ensure he ingests all of the meds) before his regular meal. If the meds can be crushed, do that before mixing it with the treats. Liquid meds can also easily be mixed with the treats too.

 

[Katelyn K]

I would call the vet and explain that he's throwing up and ask for a different medication. The current medication can be causing his tummy to be upset and then he's not wanting to eat.

We’ve already tried another medicine they gave us, it was apparently known to be bitter and it caused him to not even swallow it, any amount we did get in his mouth he just let it drip pour after we let him down. It’s why we switched back to his original one, his appetite didn’t increase when he took the different one either.

 

[Katelyn K]

Dig into your saved money and get him to the vet. It isn't likely that the meds are causing him to throw up blood, unless there is a warning on the meds to only feed with food to avoid stomach issues/ulcerations. Check on him when you get home and talk to your dad to see if he is sure the kitten actually threw up blood, and how he did the whole time you were gone.

As far as meds, there are tons of ways to give them to him that avoid forcing him to take them. Lickable treats, some canned tuna in water (or chicken), even baby food meats (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut). They all are generally appealing enough to hide meds in a bite or two (just to ensure he ingests all of the meds) before his regular meal. If the meds can be crushed, do that before mixing it with the treats. Liquid meds can also easily be mixed with the treats too.

He seemed fine when I got home, he was just vibing on the couch. The only thing I think it could have been was when I gave him a bit of raw hamburger meat on Friday, but I asked my dad, he said the red was liquid.

I’ll try to get him to the vet if I can, cause the stuff we’re giving him right now is technically an antibiotic I believe to get the infection to go away, however this is his third dose of it due to the infection coming back when we tried a medicine they gave us. I don’t know if we can get anything besides that, and I don’t know how many types of things they have like this that could work. And both of the things they’ve given us have been in liquid form.

 

[FeebysOwner]

A lot of viruses when they flare up can cause secondary issues resulting in a bacterial issue that needs to be treated with antibiotics. But if he is not eating most of the antibiotics, they are not doing their job. So, if he has not finished any of the antibiotics, that could be part of the problem. The 'treats' I mentioned do well with liquid meds too. I even had one med I had to give Feeby that made her foam/froth at the mouth when given alone, but she readily ate it when it was mixed with canned tuna and the 'juice' from the water in the can.

Find out what the virus is from the vet. There are supplements that can be given to help build up the immune system and reduce viral flare ups.

 

[Katelyn K]

A lot of viruses when they flare up can cause secondary issues resulting in a bacterial issue that needs to be treated with antibiotics. But if he is not eating most of the antibiotics, they are not doing their job. So, if he has not finished any of the antibiotics, that could be part of the problem. The 'treats' I mentioned do well with liquid meds too. I even had one med I had to give Feeby that made her foam/froth at the mouth when given alone, but she readily ate it when it was mixed with canned tuna and the 'juice' from the water in the can.

Find out what the virus is from the vet. There are all kinds of supplements that can be given to help build up the immune system and reduce viral flare ups.

I’ll have a call with the vet tomorrow, I have this powder stuff I got for him before I originally took him to the vet and got the antibiotics. It’s stuff you sorta cover the food with, it’s supposed to help with immune issues like sneezing/coughing/breathing that sort of thing. I stopped using it once we go the antibiotics for him but I can start putting it in his food again for him see if that helps. I’ll also try to see if the vet can suggest anything for him that we don’t need a prescription for to help him out. Also I don’t know if I said or not but Edgelord technically finished two bottles of the antibiotic the vet gave us before we switched to that other one and he started fighting us real bad. Thanks for the suggestion by the way.

 

[FeebysOwner]

What is the powder you were giving him? Just curious. See if the vet can be more specific about this immune issue Edgelord has. That might help to research other treatment options. Please keep us posted!

 

[Katelyn K]

What is the powder you were giving him? Just curious. See if the vet can be more specific about this immune issue Edgelord has. That might help to research other treatment options. Please keep us posted!

Let’s see, uh, the powder is something called ‘PetHonesty Lysine-Immune Health+’ it’s not vet prescribed just something I got off the internet. It’s a powder you put on their food that’s Chicken/Tuna flavored. For respiratory and immune support.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am not familiar with most any of the immune supplements, but here is a listing of some others (see link below). Maybe you can do comparisons between them all and the one you use to see if you find one that you might like best. The one you are giving him may be just as good as any of these.
Best Immune Booster For Cats For 2022 - Im.outdoorspider.com

Keep us posted about what the vet says, please.

 

[Katelyn K]

Called the vet’s office. The lady who answered and looked at Edgelord’s chart said it’s technically an Upper Respiratory Infection Edgelord has. Said tuna with oil might help with the vomiting, and the throwing up might be allergy related or due to overgrooming. Said she would leave a message for Edgelord’s vet to see if there was anything I could give him. Also poor boy threw up again today, no blood this time though, hopefully that’s a good thing.

And not exactly sure what tune with oil is technically.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Called the vet’s office. The lady who answered and looked at Edgelord’s chart said it’s technically an Upper Respiratory Infection Edgelord has. Said tuna with oil might help with the vomiting, and the throwing up might be allergy related or due to overgrooming. Said she would leave a message for Edgelord’s vet to see if there was anything I could give him. Also poor boy threw up again today, no blood this time though, hopefully that’s a good thing...And not exactly sure what tune with oil is technically.

I would call back if you don't hear from the vet directly. And, when you do get to talk with the vet, take notes so you can refer back them to later. None of what this person you talked to makes any sense to me. So, it is an infection - OK, then, what is going on with the antibiotics not helping?? It sounds like he has been on two different kinds of antibiotics, and I think you said he at least finished one of them for the full number of required days?

Never heard of tuna and oil doing anything for nausea either. I presume she was talking about human canned tuna in oil. And, if he wasn't vomiting before all this started why do they think it is allergy related now? The likelihood that over-grooming would cause vomiting would seem to mean that you would be finding hair in his vomit. Are you?

Too many variables going on. If I were you, I would make a diary of sorts, with dates and events that have gone on with Edgelord, including what meds he has received and when and for how long. It should also include changes in his food/diet along with the dates he has vomited, what the content of the vomit was, and how close or far away the throwing up session was relative to when he ate. You need all the specifics you can come up with in order to get the vet to focus on how to treat Edgelord. The more you know and tell them about the better chance they will listen to you.

 

[Katelyn K]

I would call back if you don't hear from the vet directly. And, when you do get to talk with the vet, take notes so you can refer back them to later. None of what this person you talked to makes any sense to me. So, it is an infection - OK, then, what is going on with the antibiotics not helping?? It sounds like he has been on two different kinds of antibiotics, and I think you said he at least finished one of them for the full number of required days?

Never heard of tuna and oil doing anything for nausea either. I presume she was talking about human canned tuna in oil. And, if he wasn't vomiting before all this started why do they think it is allergy related now? The likelihood that over-grooming would cause vomiting would seem to mean that you would be finding hair in his vomit. Are you?

Too many variables going on. If I were you, I would make a diary of sorts, with dates and events that have gone on with Edgelord, including what meds he has received and when and for how long. It should also include changes in his food/diet along with the dates he has vomited, what the content of the vomit was, and how close or far away the throwing up session was relative to when he ate. You need all the specifics you can come up with in order to get the vet to focus on how to treat Edgelord. The more you know and tell them about the better chance they will listen to you.

The best way I can explain the amount of antibiotics he’s had to have is because when we initially took him to the vet the infection was very bad at that point, the point where Edgelord’s nose was constantly leaking and you had to wipe it every 5-10 minutes and you could hear him breathing all the way across the room. It had been like that for weeks before we finally got him to the vet and started the antibiotics. The vet initially said he would only need like one bottle of the antibiotic, two at most. He ended up taking the two bottles of it.

When we brought him in for a check after the two antibiotic doses had been given to him I expressed interest in how he was much better than he was before. His nose clearing up, his breathing wasn’t loud anymore, and he even had an increased appetite. I think they gave me that other bitter medicine we had just to get the rest of the infection cleared up, but Edgelord refused to take that one for two weeks of us trying to give it to him, I can only assume in those weeks the infection came back (although definitely not as bad), so we had to do the antibiotic again?

Apologies if I’m not explaining it very well, I’m trying my best as I want him to get better. I’ll try to write down all the things with when he takes the antibiotic, when he eats, and when he throws up compared to that. It’s not as if the throwing up is consistent though, he can go a few days without doing it, then just throws up twice in one day. Also, no fur in the throw up either, mainly just food he’s eaten. Sorry my if explaining isn’t helping much.

 

[FeebysOwner]

No, that helps explain some of the stuff. So, he has successfully taken 3 different regimens of the one antibiotic? The third one being after the unsuccessful try with the bitter one? Is that correct?

The other thing to consider is after having had so many antibiotics his stomach might not yet be back to normal - most antibiotics are hard on the stomach. That is another reason to find a way to 'trick' a cat into eating the meds with the suggestions I gave you earlier. While the antibiotics can irritate the stomach, they are much less inclined to do so when given with food.

Logging what is going on with him throwing up just helps you to see if you can find a pattern to it. That is why I suggested it. It could be many things since it isn't every day. He could go too long without food and stomach acids build up which can cause nausea/vomiting - either before he eats (mostly liquid and maybe some bile), immediately after he eats (undigested food, which is called regurgitation rather than vomit), or a bit after he eats (partially digested food). Or he scarfs his food too fast, which can result in regurgitation. He could also be throwing up when he gets a different food, which means those foods might not agree with his system. This is the reason why you want to see if you can find a pattern.

Is he pooping normally - not too loose or hard? Other than the throwing up, how is he doing now?

 

[Katelyn K]

No, that helps explain some of the stuff. So, he has successfully taken 3 different regimens of the one antibiotic? The third one being after the unsuccessful try with the bitter one? Is that correct?

The other thing to consider is after having had so many antibiotics his stomach might not yet be back to normal - most antibiotics are hard on the stomach. That is another reason to find a way to 'trick' a cat into eating the meds with the suggestions I gave you earlier. While the antibiotics can irritate the stomach, they are much less inclined to do so when given with food.

Logging what is going on with him throwing up just helps you to see if you can find a pattern to it. That is why I suggested it. It could be many things since it isn't every day. He could go too long without food and stomach acids build up which can cause nausea/vomiting - either before he eats (mostly liquid and maybe some bile), immediately after he eats (undigested food, which is called regurgitation rather than vomit), or a bit after he eats (partially digested food). Or he scarfs his food too fast, which can result in regurgitation. He could also be throwing up when he gets a different food, which means those foods might not agree with his system. This is the reason why you want to see if you can find a pattern.

Is he pooping normally - not too loose or hard? Other than the throwing up, how is he doing now?

Edgelord seems to be doing fine now, hasn’t thrown up since yesterday. His pooping seems to be normal nothing much different, not as if I constantly check though.

Still haven’t gotten a return call from the vet’s office. Assuming since I called a few hours before they closed yesterday no one has had a chance to call back yet.

Edgelord seems fine right now, about thirty minutes ago he was just meowing at me for food while there was wet food in a bowl for him right next to him until I gave him a small piece of deli meat. As cats do.

 

[Katelyn K]

Well turns out it was the antibiotic presumably making him throw up. He hasn’t had it in about a week due to us running out and the vet just saying to give him some Claritin since he wasn’t showing symptoms anymore to get rid of his congestion.

Well now his symptoms are back his nose is leaking again, he has an appointment with the vet in about an hour to check him over and presumably give him another round of antibiotics.

I really wanted to give him a final round of the antibiotic when we ran originally to make sure it didn’t come back again, but my dad said to just see how he does for a couple days then I called the vet and they told me to give him like 1/4 a claritin a day since there wasn’t any nasal or eye discharge anymore. Now im back to this I guess.

I really didn’t want to get stuck in the cycle of thinking he’s better then him just getting sick again and having to go back on the antibiotic but here I am.

 

[Katelyn K]

Took Edgelord to the vet a while ago. Can’t seem to shake his infection. Doctor said it’s a viral thing he got from him mom when he was born. Something starting with a ‘C’ that’s pretty common I think.

He’s on three different medicines a day now. Another round of the antibiotic that was making him throw up (brought it up to the vet it was making him throw up, vet said to just try it again and if he starts throwing up again to call which I might have to do Monday considering Edgelord’s started throwing up again yesterday and the day before that), a little syrup thing to help his immune system, and 1/4 a Claritin.

Vet said we’ll just try to keep up the medicine till his grows enough to where his immune system can actually better handle the infection.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am sorry things aren't going better for Edgelord. You really need to find out this "C" virus and do your research on it so that you become more informed. See article link below in case this has to do with calcivirus. This article is only good information if you can confirm it is calcivirus.

In the meantime, antibiotics can be rough on a kitty's stomach, so they should at least be fed to him with food, if at all possible. That reduces stomach distress. And you need to ask your vet about any form of anti-viral meds that Edgelord might take too. While infections are a common secondary issue that happens with viral flare-ups, they may not be the only treatment.
Feline CaliciVirus (FCV) Infection | International Cat Care (icatcare.org)

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Took Edgelord to the vet a while ago. Can’t seem to shake his infection. Doctor said it’s a viral thing he got from him mom when he was born. Something starting with a ‘C’ that’s pretty common I think.

He’s on three different medicines a day now. Another round of the antibiotic that was making him throw up (brought it up to the vet it was making him throw up, vet said to just try it again and if he starts throwing up again to call which I might have to do Monday considering Edgelord’s started throwing up again yesterday and the day before that), a little syrup thing to help his immune system, and 1/4 a Claritin.

Vet said we’ll just try to keep up the medicine till his grows enough to where his immune system can actually better handle the infection.

I'd recommend definitely calling the vet back, like suggested, since Edgelord is still vomiting. Continual vomiting is not good for any kitten, and it may be that particular antibiotic is just not the right fit. I was reading your thread, and he's had several rounds of antibiotic already (two, at least)? Did the vet test for specific bacteria or infection, or was just prescribing the antibiotic, 'just in case'? Antibiotics don't work for viruses, so if the kitten is still eating, generally playing, and almost acting normally during a respiratory issue (versus the opposite, not eating, not playing, etc.), sometimes not giving antibiotics might be another answer. Sometimes it just takes some time to get through a respiratory virus. And certainly, too much vomiting and not enough eating for a kitten of less than a year old is not going to lead to good health or good immune system! So, I'd definitely check with the vet today. They know your kitten's situation the best.

Did Edgelord get all of his kitten vaccinations, and also get neutered yet?