Musiaka's journey with IBD and liver issues

FeebysOwner

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Maybe Cerenia does more harm then good then? Not allowing him to throw up the hairballs?
If he is passing the hairballs in his feces, then that is actually the goal for any cat. Excessive grooming and seasonal changes can affect how much hair accumulates in a cat's digestive tract. But, to your question, I have no idea - I can't imagine Cerenia is causing him to 'collect' excessive amounts of hair in his stomach by reducing vomiting - technically, it should be passing out the 'other end'. You could check with the vet to see if they think that is a possibility, or if they have ever heard anyone else speculate on it.
 
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Musiaka

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If he is passing the hairballs in his feces, then that is actually the goal for any cat. Excessive grooming and seasonal changes can affect how much hair accumulates in a cat's digestive tract. But, to your question, I have no idea - I can't imagine Cerenia is causing him to 'collect' excessive amounts of hair in his stomach by reducing vomiting - technically, it should be passing out the 'other end'. You could check with the vet to see if they think that is a possibility, or if they have ever heard anyone else speculate on it.
But apparently not all of them goes out with feces, as he had to throw them up as well :/
The vet was actually the one suggesting that Cerenia won't let him throw up the hairballs and make them accumulate, if he is unable or only partially able to pass the hair with feces, so I don't know... she was suggesting that we give him Cerenia after he has thrown up the hair, otherwise he will keep it in
 

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The key would be to determine why he is throwing up hairballs, as it is not normal for a cat to routinely do so. The vet should have mentioned that as well.

I guess the bottom line is: if you wait to give him Cerenia until after he throws up a hairball and it doesn't impact his eating, then hopefully you and your vet have found a workable solution for him!!
 

daftcat75

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Your vet has a point. To a limit. The Cerenia does suppress the urge to vomit. The accumulation of hair in his stomach would, at some point, encourage a vomiting response. But the answer isn't to bring back the vomiting. You need to address the larger problem of why ingested hair isn't passing from his stomach into his feces--as it should! Most commonly, bringing up hairballs (rather than pooping out the ingested hair) is an early indication of a developing gut motility issue like IBD. If the Cerenia is working for him to control his vomiting, keep giving it. Chronic vomiting has its own problems and should not be encouraged or dismissed as simply hairballs or, "cats just barf sometimes." I forget. Did Musiaka get an ultrasound yet? Even if you don't pursue IBD treatment just yet, you can do some simple things to encourage hairballs to pass in the poop instead of coming up on your carpet. A lot of people have success with egg yolk or egg yolk powder (not to be confused with eggshell powder which will do the exact opposite!) This link will explain why and how to make your own egg yolk powder or buy theirs.
How Best to Manage Hairballs
 
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Your vet has a point. To a limit. The Cerenia does suppress the urge to vomit. The accumulation of hair in his stomach would, at some point, encourage a vomiting response. But the answer isn't to bring back the vomiting. You need to address the larger problem of why ingested hair isn't passing from his stomach into his feces--as it should! Most commonly, bringing up hairballs (rather than pooping out the ingested hair) is an early indication of a developing gut motility issue like IBD. If the Cerenia is working for him to control his vomiting, keep giving it. Chronic vomiting has its own problems and should not be encouraged or dismissed as simply hairballs or, "cats just barf sometimes." I forget. Did Musiaka get an ultrasound yet? Even if you don't pursue IBD treatment just yet, you can do some simple things to encourage hairballs to pass in the poop instead of coming up on your carpet. A lot of people have success with egg yolk or egg yolk powder (not to be confused with eggshell powder which will do the exact opposite!) This link will explain why and how to make your own egg yolk powder or buy theirs.
How Best to Manage Hairballs
Thanks!
Can I buy any other egg yolk powder? The shipping is insanely expensive for theirs... 40 dollars total for one 225 g package and shipping :( And my mother won't even hear about letting me use her owen for 10 hours (unfortunately I have to stay at my mom's for the time being) to make my own.
Musiaka had an ultrasound done almost 2 years ago, back then the vet couldn't see anything and prescribed prednisolone for 6 months
 
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Raw egg yolk feels a bit risky with his liver issues

Or can I give him the egg yolk of a hard boiled egg?
 
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Eh, seems like there's no other way... I paid the 40 dollars and ordered EZ Egg yolk powder. It will probably travel for a couple of weeks, but we'll try it.
I just added the probiotics to his regime as well. They come in capsules, but it says I can open them and sprinkle the powder on cat food. Musiaka didn't eat the food with probiotics powder in it, but I managed to feed it together with a treat.
It's definitely not ideal, the amount of treats I'm using - both for his liver pill and now probiotics. But that's the only way at the moment, he won't have it otherwise. He doesn't trust me with these things anymore
 

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Raw egg yolk feels a bit risky with his liver issues

Or can I give him the egg yolk of a hard boiled egg?
Yes. You can give him the egg yolk of a hard boiled egg. You can even give him a piece of scrambled egg the next time you cook some up. The only thing you want to avoid is raw egg white. It has an enzyme that binds up a B-vitamin. But then there's also a lot of that B-vitamin in the yolk itself. So I don't know how much of a problem it is really. I used to let my Krista lick the scrambled egg bowl clean after I poured it in the pan. That was before her IBD, though.
 
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Yes. You can give him the egg yolk of a hard boiled egg. You can even give him a piece of scrambled egg the next time you cook some up. The only thing you want to avoid is raw egg white. It has an enzyme that binds up a B-vitamin. But then there's also a lot of that B-vitamin in the yolk itself. So I don't know how much of a problem it is really. I used to let my Krista lick the scrambled egg bowl clean after I poured it in the pan. That was before her IBD, though.
Thanks, I tried giving Musiaka some boiled egg yolk - he didn't eat it, but I will try mashing it up with some water to make a paste and then syringe feed him. The powder is on it's way too. Really hoping this will work. We tried several different anti-hairball pastes, butter, coconut and salmon oil, but they weren't able to dissolve them.
By the way, I am feeding him mostly wet food, apart from some kibble left out at night. Should I stop doing that? Is it better to give one bigger meal of wet food before bed and leave Musiaka with that, rather then leave some kibble out in case he's hungry at night? We are still at Specific Digestive care, but will slowly transition to Gussto monoprotein wet food soon, that should be good for an IBD cat
 
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It went well to feed cooked egg yolk to Musiaka. I mashed it up, added a tiny bit of water and syringe fed him some. Just a little bit to begin with. I maybe shouldn't have bought that egg yolk powder as the shipping was crazy expensive, but when an anxiety attack hits me, I get restless to find a sollution for Musiaka, which results in thoughtless purchases
 

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The egg yolk powder wasn’t a bad purchase. With most cats, it only takes a little amount. Far less than you can keep up with fresh eggs unless you eat eggs daily. Egg yolk can speed up his gut—soft poops. You’ll want to start very small and increase slowly over days or weeks as he tolerates it.
 
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The egg yolk powder wasn’t a bad purchase. With most cats, it only takes a little amount. Far less than you can keep up with fresh eggs unless you eat eggs daily. Egg yolk can speed up his gut—soft poops. You’ll want to start very small and increase slowly over days or weeks as he tolerates it.
Ah, good that I only gave a little bit today, less than a quarter :) how about freezing cooked egg yolks? That should definitely work! And they will be watery when thawed, easy to mush
 

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Ah, good that I only gave a little bit today, less than a quarter :) how about freezing cooked egg yolks? That should definitely work! And they will be watery when thawed, easy to mush
I’ve never tried to freeze egg yolks. I would try hard boiled eggs first. You’ll want to start with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of the yolk. Such a small amount to keep up with unless you have the powder or some other less perishable form.
 

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Thanks, I tried giving Musiaka some boiled egg yolk - he didn't eat it, but I will try mashing it up with some water to make a paste and then syringe feed him. The powder is on it's way too. Really hoping this will work. We tried several different anti-hairball pastes, butter, coconut and salmon oil, but they weren't able to dissolve them.
By the way, I am feeding him mostly wet food, apart from some kibble left out at night. Should I stop doing that? Is it better to give one bigger meal of wet food before bed and leave Musiaka with that, rather then leave some kibble out in case he's hungry at night? We are still at Specific Digestive care, but will slowly transition to Gussto monoprotein wet food soon, that should be good for an IBD cat
Dry food is dehydrating and less digestible. There are timed feeders if you would like to try feeding wet food overnight or during the day while you’re away. Cats do better with smaller more frequent meals than two large ones. I like the clamshell feeders more than the wheel design. With the wheel, uneaten food will be rotated back into the wheel. With the clamshell, once open, there’s no time limit on that portion. If you need multiple meals, simply buy more clamshells. They’re affordable. Wet food can be left in these feeders for hours.

AWISE Automatic Pet Feeder for Dogs and Cats, 1.5 Cup Food Dispenser Feeder with 48-Hour Timer - Single https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FT93YM2/?tag=thecatsite
 
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Dry food is dehydrating and less digestible. There are timed feeders if you would like to try feeding wet food overnight or during the day while you’re away. Cats do better with smaller more frequent meals than two large ones. I like the clamshell feeders more than the wheel design. With the wheel, uneaten food will be rotated back into the wheel. With the clamshell, once open, there’s no time limit on that portion. If you need multiple meals, simply buy more clamshells. They’re affordable. Wet food can be left in these feeders for hours.

AWISE Automatic Pet Feeder for Dogs and Cats, 1.5 Cup Food Dispenser Feeder with 48-Hour Timer - Single https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FT93YM2/?tag=thecatsite
I work from home, so I'm able to feed Musiaka small meals throughout the day - right now it's a small bite to eat every 1-2 hours. We actually have a feeder like the one in the link, but something is wrong with it... It doesn't always open up when it should during the night. So I'm too anxious to use it, not knowing if Musiaka will have food for the night. Maybe I should invest into a more expensive one

By the way, this is how much egg yolk I gave Musiaka today. Maybe too much? It's quite convenient with frozen egg yolk
 

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daftcat75

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I work from home, so I'm able to feed Musiaka small meals throughout the day - right now it's a small bite to eat every 1-2 hours. We actually have a feeder like the one in the link, but something is wrong with it... It doesn't always open up when it should during the night. So I'm too anxious to use it, not knowing if Musiaka will have food for the night. Maybe I should invest into a more expensive one

By the way, this is how much egg yolk I gave Musiaka today. Maybe too much? It's quite convenient with frozen egg yolk
I have four feeders similar to that one. I can tell you the egg timer isn’t accurate. Or rather it takes a little longer than the time you set to pop it open. Krista used to make laps between the not yet opened feeder and my chest telling me to pop open the feeder for her. I often deployed them in pairs in case one did not open. They never both failed to open. In fact, in all the hundreds of uses, they maybe only failed to open two or three times. Though when a failure resulted in an acid barf, I tend to remember those. 😿🤦🏼‍♂️

Use his poops as a guide for the egg yolk. Soft poops? Slow down. Use less yolk.
 

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I don’t know that I got any more sleep with the feeders. 🤦🏼‍♂️ But at most, I got up and popped one open on my way to the bathroom. 😹 Much easier than preparing a meal for her at that hour though.
 
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That feeder is loud! It usually wakes me up if it ever opens. I ordered a different one, a little bit more "high-tech" 😀
I've been increasing the amount of egg yolk and Musiaka's poops are still solid enough. He now loves them and I can add some to his food. :)
 
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Musiaka's appetite has decreased these days and I wonder if he has a hairball developing. He is pooping daily, that hasn't changed, but he suddenly eats a bit less and looks bloated to me (the size of his belly kinda fluctuates I feel like). He had what I assume was an acid hiccup a couple of times, no vomiting or caughing, but I still wonder if there's a hairball stuck in there. He vomited only once since 15th of April. I am giving him egg yolk every evening, so maybe I should increase the amount, or give it twice a day? Can a larger dose clear it out, if there is indeed a hairball stuck?
 
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