More Concerned for Boo

[goholistic]

Okay...does anyone have any experience with either prednisolone or krill oil causing vomiting/regurgitation? From what I've read, vomiting from pred is not a common side effect, especially at a low dose. I'm not sure about the krill oil. Boo has been vomiting or regurgitating quite frequently these past few days to the point where I'm concerned he's not getting enough calories. I came home from holiday shopping last night to find "old" vomit on the carpet, so he must have done it sometime in the afternoon. He regurgitated his entire dinner last night and also this morning. 

  I thought maybe it was the dry food (he gets a tiny amount about an hour after eating canned), but this morning I did not give him any dry food, and it happened anyway.

Here's a timeline:

12/11 - 12/17   Tried novel protein diet; wouldn't eat it.

12/17   Back to previous diet; started krill oil (given in PM before going to bed)

12/19   Regurgitated dinner

12/20   Started prednisolone 5 mg (given in PM before dinner)

12/20 - 12/21  He did vomit one of these days, but I didn't write it down.

12/22   Vomited partially digested food in the afternoon; regurgitated dinner; skipped krill oil

12/23   Regurgitated breakfast; this time I gave him the krill oil in the AM, waited 15 minutes and then fed him; everything came right back up

I'm inclined to stop the krill oil first since he regurgitated prior to the pred. I guess it could also be the fact that we are back on his old food, which is mostly poultry. 

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I have not heard of this side effect from either, but think stopping the Krill Oil for a couple of days to see if anything changes is a good idea.

When you were at the Vet the other day, did you get that heart blood test done?  (just curious because I just reread this thread and it was discussed)  When do you expect the results from the urine test?

I gotta go right now as we have a human dr. appt

, but I'll be thinking on this one and I'll try to do some research (as if I could come up with anything YOU haven't already found) later. 

 

[raintyger]

After some quick searches I found that krill oil can cause vomiting if there's allergies.

And here's an interesting article specifically on prednisolone (well, specifically prednisone, but I figure close enough) and vomiting in kitties:

http://pets.thenest.com/prednisone-vomiting-cats-10732.html

 

[goholistic]

Hmm...  

  Well, the only thing I can do is eliminate a variable and see what happens. So, I guess I'll eliminate the krill oil. 

We did not get the heart blood test done. When I asked the doc about a possible heart issue, she felt this wasn't a concern. 

  I may push for this, anyway.

We received the results from the protein:creatinine ratio test (see post # 38). Everything looks okay.

Thanks for the link, Raintyger! In my research, I, too, found it's possible that krill oil can cause vomiting if there's an allergic reaction, but I'm wondering if this would also be accompanied by swelling, itchiness, etc. I wonder if the krill oil is just giving him unbearable indigestion.  

  I also read that prednisolone can cause vomiting, but at what dosage level is unclear. Most of the references I've come across claim that pred helps with vomiting, so I don't know.

 

[ldg]

Glad the test results are good!

I'd eliminate the krill, see what happens. :nod: Might not be an allergy, just making an upset tummy.

 

[goholistic]

I eliminated the krill oil and the vomiting stopped. Figures that a rare side effect from krill oil such as this would afflict one of my cats! 

So far, Boo has had 6 days of pred (5 mg) and it's almost like it is having no effect on him. It is not giving him an increased appetite (I had hoped for this) and it is not helping with the hyperesthesia. The trembling seems to have subsided a little, though.  

  I will fulfill the vet's wishes of giving the pred a full 2 weeks, but I'm not hopeful. Boo's appetite is sub par and this worries me. He's also less active lately. When I had started this thread a month ago, I wrote that he was still playing with his toys and chasing the other cats, but this has subsided significantly.

 

[ldg]

This news sucks. Well - other than that the vomiting has stopped. I'm sorry he can't have the krill, but at least you know it was the problem.

Continued !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cprcheetah]

Poor kitty.  Prednisone usually cause a big appetite.

 

[raintyger]

Maybe the krill oil allergy was counteracting the pred appetite stimulation. Give it a little time, maybe his body hasn't had time to recover from the allergic reaction.

 

 

[goholistic]

Well, I guess I updated a day too early! The good news is that Boo's appetite has finally started to increase.  

  He ate really well last night and this morning. It took this long to finally kick in, or like @Raintyger said, the krill oil threw him off for a few days. 

  Maybe now I'll be able to see if it helps with the hyperesthesia and/or other issues.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Yay on his eating well the last two meals

  Let's hope this is the beginning of a new trend AND that the Pred helps resolve his other issues

 

[cprcheetah]

Fingers crossed that his appetite continues to improve.

 

[ldg]

I'm so sorry about the krill. I'm really hoping the pred will help (with the hyperesthesia too) now!

 

[goholistic]

I don't have good news and I'm freaking out a little. The eating well didn't last long. He's turned his nose up at so many foods since I posted last.

Tonight, there is a new concern. The eye that has always been the lazy eye is weeping a clear fluid - looks like tears. It is slightly more dilated than the other and is not responding to light (I tested them both with a flashlight). The reason I am freaking is because I fear that something serious is going on with his eye, and perhaps this was the cause of a lot of his problems. I'm calling the vet as soon as they open in the morning (7 AM). I don't know what to do about the prednisolone. I did not give him his dosage yet tonight, and I'm tempted to reduce the dose. I know I can't stop it cold turkey, although I want to. It doesn't seem to be helping or making him hungry, and I wonder if it aggravated something in his eye. He does have calicivirus and FHV, but those flares have never caused a dilated pupil before.

I tried to get a picture of his eye. It's the left one.

IMAG0538.jpg

• goholistic
• Dec 30, 2013

 

[red top rescue]

Yes, krill oil can often cause vomiting.  Take him off it.

 

[red top rescue]

Uneven pupils, especially if one is nonreactive to light, are not a good sign.  They can indicate several different things, none of them good.  Definitely take him back to the vet.  A friend of mine had a cat with similar symptoms and his "arthritis" turned out to be a bone cancer, and scans showed it had metastasized many places.  The vet advised her to put her cat to sleep because he was just going to be in more and more pain.  He was an older cat too, and so with great sorrow, she sent him to the rainbow bridge because he was not going to get better, only worse.  I'm not saying this is true of your cat and I didn't come in at the beginning of this discussion, so I'm not sure what tests you have had, but things like this don't show up on blood work to start with -- they show up on scans.  Wishing you a much brighter outcome....

 

[raintyger]

Oh, poor Boo. I will be thinking of him tonight and tomorrow.

 

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  I honestly don't have any idea how Pred would be causing this, but just want you to know I'm thinking of you all and hoping for the best.

 

[happybird]

I hope the vet visit goes well tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you and Boo.

 

[ldg]

Oh nooooooooooo. :heart2: MEGA MEGA

Thinking of you both today. :heart2: :grphug2: :heart2: