Need Urgent Advice On Vomiting Cat, As Another Cat Just Died

[meshmesh]

One of my rescued cats vomited and looked unwell. Other cats vomit occasionally but they are immediately back to normal. This cat got worse very quickly then died. I couldn't figure out what caused this. The vet (two of the 4 vets I talked to) said it could be poison (not food poisoning) or a microbe, and told me to watch the other cats. That's why I'm very concerned now that another cat just vomited, one and a half days after the first cat died. They are both about 7 months old, both male and neutered about a month ago, and both had wounds that looked like a bite, although my cats never (as far as I've seen) bite each other and they don't go out.
Now I'm thinking it could have something to do with the wound, or it could be a microbe. In both cases, what could it be? Can a wound cause vomiting and death? What can I do? How can I protect other cats and take care of this one? I tried to put him next to me so he would feel loved but he walked away looking miserable although he is usually quite affectionate. He went to hide under the bed. Any advice asap is greatly appreciated.

 

[amethyst]

Did the vet give any anti-vomiting drugs or anything? Do you have any chemicals (cleaners, medications, anything like that) in your house they could have gotten into? What are they eating? It could be tainted food, not food that has gone bad but food that has something bad in it. Is the cat eating, peeing and pooping ok? If not it could be a gut blockage.
Yes if a bite wound has become infected that can cause the cat to become very sick causing vomiting and death. Vomiting a lot can also cause dehydration fairly quickly so you need to get fluids in the cat, if it can't even keep water down you'll need to get either an iv or fluids injected under the skin at the vet. What did the vet say about the bite wounds? I don't know how long ago the first cat died but if it hasn't been long you could have a necropsy done to see if that sheds any light on the cause.

 

[meshmesh]

In the case of the first cat, the vet gave anti-vomiting drugs, under skin glucose (don't know the medical name) and something to be taken every hour for rehydration but I guess it was too late.
This cat has a wound under his arm. He looks miserable and the vet tells me it could be feline distemper and that we don't have this test in Egypt. I wish vets would be a bit more thoughtful about what they say. Now I'm panicking. I haven't slept well in almost a week and he won't even be in clinic for another 2.5 - 3 hours (its about 7 am here).

 

[meshmesh]

Now I have another cat that isn't eating. I tried giving her the foods she loves, which I usually give only in limited quantities (friskies pate, royal canin dry food, fish) but she would smell it and doesn't eat. She was a bit aggressive with me earlier. I am hoping she is just in heat, any idea what this could be, please?

 

[meshmesh]

Did the vet give any anti-vomiting drugs or anything? Do you have any chemicals (cleaners, medications, anything like that) in your house they could have gotten into? What are they eating? It could be tainted food, not food that has gone bad but food that has something bad in it. Is the cat eating, peeing and pooping ok? If not it could be a gut blockage.
Yes if a bite wound has become infected that can cause the cat to become very sick causing vomiting and death. Vomiting a lot can also cause dehydration fairly quickly so you need to get fluids in the cat, if it can't even keep water down you'll need to get either an iv or fluids injected under the skin at the vet. What did the vet say about the bite wounds? I don't know how long ago the first cat died but if it hasn't been long you could have a necropsy done to see if that sheds any light on the cause.

About the first cat, the one with the wound, I also can hear his breathing

 

[lavishsqualor]

I would definitely be on my vet's doorstep when they open. And spaying and neutering you cats will greatly improve their health and well-being. You should make this a priority.

 

[meshmesh]

I would definitely be on my vet's doorstep when they open. And spaying and neutering you cats will greatly improve their health and well-being. You should make this a priority.

I went to the vet with 3 cats. The cat with the wound seems to be fine so far, but other cats are showing varying symptoms: one has a bit of dehydration and the vet gave him some under the skin solution. The other has half a degree of temperature and is not eating and not very happy. I also saw her swallowing and licking her lips, which one vet said is because she has a sore throat. I suspect she vomited yesterday. I am really worried about the not eating part and afraid the symptoms may develop as was the case with the first cat. Has anyone seen anything like this?
I definitely do spay and neuter my cats. Today I was supposed to take three female cats to the vet for the operation but I was overwhelmed with this situation.
I appreciate any help, advice, past experience, contact with vets with good experience.

 

[maggiedemi]

Are they vaccinated against distemper?

 

[amethyst]

If it is distemper and they aren't vaccinated for it it is very contagious. Most cats need supportive care at the vet, anti vomiting meds along with iv fluids and feedings. Aside from vaccinating them before they are exposed to it the only treatment is supportive care and hope their immune system is strong enough to fight it. In kittens it's almost always fatal, and adults it's something like 50/50. You need to isolate any other cats from the sick ones so they don't spread it. Also make sure you wash between handling including washing anything the cat touched. If not eating and drinking on their own you will likely need to hand or even force feed them and syringe water in to keep them hydrated.

 

[meshmesh]

If it is distemper and they aren't vaccinated for it it is very contagious. Most cats need supportive care at the vet, anti vomiting meds along with iv fluids and feedings. Aside from vaccinating them before they are exposed to it the only treatment is supportive care and hope their immune system is strong enough to fight it. In kittens it's almost always fatal, and adults it's something like 50/50. You need to isolate any other cats from the sick ones so they don't spread it. Also make sure you wash between handling including washing anything the cat touched. If not eating and drinking on their own you will likely need to hand or even force feed them and syringe water in to keep them hydrated.

Thanks very much for the info. Do you know the symptoms of distemper? I don't know why the vet mentioned it this morning (I texted him at 5 am and we talked at 6, that's how worried I was). The cat the died vomited a yellow liquid, and it seems to have had a yellowish or greenish diarrhea that I unfortunately hadn't noticed because the day before it was just sitting in the balcony on one of my plant beds looking at me in a friendly way before I left for work. It didn't look like anything was wrong with it.

 

[meshmesh]

Thanks very much for the info. Do you know the symptoms of distemper? I don't know why the vet mentioned it this morning (I texted him at 5 am and we talked at 6, that's how worried I was). The cat the died vomited a yellow liquid, and it seems to have had a yellowish or greenish diarrhea that I unfortunately hadn't noticed because the day before it was just sitting in the balcony on one of my plant beds looking at me in a friendly way before I left for work. It didn't look like anything was wrong with it.

According to what I read, kittens don't survive it. the kittens I have, brothers and sisters of this cat who died, keep getting watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose so far, to which the vet prescribes antibiotics, eye or nose drops. I've been taking them to the vet and back the past month (the kittens).
An older cat isn't eating (she just ate a bit of meow mix) and seems to have a sore throat and half a degree of temperature. Another blind 4-month old kitten who is not their brother but the mother and kittens accepted him, thank God, had a bit of dehydration and sleeps a bit more than usual, doesn't run to the food as he did before, but no fever or other symptoms so far. I really appreciate any input.

 

[amethyst]

The main symptoms of distemper are, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, dehydration, appearance of the third eyelid, pain, lethargy, and sometimes seizures due to fever. It also weakens their immune system making them more likely to catch other illnesses.

Yellow liquid vomit is generally bile from the stomach, basically the stomach is empty so it only has digestive liquids left to vomit up. Similarly the yellow diarrhea is caused by the body not digesting properly the digestive fluid is not being reabsorbed on the way through.

The watery eyes, sneezing and runny noses sounds like upper respiratory infections, basically a cold, but a bit more serious. It can be a pain to treat when you have more then one cat since they can end up passing it back and forth between them.

 

[meshmesh]

Thanks very much for your help. I'm completely panicky and having someone to answer my questions and provide expertise/info is a great help.
What's the third eyelid?
One kitten, about 2-3 months old, just vomited and diarrhea came out as she vomited (both yellow). This one had a bit of upper respiratory infection a week or two ago and I took her to the vet where she got antibiotic shots and I gave her eye drops at home. I isolated her from the rest and gave her 2 cm of rehydration solution. She seems a bit dehydrated (when I pinch her coat it doesn't bounce back as fast). Is this distemper?

 

[meshmesh]

The main symptoms of distemper are, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, dehydration, appearance of the third eyelid, pain, lethargy, and sometimes seizures due to fever. It also weakens their immune system making them more likely to catch other illnesses.

Yellow liquid vomit is generally bile from the stomach, basically the stomach is empty so it only has digestive liquids left to vomit up. Similarly the yellow diarrhea is caused by the body not digesting properly the digestive fluid is not being reabsorbed on the way through.

The watery eyes, sneezing and runny noses sounds like upper respiratory infections, basically a cold, but a bit more serious. It can be a pain to treat when you have more then one cat since they can end up passing it back and forth between them.

Another question: why is the body not digesting properly the digestive fluid? Could the stomach be inflamed? She's playful and is now screaming from the bathroom where I isolated her. It breaks my heart that she's sick and has to be alone!

 

[amethyst]

Another question: why is the body not digesting properly the digestive fluid? Could the stomach be inflamed? She's playful and is now screaming from the bathroom where I isolated her. It breaks my heart that she's sick and has to be alone!

Not digesting properly because she is fighting an illness which is causing inflammation of the gut, not so much the stomach, but the intestine, which makes it not work properly. I honestly can't tell you for sure if it's distemper or not, looking online other things that can cause the same symptoms are, feline leukemia (FeLV), poisoning, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and pancreatitis. Unfortunately I would normally suggest taking the cat to the vet to get tests, but it doesn't sound like vets there are much help. Just try to keep her warm, comfortable, and try to keep her fed and hydrated and hope she can fight it.

 

[meshmesh]

Not digesting properly because she is fighting an illness which is causing inflammation of the gut, not so much the stomach, but the intestine, which makes it not work properly. I honestly can't tell you for sure if it's distemper or not, looking online other things that can cause the same symptoms are, feline leukemia (FeLV), poisoning, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and pancreatitis. Unfortunately I would normally suggest taking the cat to the vet to get tests, but it doesn't sound like vets there are much help. Just try to keep her warm, comfortable, and try to keep her fed and hydrated and hope she can fight it.

This last month we've been going to the vet every other day, but these symptoms only showed up the past couple of days. I guess it can't be leukemia if it occurs in more than one cat It says online kittens usually don't make it, but i will hope for the best.
The vet who suggested it may be feline distemper says they stopped importing the test for it. And last month there were no vaccines. Thanks very much for your help