Unsure what is going on with cat. Any insight is appreciated.

[Katonic]

Hello everyone.

I hope that this is the appropriate category to post this in, and if not I do apologize. We're unsure of what to do at this point, and looking for any insight as to what could be going on.

Three days ago, we set out some canned food for our two year old cat named Alani. About five minutes after eating a bit of it, she vomited about three or four times in a row. After that, any food that she tried to eat would come back up about an hour or so after ingesting it. Again, vomiting three to four times in a row about six or seven times that evening. The next day she was continuing to vomit up any food that she ingested. She still had an appetite, she just couldn't keep anything down. She was also acting normally otherwise. Playing, running around, etc. We took her in to an emergency clinic and they did a few xrays and blood work, and everything appeared to be normal.

When we took her home to monitor her yesterday, Alani was extremely tired from the sedative and nausea medication that they gave her ( Gabapentin & Cerenia ). She slept a majority of the day and had no interest in eating. We figured she'd perk up the following day, and although she's more active now and wandering the house, she has no interest in any food that we offer her. She has defecated once, and she hasn't vomited since they gave her the anti nausea injection.

She's an extremely skittish cat, and they said she was terrified the entire time at the clinic. Could this be part of why she isn't eating a day later?

As of now, we're unsure of what to do, and we're incredibly concerned for her... We're going to take her back in for additional testing if she doesn't improve by tonight, but... we're really at a loss.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated, and I do apologize for writing an essay!

Thank you so much!

 

[Norachan]

Hi K Katonic I'm sorry to hear your cat is ill.

As a rule it's the not eating that causes major problems with cats, rather than what ever caused the not eating. You need to get some calories into her or she could develop hepatic lipidosis.

Feline hepatic lipidosis - Wikipedia

If any of mine stop eating for more than 24 hours I start syringe feeding. Do you have a thick syringe (without the needle) that you could feed her with? You can either puree some of her regular wet food with some warm water or look for a pate type food. Hills do a great one called A/D urgent care that can be given via syringe

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K9PB9MO/?tag=thecatsite

Other ways you could encourage her to eat are by warming her canned food, which makes it smell more appetizing, putting her food on a wide flat plate (Cats don't like eating from bowls where their whiskers touch the rim) or hand feeding her dry treats.

Do try and get something into her though, it's important that she gets some food.

Good luck at the vets, I hope she's going to be OK.

 

[Katonic]

Hi K Katonic I'm sorry to hear your cat is ill.

As a rule it's the not eating that causes major problems with cats, rather than what ever caused the not eating. You need to get some calories into her or she could develop hepatic lipidosis.

Feline hepatic lipidosis - Wikipedia

If any of mine stop eating for more than 24 hours I start syringe feeding. Do you have a thick syringe (without the needle) that you could feed her with? You can either puree some of her regular wet food with some warm water or look for a pate type food. Hills do a great one called A/D urgent care that can be given via syringe

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K9PB9MO/?tag=thecatsite

Other ways you could encourage her to eat are by warming her canned food, which makes it smell more appetizing, putting her food on a wide flat plate (Cats don't like eating from bowls where their whiskers touch the rim) or hand feeding her dry treats.

Do try and get something into her though, it's important that she gets some food.

Good luck at the vets, I hope she's going to be OK.

Hi Norachan, thank you so much for the response.

Her developing hepatic lipidosis is another one of our concerns for sure. We called the emergency clinic earlier today and they sent us home with a few syringes and as you suggested, A/D urgent care food. We've tried everything up until now. Treats, baby food, chicken, rice, different varieties of canned food... she just has no interest in eating anything we offer her.

We'll definitely try feeding her with the syringe and see if she will keep any of it down.

Thank you again, I really do appreciate it!

 

[stephanietx]

Is this a new brand or flavor of food? It's possible that she's intolerant of it.

 

[Katonic]

Is this a new brand or flavor of food? It's possible that she's intolerant of it.

Hello Stephanietx! Thank you for the response.

No, we haven't changed her diet at all. It's the same brand and flavor of both canned food and dry food.

 

[neely]

Just out of curiosity, did the ER clinic do an fPLI test? The reason I asked is because some of her symptoms are similar to pancreatitis.
Fingers crossed you are able to stimulate her appetite. Please keep us posted on her progress.

 

[Katonic]

Just out of curiosity, did the ER clinic do an fPLI test? The reason I asked is because some of her symptoms are similar to pancreatitis.
Fingers crossed you are able to stimulate her appetite. Please keep us posted on her progress.

Thank you for the response.

Yes, they suggested a test for pancreatitis, and it came back normal as well. Thank you so much, I will keep you all updated.

 

[stephanietx]

Did they rule out a blockage of any kind? Is she using the litterbox properly? Is she able to keep water down?

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi Katonic.

Did you start using the syringe today, then? Remember, just offer/use droplets of the food, then allow her to swallow and clear her mouth before repeating.....and, never, ever straight into the mouth. Preferably it's offered across the tongue with the syringe at a 90 degree angle to the mouth - an alternative is the mostly frontal side 'pockets' of the mouth, between the wall and the gums, but again, only droplets and only if she isn't resisting.

The Cerenia is really an anti-vomiting agent - it will do nothing against stomach acid, though, and that's something that builds rapidly in the absence of food in the gut. That's a sure deterrent from foods. PepcidAC is the most common treatment - it's one of the worst-tasting drugs and causes extreme saliva production, so how it's given is critical. It can be given as an under-the-skin injection - when she's (presumably) in there tomorrow, consider insisting she be treated for this. Once that's under control and she's eating, there'll be no further need for it. (If you ever need to use it, inj is easiest, using a gelcap to hold the part-tablet works as well.)

FWIW, I wouldn't assume that the food she had immediately prior to the vomiting is perfectly OK - I'd be inclined to ditch it, but noting the BB/lot number etc. It's not unheard of that small quantities with some/other adulteration do make it to market.

Keep us posted.
.

 

[MissClouseau]

If I were you I would get Fortiflora probiotics and offer pate texture wet food with it. Only one is given a day so maybe you can split it to two different wet food meals. And not give more than half a can at most, like about 40 grams. If there is anything like a hairball or constipation right now, Fortiflora could help with it and it's an appetite enhancer so helps to get them eat.

And really even if you take her back for more tests get a few single Fortifloras there if they sell it that way to keep in the house. Fortiflora is quite expensive but where I live vet clinics sell as single ones and not the whole box.