Vomiting Cat!

[Daisy6]

Daisy6 NPO stands for nil per os, Latin for nothing by mouth.

So I will call it NBM from now on.

 

[Mimitran]

Thank you everyone for the good vibes. Just got back from the vet and some good news: complete blood count (CBC) and metabolic panel were normal, no clear signs of infection/inflammation or kidney issues. Abdominal x-rays didn't specifically show any tumor or obstruction, just gas?

Kitty (Oscar) got another shot of pepcid and some subcutaneous water, I'm supposed to hold food overnight again then try some puree or bisque type food in small amounts tomorrow. Since again, I work...I'm going to try to feed food from 5am-8am before I need to head to work. I'm not sure I'll have time to swing back during my lunch to feed again. I'm thinking maybe I'll try to leave out his regular kibble just in case? Or should I just hold food until I'm back around 5pm? Vet didn't specify at all.

Vet said that if he's still vomiting after meals, we might do an ultrasound. He still thinks it's some sort of gastritis just from the gas...is it common for a cat to vomit after meals 3 days in a row just because of extra gas? Vet said that if he's still vomiting after meals through until Monday I should call back but would that be too long to wait!? I don't know if I should be getting any second opinions. =(

 

[Daisy6]

Feeding him dry food for one day is OK if you know he will not throw it up.

 

[rubysmama]

I'm so sorry you, and little Oscar, are still dealing with this.

Do you feel like you're getting good advice from your vet? If not, maybe consider getting a 2nd opinion. This has been going on for several days now, and I'm not sure I'd want to have to wait 2 more days (the weekend) before consulting with your vet again.

Hopefully Oscar will eat his breakfast and it will stay down.

 

[Mimitran]

Meep, today is not the greatest day. Tried Oscar on some of those lickable puree treats but he actually nudged for his dry food so I caved and gave him some too. I left a bowl of dry food out since I'd be at work most of the day. I checked in on him around my lunch break and found a puddle of vomit (some undigested dry food, some liquid food and actually watery clear fluid too) again.

I'm just not sure if I should be worried and going out to get a second vet opinion or not. My vet offered to have me bring him in for another shot of Pepcid and Reglan and subcutaneous fluids but stated that he'd rather me wait through until Monday before suggesting an ultrasound. Today is Day 3, tomorrow would be Day 4 if he vomits in the morning again. Do regular stomach viruses last >3 days in cats?

Oscar isn't vomiting continuously but he's pretty consistently vomiting 4-8hrs after eating anything (wet food, dry food, puree treats). How long can a cat keep doing this without it becoming an emergency?

Also he often crouches like this more and more nowadays: Is this a sign of pain?

 

[Daisy6]

That body position does not in any way mean something is wrong. Most cats do it whether they are healthy or not. We need a video to understand how it could be a weird sign of disease.

 

[rubysmama]

Is he keeping anything down?

I don't want to scare you, but at the same time want you to be informed.

Per the Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating And Is It Dangerous? article, if a cat doesn't consume enough calories per day, they can develop hepatic lipidosis. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Is It Dangerous For My Cat To Stop Eating?
In a word, yes.

Cats are built to consume food on a daily basis. Once calories stop coming in, the liver begins to process the cat's fat reserves. Unfortunately cats only do this for a short while. When too much fat reaches the liver, it begins to "pile up" in there, in essence causing liver inflammation. This condition is called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver, and in cats it can be very serious and even fatal. Their liver simply isn't built to deal with burning fat into energy for long periods of time.

The symptoms of hepatic lipidosis include fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of skin, eyes and gums) and depression. It can soon turn into a vicious circle, as the cat's simply not feeling well enough to eat. Without intervention, the cat will die within a few weeks.

It is an emergency?
The onset of hepatic lipidosis is a medical emergency. The process begins within 24-48 hours of lack of food. The good news is that it's reversible if caught in time.

This is why it's very important to try and get a cat that's not eating to eat. Regardless of the trigger for the anorexia, you should encourage a cat to eat, and if needs be, have a vet insert a feeding tube and force feed the cat that way. Never let your cat go without food for more than a day or two.

 

[2BSH]

The letters should be WFOW then.

Water is OK for humans, so why not cats?

NPO is a medical term for “ nothing by mouth” just an fyi

 

[Mimitran]

So far Oscar might be getting better! He hasn’t vomited since yesterday when I found the vomit at lunch. He’s taken some bites of kibble and licked up the juice part of some chunky wet food. Fingers crossed this is the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[Daisy6]

That is good news Mimitran. Thanks for the update.

Do you think he would rather eat a pate recipe?

 

[rubysmama]

Thanks for the update. Sending healing vibes that Oscar continue to improve.

 

[Pixie_kitttie]

M Mimitran my cat had a icky stomach with vomiting and watery diarrhea last month. Like yours, she only wanted her kibble, nothing else. I took away food from her for 8 hours the night after I took her to the vet, but left the water. The next morning I gave her a very small portion of kibble, just a few mouthfuls, and continued to give her tiny portions throughout the day. I noticed she was still vomiting cause when she ate her kibble she would eat a lot at once.

I'm glad your baby is improving, I understand the stress you're going through.