Anyone Encountered This..

For the past four days Greta has not been eating. Initially she was vomiting mostly fluid but today she vomited what looked like some food she tried to eat but could not hold down. She acts like she wants to eat but when I put the food down she smells it but does not eat. The most she does is lick up the liquid from the wet food.

I took her to the vet on Tuesday and he thought it was a hairball problem and gave me some Cat Lax to see if it helped. She was still not eating as of today so the vet wanted to see her again. X-rays where clear with no indication of any blockage, the only thing in her blood work was low Total Protein but further tests for problems related that where clear. The vet could not make a determination so he gave me some anti-nausea meds and antibiotics to give her for ten days.

The only other thing that started up around the same time as the eating problem is her back fur seems to be less relaxed and taking on a spiked look, even after being brushed out. See the pic below. I figured it is a side effect of not eating or perhaps not hydrating enough so it's affecting her skin but her gums looked good with no signs of dehydration.




Anyone encountered anything like this and have the vet able to figure out the cause? I trust my vet, just looking to see if anyone else has suggestions.

Thanks

How old is she???

Inappetence, vomiting and poor haircoat are all symptoms of renal failure. The low total protein also could be an indication of renal problems. I would have her bloodwork re-checked to look specifically for kidney problems.

Originally Posted by sharky

How old is she???

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She is about 2 years old. Thats based on the shelter estimate and the vet seemed to agree at the time I adopted her and had her checked.

As far as getting the blood work double checked is this something that could wait till Monday or should I see about trying to get her to a vet over the weekend? Only thing available now is the emergency animal clinic but I am not sure how much they will do.

Thanks

At that age if it is CRF you need to GET THE VET Now

After reading up on renal failure some of the symptoms to suggest that.

Some of the info I have read suggests a low total protein is over hydration. I have not seen her use the box specifically but there is enough liquid waste to suggest more than one cat is using the box.

After the low total protein in the bloodwork the vet checked her albumin levels but they where normal. In all the things he suggested it was more toward the liver or ulcers but renal failure was never mentioned. After reading up more on it some of the symptoms do match it but I am no expert. The change in her fur is definitely recent as I have never seen it get that spiked look.

Thanks all for the replies. I am going to take her to the emergency clinic just to be safe.

Please call /// also ask if THEY checked kidney values...

Originally Posted by Whiskers151

After reading up on renal failure some of the symptoms to suggest that.

Some of the info I have read suggests a low total protein is over hydration. I have not seen her use the box specifically but there is enough liquid waste to suggest more than one cat is using the box.

After the low total protein in the bloodwork the vet checked her albumin levels but they where normal. In all the things he suggested it was more toward the liver or ulcers but renal failure was never mentioned. After reading up more on it some of the symptoms do match it but I am no expert. The change in her fur is definitely recent as I have never seen it get that spiked look.

Thanks all for the replies. I am going to take her to the emergency clinic just to be safe.

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Good luck!
Please keep us posted!

A low total protein is an early sign of liver failure. I really hope the vet checked more than just the albumin. Her ALP, AST, GGT, and LD should also have been checked.

Her symptoms are classic for hepatic lipidosis. Her not eating will only exacerbate this condition. By looking at her photo she is not a lithe thin kitty and is really at risk.

I hope your vet gave you strict instructions on force feedings. If she doesn't have HL already she is going to start developing it very soon if she doesn't eat.

Not eating in a cat should be considered an emergency. They are not like dogs and it is not ok if they don't eat for a couple of days.

Having had a 2 year old kitty die from HL that started just like this, I personally would be at the emergency vets ASAP. My vet didn't take it seriously and Fletcher died. He was my soul kitty.

Just got back from the emergency clinic and the vet there more or less agreed with my vet, ruling out things she knew it could not be and then working from there. She did not think it was renal related

The vet suggested that she was just not feeling well in general caused by a respiratory virus going around. My cats are indoor only and do not interact with any other animals but now that it is cooler here in Texas I have been opening the windows more so she felt they might have gotten something that way. She thinks the lack of eating her food might be her is nose could be block up so she can't smell so she won't eat the food. It does not necessarily explain however the vomiting.

All I can do at this point is keep an eye on her and see how it goes. They did give me some Hills prescription wet food and for whatever reason Greta went for that pretty quick. Now I just have to see if she keeps it down.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm glad you took her in for second opinion.
Hopefully, she kept the food the food down. If not, try small amounts frequently. After several days of not eating, even what seems like a small might be too much all at once. A tsp or tbsp every hour, gradually increasing the amount and the time between meals.

She did not keep the initial food down but she had a little more later in the night and so far I have not found that anywhere. I gave her a little more this morning so I'll see how that goes.

One thing the emergency clinic vet did which I am not sure was good or bad was gave her subcutaneous injections for dehydration even though she showed no definite signs of it. Now Greta has extremely runny diarrhea to the point of almost water. She was not doing that, at least to the extreme she is now, before the trip last night.

The diarrhea might very well be caused by the different food she ate. You may want to add a bit of plain canned pumpkin to her diet the next few days to help firm up her stools. Make sure it's the plain canned pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix stuff.

My kitty also got an URI from this last cold spell that came through just before Thanksgiving. I've started running the vaporizer at night to help increase the humidity in our home and to make it easier for her to breathe. My poor little girl was blowing bubbles out her nose the other day! I felt so bad for her. Into the steamy bathroom she went! It helped clear up some of the congestion so she could breathe. I also put her food up on a little box so that she wouldn't have to bend her head down as far to eat, thus less snot running out her nose while she's trying to eat.

Did either vet give you any antibiotics? My girl's on clindamycin chews and she's much better.

Stephanie

Originally Posted by Whiskers151

She did not keep the initial food down but she had a little more later in the night and so far I have not found that anywhere. I gave her a little more this morning so I'll see how that goes.

One thing the emergency clinic vet did which I am not sure was good or bad was gave her subcutaneous injections for dehydration even though she showed no definite signs of it. Now Greta has extremely runny diarrhea to the point of almost water. She was not doing that, at least to the extreme she is now, before the trip last night.

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The sub-Q fluids won't hurt her at all. It probably has nothing at all to do with the diarrhea. My guess is that the antibiotics (that you mentioned in your first post) or the food change, is what caused that problem. You can try adding some canned pumpkin (not pumpin pie filling) or babyfood peas to her food, to add a little fiber. Some vets recommend adding 1/8 teaspoon of Metamucil to the canned food. I hope she continues to eat this new food for you and keep it down. I hope she's feeling better soon!

She has eaten a little more since this morning and so far it's staying down. She ate some of the food the vet gave me and nibbled on some of the regular dry food I keep out for them. We'll see what happens.

I am so glad that you took her back in. Lots of money I know, but safe is always better than sorry.


I hope she keeps nibbling and soon is back to herself. If she doesn't perk up and start eating by Monday, you should check with the vet again.

Also, if you have a scale at home, weigh your self holding her then weigh yourself. This way you can keep track of her weight. About 1/2 pound a month is what is considered safe for the average cat.

Again, my biggest worry is the development of Hepatic Lipidosis, which is a life threatening secondary condition caused by rapid weight loss.

Sending lots of vibes that you are on the way to recovery.

She has been eating small bits throughout the day and appears to be holding it down, both the vets food and dry food. Hopefully she is past the worst of whatever is bugging her.

Well Greta has improved a lot. She has her appetite back and has been eating steady since Saturday. The only thing I have noticed now is she has not had a bowel movement since she started eating again. Since getting her appetite back she has only been eating the Hills A/D food the vet gave me which is a much different consistency than her normal food. Does anyone know off hand if this is a normal reaction to this food or should I give the vet another call today?

Thanks

Well, considering that her tummy and bowels were empty before all this, it may take a day or two to create enough waste to have a bowel movement. However, if it makes you feel better, call the vet.

Yes, it's normal to go a few days without a bowel movement after everything has been emptied out like that. If she seems to be feeling okay, I wouldn't worry about it yet. It sounds like she's on the mend.