vomiting post amputation

Our 14 1/2 year old female kitty had its back leg amputated 11 days ago as a result of a benign growth which developed in 2006. With that exception, she is absolutely healthy. Surgery was successful and she has been home for the last 9 days. Her staples were yesterday. She has been doing remarkably well but over the past 3-4 days as she is moving around a lot more, she has been vomiting bile. She still has an apetite and is drinking water. We changed her to a cat food for sensitive stomachs per the vets advice. I can't help but think that this could be a result of the stress associated with the amputation. She is happy and purring but when she does something physical she tends to vomit. Any suggestions would be most appreciated

I am sorry for what you are going through (and her). I have no experience with this and can only advise to keep in close contact with her vet as to how she is doing.

Just thinking, I wonder if she has the false sensations like humans do with amputations? Maybe a sudden pain from movement? Cats are notorious for hiding signals of pain. Is she on any medications that might cause her to be sick?

I hope she gets better and adjusts to her changes soon.

Skimble, I had that exact same thought. Some people say they have pain after an amputation... that whole "phantom limb" thing. That's an interesting thought. Reneeinca, hope your baby starts feeling better soon

It may just be nausea related to some of the medications. Is she on any sort of pain medication? Antibiotics?

Thanks to all who have replied. Sassy has finished her medications - both pain and antibiotics about 4 days ago. The medicine doesn't seem to have a correlation to her upset stomach. The Vet indicated, when he removed the staples, that she was healing very nicely and should be encouraged to move around at will. We have a 2 story house so that is an added challenge. She sleeps with us on our bed and when this vomiting started was when she jumped off the bed in the middle of the night she immediately vomitted. Now, she is vomiting probably 4-5 times per day and it appears to be bile. So, it is not associated with medicine. I have heard that 1/4 teaspoon of Pepto-Bismo can help twice daily. Suppose we will try that. Any other experience or suggestions would be most appreciated. I just hate to see her go through this on top of the amputation.
Thanks
Renee

Originally Posted by Reneeinca1

Thanks to all who have replied. Sassy has finished her medications - both pain and antibiotics about 4 days ago. The medicine doesn't seem to have a correlation to her upset stomach. The Vet indicated, when he removed the staples, that she was healing very nicely and should be encouraged to move around at will. We have a 2 story house so that is an added challenge. She sleeps with us on our bed and when this vomiting started was when she jumped off the bed in the middle of the night she immediately vomitted. Now, she is vomiting probably 4-5 times per day and it appears to be bile. So, it is not associated with medicine. I have heard that 1/4 teaspoon of Pepto-Bismo can help twice daily. Suppose we will try that. Any other experience or suggestions would be most appreciated. I just hate to see her go through this on top of the amputation.
Thanks
Renee

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DO NOT give her Pepto Bismol!!! It contains Bismuth Subsalicylate and it can be FATAL for cats.
Please take her to the vet for a proper nausea medicine, and since she is vomiting 4-5/day, you might want to have some tests done as well.

Thanks for the tip on Pepto-Bismo. We scratched that suggestion. She is doing better - vomited yesterday afternoon and has been fine since. She is eating and drinking water. Hopefully, this was part of the adjustment. We will keep our fingers crossed.

Could she be constipated??

Constipation can definitely cause a cat to vomit. Severe constipation can lead to a partial or complete bowel obstruction. As with humans, cats are often given pain meds that have a side effect of constipation. Add to that a likely reduced level of activity and constipation could ensue. How are kitty's poops? If they're less often than normal or turd-like/very hard, I'd be letting the Vet know.

Also, does she have any difficulty accessing her litterbox? Sometimes if a cat has pain when using it, they'll begin to associate pain with the box and may either avoid using it (or start pooping/peeing on other places). Is her litterbox in a place where she doesn't have to climb up or down stairs to access? While she's adjusting you may want to ensure she has a box on each level of your home. And if you use a hooded box, remove the hood. That might be hard for her to get into given her condition.

I would speak to your vet before trying anything - did she have bloods done before the op, and was she on a drip?

Blood work all normal as well as her stools. She is using her litter box and has no difficulty with access. She has not thrown up since Monday evening and has a good appetite. She doesn't appear to be in any pain as she is purring loud and seems generally happy. This morning she came into our bedroom early and wanted up on the bed. I am thinking that this was just a lot to deal with and the stress may be the culprit. We are crossing our fingers...

I would talk to the vet before you give her anything, but when my cat was sick and vomiting, he was given 1/4 tablet of pepcid ac each day to help settle his stomach. You might ask the vet about this if he doesn't want to bring her in for anti nausea meds. I'm also wondering if it might be better to have her on cage rest for a little while, or perhaps shut up in one room where she can't jump around as much. If it is pain causing her to vomit, that might help.

Awww, the poor sweetie. If she hasn't vomited since Monday it could very well have just been the stress of the surgery and learning to get around on 3 legs, but I would check with the vet to make sure. Many for a quick and healthy recovery!