Help!! One sick kitty!

Coco (9 year old Siamese) was diagnosed with a severe bladder infection a week ago. She has a history of struvite stones, but no crystals were seen in her urine, and no stones were seen on ultrasound. She was put on Clavamox 62.5 2x a day. Until yesterday, she had no problems.

She woke us up yesterday morning vomitting. After 2 vomitting episodes yesterday morning, she seemed fine the rest of the day, and nibbled on her canned food all day. The vet advised we stop the Clavmox due to her reaction.

Last night about 9:30, she started vomitting again, and continued every few hours all night long. It has been mostly watery, some foamy, with a hairball or two mixed in. As advised, we took her to the vet this morning. She is still showing signs of the bladder infection on urinalysis, so we were changed to a new antibiotic. The vet ran blood work and a multipanel to check all of her blood levels. Nothing showed him any cause for concern, other than a slightly elevated liver level, which he thinks may be due to all the vomitting.

He gave her a shot of penicillin and a shot of depomedrol, with instructions to call if she continued vomitting. She came home and drank a good bit of water, then went to her perch by the window. She made it about 5 hours before vomitting again, which is longer than we have seen since yesterday. She vomitted 3 times in an hour and a half, but there isn't much too it since her stomach is empty. There was another large hairball.

The vet instructed me to call with an update on her at 4, and if she still wasn't showing intrest in food or water, he would give her some reglan to see if we can get her eating again.

Is there anything additional I should ask the vet to check for while I'm there at 4? Would she be better hospitalized than at home?

I can't offer any advice. I did want to say I hope your cat gets better quickly.

No advice, other than keep in touch with the vet. My girl threw up on Clavomox too, and certainly wasn't eating much while she was on it.

What kind of food do you have at home? Definitely check with the vet, but my girl would eat a little chicken human baby food (no onion or garlic in it), and I poached a chicken breast and gave her some of that. Also, the vet gave me a can of Hill's W/D (pretty sure it was W/D) since it's high caloric. She did eat a bit, and once she was off the meds her appetite returned quickly for regular food. Is she on prescription food for the crystals?

See what the vet says about keeping her overnight - I know my girl gets so freaked out by simply being at the vet, that I'd try to keep her at home if I could...but sometimes they need hospitalization. If you think there's a chance they may keep her, maybe bring an old tee shirt or something you've recently worn that smells of you and home to keep with her at the hospital.

Best wishes that her tummy gets back to normal soon.

Originally Posted by darlili

No advice, other than keep in touch with the vet. My girl threw up on Clavomox too, and certainly wasn't eating much while she was on it.

What kind of food do you have at home? Definitely check with the vet, but my girl would eat a little chicken human baby food (no onion or garlic in it), and I poached a chicken breast and gave her some of that. Also, the vet gave me a can of Hill's W/D (pretty sure it was W/D) since it's high caloric. She did eat a bit, and once she was off the meds her appetite returned quickly for regular food. Is she on prescription food for the crystals?

See what the vet says about keeping her overnight - I know my girl gets so freaked out by simply being at the vet, that I'd try to keep her at home if I could...but sometimes they need hospitalization. If you think there's a chance they may keep her, maybe bring an old tee shirt or something you've recently worn that smells of you and home to keep with her at the hospital.

Best wishes that her tummy gets back to normal soon.

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Thanks for the wishes! Coco is at the vet for the night. Of course, she's perky, friendly and purring at the vets office, and lethargic around here. She threw up again about 3:30.

She was on prescription food for the crystals, but quit eating it about a year ago. The vet had us try Wellness, and so far so good. She gets a routine urinalysis and has developed no crystals on the Wellness.

Originally Posted by mews2much

My Coco had the same problem.
She has had so many bladder infections and crystals also.
Clavamox mad her very sick.
We tried many antibiotics before we found one that would not make her sick.
Has the vet thought of using Baytril?
My Coco takes that.
Why did the vet give her Depo Medrol.
My Cooc used to take that for her allergies and asthma and it made her bladder problems worse so we had to stop that shot.
My cat would get rid of the infections for 2 months after the meds were done then it would come back so she has been on Baytril for a year.
How many infections has your cat had?
She also could be having a reaction to the shot.
My Coco threw up after getting that shot also.

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I believe Baytril is what he switched her too. The Depo was for her allergies/asthma, which the vet thinks is making the vomiting worse.

Since the bladder stone surgery in 2007, this is the first bladder infection she has had.

The vet has her in the hospital tonight on IV fluid, nutrition, and medicine to try and get her perked back up.

I'm surprisingly much more relaxed knowing that she's there in good hands rather than here in my helpless hands.

Lots of good wishes that she has a good night and you can bring her home soon....and I hope you get good night's sleep as well - I know how anxious we can get over our babies, and I do believe they pick up on our stress as well.

My boy was on Baytril for his suspected UTI and I had no problems with him - Dharma was on Clavamox for an anal gland infection. And glad the Wellness is working for her.

And, yeah, funny how they'll act totally different for the vet - but I'm glad she's friendly there - my little girl gets so darn scared - Saturday she was actually panting when all the vet did was walk into the exam room.

Please keep us posted.

So sorry to hear your girl had to stay the night in the hospital, but it's probably the best place for her to be. She may have been vomiting again today because the drug was still in her system, even if she'd not had any recently. Hoping all goes well with her and she's home soon!

Hope your kitty is better soon!

I was just curious if you told your vet about the hairballs coming up? Only curiousity.

Keep us updated

Why would your vet give your Coco a penicillin shot when she already is getting ill on the clavamox? that makes no sense to me.

Baytril is a good medicine and does not often cause the nausea clavamox and other penicillin drugs cause. It can be bitter though, so be prepared for some foaming unless you can get the pill down fast.

It's so lonely when they are in the hospital. Hope she can come home today.

Thanks everyone!

I'm waiting on a phone call from the vet with an update on her condition this morning. I'm telling myself if she wasn't doing better, they would have called immediately this morning, instead of waiting. They've been there for an hour and no call, so I'm going with no news=good news.

The vet gave her penicillin because she has never had a reaction to it before. He feels the reaction is to the compound that is used in the Clavamox. She was started on Baytril last night as a replacement for the Clavamox.

The vet is aware of her hairballs, and sees no blockages on ultrasound.

I hope she gets to come home today too! Her little brother and 2 little sisters miss her! We are headed out of town on vacation later this week. We normally leave all 4 kitties at home, but think we will board her just so a closer eye can be kept on her.

Try to get some rest now that she's at the hospital! You know she's in good hands so take this time to get a nice nap. I know I am so stressed whenever any of my animals are sick, so I hope you get the chance to breathe now!

Got an update from the vet this morning. Coco hasn't thrown up since yesterday. She's up purring, meowing, and rubbing all over the vet techs this morning.

The only problem is she still isn't eating. Since she's been on IV fluids and nutrients since last night, at least she's getting something in her. The vet wants to send her home tonight and see how she does. He thinks her not eating may be stress from being at the vet.