Vomiting bile possible blockage in Ragodoll-What to ask vet

carolina

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I get on what to trust and what not to trust about the vet..... I only know these things because I unfortunately have been to plenty of vets - 3, including emergency E-vets, in quite a few different occasions with my 2 Raggies - Lucky and Bugsy.

The protocol has been pretty much the same no matter what vet I went to.

Lucky had to receive an enema once - but she was completely blocked - she could not even drink water - and severely constipated. Aside from that..... All the rest was the same.

The great majority of times, if not all, they got Cerenia - either a shot then pills to take home, or only pills - if they were able to keep food for many hours before throwing up - Lucky's case this current time.

On your case, honestly, since he started throwing up immediately right now, I would get both.

It is VERY important you talk to the GOOD vet. Discuss this in length, get him to review the x-rays, spend time talking to him.

:vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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franksmom

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Thank God he just ate a little bit more freeze dried chicken and no vomiting knock on wood!
 
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franksmom

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I get on what to trust and what not to trust about the vet..... I only know these things because I unfortunately have been to plenty of vets - 3, including emergency E-vets, in quite a few different occasions with my 2 Raggies - Lucky and Bugsy.

The protocol has been pretty much the same no matter what vet I went to.

Lucky had to receive an enema once - but she was completely blocked - she could not even drink water - and severely constipated. Aside from that..... All the rest was the same.

The great majority of times, if not all, they got Cerenia - either a shot then pills to take home, or only pills - if they were able to keep food for many hours before throwing up - Lucky's case this current time.

On your case, honestly, since he started throwing up immediately right now, I would get both.

It is VERY important you talk to the GOOD vet. Discuss this in length, get him to review the x-rays, spend time talking to him.

Again I cannot thank you enough for your help- I will call the vet first thing and make sure I get the cerenia. I am so beyond happy  he at least ate something now,
 

carolina

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Oh, I forgot! Since you are going to the vet tomorrow, ask him for some Cyproheptadine. It is an appetite stimulant - this is purely for safety - once he starts passing the hairballs and gets rid of the nausea, he should feel better and start eating again...... BUT if he doesn't, you do want to have something on hands - you do not want a cat off food for too long.... Even though he is little, which is good.

So, just in case, get some Cypro as a back up plan - keep in mind that it takes about 24 hours to make full effect.
 
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franksmom

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Thanks again will ask for that too! I am hoping I can just pick these things up and not bring him in again because it stresses him out soo much to go to the vet! I will update in the morning after I talk to the vet. 

Again I really want to thank everyone especially Carolina for giving me such invaluable info. If it wasn't for you guys I would not have pushed the vet for hairball meds and maybe would have ended up getting a dangerous surgery! 
 

carolina

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Thanks again will ask for that too! I am hoping I can just pick these things up and not bring him in again because it stresses him out soo much to go to the vet! I will update in the morning after I talk to the vet. 

Again I really want to thank everyone especially Carolina for giving me such invaluable info. If it wasn't for you guys I would not have pushed the vet for hairball meds and maybe would have ended up getting a dangerous surgery! 
Good luck hun! And monster vibes for your little one!! He will be alright :heart3:
Always remember, you have the right to talk it right to your vet, with a vet you TRUST. And if you have a bad gut feeling about it - LEAVE and go after a second opinion. Don't settle. Take the time to talk it out - your vet should listen to ALL you have to say, and you should always be comfortable with his/her recommendations. For the sake of your baby, it is very important that you have a good relationship with your vet, a good vet, that you trust and can talk to him - ALL you want - and that most importantly, you are both in the same page with your baby's well being in the first place!

Will be thinking of you both!! :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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franksmom

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Another update. I just got back from the vet again this morning. I rushed him in because he refused food and didn't want to drink- he seemed really nauseous. So at fist they were going to hospitalize him but a nice vet who did my dogs teeth could see I was really upset and took us into the exam room. We talked everything over and while he did suggest doing a blood test to rule out pancreatitis we agreed to try treating the nausea and the hairball. I am not sure I made the right decision but I really feel this is a hairball issue and it is a waste of time to run more tests.  He said the reason they worry about giving [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Cerenia is that if they have a foreign object in them it would make things worse-I pointed out he had two xrays so I was willing to take the risk-again hope I made the right decision. We decided since he is so stressed at the vet to try to treat him at home, they gave him some fluid under his skin, the [/color][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Cerenia shot and an [/color]appetite[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]  [/color][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]stimulant. I also got some lactulose syrup to try to get rid of the hairballs. They gave me some syringes and wet food to feed him if he is still not eating- I also go some fortiflora in order to attract him to the food. He actually ate some freeze dried chicken when I brought him home so I hope this is a good sign. [/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Again thanks for all the advice and would welcome more- I really hope this is a hairball problem and I made the right choice. [/font]
 
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franksmom

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Just gave him some food via a syringe (watched all the youtube how to videos). I gave him a small amount since he ate some chicken plus he got really irritated. I am not crazy with the quality of  ingredients in the purina EN and might try with the hound and gato food for the feeding because it looks like the EN. He is really mad at me now so I am just going to leave him alone for a few hours and try to feed him again. 
 

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I just wanted to say I think you know your kitty better than anyone and are making the best choices you can for him.  I understand totally the feeling of going to the vet and not being sure you made the right choice especially when it is important.  I usually ask my vet (who has 2 cats and who I totally trust) what she would honestly do if it were her cat and follow that advice and she were me (i.e. without unlimited resources) and follow that advice but even then I am not always sure and it is even harder when you don't totally trust your vet.

Sending lots of 
your way.
 
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franksmom

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I just wanted to say I think you know your kitty better than anyone and are making the best choices you can for him.  I understand totally the feeling of going to the vet and not being sure you made the right choice especially when it is important.  I usually ask my vet (who has 2 cats and who I totally trust) what she would honestly do if it were her cat and follow that advice and she were me (i.e. without unlimited resources) and follow that advice but even then I am not always sure and it is even harder when you don't totally trust your vet.

Sending lots of 
your way.
Thanks for your words. It is so hard to know what to do and I really do not feel the vets really know either. It just seems so clear to me this is a hairball blockage because he keeps vomiting hairballs! Like I said to the vet if he had something else wrong with him why would he keep vomiting hairballs? I just do not understand why they would not think this is the problem and I really think if I hadn't suggested that this was the issue they would just keep running expensive tests and make him keep vomiting. 

He seems a lot better and keeps eating little bits of freeze dried chicken. I just got some tiki cat with tuna- his fav so I am going to try to get him to eat that. If not I was do some more syringe feedings tonight. 

The worst part about all of this is that i have to leave for a conference on Sunday and will be gone a whole week. My mother will be taking care of him, but I am soo worried and really do not want to leave him if he is still sick, but I don't really have a choice. 
 
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franksmom

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He just ate some tiki cat- a very small amount and mostly licked the liquid and fortiflora but not really unusual for him. Both my cats are now obsessed with the forti flora-it really is kitty crack. I think he has used the litter box once today so I am keeping an eye out for that. The vet I like is working tomorrow morning so I am going to call him to see what he says.
 

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He just ate some tiki cat- a very small amount and mostly licked the liquid and fortiflora but not really unusual for him. Both my cats are now obsessed with the forti flora-it really is kitty crack. I think he has used the litter box once today so I am keeping an eye out for that. The vet I like is working tomorrow morning so I am going to call him to see what he says.
I am glad to hear he will be there tomorrow.  I again don't really have any useful advice but I wanted to also say I am so sorry you have to go out of town at this time.  I understand totally how work is and that you have no choice but I can't even imagine how you must feel.  I am sure you will but be really explicit with your mom about what you expect her to do while you are gone including what would merit a vet visit.  Hugs.
 
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franksmom

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Thanks again for your support. Yes she has very clear instructions I also left my visa on file at the vet so she doesn't have to worry about the expense if something does happen- lets hope it doesn't!
 

carolina

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Hi hun, did you get cerenia pills, and the cyproheptadine? Cypro will kick in in about a day or so, and he will start eating well again.
Since you are going out of town, I would make 100% sure your kitty has cerenia and cyproheptadine for the entire week. Let's face it, no one will take care of him like you will, and eating is VERY important. You don't want to come back home to a cat with fatty liver disease on the top of it all.
If you didn't get the pills, I would HIGHLY recommend you going back to the vet tomorrow and getting them.
Trust me. I travel 3 weeks of the month, and that's another thing I can vouch for- being safer than sorry while you are away.

In fact, I am just getting home from a trip, and that's just what I did.
:vibes:
 
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franksmom

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Hi hun, did you get cerenia pills, and the cyproheptadine? Cypro will kick in in about a day or so, and he will start eating well again.
Since you are going out of town, I would make 100% sure your kitty has cerenia and cyproheptadine for the entire week. Let's face it, no one will take care of him like you will, and eating is VERY important. You don't want to come back home to a cat with fatty liver disease on the top of it all.
If you didn't get the pills, I would HIGHLY recommend you going back to the vet tomorrow and getting them.
Trust me. I travel 3 weeks of the month, and that's another thing I can vouch for- being safer than sorry while you are away.

In fact, I am just getting home from a trip, and that's just what I did.
They gave him a cerenia shot yesterday and apo mirtazapine as an appetite stimulant (http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2552) they said this was better than cypro because you only have to give it every three days. Instead of the cerenia pills they gave me metoclopramide because they seem to like this one better than the cerenia- I am not sure why they are so anti-cerenia because he was so much better after his shot yesterday! They also lactulose to help pass the hairball.

Yesterday he at a little wet food, some dry food (at this point I just want him to eat anything so if he will eat the dry I will give it to him) and a bunch of freeze dried chicken. This morning he defecated (it was soft) and urinated. He was not interested in the wet food this morning but ate a small amount of freeze dried chicken-my mother says she thinks he ate some dry food and freeze dried chicken upstairs. He may just not be hungry yet because the kitten who is usually a garbage disposal also did not want to eat a ton. I will try again in an hour and if he doesn't eat will syringe feed him. He also hasn't had his metoclopramide yet this morning so he may be feeling a bit nauseous. I am going to call the vet this morning-the one I like is working so I am going to ask him what he thinks. 

Again I really can't thank you enough for your advice, you seem to know way more than these vets! I am so glad I found these boards because I think your advice really saved my kitty!
 
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franksmom

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Just have to vent some more. So yesterday after the cerenia shot his appetite came back right away and he had freeze dried chicken as soon as I brought him home- he still didn't eat a ton but at least seemed kind of interested in food. This morning he is not really interested in food he had a tiny amount of freeze dried chicken and refused three different cans of wet (he did lick the juice on one). He is drinking though and did defecate this morning. I have called the vet twice and I couldn't speak to him and now they just want me to bring him back in. I am so irritated because I wish they had given me the cerenia to take home instead of the [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]metoclopramide and I don't think the [/color][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]apo mirtazapine is working as an [/color]appetite stimulant[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]. I am just at my wits end and am going to have it out with the vet because this is just ridiculous. I would take him to another vet but this one is rated one of the best in the city, so I have no idea if I would get any better care at another vet. Also the money issue is a big one, I have already spent over $600 and if I take him to another clinic they will charge me for a full check up which will be between $70-100, at least I am only being charged for a re-check today. [/color]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Also I just syringe fed him and the syringe they gave me is terrible and it was mostly a disaster. He really hates it and ending up really fighting so I just let him go after getting a small amount in him.[/font]
 
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I don't understand why they want you to bring him in when they just saw him yesterday. You just want to discuss his progress and get a change in meds, right? They should be able to do all of that over the phone, even calling in a prescription to pharmacy of your choice. I'm so sorry you're having a frustrating time dealing with vets.
 

carolina

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Hun, go put your foot down and DON'T LEAVE without a weeks worth of Cerenia and Cyproheptadine.
Then start looking for another vet....
 
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franksmom

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So just had to spend another $300 in order to get them to give me the cypro and another shot of cerenia. The vet yelled at me that it was malpractice to give that without a $150 blood test and another X-ray. I almost just walked out but I needed to get the medication and it is saturday so most vets are closed- I am still shaking I am so upset. They keep telling me it is not a hairball blockage despite the fact he keeps throwing up hairballs and that it must be something else. The X-ray showed gas in his intestines so they said he probably had IBS an needed their crappy food and didn't listen to me when I said that was also a sign of a hairball blockage. I am basically being held hostage because I can't go to another vet because I have to leave tomorrow. They are getting the bloodwork back on monday and I hope it shows everything is ok and that if it comes back fine they will finally listen to me. At least I got the medication he needs...
 

carolina

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:wife: Did they give you pills of cerenia to take home? :cross:
The shot only lasts for 24h, so you need to follow up with the pills daily.....
:vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
:hugs:
$300 for a shot and cypro? and then t get yelled at? Oh hun..... I am so sorry :( :rub:
 
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