Multiple health problem with my aunt's cat : Gastritis, CKD, Vomiting, Urinary crystals, Hairballs..

Hi everyone,

I'm here for my aunt's cat named Pirouette.

She is 13 years old and has been diagnosed with CKD (early stage 2) couple of months ago.

Pirouette has been eating wet average quality food for a while now, but 3 weeks ago, the veterinarian gave my aunt some Hills K/D crappy KIBBLES to help her with her CKD. Pirouette HATES kibbles, so she has been eating less and less ever since that food change.

2 weeks ago, Pirouette stopped peeing and isolated herself in the bedroom. My aunt brought her to the vet again, where he diagnosed a urinary tract infection (crystals) and a gastritis. Unfortunately my aunt didn't ask many question and simply let him give Pirouette an injection of antibiotic and started a 7 day treatment of Metacam to treat pain. I would never recommend Metacam to a cat with kidney disease (and actually to any old cat!), but she hadn't spoken to me about it at that time, so she simply obeyed the vet.

Now Pirouette is peeing normally and doesn't seem in such a bad shape. But thinking the dry kibbles might have been the cause of her urinary and stomach problem, I gave my aunt some low phosphorus high quality canned food (Terra Faelis chicken). Pirouette is completely crazy about it! My aunt was sooooooo pleased to see her eat with that incredible appetite again, she almost cried!

The problem is that one day after she started eating Terra Faelis, she also started vomiting her food. My aunt says that the vomit is kind of dark (not black though) and sometimes she can see hairballs in it. So she went back to Hill K/D kibbles, but Pirouette vomited everything she ate couple of minutes later... and of course, she still doesnt like the taste of these kibbles and keeps asking for Terra Faelis.

So she bought some cheap Friskies (in pouch), and even though Pirouette is not crazy about it, atleast she doesnt puke it!

Now, my question is.... should we blame the Terra Faelis and Hills K/D for those vomits? Could it be a reaction to the Metacam she gave? Or is it simply a stuck hairballs?

IF she really had a gastritis, why didn't the vet do anything about it? What should have been the treatment for that? Or maybe he just "said that" but didn't really think it was a gastritis?

I would be tempted to recommend to my aunt to keep giving her whatever doesn't make her puke (Friskies) and start again with the Terra Faelis in couple of days or weeks. But the poor cat doesnt have much appetite wit anything else that Terra Faelis. And also, I was about to recommend giving her some Bezopet (that greasy paste for cats that helps the hairballs pass though feces).

So at this point, I would only want her stomach to be normal again, and then give her the appropriate CANNED food for her CKD... is she tolerates it of course.

Do you guys agree with what I'm about to recommend to her? Any advise?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Kim

I don't understand vets giving Metacam either.  I know here in the states a black box warning was issued that reiterated the warning about giving Metacam to cats as a one time shot after surgery which was the original usage that was issued with it when it went on the market.  For some reason over time vets began giving it to cats the same way that they give it to dogs.  I think there is a real tendency for general vets to treat cats as if they are the same as dogs.

Gastritis is a general term for an upset tummy.  It could be a reaction to the Metacam and kitties with kidney disease are also prone to excess stomach acid.  For now I would give her whatever wet food she will both eat and keep down.  Many people also use Pepcid for kitties with excess stomach acid.  You want the regular strenghth 10 mg tablets not the complete.  My vet told me I could give  one a day.  I would cut it in half and give 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the afternoon.  

I don't know too much about the prescription diets but there should be a wet version of the same prescription diet.  Like most prescription diets I am sure the ingredients are still pretty bad but the wet food would be far preferable to the dry kibble.  I know it's not your call but would your aunt consider another vet.

Well unfortunately I spoke too fast... In the ebd, Pirouette is vomiting just any food she tries to eat. My aunt decided to fast her for 24 hours and to start introducing Terra Fealis slowly tomorrow morning.

I spoke to her about another vet that has a clinic about 15minutes from where she lives, but I don't think she wants to change.

She also told me the vet gave her an injection of Convenia to treat the urinary infection... Geez I thought that antibiotic was for skin infection! With Hills kd, Convenia and metacam no wonder why the poor cat has an upset stomach!

I hope Pirouette recovers real soon! Poor kitty

Unfortunately it sounds like a poor vet for treating felines but there really isn't anything that you can do about it.  She does need to start eating but there isn't anything that can be done when nothing is staying down.  I don't know what the chances are of the vet she is currently taking her to doing the right thing but for right now kitty should get some sub-q fluids and a shot of cerenia for the nausea.  Since her kitty isn't at the point yet of having the things at home for sub-q fluids there isn't really much that can be done.  Has your aunt called the vet today to let him know what is going on?

She will call him tomorrow afternoon IF pirouette starts vomiting even after that 24h fastening.