Adverse reaction to new food?

I have been home for summer break for about two weeks now. Since I got home, I have noticed my cat having these little wheezing/heaving fits multiple times a day. I think she might be dry heaving, but it also sounds like she's having trouble breathing when she does it, so I am not sure what it is. It's kind of hard to explain, so let me know if I need to be more specific. My parents told me they had switched her food to Hills Science Diet Hairball Control, and that was probably what was causing her to do this. I've tried to find other people who had this problem, but it seems like everyone else had this problem in the reverse: their cat started dry heaving out of nowhere, so they switched them to this food and it made the cat stop doing that. I couldn't find anyone else whose cat was perfectly fine before, then started heaving after they were put on the food.

I'm mainly concerned about this because my cat is pretty old (about 14 years now). And, as of a few days ago, her appetite seems to be dwindling. She will get excited around feeding time like she always has, but is no longer eating all the food in her bowl.

I've tried to talk to my parents about this several times, but they aren't too concerned. They want the cat to finish this bag of hairball control food, and she can go back to her old food when she's done. They also are very reluctant spend money taking her to the vet. 

So, what do you guys think? Is this serious? What should I do? And if any of you have had a similar problem with this food, please let me know!

Thanks!

Hi @klsyrndflsch

If you cat is loosing her appetite on a new food then you should probably switch back, and soon.  If your parents won't spend the money on a bag of food then why don't you go buy the food.  A small bag isn't going to cost but a few dollars.

The wheezing is another issue though.  Has she ever or recently produced a hair ball?  A special food is usually used for maintenance for cats with furballs, not as a cure for a current one.  Most people get a type of lubricant, a common w=one is petromalt, available at pet stores and start giving it to the cat daily as directed until the hairball either passes or comes up by vomiting.

So if it was my cat, i'd return her to her regular diet, make sure she is getting good nutrition and look at a lubricant.  Just in case it was something more serious like asthma, I'd look at this link and if you saw symptoms like the ones described then a vet visit is immediately in order.  Multiple daily heaving/wheezing fits is cause for concern.

Lack of appetite can be as symptom that the hairball is stuck and she has a blockage.  This would be a serious condition.  Personally, having re-read your post, I think a vet visit is in order as her condition has been ignored too long.

Also look at this link:

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/what-to-do-about-hairballs-in-cats

Could it be asthma? What kind of position is your cat in when she's wheezing?

If you search YouTube videos for feline asthma, you'll get some examples.

Here is a good link on asthma: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/asthma

Thanks for responding, guys! 

StephenQ, thanks for the advice. I will definitely switch her back to her old food and get her to the vet ASAP. And thanks for that link!

GoHolistic, it usually happens when she is laying down (as she spends 99% percent of her time snoozing). She never stands up once
a fit starts, though - she just remains laying down through the entire thing. And thanks for the advice -- I watched a few videos of feline asthma attacks and it looks a lot like what's happening to my cat. Can cats just suddenly develop asthma like that? Especially so late in life?

 

klsyrndflsch said:

 
GoHolistic, it usually happens when she is laying down (as she spends 99% percent of her time snoozing). She never stands up once
a fit starts, though - she just remains laying down through the entire thing. And thanks for the advice -- I watched a few videos of feline asthma attacks and it looks a lot like what's happening to my cat. Can cats just suddenly develop asthma like that? Especially so late in life?

Click to expand...

I have heard of cats developing it late in life, or that it wasn't noticeable before and has gotten worse left untreated.

ok @klsyrndflsch keep us updated ok

Hey, guys! I really appreciate all your help and just wanted to give you a little update: I took Shadow to the vet today and was told the cause of her wheezing could either be early asthma or allergies. The vet gave me some liquid amoxicillin to give her twice a day until the bottle's gone, at which point we will go to back to the vet to see what our next step is. The vet seemed very optimistic, and although Shadow definitely isn't a fan of her medicine, hopefully it will help with her wheezing and get her back to eating normally soon. Thanks again, guys!

OK thanks for the update and keep them coming!

I'm glad you were able to get her to the vet. Amoxicillin is an antibiotic. Does the vet suspect a bacterial infection?   

I have the same question as @GoHolistic. The vet said early asthma or allergies but the vet is treating for an infection. If it is an infection, your cat should begin to respond to treatment in a couple of days. If your cat continues to wheeze, I'd go back to the vet or get a second opinion.