Help! I've been to the vet already. Anyone heard of this behavior?

My cat is almost 10 years old and has always been a puker, but in the last few months has not been eating much at all, but is still puking just liquid and having some abnormal poop.  I took her to the vet about a month ago when she started not eating, because at that time she wasn't drinking water either. He gave her a blood test and checked everything--everything was looking good--kidneys, liver, blood cells, etc.  He gave her an injection for dehydration and we went home.

She has been drinking water and obviously eating something because she is still alive, but she is very very skinny and super lethargic.  She stays under the bed except when I am laying down or seated, in which case she is by my side.

I am pregnant and have noticed abnormality in her behavior since I found out.  Vet said she knows and that could be part of it.  But, is that really what would cause her not to eat and be lethargic?!?! 

I don't know what to do.

What have you been feeding her?  Do you feed dry?  Have you opened a new bag of it recently, i.e. around the time she started getting sick a month ago?  Have you offered her any OTHER type of food?  Does she have a choice of what to eat?   It could be you have a bad bag or batch of food.  Do a Google search for "complaints about [name of food]" and see if anything comes up, and even if there aren't any, try getting another brand of food, one that no complaints come up about, and see if that helps.  There are many cases like this recently, animals eating the same food that has been fine for them for years and suddenly getting sick.  Try offering her something like freshly cooked chicken or canned tuna (not cat food) and see if she eats it.  I know for a fact that both Purina and Blue Buffalo have been having problems with this lately and you will find results when you Google them.

Did the vet mention IBD at all? IBD can be very difficult to diagnose, but vomiting and abnormal poops are definitely common symptoms. Here's a good site with info about this. ibdkitties.net

Another possibility may be pancreatitis which does have a specific test. I would ask your vet if this test was done and if not, ask if this fits the symptoms.

Was an ultrasound done? I suspect that if you have a look at her intestines, you will find the problem is that they are thickened, and she most likely has "IBD" - Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Cats are not "pukers." That is an indication, just like in people, that something is wrong. There aren't any people that are "just pukers." :rub: I'm so sorry your vet doesn't recognize this. Many don't, and there is one that is trying to change this:

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.c...c-vomiting-in-cats-isnt-normal-after-all.aspx

A change in diet will most likely help. A high protein, low carb, wet food diet may help. For many, a commercial raw diet is a good option, as the minimally processed proteins with no carbs is what they need.

I would talk to the vet - perhaps a new vet - about an antacid, perhaps anti-nausea medication, and an appetite stimulant.

I would consider adding digestive enzymes (Prozyme Plus is a good choice) and a human-grade probiotic.

I have a lengthy discussion of IBD in cats, here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/278273/the-well-known-problem-of-ibd-or-lymphoma/90#post_3576295

I use the Nexabiotic probiotic (If you're in the US), 1/2 a capsule 2x a day:
If she has diarrhea, you may need to use the Jarrow brand S boulardii + MOS for a few weeks. Directions are here: http://www.ibdkitties.net/Probiotics.html

But if she is not eating her needed daily caloric intake, it is best to assist-feed her. This is a site for kidney failure in cats, but this section on getting a cat to eat is generally very helpful information: http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm

I would consider using slippery elm bark powder syrup, asap. This is very soothing and anti-inflammatory: http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/slippery-elm/

To make the syrup, I use 1 teaspoon of slippery elm bark powder mixed with one cup of cold water. I microwave it for 30 seconds, whisk, and repeat. Then I cook it at 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. When it cools, it thickens. Feed 2 teaspoons 3x a day, one of them right before you go to bed.

Excess acid is a problem for kitties with gastrointestinal disease.

Many vibes to you and your girl. And I hope all goes well with the pregnancy!

vball91 said:

Did the vet mention IBD at all? IBD can be very difficult to diagnose, but vomiting and abnormal poops are definitely common symptoms. Here's a good site with info about this. ibdkitties.net

Another possibility may be pancreatitis which does have a specific test. I would ask your vet if this test was done and if not, ask if this fits the symptoms.

Click to expand...

Another good point.

And yes, as Red Top Rescue points out, you can immediately put her on a bland diet and learn a LOT just from doing that. You can either poach chicken, and feed this to her with the broth (shred the chicken) and see how that goes. It is OK to feed her unbalanced food for a week. Either that, or just use Beech Nut chicken or turkey baby food. (Beech Nut is preferable to Gerber's - it has no corn starch as a preservative).