My cat with IBD has been vomiting hairballs frequently and I'm getting concerned.

Hi everyone,
I would like to seek your advice in the following matter.

One of my cats, Tabby was diagnosed with IBD in mid-April. She’s been doing well since she started taking prednislone. I’m happy that she has started gaining weight!

I stopped giving her Cerenia about two weeks ago. Within a few days, she started throwing up hairballs. She has been vomiting once or twice around 7 in the morning a few times a week. It's either hairballs with clear liquid or hairs with small amount of brownish liquid.

Tabby does not like to be brushed, but I try to groom her regularly. 

No vomit or nausea throughout the day, just in the early morning hours. So I thought it was due to acid build-up in the stomach during the night because of the stomach being too empty. I usually feed her 1/3 of a can of food around midnight. Since a few days ago, I feed her 1/2 of a can at midnight. But she still vomits this morning, just a small amount of hairs and fluid. (I feed Nature's Variety Instinct Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Canned Food Turkey formula.)

It’s not like IBD vomits that she used to have, so I don’t think she need to take Cerenia anymore.

Has anyone had a cat with IBD with this type of vomiting or got any suggestions for what I should do next?

Some of the members recommend egg lecithin, pumpkin, and laxatone. Are they safe for a cat with IBD?

Thank you so much for reading!

Any answers are appreciated.

I had two IBD cats and was giving them pumpkin--one had diarrhea problems, one had vomiting problems.  It helped them both but unfortunately they decided they didn't like it after awhile.  Here's a link to a thread about some of the things other members have tried with their IBD cats:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/278365/foods-your-cat-eats-to-reduce-ibd

Several of them mention pumpkin.  I don't have any experience with egg lecithin or laxatone.  

Hi betsygee, Thank you for your feedback and the link! The page is really helpful! 
Some of the members said, tried pumpkin, and it made kitty poops dry. My cat currently takes Enulose for dry and hard stools, so I don’t think pumpkin is good for her. Good to know!

She may  be vom

MommyTabby said:

 

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 She may be vomiting due to acid stomach buildup, and even though you give her a late meal, by morning she's expecting another one and her stomach starts to secrete acid, she gets an upset stomach then pukes.  Normally, a vet would recommend 2.5mg Pepcid once a day, that's 1/4 of a standard 10mg pill and that will often control it.  Please discuss with your vet before starting any OTC medicine, particularly because she has IBD.

My cat hand a long battle with IBD and pepcid and cerenia (among other things) were a part of his routine, and in time he was on cerenia 7 days a week.  The label says 5 days on, 1 day off, but some vets have figured out that 7day/week on a low dose is tolerated, and my cat tolerated it super well.

StephenQ said:

 
She may  be vom

 She may be vomiting due to acid stomach buildup, and even though you give her a late meal, by morning she's expecting another one and her stomach starts to secrete acid, she gets an upset stomach then pukes.  Normally, a vet would recommend 2.5mg Pepcid once a day, that's 1/4 of a standard 10mg pill and that will often control it.  Please discuss with your vet before starting any OTC medicine, particularly because she has IBD.

My cat hand a long battle with IBD and pepcid and cerenia (among other things) were a part of his routine, and in time he was on cerenia 7 days a week.  The label says 5 days on, 1 day off, but some vets have figured out that 7day/week on a low dose is tolerated, and my cat tolerated it super well.

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For the Pepcid, it is safe to give your cat 2.5 mg Pepcid a day? Maybe that is why my cat was vomiting all morning one morning. I do wake up later to feed her than she wants...>.< She maybe has IBS. 

Bonitababy said:

 
For the Pepcid, it is safe to give your cat 2.5 mg Pepcid a day? Maybe that is why my cat was vomiting all morning one morning. I do wake up later to feed her than she wants...>.< She maybe has IBS. 

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If you're cat is regularly vomiting she should be seen by a vet, as there are many causes of persistent vomiting and its important to get the right treatments on board.  As far as Pepcid goes, with my cat 2.5mg once a day was a safe dose but i can't advise you on your cat, and would suggest a vet visit before starting any medication.

Actually, as pointed out, it can still be due to acid build-up. But rather than suppress the acid, which your cat needs to digest a high protein diet, try feeding a small freeze dried meat treat first thing in the morning. That will help absorb the excess acid in her tummy. Feed her breakfast about 10 to 15 minutes later. Or just break up her meal into several much smaller meals, fed 5 to 10 minutes apart. These two approaches have helped many cats with this problem without the need for meds.

Also, if you only have one cat, consider a timed feeder that will dispense a few freeze dried meat treats overnight? :dk:

We also found that rather than use pepcid, you can add some slippery elm bark powder to that last meal overnight, and that may help. Dr. Hofve calls slippery elm bark powder "nature's pepto-bismol" (which, of course, should not be given to cats because it contains salicylates that are toxic to them). If your cats likes slippery elm bark powder, it can be made into a slurry with George's Aloe Vera juice and a human grade L. acidophilus probiotic (5 billion CFU) and added to the canned food in the AM and PM. This is very healing. An alternative is simply feeding (if kitty will eat it) or syringing (if not) the SEB, made into a syrup, about 1/2 an hour before a meal to treat the acid/nausea.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/slippery-elm/

My cat was seen by a vet

StephenQ said:

 
If you're cat is regularly vomiting she should be seen by a vet, as there are many causes of persistent vomiting and its important to get the right treatments on board.  As far as Pepcid goes, with my cat 2.5mg once a day was a safe dose but i can't advise you on your cat, and would suggest a vet visit before starting any medication.

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My cat doesn't regularly vomit. She started vomiting a lot suddenly one morning and I did take her into the vet, then a vet specialist. 2 x-rays were done and an ultrasound. I was told she had pancreatitis by the vet and then I was told maybe IBS by the vet specialist. Maybe IBS or cancer...although I'm not going to rule out the pancreatitis as a possibility.


Edit: She also was given pancreatitis tests, blood tests and urine tests and was prescribed Pepcid for one of the meds.

LDG said:

Actually, as pointed out, it can still be due to acid build-up. But rather than suppress the acid, which your cat needs to digest a high protein diet, try feeding a small freeze dried meat treat first thing in the morning. That will help absorb the excess acid in her tummy. Feed her breakfast about 10 to 15 minutes later. Or just break up her meal into several much smaller meals, fed 5 to 10 minutes apart. These two approaches have helped many cats with this problem without the need for meds.

Also, if you only have one cat, consider a timed feeder that will dispense a few freeze dried meat treats overnight?

We also found that rather than use pepcid, you can add some slippery elm bark powder to that last meal overnight, and that may help. Dr. Hofve calls slippery elm bark powder "nature's pepto-bismol" (which, of course, should not be given to cats because it contains salicylates that are toxic to them). If your cats likes slippery elm bark powder, it can be made into a slurry with George's Aloe Vera juice and a human grade L. acidophilus probiotic (5 billion CFU) and added to the canned food in the AM and PM. This is very healing. An alternative is simply feeding (if kitty will eat it) or syringing (if not) the SEB, made into a syrup, about 1/2 an hour before a meal to treat the acid/nausea.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/slippery-elm/

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Thanks! Primarily, if acid build-up is a cause, I really need to get up when she wants her breakfast at 6 am, instead of 1.5 - 2.5 hours later... =/ I do leave dry kibble out, but baby is picky and wants that tiny bit of wet food that she will eat in the morning. I put out more, but she just eats a tiny bit, but wants it every morning.

StephenQ said:

 
She may  be vom

 She may be vomiting due to acid stomach buildup, and even though you give her a late meal, by morning she's expecting another one and her stomach starts to secrete acid, she gets an upset stomach then pukes.  Normally, a vet would recommend 2.5mg Pepcid once a day, that's 1/4 of a standard 10mg pill and that will often control it.  Please discuss with your vet before starting any OTC medicine, particularly because she has IBD.

My cat hand a long battle with IBD and pepcid and cerenia (among other things) were a part of his routine, and in time he was on cerenia 7 days a week.  The label says 5 days on, 1 day off, but some vets have figured out that 7day/week on a low dose is tolerated, and my cat tolerated it super well.

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Hi StephenQ, 
It’s only a small amount of hairballs and liquid, so I don’t want her to take a medicine. Currently she is taking Prednislone and Enulose. So I was hoping to give some natural remedies. But if it gets serious, I will ask my cat’s vet about Pepcid. Thank you for your feedback! 

LDG said:

Actually, as pointed out, it can still be due to acid build-up. But rather than suppress the acid, which your cat needs to digest a high protein diet, try feeding a small freeze dried meat treat first thing in the morning. That will help absorb the excess acid in her tummy. Feed her breakfast about 10 to 15 minutes later. Or just break up her meal into several much smaller meals, fed 5 to 10 minutes apart. These two approaches have helped many cats with this problem without the need for meds.

Also, if you only have one cat, consider a timed feeder that will dispense a few freeze dried meat treats overnight?

We also found that rather than use pepcid, you can add some slippery elm bark powder to that last meal overnight, and that may help. Dr. Hofve calls slippery elm bark powder "nature's pepto-bismol" (which, of course, should not be given to cats because it contains salicylates that are toxic to them). If your cats likes slippery elm bark powder, it can be made into a slurry with George's Aloe Vera juice and a human grade L. acidophilus probiotic (5 billion CFU) and added to the canned food in the AM and PM. This is very healing. An alternative is simply feeding (if kitty will eat it) or syringing (if not) the SEB, made into a syrup, about 1/2 an hour before a meal to treat the acid/nausea.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/slippery-elm/

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Hi LDG, 
Freeze dried meat is raw meat, right? Unfortunately, my cat’s vet is against a raw diet for my cat. The vet wants to stay with the same canned food as long as possible. I have another cat, so I don’t think it’s a good idea to have a timed feeder. Maybe I should try to wake up a bit early and feed her breakfast like 7am when she always vomits… It’s tough to wake up earlier, but if it helps my cat… Thank you for letting me know about the slippery elm bark powder! I haven’t heard about it before, I’ll read the link page carefully.  

Hi Bonitababy,
I hope your cat get better soon.

Thank you all for the helpful input! 

If you know natural remedies for hairballs or acid build-up, and it's good for IBD kitties, please let me know! 

I wonder if Prednisolone causes an acid build up in the stomach. Because since Tabby has taken the Prednisolone, she’s always hungry. If I can able to lower the dosage of the Prednisolone, would it help reduce acid build up in her stomach? Does anyone know the answer? 

No, most freeze dried treats are cooked. In fact, unless you purchase freeze dried raw food, the only treats I know of that are raw are Stewart's ProTreat liver. PureBites is cooked. Whole Life is cooked. Etta Says is cooked. No, they're pretty much all cooked. The point was they are plain and simple with nothing but one ingredient.

MommyTabby said:

 
I wonder if Prednisolone causes an acid build up in the stomach. Because since Tabby has taken the Prednisolone, she’s always hungry. If I can able to lower the dosage of the Prednisolone, would it help reduce acid build up in her stomach? Does anyone know the answer? 

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I know that when I tried to reduce the dose of pred. (per my vet's suggestion) it made my cat start vomiting more again.  

LDG said:

No, most freeze dried treats are cooked. In fact, unless you purchase freeze dried raw food, the only treats I know of that are raw are Stewart's ProTreat liver. PureBites is cooked. Whole Life is cooked. Etta Says is cooked. No, they're pretty much all cooked. The point was they are plain and simple with nothing but one ingredient.

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Hi LDG,
Thanks for the info!! I don’t know why I thought most freeze dried treats are RAW… XD. I’ll ask the vet about it. 

betsygee said:

 
I know that when I tried to reduce the dose of pred. (per my vet's suggestion) it made my cat start vomiting more again.  

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Hi betsygee,
Thank you for your feedback. I’m sorry that reducing the dose of red made your cat start vomiting more again… I'll be very careful reducing the dose. 

MommyTabby said:

 
I wonder if Prednisolone causes an acid build up in the stomach. Because since Tabby has taken the Prednisolone, she’s always hungry. If I can able to lower the dosage of the Prednisolone, would it help reduce acid build up in her stomach? Does anyone know the answer? 

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No, Prednisilone does NOT cause acid build up, but cats with various Gi issues, intestinal, pancreatic, can have lots of causes of vomiting and acid build up.  You should not adjust your cat's Pred dose without talking to your vet first.

StephenQ said:

 
No, Prednisilone does NOT cause acid build up, but cats with various Gi issues, intestinal, pancreatic, can have lots of causes of vomiting and acid build up.  You should not adjust your cat's Pred dose without talking to your vet first.

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Hi StephenQ,
Thank you for the helpful information! 
Hmm, then I guess acid build up vomits are part of her IBD… 
I need to take my cat to the vet with in two weeks, so I will let the vet know about it.

Thank you for your help again!

MommyTabby said:

 
Hi StephenQ,
Thank you for the helpful information! 
Hmm, then I guess acid build up vomits are part of her IBD… 
I need to take my cat to the vet with in two weeks, so I will let the vet know about it.

Thank you for your help again!

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Hi, I'm happy to help.  IBD is a complex illness that can be managed and even in more serious cases can be put into remission with various combinations of diet changes and medicines, Prednisolone being the most important med for serious cases.  You generally know you have a serious case when there is weight loss so the fact that your cat is gaining weight on the pred is a good thing, it means your cat is responding and going into remission.

StephenQ said:

 
Hi, I'm happy to help.  IBD is a complex illness that can be managed and even in more serious cases can be put into remission with various combinations of diet changes and medicines, Prednisolone being the most important med for serious cases.  You generally know you have a serious case when there is weight loss so the fact that your cat is gaining weight on the pred is a good thing, it means your cat is responding and going into remission.

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Hi StephenQ,
You made my day! Thank you so much for your kind words!!
She had lost a lot of weight, she was only 7.0lbs about a month ago. Then she has been on the Pred, she is now around 8.0lbs. I don’t know it’s okay to gain weight 1.0lbs a month, but she’s been well, and she has a good appetite. 

MommyTabby said:

 
Hi StephenQ,
You made my day! Thank you so much for your kind words!!
She had lost a lot of weight, she was only 7.0lbs about a month ago. Then she has been on the Pred, she is now around 8.0lbs. I don’t know it’s okay to gain weight 1.0lbs a month, but she’s been well, and she has a good appetite. 

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Happy to help.  If a cat's been losing weight to IBD then i think any amount of weight gain, the more the merrier is a positive thing.  Let's hope she stays happy and healthy for a long time to come.  Pred at least for cats is a miracle drug.

StephenQ said:

 
Happy to help.  If a cat's been losing weight to IBD then i think any amount of weight gain, the more the merrier is a positive thing.  Let's hope she stays happy and healthy for a long time to come.  Pred at least for cats is a miracle drug.

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That’s great to hear that, StephenQ!

I always hope to reduce the dosage of the pred for her, I’m afraid of the side-effects. But you are right, the pred helps her a lot! Actually, she wants to eat more food!! If I feed her more, she would be so happy! But one of the side effects of the pred is diabetes. I guess I shouldn’t feed her a lot, right?! I feed her around 300kcal per day. She’s around 8 lbs, so 240kcal per day must be good for her, but she needs to gain some weight, so my vet told me that’s okay. Thank you again for your help!