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- Dec 20, 2015
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For almost the last month, my 12-year-old cat has been vomiting intermittently, sometimes shortly after eating but other times many hours later. At first I chalked it up to either a food sensitivity (our grocery store stopped carrying her usual food, so I had to switch her to a new brand) or eating too quickly, and since behaviorally she seemed otherwise normal (still eating, playing, and toileting appropriately) I didn't think it was emergent. I experimented with different foods, smaller portions, etc., to try to identify a consistent trigger for the vomiting but no luck.
Then, within the last couple of weeks, she began having issues with constipation as well, pooping less frequently than normal and in smaller amounts. More than once I noticed that she would vomit either right before or right after having a bowel movement, inclining me to think the effort of pooping was triggering the vomiting. Since her poops were drier and pebblier than usual, I started mixing pumpkin into her food and that seemed to help until she got wise to what I was doing and started refusing food containing pumpkin. Again, her behavior remained normal throughout: hearty appetite, normal energy level, no lethargy or other worrisome signs.
Until a couple of days ago when her appetite suddenly dropped off precipitously, and I booked her into urgent care. The vet said that her intestines seemed "prominent" upon palpation, and that she showed signs of discomfort when her stomach was touched. Because diagnostics at urgent care are prohibitively expensive, on the vet's advice I opted for a single x-ray (no CBC or other panels as I could not afford them), methadone for pain relief and an anti-emetic to stop the puking, sub-q fluids, and a laxative to get things moving. The x-ray showed moderate constipation without obstipation and no obvious growths or blockages. I asked whether an enema was advisable, and the vet said she didn't think the constipation was severe enough to merit it. She said we were likely looking at IBD or gastritis, and then she pretty much sent us on our way with instructions to follow up with our regular vet. Our appointment is tomorrow afternoon.
She hasn't vomited since receiving the anti-emetic, which is a relief, but she also hasn't pooped in spite of the laxative, which I was told could take up to 48 hours to take effect. She is eating, but it's sporadic and in smaller amounts than usual. She's also disinterested in her regular food, so I've had to tempt her with Churus and baby food.
Anybody experience anything like this before? Any advice on other things I could be doing to encourage her to eat or to help her poop?
Then, within the last couple of weeks, she began having issues with constipation as well, pooping less frequently than normal and in smaller amounts. More than once I noticed that she would vomit either right before or right after having a bowel movement, inclining me to think the effort of pooping was triggering the vomiting. Since her poops were drier and pebblier than usual, I started mixing pumpkin into her food and that seemed to help until she got wise to what I was doing and started refusing food containing pumpkin. Again, her behavior remained normal throughout: hearty appetite, normal energy level, no lethargy or other worrisome signs.
Until a couple of days ago when her appetite suddenly dropped off precipitously, and I booked her into urgent care. The vet said that her intestines seemed "prominent" upon palpation, and that she showed signs of discomfort when her stomach was touched. Because diagnostics at urgent care are prohibitively expensive, on the vet's advice I opted for a single x-ray (no CBC or other panels as I could not afford them), methadone for pain relief and an anti-emetic to stop the puking, sub-q fluids, and a laxative to get things moving. The x-ray showed moderate constipation without obstipation and no obvious growths or blockages. I asked whether an enema was advisable, and the vet said she didn't think the constipation was severe enough to merit it. She said we were likely looking at IBD or gastritis, and then she pretty much sent us on our way with instructions to follow up with our regular vet. Our appointment is tomorrow afternoon.
She hasn't vomited since receiving the anti-emetic, which is a relief, but she also hasn't pooped in spite of the laxative, which I was told could take up to 48 hours to take effect. She is eating, but it's sporadic and in smaller amounts than usual. She's also disinterested in her regular food, so I've had to tempt her with Churus and baby food.
Anybody experience anything like this before? Any advice on other things I could be doing to encourage her to eat or to help her poop?
