Grace's Nausea

[worriedsomuch]

 
Blue Buffalo is suppose to be a very good food.  I have given it to Pepper and Emily also.  Another one that I do give them is Weruva.  It is packed in a gravy but is suppose to be human grade food and though not a pate, it really isn't chunky or sliced either.  I also use to give them Wysong but I can't get it here anymore.  That is good that the vet is looking at allergies.  Pepper has an allergy to one of the trees in my back yard and even though he is an indoor cat, every fall, he gets spots and a sensitivity at the dock of his tail.  We usually head to the vets for a shot.  This year, I will increase the liquid Omega 3 and 6 and will get a jump on the situation.  Hang in there and let us know how you make out.

I think I've seen Weruva at Pet Smart. I'll check that one out too. Grace definitely has allergies, started as ear infections last summer and a small bald patch on her belly. Now she seems itchy all over. Did your vet give a cortisone shot? I'm a bit nervous about trying that.

 

[samnmag]

No, Pepper didn't get cortisone.  When I first took him in they did a skin swab to check for flea eggs which kind of surprised me because my cats do not go outside at all but I was happy the vet was being thorough.  They gave him a shot of Convenia and as I recall, the first fall he had two shots of that about one month apart.  He seemed to do well with that even though I know there is some controversy surrounding it.  Then last fall, he had only one shot.  I am hoping that this year, by starting the Omega 3 and 6 now, we can forego any shot at all.  If you are near a health food store, you could check to see if they have a pet section.  These come in liquid or powder.  I know the powder I get also has kelp in it which is really good for their skin and fur.

Most definitely you should be able to get the Weruva at Pet Smart.  They also carry the Chicken Soup for the Soul both regular and for hairball which I also will give Pepper and Emily.  If at any time one of them gets an upset stomach, I put them both, for a day, on the Performatrin Senior which is lamb and rice.  It is gentle on the stomach and it seems to help.

Hope this helps.  You and your furry friends are in my thoughts and if I can think of anything else, I will be sure to let you know.

 

[denice]

 
No, Pepper didn't get cortisone.  When I first took him in they did a skin swab to check for flea eggs which kind of surprised me because my cats do not go outside at all but I was happy the vet was being thorough.  They gave him a shot of Convenia and as I recall, the first fall he had two shots of that about one month apart.  He seemed to do well with that even though I know there is some controversy surrounding it.  Then last fall, he had only one shot.  I am hoping that this year, by starting the Omega 3 and 6 now, we can forego any shot at all.  If you are near a health food store, you could check to see if they have a pet section.  These come in liquid or powder.  I know the powder I get also has kelp in it which is really good for their skin and fur.

Most definitely you should be able to get the Weruva at Pet Smart.  They also carry the Chicken Soup for the Soul both regular and for hairball which I also will give Pepper and Emily.  If at any time one of them gets an upset stomach, I put them both, for a day, on the Performatrin Senior which is lamb and rice.  It is gentle on the stomach and it seems to help.

Hope this helps.  You and your furry friends are in my thoughts and if I can think of anything else, I will be sure to let you know.

What was the purpose of giving any kind of antibiotic?

 

[samnmag]

Pepper would break out in a rash on his hind end where the tail begins.  It was very sensitive and he would bite at it and he would not let me brush him there at all.  It was so uncomfortable for him that he nipped me one day and that was just so unlike him.  He would bother it enough to get a few tiny sore spots and the vet was concerned about infection.  When he had the convenia shots, it seemed to help substantially.  The rash seemed to settle down and he didn't bother it much anymore.  A few days after the shot, I could gently brush him and got the older scabs off and everything disappeared.  I could go back to brushing him and he didn't bother that area any more.  I believe the Omegas also helped with this also and that is why I have both of them on Omega 3 and 6.  I am hoping this fall we won't have to get the shot but we will see what happens.

 

[myrnafaye]

I have been reading here about Grace's coughing and gulping.  I had a cat with asthma and that is what he did.  I am not trying to scare you, but maybe you have been barking (meowing ) up the wrong tree for some of this.  Coughing is not always about hairballs.  There is a short video somewhere here that shows you what a cat does when he is have an asthma attack.     They go into a crouch, extend t heir necks, and make a sound like "honking".  That is because they are trying to open up their airways.

If you have not put Grace on pepcid and/or slippery elm bark syrup, I suggest you do both ASAP.  I think you will find both are soothing for her tummy.  There is no reason not to try these things.

As far as vaccines, Iive in Wisconsin, but I only gave both cats their initial rabies and dystemper vacs.  I do not vaccinate other wise.  I dont give a turd if it is a state law or not.  If a vet does not respect that, I would find one that did.  My cats are indoors cats and I am not worried about rabies.  I have my reasons for not vaccinating, I believe they are sound, and thats that.  Vaccinations are the veterinarians bread and butter so they dont like it when owners dont vaccinate.  Tough.  You can do what you think is right for your cat.  I may start a thread on vaccines.

 

[worriedsomuch]

 
No, Pepper didn't get cortisone.  When I first took him in they did a skin swab to check for flea eggs which kind of surprised me because my cats do not go outside at all but I was happy the vet was being thorough.  They gave him a shot of Convenia and as I recall, the first fall he had two shots of that about one month apart.  He seemed to do well with that even though I know there is some controversy surrounding it.  Then last fall, he had only one shot.  I am hoping that this year, by starting the Omega 3 and 6 now, we can forego any shot at all.  If you are near a health food store, you could check to see if they have a pet section.  These come in liquid or powder.  I know the powder I get also has kelp in it which is really good for their skin and fur.

Most definitely you should be able to get the Weruva at Pet Smart.  They also carry the Chicken Soup for the Soul both regular and for hairball which I also will give Pepper and Emily.  If at any time one of them gets an upset stomach, I put them both, for a day, on the Performatrin Senior which is lamb and rice.  It is gentle on the stomach and it seems to help.

Hope this helps.  You and your furry friends are in my thoughts and if I can think of anything else, I will be sure to let you know.

I have heard about the controversy with Covenia. Some say it made their cats very ill. Would Omega help with itching of the skin? As for the food, I'm not sold on the hairball brands being very helpful. Oftentimes they have the same ingredients as any other cat food. I feed a small amount of Blue Buffalo LI dry and supposedly that has something in it to reduce hairballs. I haven't seen a difference. I also don't give Grace rice as it's a grain but I appreciate the suggestions. Thanks for all the support.

 
I have been reading here about Grace's coughing and gulping.  I had a cat with asthma and that is what he did.  I am not trying to scare you, but maybe you have been barking (meowing ) up the wrong tree for some of this.  Coughing is not always about hairballs.  There is a short video somewhere here that shows you what a cat does when he is have an asthma attack.     They go into a crouch, extend t heir necks, and make a sound like "honking".  That is because they are trying to open up their airways.

If you have not put Grace on pepcid and/or slippery elm bark syrup, I suggest you do both ASAP.  I think you will find both are soothing for her tummy.  There is no reason not to try these things.

As far as vaccines, Iive in Wisconsin, but I only gave both cats their initial rabies and dystemper vacs.  I do not vaccinate other wise.  I dont give a turd if it is a state law or not.  If a vet does not respect that, I would find one that did.  My cats are indoors cats and I am not worried about rabies.  I have my reasons for not vaccinating, I believe they are sound, and thats that.  Vaccinations are the veterinarians bread and butter so they dont like it when owners dont vaccinate.  Tough.  You can do what you think is right for your cat.  I may start a thread on vaccines.

Don't worry. You aren't scaring me. I know Grace doesn't have asthma because her sister Delilah does, diagnosed by the vet. She began coughing around 6 months old. I think this happened as a result of a terrible URI she had as just a 2 month old kitten. I definitely can tell the difference between an asthma cough and a hairball cough, although it's true they can sometimes look similar.

Unfortunately last night, just a mere week basically after Grace's hairball vomiting episode and just 3 days after I found the other hairball (the mystery one), Grace vomited again. This time it was by far the strangest thing I have ever seen. She had been fed about 30 minutes earlier and she jumped in my lap, happy as can be, purring and kneading. Then out of nowhere, she gags and spits up on me, just clear spit! There was no warning whatsoever. She didn't look nauseous at all, no licking of her lips or gulping. Nothing. She didn't look nauseated after either. I am still stunned by the whole experience. I called the vet's answering service as they were closed and spoke to the vet tech who said she thought that "Grace was full, had an air bubble, and essentially the purr brought it up."

Not sure I really buy that explanation at all but this is becoming too much for me to handle

I can't take her to the vet today as I have a stupid appointment so I'm calling him when they open to get his take. Regardless I need to take her in for another exam and bloodwork. It's really hard right now too. Next week is a busy week and supposed to be hot too and I don't want to take her out in the heat but what else can I do? Luckily she was fine after. She ate her last meal of the day with no issue and seemed in good spirits this morning but this is becoming way too frequent and bizarre for me.

 

[myrnafaye]

Pepcid.  And maybe try Hills ID.  I know Hills foods are not very popular here, but I had a cat with a sensitive gut who was on it all her life and she did extremely well.  She lived to be almost 18.

 

[worriedsomuch]

What were your 18 year old cat's initial symptoms? I tried Grace on SD and she doesn't like it, at all. I tried their line of grain free food, both wet and dry, and she would walk away from it. It got to the point where I was thinking she'd go hungry so I stopped it. Plus I have all my cats on the same diet so they were walking away too.

This is what she eats:

Blue Buffalo LI Turkey dry (small amount)

Wellness Signature Selects (By far, her favorite)

Simply Nourish

Nature's Recipe

Sheba

Fancy Feast Classics (Beef and Liver is her favorite)

Tiki Cat (just chicken)

Iams Purrfect Delicacies (a new line of grain free, filler free wet food)

All of these are grain free wet varieties in chicken, liver, beef, and turkey.

 

[myrnafaye]

I cant recall Petal's initial symptoms, but probably throwing up and foamy stuff too, that sounds familiar.  I did not suggest SD, I s uggested ID.  And, not to sound tough, but if you give your cat one food and you hang tough, eventually she will eat it.   I had a cat, my first cat, many years ago who had kidney disease, and back then, the only food for cats with kidney issues was Hills KD.  Well, he would not eat that stuff.  I would call my vet in near hysteria, Cant I give him something else?  and my vet said Anything else you give him is POISON.  So I hung tough.  He ate eventually.  I think you are giving your Grace too many choices.  I suggest you look on line at Hills ID and see what it is used for.  

 

[samnmag]

I am sorry that Grace had another bout.  I am glad you are taking her to the vet and hopefully they will be able to determine what is going on.  Myrnafaye raises an very good point when she talks about her 18 year old with a sensitive stomach.  We tend not to think that cats are prone to some of the same issues people have but in fact they do.

Every kitty is different and as a result, different approaches work for different cats.  I am lucky that my cats don't bring up a lot of hairballs and I have to attribute it to the Chicken Soup hairball wet food and the Omegas.  The Omega 3 is very good for skin (once again for cats, dogs and people) and prevents the overgrowth of skin cells.  Pepper tends to have dry skin so it helps with that also.  It did help with the skin itching but so did the Convenia so I have no way of balancing percentage on either.  I will say that the dry skin issue has improved since he was put on the Omegas.  It also seems to help their coats.  Having said that, my kitties are brushed/combed a lot as well.

I know people don't believe in giving their cats grains and I understand why.  We all tend to think that cats in the wild eat only protein and granted their diets are predominantly protein.  What we forget though is that feral cats eat grass to aid their digestion.  Grass is a grain.  They may not eat it in massive quantities but they instinctively know to eat it.  Our cats, on the other hand, are not always rescued feral cats.  They aren't as active as feral cats because they don't have to strive to survive.  Hence, the rice (and I give them cat grass also) is gentle on the stomach and will help their digestion.  At least it works for mine. 

I know it is frustrating for you but just persevere and I am sure, with your vets assistance, you will find the solution.  You are in my thoughts.

 

[worriedsomuch]

 
I cant recall Petal's initial symptoms, but probably throwing up and foamy stuff too, that sounds familiar.  I did not suggest SD, I s uggested ID.  And, not to sound tough, but if you give your cat one food and you hang tough, eventually she will eat it.   I had a cat, my first cat, many years ago who had kidney disease, and back then, the only food for cats with kidney issues was Hills KD.  Well, he would not eat that stuff.  I would call my vet in near hysteria, Cant I give him something else?  and my vet said Anything else you give him is POISON.  So I hung tough.  He ate eventually.  I think you are giving your Grace too many choices.  I suggest you look on line at Hills ID and see what it is used for.  

I'm sorry I misinterpreted. I see you meant ID and that is something to consider then. I really did try to be tough with Grace. I mixed it in with her food and she would take tentative bites and walk off. I guess I should be tougher though because ultimately I just want her to feel well. The only reason I have such an extensive list of foods there is because it took me about 2 months to even get there to have those grain free foods in rotation that she would eat. At first she didn't want much to do with grain free. She would act like she even disliked FF and Sheba at times because she used to be iffy with pates but now luckily she eats those.

 
I am sorry that Grace had another bout.  I am glad you are taking her to the vet and hopefully they will be able to determine what is going on.  Myrnafaye raises an very good point when she talks about her 18 year old with a sensitive stomach.  We tend not to think that cats are prone to some of the same issues people have but in fact they do.

Every kitty is different and as a result, different approaches work for different cats.  I am lucky that my cats don't bring up a lot of hairballs and I have to attribute it to the Chicken Soup hairball wet food and the Omegas.  The Omega 3 is very good for skin (once again for cats, dogs and people) and prevents the overgrowth of skin cells.  Pepper tends to have dry skin so it helps with that also.  It did help with the skin itching but so did the Convenia so I have no way of balancing percentage on either.  I will say that the dry skin issue has improved since he was put on the Omegas.  It also seems to help their coats.  Having said that, my kitties are brushed/combed a lot as well.

I know people don't believe in giving their cats grains and I understand why.  We all tend to think that cats in the wild eat only protein and granted their diets are predominantly protein.  What we forget though is that feral cats eat grass to aid their digestion.  Grass is a grain.  They may not eat it in massive quantities but they instinctively know to eat it.  Our cats, on the other hand, are not always rescued feral cats.  They aren't as active as feral cats because they don't have to strive to survive.  Hence, the rice (and I give them cat grass also) is gentle on the stomach and will help their digestion.  At least it works for mine. 

I know it is frustrating for you but just persevere and I am sure, with your vets assistance, you will find the solution.  You are in my thoughts.

I'm glad that food works for you. I think I will check out the formula just to see what's in the ingredients. I brush Grace as well to try to combat the hair issue but still there are problems. I know what you are saying with grains. I also know vets give food with rice to settle a sick stomach. Honestly sometimes I just feel so inundated and overwhelmed with info, like I have one source telling me "this is bad for your cat" and then another who says "it's fine." I am trying to be informed about nutrition but admit that I have A LOT to learn.

Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. I talked to my vet about Grace's spontaneous "spit up" and he told me a few reasons why it could have happened. He said she could have been quite full and it was sort of a "wet burp" kind of like what that vet tech said. He also said she could be constipated so I am keeping a closer eye on the litterbox although she seems to be going. He said it could have been a bit of reflux, or even crazily enough "over excitement." He was very comforting. I was crying to him about how I was scared she could die like Tito this summer and he said he has no reason to believe that will happen. I am still taking her in however. Unfortunately I have to get some medical tests of my own as my doctor had some "concerns" about myself so I'm a bit unnerved all the way around. This is certainly not how I wanted to start my "restful summer off."

 

[samnmag]

You are right about the food.  Every cat owner will have foods that work for their kitties and for the most part, I think you will find they have had to research them, test them, and check them out with other cat owners.  One suggestion is when you ask at the store or at the vet's about a particular food, ask them why they like that food and ensure you get a detailed answer.  That may help you make a decision.  You obviously look at the labels which is good and if you see an ingredient in a food that pops a question in your mind, before you buy it, run it on the computer.  Whatever food you try, you do need to give it a chance.  You don't want to be switching food to often and too fast in an effort to find a food.  There are also informative websites about cat food that may be of some assistance to you.

When you said to the vet you were scared about losing Grace like Tito, you said a book full and the light flashed on.  Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Tito but I do know this.  Grace is Grace and Tito was Tito.  They are two different pets, with different personalities, different characters and different needs.  Tito will always have a place in your heart, he was and is loved, but he is safe and at peace.   Grace has an issue which you want to fix so you both can enjoy life.    As I said before, your stress is Grace's stress.  You mentioned you also have to have some medical tests and I have no doubt that is adding to your stress level.  You need to take care of yourself so you can resolve Grace's issue, which I think will be resolved once you and Grace are able to have some time to relax.  One day at a time...one step at a time.  My thoughts continue to be with you and Grace (and Meadow also).

 

[worriedsomuch]

 
You are right about the food.  Every cat owner will have foods that work for their kitties and for the most part, I think you will find they have had to research them, test them, and check them out with other cat owners.  One suggestion is when you ask at the store or at the vet's about a particular food, ask them why they like that food and ensure you get a detailed answer.  That may help you make a decision.  You obviously look at the labels which is good and if you see an ingredient in a food that pops a question in your mind, before you buy it, run it on the computer.  Whatever food you try, you do need to give it a chance.  You don't want to be switching food to often and too fast in an effort to find a food.  There are also informative websites about cat food that may be of some assistance to you.

When you said to the vet you were scared about losing Grace like Tito, you said a book full and the light flashed on.  Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Tito but I do know this.  Grace is Grace and Tito was Tito.  They are two different pets, with different personalities, different characters and different needs.  Tito will always have a place in your heart, he was and is loved, but he is safe and at peace.   Grace has an issue which you want to fix so you both can enjoy life.    As I said before, your stress is Grace's stress.  You mentioned you also have to have some medical tests and I have no doubt that is adding to your stress level.  You need to take care of yourself so you can resolve Grace's issue, which I think will be resolved once you and Grace are able to have some time to relax.  One day at a time...one step at a time.  My thoughts continue to be with you and Grace (and Meadow also).

As always, thanks for the support and care and concern for me

Unfortunately Meadow threw up a hairball yesterday. Unfortunately I think hers are becoming more frequent than Grace's. However, Grace still has her issues and had morning nausea on Saturday as well as what looked like a brief episode of nausea last night. Also, Meadow being a former feral, means taking her for extensive tests is probably not an option. I already discussed with the vet and he knows taking her in involves sedation and Meadow becoming combative under sedation. It just really (to be blunt) sucks all around. Now I have two possibly ill cats and a lot of questions and decisions to make.

 

[samnmag]

You are sounding really discouraged right now but the one thing you must never do is to give up.  I would really like you to do me a favour and go to the website, http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/stress-in-cats   .  There is no doubt in my mind that you are feeling a great deal of stress right now and we tend to think of our cats as being relaxed, etc.  Not so.  Cats are prone to stress far more than some other animals and it doesn't take much to trigger it.  The person who wrote this is right on the money and it is a good essay.  It does not list all the triggers or reactions but does give you a good idea.  I have been through several sites where overgrooming and nausea are issues.  When you talk to your vets next, (and I see through all your posts that you seem to have faith in them) ask them in earnest if they think these issues with Grace and now Meadow, could be stress related.  I'm not a vet nor an animal behaviorist but I do know what stress looks like in cats and from what you are describing, it just seems to jump out at me.  As I said before, your stress is their stress.  Your vet will be able to give you an answer to that but read the article and don't give up!