hairball obstruction

[Catmom1234567890]

hello, my kitty had endoscopy procedure to remove giant hairball. She was under anesthesia for about 2 hours. Her vet said she should be recovering around day 3 after the procedure. She's having diarrhea which she is on antibiotic. She just looks lethargic and withdrawn. Is this what I should be expecting after any type of surgical or invasive procedure.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Exactly when was the surgery? You don't say. If this is within the first 24-36 hours, it is fairly normal. After that, there should be some improvement. I would also call your vet about the diarrhea and ask for a recommendation for a good probiotic to ease that off. Is she eating and drinking?

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Exactly when was the surgery? You don't say. If this is within the first 24-36 hours, it is fairly normal. After that, there should be some improvement. I would also call your vet about the diarrhea and ask for a recommendation for a good probiotic to ease that off. Is she eating and drinking?

Its been 3 days after the procedure but she is still very withdrawn and lethargic. Vet said diarrhea is normal, so she prescribed antibiotic. She is eating small amount food. Is this part of normal recovery or is this something I should not ignore.

 

[StanAndAlf]

Has she improved at all since the day she came home from surgery? Is she walking, using the litterbox as normal? If no, then take her back to the vet as soon as possible. If you have seen some improvement, and she continues to eat, then it's likely this is part of her normal recovery.

Is she on any painkillers? The lethargy could be from soreness, seeing as she did have a very invasive surgery.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Yes, she is eating with encouragement, but not much. About 1.5 oz of wet food. She doesn’t beg for food like before. She sleeps all day and doesn’t move much. It’s been 3 days since the procedure. She is using the litter box. I don’t know if this is slow recovery or an urgent matter. I hate to take her to vet as that alone is very stressful.

 

[vince]

Sounds like both ends are working, to some extent. However, I think you should contact your vet for some advice. Perhaps if she won't eat much, you could try kitten food for a while. It has higher caloric value than regular cat food.

She had antibiotics, which often disturb good gut flora. If you can give her some cat probiotic, that will help with that problem You could also see if she'll take some yogurt, which has probiotic qualities.

Poor kitty! I never heard of a hairball that big. I hope she's feeling better. She had a tough time!

 

[Catmom1234567890]

endoscopy procedure took around 2 hours to pull hair piece by piece. even though it's not invasive it became invasive as the doctor could not pull out in one shot. dr pulled out 3 golf size balls of hair from the stomach. For all long-haired cats like himalayan or persian, ragdoll owners out there, how do you manage hairball? I've been brushing her daily but that wasn't enough. For now, I'm giving her mirtazapine to eat. I've stopped morphine and omprezole, cisapride, sucrafate as it caused more stress to her.

 

[fionasmom]

Were you giving her morphine as part of the follow up to the endoscopy? I agree that you possibly should contact the vet even if just to soothe your nerves. You had an expensive procedure and need follow up.

I had a dog react very strongly to acepromazine once....literally was not right for days when it should have been excreted in 24-48 hours. But I did contact the vet.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If she is not considerably better later on today (Sunday), call your vet first thing Monday morning and ask him to see her. I'd expect some of what is going on for a short time, but not for too long.

 

[StanAndAlf]

I've stopped morphine and omprezole, cisapride, sucrafate as it caused more stress to her.

Did you get your vet's consent to do this?

Please please please do not stop prescribed medication, especially so soon after a procedure, without consulting a vet first. They were given to you for a reason and can be a crucial part of a smooth recovery.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Thank you all, she seems better today. I have not given any meds. My primary said to give gI meds but discontinue morphine.