I thought I was trying to address a hairball issue. It didn't seem like an emergency, as he was eating, playing, and pooping normally, and all the signs (undigested food) were hairball. So we treated him for hairballs. It seemed to help - the daily vomiting stopped. Then it started again. Sometimes undigested food - sometimes hair in it - sometimes digested food.
I treated him again for hairballs. About 5 days ago, I found the largest hairball I've ever seen. It HAD to be Lazlo.
BUT.... he's still throwing up! Not every day, but he was retching on an empty stomach. I had to schedule Shel for his annual anyway, so they both went in today.
Some of you may remember we switched to an all wet diet at the beginning of November. They've both lost weight, and I was worried that Lazlo, especially, was too thin. And Shel, who I thought was thin and maybe losing too much weight on this all wet diet - she says he's a good weight, but losing a little more wouldn't hurt him!
I wanted to find a dry food that would work for all of them (allergies & UTI issues between all 8 of them) so they could free feed again - but now I'm not worried about it. They're definitely NOT starving!
As to Lazlo, it turns out that he weighed 12 pounds 4 oz. in May (at his annual). He now weighs 11 pounds 7 oz. The vet says he looks GREAT, his weight perfect. He didn't mind being palpated at all (no pain or discomfort, just indignity
). She took x-rays (and blood - even though he had a senior panel done in May, 8 months in a cat is like 5 years in a person, and with what's been going on, we figured better safe than sorry). X-rays are clear - and internally he looks great too (though he does have to poop LOL).
Soooo...... hopefully it's just a cycle of gastroenteritis that got started with the hairball problem. He's on 1/4 of a 75mg zantac once daily, and we'll see how he does over a week.
If this doesn't resolve the problem, the next step is an endoscopy.
BUT.... he's still throwing up! Not every day, but he was retching on an empty stomach. I had to schedule Shel for his annual anyway, so they both went in today.
Some of you may remember we switched to an all wet diet at the beginning of November. They've both lost weight, and I was worried that Lazlo, especially, was too thin. And Shel, who I thought was thin and maybe losing too much weight on this all wet diet - she says he's a good weight, but losing a little more wouldn't hurt him!
As to Lazlo, it turns out that he weighed 12 pounds 4 oz. in May (at his annual). He now weighs 11 pounds 7 oz. The vet says he looks GREAT, his weight perfect. He didn't mind being palpated at all (no pain or discomfort, just indignity
Soooo...... hopefully it's just a cycle of gastroenteritis that got started with the hairball problem. He's on 1/4 of a 75mg zantac once daily, and we'll see how he does over a week.
