Lucy and her vomiting

[joeynox]

Hi all I just wanted to update everyone on Lucy goosey. On April 18 the vet pit her on the steroid shot to see how she responds and she started to get her appetite back and started acting like my Lucy again. She still vomited but only when her belly was gurgling and rumbling. Today 5/11/14 I took her back for her follow up and the vet prescribed predNisolone I think that's what its called I don't have it in front of me. It is to be administered for 30 days 2 times a day at 1/2 mil each. He also said he believes the gurgling and the discomfort she is experiencing is being caused byhelicobacter bacteria in her stomache. He is having a medication compounded for us at a pharmacy mad EOF antacid and 2 antibiotics which I will get this week. He hopes this will put the bacteria into a remission and stop or control the vomiting. He said to be 100% it is thst bacteria he would have to do an endoscopy but my wife doesn't want to do that because Lucy has very bad side effects to the sedatives. She is basically limp and practically dead for 4 or so days after having sedatives . she also gained a little more than half a pound which he was very happy with since April 18th..

 

[sarah ann]

Any possibility of asthma? One of my cats used to throw up frequently (once a week). The vet thinks she has asthma although I never had it confirmed with X rays. 

She does cough, but rarely. Her main symptom is throwing up.

I started her on prednisolone 3x weekly and now we have tapered the dose down to as needed. It seems to help.

I also keep the house really really clean and vacuum frequently. Just cleaning more often has really helped prevent her from throwing up.

 

[joeynox]

My vet has never said anything about asthma. The prednisolone that he said to administer is .5 (1/2) ml 2 times a day for 30 days. And the other meds for the bacteria is currently being made. I've seen Lucy cough a few times but this usually occurs after cleaning herself.

 

[stephenq]

My vet has never said anything about asthma. The prednisolone that he said to administer is .5 (1/2) ml 2 times a day for 30 days. And the other meds for the bacteria is currently being made. I've seen Lucy cough a few times but this usually occurs after cleaning herself.

There is nothing in your descriptions to suggest asthma at this time.  The very fact that she has put on weight as a result of the prednisilone means that it is reducing her inflamed intestines and as a result she is absorbing more nutrients and gaining weight.  A positive response to this medication is in itself a diagnostic tool, and specifically supports a diagnosis of IBD.

 

[joeynox]

The vet told me shes  gonna hate the pred and it will make her drool. Right after i  give it to her she does  drool alot. is she actually getting the  pred in her belly if  shes drooling like this ?

 

[stephenq]

Hi @joeynox

If the pill isn't coming up (vomit) then i think its safe to say she's getting the Pred.  But if she hates it so much, have you tried a pill pocket?  Its a hollow treat that you hide the pill inside.  Even if she isn't interested in the pill pocket, you can still pill her with the pill inside the pocket, this way she won't taste the medicine and won't (shouldn't) drool.

Also available in Salmon:

 

[joeynox]

The pred is in liquid form not pill. She absolutely hates it and starts foaming after getting it. Why does she foam? The vet said she will drool. Which she does but she also foams. I don't know how much of the 1/2 ml she's actually getting if she starts foaming 2 minutes later

 

[stephenq]

So why don't you ask for it in pill form?

 

[goholistic]

I agree that a pill might be better, but some vets may still be having trouble getting prednisolone in pill form. It was on backorder for awhile.

@joeynox, I've never given pred in liquid form. Are you administering it with a dropper or a syringe? If it's a dropper, do you know how many actual drops are in 1/2 ml. I'd hate for you to waste any to figure this out. I am asking because I do know that a # 3 gel cap holds about 10 drops (depends on the dropper I suppose). If the amount of liquid you need to give would fit into a gel cap, you could put it in there and give it immediately. Since the liquid will start to dissolve the gel cap after several minutes, you'd have to give it right away. This is how I administer Sebastian's Chinese meds. They are extremely bitter. I drop 10 drops in a # 3 gel cap (with a steady hand), close it until it clicks, coat it with coconut oil, and give it within a minute or two. I did time how long it would take the gel cap to get soft, and it was about 10 minutes, but I would never wait that long. The gel caps I use I bought on Amazon from the Empty Caps Company. If you ended up getting pills, they could go in the gel cap, too.

I'm like MacGyver at home. Always figuring out a way. 

 

[koolkatz]

Sorry to hear that Lucy is suffering. I agree with @GoHolistic  and @StephenQ  that you sould ask for it in pill form so she gets the regulated amount.

Good luck!

 

[joeynox]

Hi all, she's foaming on both her liquid meds. The liquid pred which I will be picking up pills for instead. And also on her heliobactor bacteria med which is 2 antibiotics and an antacid compounded together. It sucks because she's foaming what looks like all of both meds and the helio meds cost me $110 for a 2 week supply. The liquid pred was only $4. But she's needs these to see if it will help her belly issues. This has been such a rollercoaster IuUST don't know what to do anymore. Everything I've tried has failed. From food, to holistic stuff, meds Ijust don't understand why her belly is making all these gassy noises which causes her to stop eating and then vomit . the vet thinks its heliobactor infection with ibd.

 

[joeynox]

Well my Lucy goosey who was doing vomited again all the fluid in her belly at 230am. Since Friday the 16th she's been not doing too well. Hasn't dated much and when she does her belly starts going crazy and eventually it comes back out. I'm going to get her the pred pills today.

 

[stephenq]

Well my Lucy goosey who was doing vomited again all the fluid in her belly at 230am. Since Friday the 16th she's been not doing too well. Hasn't dated much and when she does her belly starts going crazy and eventually it comes back out. I'm going to get her the pred pills today.

This is a complicated case, but step one seems to be keeping the meds in her stomach without throwing up.   Poor baby.  Please keep us updated.

 

[goholistic]

@joeynox, what else is Lucy getting besides these two meds? Have you implemented any of the suggestions provided in this thread? Probiotics? How about discussing an anti-emetic such as Cerenia with your vet? What is she eating now?

 

[joeynox]

Hi all, sorry if my grammar I was sending my messages from my cell on a train about to go into a tunnel. A month ago lucy was given a steroid shot which seemed to help her . she still vomited but nowhere near as much as usual. There was still the grumbling belly which sounds like your belly is hungry or gassy. The shot was only to last 3-4 weeks then she was put on the liquid pred and the heliobactor 2 antibiotics plus pecid compounded together. Now she is taking the pred pills and the heliobactor liquid still but she is not doing well. Her belly is grumbling even more, she has to lay down slowly because you can see her belly is hurting. When it makes these noises I know she's going to empty her belly all over my carpet . which will me she would have vomited on 5/16,5/19/ and now tonight because I know its coming and the poor girl hasn't been eating much becsuse OF all the vomiting.
I have prozyme, fortifora, distilled aloe juice, tried every canned food, she's currently eating raw diet only . I'm at a loss now. Her xrays, ultrasounds , blood tests , pli, all came back ok. This is why the vet believe she has ibd and heliobactor bacteria infection. The only other thing to do is to go in with an endoscope and that's expensive . between lucy and my willow who passed from cancer in November I'malready down almost $5000 since july 2013. Something is making her belly upset, and grumble. We just don't know what. It sounds like gas, or when u are hungry . its very odd but Ican hear it across my room over my TV sometimes. She's been to 2 vets. One in the Bronx NY and her current vet in Manhattan NY. I don't know anymore

 

[stephenq]

@joeynox

I didn't know you were in the city or near it, i'm going to PM you some specific vet and vet specialists in manhattan.

 

[goholistic]

Was a fecal test done to confirm a helicobacter infection? I believe it can be sent out to Idexx. 

Something else you may want to consider is contacting a company called Vitality Science (http://www.vitalityscience.com/). They are a holistic company, and I've read a lot of success stories from people using their products on their pets for issues ranging anywhere from vomiting to diarrhea to constipation, etc. I believe you can talk to someone, go over Lucy's issues, and they will recommend a protocol. If you have issues mid-way through, they can walk you through some adjustments. Of course, you will have to purchase their products, but they do have a money back guarantee and claim a 97% success rate. I was so close to calling them when I was having issues with Sebastian. Given where you are with things, it might be worth a shot.

Also, I know there were some questions earlier on in this thread about feeding Lucy a raw diet and making sure it is commercial raw or balanced homemade raw. I'm just checking to make sure you got that all squared away since feeding an unbalanced diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

 

[joeynox]

yes the raw food diet is all taken care of.  Right now  little lucy's belly is  making  noises that  sound like a whippy cushion is in her belly and its deflating .Thats the only way i can describe the noises. now in a day or 2 she will stop eating and vomit.

 

[koolkatz]

I agree with @GoHolistic  . That's a good company, they helped my friend's kitty get over her diarrhea problems.

 

[joeynox]

Quick update. Well not much has changed other than I'm using 1/2 a 5mg pred pill 2x a day. I had to stop the compounded liquid heliobactor meds because every day I gave it to her she vomited.This past week has been a bad week for my girl. She vomited 3 times , the type that empties all the liquid from her belly.her belly is hurting because she's having problems laying down. She will eat non stop one day and the next she doesn't because her belly hurts . then she vomits all liquid.I had to switch her raw food to veal on Wednesday because my local butcher/ supermarket didn't have anymore lamb. I don't think the vomiting is from the veal but I'm not sure.I've read some cats have issues with veal/beef.she loves the taste.she's not eating today, she wants to eat, she woke me up crying for food but she just smells it and looks at me. I tried canned chicken instinct, her raw , and deli turkey which is her favorite but she didn't want anything except her pill pocket. She has a vet appointment today at 1030 am . I think he's gonna want to do an endoscopy but I'm not sure I can afford it at this time . someone hacked my bank account and used $3500 that was in there so I'm waiting for the bank to finish the investigation . its always something