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- Nov 28, 2020
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Hi everyone,
I last posted about my cat back in January when I took her to the vet for a teeth cleaning (No teeth removed). She returned home very distressed to my other cat hissing and growling at her and she acted as if her mouth was in pain. She stopped eating on her own for two days and I had to hand feed her during this time. It was very distressing for me and her.
Anyway since then I would say she has never truely been the same. Prior to the teeth cleaning I had no issues with her health whatsoever.
Since January she has been vomiting fairly regularly and seems to have a much more sensitive stomach. A couple of months ago, I reduced her meal sizes and gave them to her more regularly and also incorporated egg yolk lecithin into her meals which has also helped a lot. I would largely say the vomiting improved by about 75% but it was still concerning me a little.
She however still had some strange symptoms which are ongoing. About 6 weeks ago she started having a cough which frightened me to death so I immediately took her to the vet. The vet examined her and said that it could be many things and said most likely acid reflux but couldn’t be sure and wanted to start her on acid reducing medication. I immediately said no because my husband has acid reflux and I know that acid blockers do more harm than good and that it is best to get to the root of the problem and stomachs need acid not less acid. The vet said that if I wanted then to book her in for X-rays and ultrasounds.
My cat is an extremely sensitive cat. She finds vet visits VERY traumatic, getting her in a carrier is also very traumatic for her and for me as she wrestles and scratches just to get her in there and even at the sound of the carrier she runs and hides. Also the aggression from my other cat when she comes home is extreme and lasts many days even with a quick 20 min visit. Taking my other cat is also extremely hard. All in all vet visits are not easy.
For these reasons, I am trying to investigate these issues myself and do everything I can before I resort to more investigations at the vet. If it is acid reflux then I would like to treat it naturally as we have done with my husband than resort to medication.
So I made an appointment with a holistic vet in my area who could give me more advice. She was willing to consult without physically seeing my cat. I gave her the whole history since the teeth cleaning and she came up with the theory that her body is still suffering trauma from the teeth cleaning incident even though the physical trauma may have gone away, the emotional hasn’t. She also said acid reflux could be the cause and it is very common to happen after cats have been under anaesthetic and having a tube down their throat.
This made sense to me because she is an extremely sensitive cat. She is scared of new people, strange noises, anything unusual and I believe it has become worse since her vet visit. The holistic vet recommended some special probiotics with a clay to remove toxins from the body that have built up and she also gave me a natural remedy (I think flower essences) to try and ease the stress on her body and heal it.
I have finished the probiotics and am still using the remedy and so far I would say she has improved. Vomiting is pretty much gone and I haven’t heard a cough since. She however has one last remaining issue which I just can’t seem to understand. She makes like a gulping, exaggerated swallowing action after eating. Usually within an hour after eating. She kind of sticks her neck out and swallows repeatedly for about 30 seconds but quickly recovers and goes back to her normal self. She kind of looks uncomfortable at the time. There is no sound when she does this.
I have asked the holistic vet about this and she says it could be acid and to try some slippery elm but to also just keep going with the remedy and we will review it again in a few weeks.
All in all she’s a happy cat and seems normal apart from these weird gulping episodes. Her appetite is great.
Does anyone have any ideas what the gulping could be and how to stop it? We don’t know for sure that it is acid reflux so open to other suggestions.
Apologies for the long post and thanks to anyone who made it this far.
I last posted about my cat back in January when I took her to the vet for a teeth cleaning (No teeth removed). She returned home very distressed to my other cat hissing and growling at her and she acted as if her mouth was in pain. She stopped eating on her own for two days and I had to hand feed her during this time. It was very distressing for me and her.
Anyway since then I would say she has never truely been the same. Prior to the teeth cleaning I had no issues with her health whatsoever.
Since January she has been vomiting fairly regularly and seems to have a much more sensitive stomach. A couple of months ago, I reduced her meal sizes and gave them to her more regularly and also incorporated egg yolk lecithin into her meals which has also helped a lot. I would largely say the vomiting improved by about 75% but it was still concerning me a little.
She however still had some strange symptoms which are ongoing. About 6 weeks ago she started having a cough which frightened me to death so I immediately took her to the vet. The vet examined her and said that it could be many things and said most likely acid reflux but couldn’t be sure and wanted to start her on acid reducing medication. I immediately said no because my husband has acid reflux and I know that acid blockers do more harm than good and that it is best to get to the root of the problem and stomachs need acid not less acid. The vet said that if I wanted then to book her in for X-rays and ultrasounds.
My cat is an extremely sensitive cat. She finds vet visits VERY traumatic, getting her in a carrier is also very traumatic for her and for me as she wrestles and scratches just to get her in there and even at the sound of the carrier she runs and hides. Also the aggression from my other cat when she comes home is extreme and lasts many days even with a quick 20 min visit. Taking my other cat is also extremely hard. All in all vet visits are not easy.
For these reasons, I am trying to investigate these issues myself and do everything I can before I resort to more investigations at the vet. If it is acid reflux then I would like to treat it naturally as we have done with my husband than resort to medication.
So I made an appointment with a holistic vet in my area who could give me more advice. She was willing to consult without physically seeing my cat. I gave her the whole history since the teeth cleaning and she came up with the theory that her body is still suffering trauma from the teeth cleaning incident even though the physical trauma may have gone away, the emotional hasn’t. She also said acid reflux could be the cause and it is very common to happen after cats have been under anaesthetic and having a tube down their throat.
This made sense to me because she is an extremely sensitive cat. She is scared of new people, strange noises, anything unusual and I believe it has become worse since her vet visit. The holistic vet recommended some special probiotics with a clay to remove toxins from the body that have built up and she also gave me a natural remedy (I think flower essences) to try and ease the stress on her body and heal it.
I have finished the probiotics and am still using the remedy and so far I would say she has improved. Vomiting is pretty much gone and I haven’t heard a cough since. She however has one last remaining issue which I just can’t seem to understand. She makes like a gulping, exaggerated swallowing action after eating. Usually within an hour after eating. She kind of sticks her neck out and swallows repeatedly for about 30 seconds but quickly recovers and goes back to her normal self. She kind of looks uncomfortable at the time. There is no sound when she does this.
I have asked the holistic vet about this and she says it could be acid and to try some slippery elm but to also just keep going with the remedy and we will review it again in a few weeks.
All in all she’s a happy cat and seems normal apart from these weird gulping episodes. Her appetite is great.
Does anyone have any ideas what the gulping could be and how to stop it? We don’t know for sure that it is acid reflux so open to other suggestions.
Apologies for the long post and thanks to anyone who made it this far.