Is there anything else I can do for what has turned out to be a very expensive cat?

August 15, 2009 7:39 PM

Are we doing the right things for our cat?

Last night, our cat Mabeline vomited foamy stuff a couple of times. This isn't completely out of the ordinary for her; she does it a few times a year. We thought she was possibly trying to bring up a hairball.

However, today she was still vomiting. My husband called the vet and they asked him to bring her in. While she was there the vet took blood to look at her liver and kidney functions. The blood tests came back okay. He also gave her two injections, one meant to calm her stomach and one an antibiotic because she has food allergies and something in the first injection might cause a reaction. The different meds were called Cerenia and Convenia -- I'm not sure which is which. The doctor said that he would call on Monday for a follow-up.

Here's the thing, though. I don't know if she's eaten today at all. We feed our cats at night from a shared bowl. Though someone's clearly been in the bowl, we can't tell if it's just the healthy one, or if they've both been in. Today we tried to feed Mabeline dry treats and kibble out of hand before the vet visit and she wouldn't take them; since she's been home we've also added cheese to the mix but she's not interested. My husband let the vet know that she wasn't eating when she came in. I am concerned about fatty liver disease.

She eats Royal Canin Rabbit and Green Pea dry food. We switched the cats to that brand about five or six weeks ago on the recommendation of a feline dermatologist. (The switch was made gradually.) We took her to the derm because of constant recurring ear infections and overgrooming of the belly. The infections are mostly cleared up after switching to the high protein food and using Tresaderm drops in the ears twice a day.

Also, before she started on the new food, she weighed 14.1 lb, her highest weight ever. Last Saturday, at the follow-up appointment, she weighed 13.4 lb. Today she weighed in at 13 even. I don't know if that is relevant.

Other than the dry food, she will hardly eat anything else. This cat turned and ran the other way when we tried to feed her tuna once. Wet food is out of the question.

She hasn't vomited since she came home this afternoon. She spent the afternoon lying at the top of the stairs and even now doesn't seem like she has a lot of energy.

Is there anything else I could or should be doing for her? The vet is closed tomorrow and I want to make sure she will be okay.

posted by sugarfish to pets & animals (21 comments total)

Has she been off her water as well?

How old is your cat?
posted by contessa at 7:54 PM on August 15, 2009

She's about 7-8 -- we got her from a shelter and don't know exactly. I don't know if she's been drinking water or not but she doesn't seem dehydrated.
posted by sugarfish at 7:55 PM on August 15, 2009

Try feeding her a plate of beans.

No, really, it sounds like you are doing well by her. How's her coat? Other than eating, how's her behavior? Reading between the lines, it seems to me that you are worried that her regular vet has missed something.

Take her to an emergency vet if you still don't feel good about it in the morning, but I'll bet it's just a case of "cats are weird."
posted by thebrokedown at 7:57 PM on August 15, 2009

If she likes cheese, have you considered the kitten milk replacement? You can squirt it down her throat if she's not otherwise eating, so if she doesn't like it, there's another way to get her fed. Will she eat a (sodium free) chicken broth? You can try human baby food (my cat liked chicken, though she won't eat chicken-based cat foods or adult chicken food: choose single ingredient foods, and no onions). Salmon instead of tuna? Cats have weird food preferences sometimes.

For just this period, I would probably not allow my cats to eat at will/overnight, but feed them only when I can monitor them.
posted by jeather at 7:59 PM on August 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

Our 11-year-old cat fell ill recently (we never did discover why) and the single thing that helped her start eating and drinking water again was when the vet gave her intravenous fluids.
We also kept her away from our other cats during the day with her own food and litter box. That way, we could monitor how much she was urinating, since dehydration was such a worry for us.
posted by zinfandel at 8:03 PM on August 15, 2009

As someone who has obsessed over the strange behavior of our 6 cats on many occasions, and who has a very patient vet, my gut is to tell you to relax a little, keep plenty of fresh water out, continue to offer food and treats, and see what happens.

Sometimes one of ours will go without food for a day or two, for no discernible reason other than "she's not happy about something." Even if the stomach calmer is working, it may take Mabeline a little time to get to where she wants to eat.

If you see any other symptoms (like more vomiting, dehydration, blood in strange places, seizures...and yes, we've had all of those) and you feel like panicking, there's always the emergency vet, but chances are she'll sort this out in a day or two.

(I asked a very good friend -- who is not a vet, but is my go-to person when I'm deciding whether to freak out over something -- for her opinion, and got this in reply: stop following the poor cat around and give her a chance to recuperate in peace. That's my professional opinion.)

Good luck!
posted by ivey at 8:42 PM on August 15, 2009

Thanks, all. We tried some sodium-free broth but Mabeline wasn't interested. We'll be taking ivey's advice for now.
posted by sugarfish at 8:47 PM on August 15, 2009

I don't know if she's been drinking water or not but she doesn't seem dehydrated.

How have you checked? If you pinch her skin, then the other cat's skin, does her skin take longer to settle? Cats can get dehydrated very quickly, so you want to be able to confirm this.

Skipping one day of food is not a huge deal in itself, but given her low energy, you want to make sure she's drinking.
posted by maudlin at 8:50 PM on August 15, 2009

If you can't be sure she's eating them keeping them separate for a while probably makes sense. That way you can see if she really is eating or not and can take action if not. You're right to worry that she's eating regularly, missing a couple of meals isn't a problem but more than that and it is (I wonder if those telling you to relax have heard of hepatic lipidosis?). Google tells me it can start in three days but I'm not sure of the actual timeline, and my vet recommends talking to them after 48 hours of confirmed lack of food. You already know she's losing weight, it's that process that causes the liver problems.

The vet should be able to give you nutrient gel stuff and a syringe to squirt it into her mouth (kitten milk would work too if she likes it). It's not a long term replacement but can be useful to keep her nutritional status up while she gets over whatever is bothering her. Either way if you're sure she hasn't eaten in a couple of days then it's time to go back to the vet.
posted by shelleycat at 8:52 PM on August 15, 2009

Can you separate the cats and give her a bowl all her own so that you can know for sure how much she's eating and drinking?

You can get Science diet a/d from any vet. It's supposed to be extra palatable for cats with upset stomachs and was the only thing my cat would eat when he was sick. It's wet food but it's mostly liver and if she'll eat, it will be gentle for her upset stomach.

Other things that might help: Nutri-cal and benebac. If she still isn't eating after that you should ask your vet about appetite stimulants.
posted by tinamonster at 9:36 PM on August 15, 2009

Feed her some plain chicken baby food. I don't think cats can say no to that stuff.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:05 AM on August 16, 2009

It does sound like you're doing fine by her. But if you'll feel less anxious getting food into her, I'd suggest some plain meat-flavored baby food, and/or cat milk. If she's having some sort of problem with her mouth that's making eating painful those will be easier for her, and if she's just on one of those weird random cat hunger strikes, maybe something new will tempt her. I have a cat with occasional breakouts of a gum disease that makes eating hard for her, and the one thing she will always eat is baby food. Just make sure you get a flavor without onion powder.

It probably doesn't matter for cat nutrition if it's plain meat or not, but my girl turns up her nose at any flavors with carbs or veggies mixed in with the meat. She's a purist.
posted by Stacey at 4:18 AM on August 16, 2009

If she seems dehydrated you can get an eyedropper and gently give her water with it. When I've had cats that were too sick to eat - painful injury or recovering from surgery - I've given them water that way. Putting dabs of chicken baby food on their muzzle so they lick it off can help also. Sometimes a cat is feeling lousy enough that they don't want to spend the energy to eat and drink and feeding them this way - gently - can make a big difference. As mentioned earlier cats can get seriously dehydrated pretty easily.
posted by leslies at 5:29 AM on August 16, 2009

I was going to suggest keeping the cats separated as well, just so you can tell if she's eating/drinking/using the litterbox. I've had sick cats before & wound up doing the same due to concerns about one eating. I also had a cat who vomited excessively & refused wet food/tuna/delicious baby food/kitten food/etc -- she only wanted her special dry food. I think the first thing is to determine if she is in fact eating before worrying about having to coax her with special treats.

I wonder, too, if one of the injections may have just made her groggy in general. After his rabies shot, one of my cats always just wants to nap for the rest of the day while the others don't seem affected.
posted by oh really at 6:36 AM on August 16, 2009

This happened to my cat Sampson once--lots of vomiting followed by refusal to eat. Your kitty illness may vary, but it turned out that he was very, very constipated. The vet didn't want to give him an enema because of the possibility of a bowel obstruction. In the end, after about three days of not eating, we had to have him hospitalized at the vet so that they could pipe in some fluids and (ugh) manually remove the obstruction. Now he gets a half a pepcid a day as well as some vaseline weekly for a laxative. We haven't had any problems since.

Is Mabeline pooping? It's possible that she's constipated (though that itself could be caused by a variety of things, too). I'd definitely isolate her so that you can observe her eating and box habits. If there's no progress on either front, tell the vet and ask to take her back in. Both not eating and not using the box can cause long term damage.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:53 AM on August 16, 2009

Morning update: we kept her isolated in our bedroom last night, while the other cat threw herself bodily at the door every two minutes all night long. Heh.

She is drinking; I saw her do it. She used the box in the night and after careful investigation we've decided it's a little bit of poop. But we still don't think she's eaten anything. Sometimes she almost seems interested, like she'll look at the bowl for a second, but then she walks away. I'm off to locate some kitten milk and baby food.

If that doesn't work I might call the emergency vet this afternoon. I know the vet checked her liver yesterday but I don't know how quickly that can change.
posted by sugarfish at 8:46 AM on August 16, 2009

Keep in mind that if she's on antibiotics, that can cause all sorts of havoc with digestion as well. When Sammy had his poop problems, they gave him an injection that stopped the vomiting, but he still didn't have an appetite. You might try giving her a little bit of plain yogurt--sometimes that helps to calm kitty bellies down.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:03 AM on August 16, 2009

Your vet gave her an injection of 1) an anti-emetic to reduce vomiting (Cerenia is labeled for dogs, so it's use in your cat is off-label, ie. not tested by the FDA. Vets do this pretty often, but just FYI) and 2) an antibiotic injection of cephalosporin meant to replace a 2 week regimen of oral antibiotics. Convenia is usually prescribed for skin infections in cats, so it's use on your kitty puzzles me a little. You say she had some overgrooming issues, and possible skin allergies related to food, but you didn't indicate she had pyoderma (a skin infection).

The administration of antibiotics can also kill off necessary gut bacteria, which could result in some digestive issues (mostly on the poop end of things). You can feed her a little bit of yogurt to help build up her gut flora again, but keep in mind that the antibiotic she was given will be in her system for 2 weeks.

Everyone's advice on keeping her isolated and quiet is great. You want to monitor her intake and output at this time.

A cat that doesn't eat for more than 24 hours is a big concern. The metabolism of cats is very fast, and lack of food can damage their organs. You need to get her to eat something.

Has your vet considered Irritable Bowel Syndrome? I had a cat who died after a bout with this. It can sometimes occur in cats that have dietary allergies, because the intestines just can't digest some foods, the allergenic food causes an immune response and they experience diarrhea and vomiting.

Dry food is not optimal for cats having digestive issues. In my experience, dry food is not good for cats. It usually contains carbohydrates that the cat doesn't need, dehydrates the animal, and causes urinary stones in male cats. It is so far from what cats would eat in the wild, but I'll admit, it's convenient for humans. ;)

After my experience with IBS, I have begun feeding my cats a raw food diet from Feline Future. When the raw food is not available, I feed a Wellness brand food that contains 95% chicken. I can't overstate what a difference this has made in the brightness of their eyes and coats, muscle tone, and energy levels.

I agree with suggestions that you ply her with baby food. You can make it even more delicious if you warm it in the microwave for a few seconds - be careful that you touch it yourself, it can get very hot very fast - and dab a little on the tip of her nose. Her reflex will be to lick it off. If she likes the taste, she may continue.

If your cat continues to refuse food, take her to the vet. Maybe a different one this time. Good luck!
posted by Seppaku at 9:54 AM on August 16, 2009 [2 favorites]

Convenia is used a lot in cats because it's a long acting antibiotic, since pilling cats can be a huge headache.

I would offer the cat tuna water, also meat baby foods (not the kind with veggies, the plain strained meat kind). But if she won't eat, she needs a vet, cats should not go more than a day or so without eating.
posted by biscotti at 5:09 PM on August 16, 2009

Latest update: we took her to the emergency vet tonight after not getting her to eat all day. The vet took x-rays where he luckily found no blockages. He gave her subcutaneous fluids and we're to try to force-feed her baby food with a syringe every four hours in hopes that it will stimulate her appetite. If she's not eating tomorrow, it's back to the regular vet.
posted by sugarfish at 10:42 PM on August 16, 2009

Okay, one final update. After x-rays, vet visits, and an ultrasound the vet finally decided... picky eater. Heh.

I wrote a couple of blog entries if anyone is interested in our little misadventure.

Thanks again for all your advice. And if your cat stops eating TAKE THEM TO THE VET.
posted by sugarfish at 5:02 PM on August 20, 2009