? Monty throwing up

Hi there,

I woke up this morning to Monty having vomited in several places and has had diorhea (in his tray).

A few days ago I switched his food from applaws chicken in jelly to thrive chicken (because it's 33% cheaper). I didn't think switching between different brands of chicken food would cause this.

Other changes I've noticed are that he's being more lethargic and he longer meows for an hour before feeding.

Any ideas? Should I feed him (he vomited somewhere between 6-11 hours after his last shot)? I don't have any of his old food left and it would take me 1-2 days to get some.

 

I've placed a small piece of chicken in front of him to test appetite and he won't touch it

 

AMPS is 20.6 (371) this morning

 

Amazon has stopped selling his old cat food through prime and the earliest I could get some is June 3rd.

My current plan of action is:

1. Skip his morning meal, no shot
2. Light snack in a few hours
3. Evening as normal on his new food, if he will eat
4. Vet opens in an hour, call and ask for advice

 

My vet wants to see him taking him there in 90 minutes

 

In the meantime he's perked up a bit and is walking around asking for strokes

 

Sorry no one had answered you.
How is Monty now.?
Please ask the vet to check for ketones in the urine.
Also ask for a snapfPL test for pancreatitis and some antinausea tablets to bring home (cerenia and ondansetron).
Hopefully he will give a cerenia injection at the clinic for the vomiting.
Please keep up posted and good luck

 

I'm with the vet, he's taking a urine sample now for a ketone test. He doesn't agree that a snap FPL is necessary at the moment because it's only 1 instance of vomiting and it's not worth the expense but if vomiting continues then we should do it.

Otherwise he's is good health besides the high glucose level. He's also giving him anti-nausia drugs

 

Ketones negative

 

That’s good.
[QUOTE="bcat, post: 2575946, member: 29636". He's also giving him anti-nausia drugs[/QUOTE]
That’s good too!
I hope Monty is feeling better soon.

 

Thanks for all the advice! The vet believes the vomiting may just be hair and be a coincidence or it might be related to the diet change. The diorhea and not eating are almost certainly a diet change and if diorhea continues he's asked me to come and collect pro-biotics for him

 

Thanks for the update. Sending vines that the diarrhoea stops and the vomiting settles.

 

sending best wishes for Monty to feel better fast.
j.

 

So glad Monty is feeling better! Urghh the vomiting and the nausea, been there and still doing that ha!

you can shop for probiotics on amazon it’s much cheaper than getting them at the vet. A lot of folks here swear by S Boulardii and I have to agree. Since i started Minnie on it, her stool has been way more regular. The other thing to ask your vet about when it comes to that if it doesn’t clear up is metronidazole. It’s a mild antibiotics but it works fast to clear up the diarrhea and then you have more time for the probiotics to work as if takes a few weeks.

if this ever happens again, you can try baby food. It used to work for Minnie when she wouldn’t eat her regular wet food.

 

Update: he ate this morning no problem, he seemed to have a slightly lower appetite because he didn't wake me up at 6am, but he did eat his entire meal.

This evening he won't touch food and he's had diorhea again (half solid). The last reading I have from him is AM+7 at 8 (137). I've called the vet (they close in 30 minutes) and they've asked me to bring him back in at 9.30am tomorrow. Going to get a reading from him when he comes out from under the bed.

 

Got a reading, 20.3 (365). Should I shoot at that number even if he doesn't eat?

 

On second thoughts it's over 90 minutes past his PM shot time so I'm going to skip. I'll leave food open for him (half portion) and try a regular meal tomorrow before his vet visit.

 

Are there other things you can try to get him eating if this happens again? Like freeze dried treats or baby food? And try to get the reading as close to the time you’re shooting him at. The midday cycle number was a good number at +7 but not so great at pmps, while 365 is. That way you don’t have to skip shots. When you’re at the vet tomorrow, ask for an anti nausea med like Cerenia or ondansetron and for the diarrhea ask the vet if you should try metronidazole. It helps clear it out usually in a few days. I also like S Boulardii probiotics as a long term diarrheal preventive supplement. In other words, it helps keep their stool healthy

 

I have freeze dried chicken I can give him, also got cans of tuna in water.

How much food is enough to shoot? He usually has 160 kcal per meal.

 

It’s hard to say because it’s not really the amount that matters as much as them having food in their system

 

He hasn't touched his food I left out overnight for him unfortunately and isn't eating any treats I offer. He's also urinated in the lounge on the floor and when I tried to pet him he only allowed it for 5 seconds before hiding under the coach.

No more vomit or diarrhea but then he hasn't eaten anything. His vet appointment is in 2 hours, I'll update when I know more. Starting to get concerned as it's been a full 24 hours since he ate anything significant.

 

Please let us know what happens , I hope everything works out and Monty starts to feel better

 

He's spending a day hospitalised. They are going to feed him through IV this morning as he hasn't eaten in a day. While he's there they are going to do a suite of blood tests and pre-emptively give him some anti-biotics.

I'm going to collect some anti nausia tablets when I collect him tonight, however the vet warns they are strong stuff and I should make sure to only give him 1/4 pills.

Results of blood tests should be available in 3-4 hours.

 

Slightly elevated lipase (34IU), the vet suspects this is caused by the diarrhea. Otherwise blood looks normal other than high glucose levels because I skipped a shot.

The vet has also managed to get him to eat some wet food in clinic. The vet seems confident he will recover over the next few days.

 

Hey Tom I'm glad they are keeping Monty for the day , happy to hear the vet got him to eat some wet food on his own
What nausea meds ate you getting, do you know yet
Any appetite stimulant?
Let us know how Month does when you get him home

 

Yes, are you getting Cerenia or ondansetron? Did he mention maybe giving Monty a Cerenia shot before he comes home? Are the antibiotics for the diarrhea? Metronidazole perhaps? It’s good news that he ate there and that they’re keeping him so they can keep a close eye on him.

An apetite stimulant as Diane mentioned may also be a good back up for him.

Sending positive thoughts and keep us posted!

 

I've got him home. The vet has given me ranitidine, metronidazole and pro-bind. The ranitidine is to be given on an empty stomach, which I think means 2+ hours after he's eaten.

The vet did a 4U caninsulin shot at 1pm. I normally shoot at 7 am and pm, what should I do about shooting this evening? It's now 8.30pm.

 

I only know metronidazole not the other two.

hang on tagging a few folks here @Nan & Amber (GA) @Bron and Sheba (GA) @Wendy&Neko @Marje and Gracie @Sienne and Gabby (GA) @JanetNJ hoping one of them knows how caninsulin works

 

This is a bit out of my league. Ideally, you want to still have 12hrs between shots, but caninsulin does have a shorter duration and is (in theory) an in-and-out insulin. So overlap isn't as much of a concern if you shoot somewhat early, but I would still hesitate to tell you to shoot much before +10 (11pm your time), and that would put you very far from your preferred schedule with a long time needed to work your way back. Not ideal.

It's good that he isn't showing ketones, even with all of this. You might have to skip tonight's shot and start over at 7am tomorrow.

Just realized, I was looking at your spreadsheet numbers for yesterday, when he was 365 at shot time. There aren't any numbers for today-- let's get a test to see where he is now! Any hint that he's still low from the Caninsulin shot settles the matter, I was willing to maybe contemplate shooting at +10 if he was at 365 now, but if he's not that high I think I'd definitely skip.

All that said, as I said above this is a bit out of my league, so hopefully one of the tagged moderators will stop by with an opinion!

 

I'm unable to get a reading from him tonight, he's very skittish after being poked and prodded all day (I had a hard time getting his bandage off from the IV, was going to test after but he freaked out). Given that it's now almost 10 hours since the vet shot and his next shot is in 8 hours, I'm going to skip rather than work my back from a 6 hour time shift. I'll set my alarm for 3am to wake up and check on him.

Thanks so much for all the help and support everyone!

 

Yes, definitely skip if you can't get a reading.

Do you have ketostix so you can check for ketones at home?

 

I do not have ketostix, I'll order some.

This morning he's refusing to eat again, have tried several different options. He's thrown up twice this morning too, mostly thick bile.

I feel like I'm in a catch 22, I can't give his stomach medicine unless he eats, he won't eat because of his stomach.

His AMPS came in at 19.3 (347), trying to decide if I should shoot regardless

 

After phoning the vet he's told me to inject him and take him back for hospitalisation again

I couldn't get him to eat anything so was unable to give him his drugs.

 

Did the vet do a Snap fPL or. SpecFPL test for pancreatitis. It is not done with the usual run of tests but needs to be done separately.
Ranitidine is Zantac and is used to reduce stomach acid. Pro-bind is given for diarrhoea and alimentary upsets. Neither of those will address the vomiting and nausea. You need cerenia or ondansetron for that. Specifically ask for cerenia and ondansetron.
I hope he feels better soon.

 

I've pushed the vet already to give him an anti nausia injection before discharge tonight, he's calling me within an hour to give me an update - I'll mention those two drugs to him then, thanks.

 

It is more likely that Monty needs an anti-emetic than something for stomach acid. Medications like Cerenia (likely the pill you need to cut into quarters) and/or ondansetron would be more helpful. You can give both of these medications in combination since they work on different receptor systems. (FYI - I generally will cut the Cerenia and put it in an empty gel capsule. It's bitter and if you aren't really good at pilling your cat, it will cause Monty to drool and he won't be very happy about the taste.)

Diabetic cats can be prone to pancreatitis. It would be useful to have it ruled out if for no other reason than pancreatitis is really, really painful. Pain medication (i.e., buprenorphine) would be beneficial if Monty does have pancreatitis.

I'd also suggest a different food. If what you're feeding Monty now is the cause of the problem, it may be that this particular brand of food isn't one that his GI track is happy with. Many cats will require a slow transition to a new food in order to avoid GI upsets. Just as an experiment, I'd also try a novel protein -- something like rabbit or venison -- if all you've been feeding your cat is chicken. FWIW, I fed my cats chicken and turkey exclusively for years. One of them developed IBS. Whenever he has a flare, he's vomiting and has diarrhea.

 

At the moment he gets the majority of his calories from chicken and about 30% from lamb.

I switched his food around a week ago and due to poor planning and availability issues on his old food I was unable to transition gradually. I have some Lily's Kitchen chicken food he's had in the past without an medical issues, he just wasn't a big fan of it:
https://www.lilyskitchen.co.uk/for-...classic-chicken-dinner-CCC.html?cgid=cats-wet

 

It sounds a lot like what Minnie has and we ruled out pancreatitis with the tests Bron mentioned and finally confirmed IBD via endoscopy/biopsy. Ruling out or confirming pancreatitis first is easier because it just requires the 2 blood tests. I strongly second the anti nausea meds. Minnie was on ondansetron daily for over a year and it helped tremendously. She’s still vomit occasionally but after I pilled her, she’d eat in about 30-40 minutes.

sending good thoughts!!

 

Just picked him up, the vet had to syringe feed him because he wouldn't eat.

I don't know if I should be frustrated at the vet as they don't really know what to investigate next to figure out what's causing it. I suggested pancreatitis, the vet said that he isn't experiencing discomfort when handled and would with pancreatitis.

I've now got some anti nausia drugs I'm advised only to give if he vomits.

The vet isn't open Sundays, they've discharged and left a catheter in his leg deliberately and instructed me to seek emergency care if his condition is the same tomorrow, otherwise to bring him back Monday to remove the catheter.

I'm very confused about next diagnosis steps and am seeking a second opinion. I have an appointment booked with a video vet through my insurer in an hour to go through this with her and see what she suggests.

 

Ohh good luck with the second opinion! Fingers and paws crossed.

 

In the meantime I've managed to get him to eat a small amount of solid food out of my hand including metronidazole and the pro-bind but he didn't eat much food beyond that. Going to leave him alone for 30 minutes with food and then syringe feed if it comes to it

 

I went through the same thing with my cat not eating . The forum suggested baby food such as chicken, beef, turkey or ham . I didn’t believe it but I hand feed it and Dusty did eat some which was better than nothing but I did have to put sone on a spoon and hold in right under her nose and mouth . I would have tried anything

 

Yes! I’m a firm believe in baby food and tuna too if you must. Anything to get them eating.

I honestly think a second opinion is a must because to dismiss pancreatitis because your cat doesn’t seem to be in pain is not very scientific. The 2 blood tests should be done and I’d seek a vet that can do that. Hopefully the video consult will help. Can your insurance recommend any other local vets? What anti nausea med did you get? I gave Minnie ondansetron twice a day daily. It has no side effects and can be given long term. Without it, she wouldn’t eat most days and waiting for your cat to vomit is not a good call. I also feel that an ultra sound may be in order. Please ask the video vet about that and good luck!!

good for you for advocating for your cat!

 

The video consult vet was amazing. I got lucky and was assigned a vet who was very experienced in feline diabetes. In fact the subtext of the conversation was that the advice I've been given wasn't great and here is what she suggested:

1. If he's below 15 pre shot, down the dose to 2U, if he doesn't eat anything, skip
2. Demand a snap fpli test on Monday when my vet opens and possibly an ultrasound to check for pancreatitis
3. Many cats with pancreatitis are fine being handled, he may in fact have long term pancreatitis which is causing a need for the high dose of 4U and we should investigate that
4. Consider asking for a referral to a specialist, I live in London and have plenty of choice

As a note, my insurance isn't covering the diabetes, I'm only entitled to free 10 minute consultations for non-covered items (like this one). So I'd need to do my own research to find a specialist.

 

The antinnausia drug I was given is cerenia

 

YES!!!! Agreed much better advice!! Of course pancreatitis can’t be dismissed over “appears not to be in pain” and I brought up the ultra sound because Minnie has been down the same road when we didn’t know if she’s had that or IBD

Who is in London you or the video vet?

 

I prefer ondansetron to be quite honest. But see how the Cerenia works. If it doesn’t help, say you heard great things about ondansetron and want to give it a try. You can also say you did a ton of research online about it. Vets need the reassurance we’re not asking for something out of the blue. We know what we’re saying, which is ironic since your vet seems to know very little

 

You can creat a thread here that says something like, I live in xxx and need an internal medicine specialist referral please

 

It's been a long evening but he's been hand fed a full meal, taken all his drugs and has been injected, we're now enjoying a cuddle in bed and he's purring away

 

Awwwwwwwwwwwww music to the ears! I wish you both a wonderful evening,

 

We managed to feed him again this morning by mixing half hills digestive food and half lily's kitchen. He had diarrhea again but no vomiting so far. All pills are in and he's been injected. He's only had 2 rounds of pro-bind so far so I'm hoping that starts to help with the diarrhea

 

I'm glad the video consult vet suggested a SnapfPL. I agree. Sheba had several flares of pancreatitis and she didnt always react much when I picked her up. I'm sure you must feel very frustrated. Different cats show different signs and symptoms.
I'm glad Monty is eating some for you.

 

Monty is feeling much better today, he's eating without help again and has taken to Lily's Kitchen. We're both very grateful for all the advice and reassurance on this thread

I'm taking him to have the catheter in his leg removed this morning.

 

Wooo hooooooooo! GO MONTY GO!

 

I had the test results today, Monty tested positive for Pancreatitis. The vet has asked me to monitor for vomiting or refusal to eat in the short term and my own reading suggests it could be chronic or acute.

He seems so much better right now and I think he's through it, he's playing again and getting some energy back.

I think the next steps for me are to monitor him and if he begins vomiting again then I'll know what to do sooner. I'm going to perform a glucose curve tomorrow to see how his insulin resistance has changed due to the pancreatitis.

 

GOOG LUCK! All the best to you and Monty.