Expert: Ali - 9/18/2008

Question
Hello,
Savannah is about 14 years old. She went through a bout of chronic vomiting in which I took her to the vet. They ran a battery of tests and stated she had no health issues.  They recommended feeding her baby food and to keep her hydrated.  After about a week of tender care, she was back to normal for about a month. It seems that she is continuing to have issues with vomiting.  I have been gradually changing her food to find something that would be gentle on her stomach.  She is hungry and thirsty.  I am concerned about her becoming dehydrated again. I have tried baby food, wet cat food, yogurt, and cooking (finely diced) chicken with rice.  Is there any type of food that you might recommend(PediaSure)that would be easier on her stomach?  The vet recommended baby food, but Savannah has become picky and won't eat it any longer.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Jennifer

Answer
Jennifer,

I do think that it would be in Savannah's best interests to seek a second opinion as to what might be causing the vomiting episodes. The lack of appetite concerns me especially given the treats you've been giving her because in most cases most cats would be as happy as could be to accept the foods you've been feeding her. I would recommend a full blood panel with special attention paid to Savannah's Blood Urea Nitrogen(BUN) and her creatinine levels. If the tests are completely normal I would recommend that you look at other things that could be going on such as constipation, large hair balls, or even a foreign body. It seems odd that Savannah's belly wouldn't have settled after such an extended period of time, but the main concern that I have in a geriatric kitty like Savannah would be the potential for kidney failure which is treatable if it's caught early with a low protein diet and after the kidney values return to normal with IV fluids you would be administering subcutaneous fluids at home in order to keep this girl properly hydrated. Some additional symptoms of kidney failure include increased amount of urine output and dehydration. You can easily check for dehydration at home by gently lifting the skin on the scruff of her neck and letting it go. If the skin doesn't snap back into place immediately or it stays in a ridge that indicates dehydration which can be life threatening if not treated promptly. There are prescription diets that a vet can recommend that would be fairly easy on her belly and if her kidneys aren't functioning properly there is a prescription low protein food available. I wouldn't recommend that you give your cat Pedialyte because it's not formulated for cats and some of the electrolytes are way out of balance for cats. There has to be a cause for what's going on with this kitty so it's all a matter of finding out what it is, and as I mentioned before the fact that this kitty won't even eat baby food is somewhat concerning because for most cats that's the ultimate treat. You can try cooking and dicing up other meats such as turkey, duck, venison, bison and other foods that aren't typically found in pet foods. For the moment I would recommend that you stay away from the rice because many cats simply don't like it in its whole form. The sooner that Savannah can be seen by a vet for a second opinion the better the chances that she can be properly treated and go on without this problem following her. Unlike dogs cats will actually starve themselves so this obviously adds to the urgency in this case. You may also want to consider checking in with a holistic vet. The nice thing about having a holistic vet examine your kitty companion is that he/she has been trained in conventional medicine just like any other vet, but he/she has also been trained in one or more alternative therapies such as acupuncture, massage or homeopathy. If the holistic vet isn't able to find a physical reason for the appetite issue he/she will look for other clues as to what could be going on so it's well worth your while to pursue this avenue. I would be very interested to hear what the final diagnosis is for Savannah because it sounds like a kind of odd issue is going on.