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Cats/vomiting cat

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Expert: - 1/28/2011


Question

Austin "Boo Boo Bear"
I have a thirteen year old neutered male half Manx house cat.  He is usually fed a mix of cat food that contains urinary track care ingredients because he has been prone to kidney issues in the past.  These foods tend to make his stomach upset and he does vomit from time to time.  Lately I have noticed that he has lost weight and does still vomit in the early morning hours of on the wood floors several times 2-3 days of each week.  I also notice that he has louder gurgling and intestinal noises.  Austin has never been a cat to be overweight at all and lately he is just skin and fur.  Still has plenty of energy and does beg for treats and has increasingly become needier for creature comfort and contact in this past year.
Each time we take Austin in to be seen by the vet we end up spending $800-$1000 for tons of labs and blood work and he usually just ends up with a slight kidney infection or allergies.  Austin also has a perpetual cold or allergy that keeps him sneezing and runny nose for months on end.  Now I am unemployed and the thought of additional medical bills has me on edge even though I know he may need to visit our local vet once again.

Thank you for your time.

Answer
Asher,

Your original answer can be found below the line. I wouldn't recommend supplementing your cat's diet with human ensure, especially without a veterinarian's recommendation, but there are a number of high calorie/meal replacement supplements on the market that can help Austin to gain some weight. If a vet has told you that Austin is underweight then you can see if local pet supply stores carry a supplement called CatSure which is essentially a feline meal replacement, but be aware that not all cats like this supplement although some will drink it quite readily, especially if it's mixed with pureed chicken breast (I like a baby food brand called Mother Hen which makes homestyle baby food with 1-2 ingredients and their pureed meats don't usually have onion or garlic in them which are toxic to cats). You can also see about an over the counter supplement called Nutri-Cal made by PetAg and this is simply a high calorie paste with vitamins and minerals that would remind you of hairball remedy. I would also suggest that you check out www.catinfo.org which is a great website created by a veterinarian to teach pet parents about the unique nutritional needs of their feline companions - changing Austin's diet from a commercially made diet to a homemade diet may be all that's required to help him put on a bit of weight but bear in mind that this should be done gradually and will require patience particularly if he's a kibble addict. If Austin usually eats kibble putting him on a high quality canned cat food like Wellness would be helpful, but may take time and patience. From there it's not too difficult to start introducing small amounts of raw meat and gradually working upwards based on the recipe Dr. Pierson provides.

If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again I'm happy to help you and Austin in any way that I can.

Regards,

Ali

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Asher,

Based on the history that you've provided me with I'm a little concerned that something medical might be going on. The issue may be as simple as intolerance to the mix of cat foods you've been feeding, particularly if you're feeding an exclusively or mostly dry diet since that's especially bad for cats. Being that Austin has had issues with his kidneys previously you could try feeding him a high quality canned senior diet such as Wellness and adding extra water to create a thick soupy texture (cats with kidney issues tend to become dehydrated as they often urinate in larger amounts than they will replace by drinking alone). It's not a bad idea to consider checking out www.catinfo.org for more information about the unique nutritional needs of cats, this site was created by a veterinarian by the name of Dr. Lisa Pierson and she uses a very common sense approach to helping pet parents understand feline nutrition.

The weight loss could be related to the ongoing kidney issues or he may have developed another issue such as hyperthyroidism. The vomiting and increased digestive noises could be related to the fact that kitties with kidney disease often have acidic tummies so his belly may be a bit upset - this can be corrected with medication or herbal supplements such as slippery elm (do not use herbal supplements without the guidance of a veterinarian as dosing for cats differs from dosing for humans or other animals). The increased clingy behaviour and neediness could be as simple as Austin not feeling well and simply seeking comfort. As for the sneezing and runny nose that's likely related to an upper respiratory infection which may need to be treated with antibiotics. Since finances are an issue my recommendation would be to check out resources in your local area - there may be a low cost veterinary clinic that could make things significantly easier from a financial standpoint to get Austin the care that he needs. I am puzzled by the fact that you mentioned that each time your little guy sees the vet for labs he is diagnosed with a slight kidney infection and/or allergies and I'm curious to know what if any medications he's been given for the kidney infections.

Ultimately these issues are medical issues and I'm not a qualified veterinarian so I am not able to diagnose illnesses or prescribe treatments, all I can do is make recommendations based on my own experiences. Hopefully between the two of us we can find resources that will make it easier to get the diagnostic tests and treatment that Austin clearly needs to get better without causing you undue financial hardship and I'm happy to provide any information I have if you'd like me to. All that I ask is that you give me the state or province that you're writing from so that I don't waste your time by providing resources all over North America (many of which you won't be able to use). If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again at any time, I'll be more than happy to help you and Austin out in any way that I can.

Regards,

Ali
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentDear Ali: Thank you for taking the time to assist in Austin’s health issues. I will begin to feed him more wet foods. We have only used dry food for all of our cats so that they will have meals available all day and never had to beg for it. Wet food was only given as an occasional treat. Austin does consume excessive water and he usually insists on fresh cold water from the sink or iced water in one of the water bowls that I put down in the kitchen for him. Austin has only been given an antibiotic from time to time when we take him into the vets. It always smells of coconut milk to me. He actually likes the taste so it isn’t a struggle to get that medicine down him but the cold never seems to truly go away. Last time we took him to the vet because Austin was voiding outside the litter box and howling when he urinated we literally spent over $1000.00 for x-rays and blood tests because our veterinarian thought he had bladder cancer. It just ended up being a kidney infection again. We were never told to move him to wet foods. We live in Birmingham, Alabama and use the Red Mountain Animal Clinic on Green Springs (http://www.redmountainanimalclinic.com/ ). They allow for a payment plan if you are not able to cope with the full bill at the time of services. Now since I am unemployed finding another clinic with a sliding scale would help. I will check around. I would like to put more weight on Austin and have talked about feeding him vanilla ensure. Do they have a formula similar for cats? Ash amaystein@yahoo.com


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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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