Expert: Jessica - 10/7/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jessica,

I have two indoor cats, one male & one female.  The male is approximately 17 years old (rescue cat, they told us he was 5 at adoption, we've had him for 12 years).  The female is approximately 5 years old (rescue cat, they told us she was 2 at adoption, we've had her for 3 years).  Neither of them have been outside (other than in cages to/from vet appointments, etc.) in the entire time we've had them.  No other animals have been in the house, nor have either of them been out of the house in months (went to vet).

I do not have any plants in the house, nor are either of them allowed in the kitchen.  I just mention this to eliminate possible human food or plant influence.

On Monday, my female cat appeared to have stomach flu.  She wouldn't eat, threw up a couple of times, and would only drink water.  She stuck by me like glue and slept on or beside me.  By Tuesday evening, she was back to her normal self though I do not feel she is eating quite as much as she normally would... but definitely eating a reasonable quantity.

Today, my male is now sick.  He hasn't left my bed in 12 hours.  I know that at some point, he must have thrown up, possibly while I was sleeping because I noticed that he had what appeared to be dried drool/vomit in the scruff under his chin.  I cleaned that up with a damp wash cloth, but he shows no interest in moving from where he's laying.  As yet, I haven't found WHERE he threw up... I'm about to go looking under the bed/dressers once I post this.

My husband is working out of town until tomorrow night, and so I have no way of getting my cat in to the vet until he gets home.  I live in a small, rural town in the middle of corn fields, so we don't have emergency vets around here.

Is it possible for the female to have given the male "the flu" of some kind?  There's nothing in our lifestyle that would have either of them exposed to things like Heartworm or other communicable diseases.  I keep a clean home, and use Simple Green almost exclusively for nearly everything... and I haven't had need to dust/mop or such in the last few days where there'd be any sort of cleaning product residue on the floor or wood furniture.

I'm at a complete loss here... I also feel that WHATEVER this is, it is hitting my male cat much harder than it hit my female cat.  I guess that's understandable, given his age... but I'm really worried.

In terms of their food, they get Fancy Feast wet food twice daily and have Iams Proactive Hairball Control (dry) out for whenever they are hungry.  And silly as it sounds, I only give them bottled Dasani water in their bowl - though both of them have had their heads in the toilet a time or two over the years.  Silly cats. LOL  (I don't put chemicals in my toilet, either)

Can you give me your thoughts on what could have caused this?  How worried should I be?  And what can I do to help him through this until my husband gets home and we can get him into the vet?

Thanks for any input you're able to offer... and I WILL be back to read your response.  These are our "babies," you know?  I'm so frustrated that I'm stuck here with no way of getting him to the vet... it makes me feel more than a little frantic.

ANSWER: Hi Rae,

Cats do pass stomach bugs to one another. Most stomach bugs that cause vomiting have to pass on their own, because like those that affect humans, they're viral. Viral stomach issues generally pass within 24-48 hours. Many viral illnesses are stable in the environment and can come in from the outdoors on our shoes or be picked up on our hands, just like the ones we humans become infected with. So even indoor cats can become infected with stomach viruses. Depending on their individual immune systems, some cats are hit hard, and some not as hard, and some are exposed to the germs but won't develop symptoms at all. While most cats won't require treatment for a passing stomach virus, there are those who suffer such severe symptoms that they need to be seen by a vet because they become dehydrated. These cats require fluids under the skin and medications to help stop vomiting and nausea. Antibiotics are also sometimes given, just in case the vomiting is being caused by a protozoan or bacterial germ. As a matter of precaution, a dewormer is usually given, as well.

As with viruses, it's possible for worm eggs to be tracked in from the outdoors. And as strange as it seems, protozoan and bacterial germs can be residents in your cat's gastrointestinal tract for years and years without causing any problems. It's only when they reproduce out of control that they cause symptoms. However, considering the timing (that both cats came down with the bug at once), I think this is highly unlikely.

For now, I wouldn't encourage him to eat, and just allow him to rest comfortably. Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do to make a kitty with a stomach virus feel better except to try to let the belly rest. If he does show an interest in eating, try to keep him away from the dry food, which is much harder to digest than canned. If there's any way to make it to a grocery store, he'd be best to stick to some stage 1 chicken baby food (for human babies) for a couple of days, or until the vet can give him a prescription food for bellies recovering from illness. Or, if you have any chicken breast and white rice on hand, this is very easy to digest. Boil the rice until it's mushy, and mix a little of it with boiled chicken breast. Feed him only if he is clearly on the mend, and continue this diet for 2 days or so. Then transition him back onto his regular diet.

Vomiting is quite common in cats, and considering that your female had been vomiting, too, I don't think it's anything to be very worried about. I think you probably are dealing with a viral illness, and while some cats DO have a difficult go, he should recover from it with some supportive care. It's heart-breaking to see them go through for sure, but I haven't lost any kitties to a stomach virus. As long as your cats are up-to-date on their vaccines (?), I think you should be safe. If they are not up on distemper (panleukopenia), you should let your vet know this. The feline distemper virus is very stable in the environment, has a high mortality rate, especially in elderly cats and kittens, and can cause vomiting. However, one vaccination in adult cats provides years of immunity, so even if they had been vaccinated within the last few years, I think you should be okay.

Best wishes!

Jessica

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jessica,

I wanted to update this in the hopes that it might help someone else.  I hope that's ok.

What we thought was our kitty vomiting bile was, in fact, him demonstrating acid reflux similar to what humans experience.  X-rays showed that he had a lymphoma in his chest cavity which was putting pressure on his esophagus and trachea.  The doctor said she could treat him with prednisone, but at most - given his age (17) - it would likely only extend his life by another month, and then he would once again go through the same suffering he was experiencing yesterday.

So we had to make the hard choice and let him go.  

It's a pretty sad day here in our family... but I'm updating this inquiry right away in the hopes that it may help another family to find out a little faster what is happening to their beloved kitty.  Treatment is available, and can be successful if caught early enough - particularly in younger kitties.  In our kitty's case, he was simply too old for treatment to really serve any purpose beyond extending the inevitable and causing him further discomfort.

Thank you again for the service you provide here.

Answer
Rae,

I'm so sorry to hear this. What a strange and unfortunate coincidence that both cats seemed to have the same symptoms, but your older kitty had something so much more grave. I had a two-year-old cat with a tumor that surrounded his trachea and esophagus, as well. His was caught very early, by complete coincidence. He was attacked by a dog and x-rays were taken to rule out tracheal injuries from that. The tumor was only discovered then. Even so, this young cat, given an aggressive multi-drug chemotherapy protocol survived just four months. Lymphoma is extremely difficult to treat in cats. It's so difficult to grasp, but symptoms almost always come on just this suddenly, especially in those cases where tumors are located around the airways. We often lose them within days or even hours. You made the right decision for him. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Jessica