Sabby's been vomiting since Friday night. I've been paying attention to his litter box and as far as I can tell he hasn't had a real bowell movement since at least Thursday. He vomits twice then tries to poo, but can't. He tries so hard that he grunts and picks his back legs up and they scoot across the box. I've tried putting canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) in his food, but that hasn't had any results (except he eats less food; he really hates pumpkin). He's got a vet appointment this morning. In the meantime, would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's going on?
Constipation and vomiting
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I have no idea Annissa, but I just wanted to wish you and Sabby good luck. I really hope it is nothing serious, Sabby is such a sweetie.
Sabby has been hospitalized. The vet (I finally got the vet my old vet recommended) felt some hard stool just beyond the rectum. He's going to be treated to several enemas today and it that doesn't do the trick they're going to manually extract. He's also going to get another fructosamine while he's in there and he's going to get his annual physical exams and testing. Dr. Carlson asked me to call him this afternoon to see how it's coming along. Maybe he can come home tonight. Dr. Carlson recommended putting 1/4 teaspoon of Metamucil in his food every day instead of the canned pumpkin.
I said I'd let you know how much weight he lost at his six-month checkup. Well, since he went today, I'll tell you now. He's lost three pounds since he started eating Wellness canned exclusively. He's now 16 pounds, 2 ounces down from 19 pounds even. And that's with all the poo still in him.
While I was at the vet, a woman with a two-week-old kitten came in. She found the kitten with its (dead) littermates when he was only 4 or 5 days old. She's been nursing him ever since. We talked about cat food, litter, and declawing. I recommended Wellness canned (though I don't think I sold her on it), S'wheat Scoop and World's Best Cat Litter, and convinced her not to declaw her cats. Besides the fact that Sabby's in the hospital, I feel pretty good.
I said I'd let you know how much weight he lost at his six-month checkup. Well, since he went today, I'll tell you now. He's lost three pounds since he started eating Wellness canned exclusively. He's now 16 pounds, 2 ounces down from 19 pounds even. And that's with all the poo still in him.
While I was at the vet, a woman with a two-week-old kitten came in. She found the kitten with its (dead) littermates when he was only 4 or 5 days old. She's been nursing him ever since. We talked about cat food, litter, and declawing. I recommended Wellness canned (though I don't think I sold her on it), S'wheat Scoop and World's Best Cat Litter, and convinced her not to declaw her cats. Besides the fact that Sabby's in the hospital, I feel pretty good.
Hope Sabby does well! I'm sure he'll be fine. I agree about the metamucil, to a degree. Canned pumpkin is high in carbs as well as fiber. Metamucil, the brand, contains a lot of sugar. Plain powdered psyllium or rice bran make the best fiber additives for cats.
How great that, even under the circumstances, you were able to help someone else's kitties by education! Way to go!!
Let us know as soon as you hear anything on Sabby's progress!
Cheers,
Dr. Jean
How great that, even under the circumstances, you were able to help someone else's kitties by education! Way to go!!
Let us know as soon as you hear anything on Sabby's progress!
Cheers,
Dr. Jean
I just got a call from Dr. Carlson. Sabby's had three enemas and has only produced about 2" of stool. The X-ray showed that it has backed up well into the colon, but that the colon isn't distended beyond what's normal. He has to stay overnight and they'll continue to remove the impacted stool. They are going to do a fructosamine to figure out how much insulin to give him tonight, but his sugar's all out of whack due to stress so it won't do any good in the long run. Kind of disappointing because each one of those is another $30. Dr. Carlson did a mildly amusing impression of how Sabastion sounds right now. It'll be kind of weird to not give him his shot tonight or tomorrow morning. This is the first time Sabby's spent the night at the vet since I moved to Ohio.
Thanks, Dr. Jean. I would've bought the name brand since that's what Dr. Carlson recommended, but I will look for plain powdered psyllium to use instead.
I could hear lots of cats in the background, but I didn't hear Sabby's voice. It's so hard for me to not ask them to put him on the phone!
Thanks, Dr. Jean. I would've bought the name brand since that's what Dr. Carlson recommended, but I will look for plain powdered psyllium to use instead.
I could hear lots of cats in the background, but I didn't hear Sabby's voice. It's so hard for me to not ask them to put him on the phone!
Annissa,
I hope Sabby gets better soon!
I know how it is though, I've had 3 cats (at different times) stay at the vet for more than a few days, Crystal was in there for 9 days with a bad reaction from Advantage. I hate being away from my babies.
Does your vet allow visitations, I used to go visit my babies when they were in the hopspital, that helped alot...especially with Crystal because she's a persian and no one was grooming her, I had to use the hairbrush I had in my purse at the time because she was such a mess!! :shock:
I hope Sabby gets better soon!
I know how it is though, I've had 3 cats (at different times) stay at the vet for more than a few days, Crystal was in there for 9 days with a bad reaction from Advantage. I hate being away from my babies.
Does your vet allow visitations, I used to go visit my babies when they were in the hopspital, that helped alot...especially with Crystal because she's a persian and no one was grooming her, I had to use the hairbrush I had in my purse at the time because she was such a mess!! :shock:
If he doesn't get to come home tomorrow I will ask to see him. I hate leaving home for overnight trips for this very reason. I miss my friend. I'm really not looking forward to going home and him not being there. That's gonna be rough. It's like the highlight of my day to come home and see him come running to greet me. No kitty to sit on my lap while I watch Buffy re-runs.
Sabby gets to come home today! They were able to remove "a lot" of stool last night, but all the enemas he had today didn't dislodge anything more, though the doctor says he can feel more in there. So he's coming home with some stool softener.
My house was so quiet last night. I was amazed at the number of times I thought to myself, "I should check on the cat," or "I wonder how the cat's doing." Then I remember that he wasn't home. It was 100 times worse than when I'm away.
I'm going to try to convince my boss to let me go early so I can go pick him up and spend some time with him.
Thank you for your thoughts, everyone.
My house was so quiet last night. I was amazed at the number of times I thought to myself, "I should check on the cat," or "I wonder how the cat's doing." Then I remember that he wasn't home. It was 100 times worse than when I'm away.
I'm going to try to convince my boss to let me go early so I can go pick him up and spend some time with him.
Thank you for your thoughts, everyone.
Sabby is so happy to be home. He had a bowell movement yesterday. He produced about 2 1/2" of stool. I think that's a good sign. I'm still watching him like a hawk, though.
The vet was impressed at how healthy he was. His blood chemistry shows he is in "perfect health" and even though he was stressed his fructosamine showed that his diabetes was under "excellent control." Dr. Carlson even asked me what I was feeding him.
Poor kitty has his neck shaved. I didn't notice it for a long time because he was keeping his head down. I scratched under his chin when I got him home and he lifted it and showed me the shaved parts.
The vet was impressed at how healthy he was. His blood chemistry shows he is in "perfect health" and even though he was stressed his fructosamine showed that his diabetes was under "excellent control." Dr. Carlson even asked me what I was feeding him.
Poor kitty has his neck shaved. I didn't notice it for a long time because he was keeping his head down. I scratched under his chin when I got him home and he lifted it and showed me the shaved parts.
Thanks kristi! He seems to be doing well with the bowell movements, but I noticed yesterday that he's got a cold now, too! He must've caught it during his overnight stay at the vet. I'm going to go pick up some amoxicillan (I actually have no idea how that's spelled) today at lunch.
The problem seems to be back. He started vomiting on Saturday night. There was a small pebble of poo next to his box that was rock hard. He had no bowell movements yesterday. So here's my question... the Vet said I may need to start giving him enemas at home. How do I do that? Can I get a regular enema kit from Walgreens and use it? Or is there a special product on the market I can use?
I've been putting the psyllium powder on his food every day and I've put him back on stool softeners as of Sunday morning.
I think the problem may stem from the fact that he's not drinking enough water. He had one of those large, plastic water containers with the jug on top that lasts about a week or so, but he's always preferred to drink from the toilet. I think he doesn't like the taste of the water in the plastic container. It may be getting too difficult for him to get up on the toilet for a drink now. So I bought him a water fountain yesterday. He seems mildly interested in it, but I don't think he understands he's supposed to drink from it. Mostly he just sniffs it and walks away.
He's acting normally. Happy, playful... I bought him some chicken livers and he's really been enjoying those. He didn't vomit at all yesterday.
I've been putting the psyllium powder on his food every day and I've put him back on stool softeners as of Sunday morning.
I think the problem may stem from the fact that he's not drinking enough water. He had one of those large, plastic water containers with the jug on top that lasts about a week or so, but he's always preferred to drink from the toilet. I think he doesn't like the taste of the water in the plastic container. It may be getting too difficult for him to get up on the toilet for a drink now. So I bought him a water fountain yesterday. He seems mildly interested in it, but I don't think he understands he's supposed to drink from it. Mostly he just sniffs it and walks away.
He's acting normally. Happy, playful... I bought him some chicken livers and he's really been enjoying those. He didn't vomit at all yesterday.
DO NOT EVER give a cat an over-the-counter enema. Many of them are highly toxic to cats--they kill in minutes. The only enema I ever used in practice was warm, soapy water. Works fine.
Are you giving him Vaseline or any kind of "hairball" stuff? A fingerful of Vaseline in the mouth once a day is a safe and effective laxative!
Be careful how much fiber you give him; too much can constipate as thoroughly as too little!
Cheers,
Dr. Jean
Are you giving him Vaseline or any kind of "hairball" stuff? A fingerful of Vaseline in the mouth once a day is a safe and effective laxative!
Be careful how much fiber you give him; too much can constipate as thoroughly as too little!
Cheers,
Dr. Jean
*phew* Glad I asked first.
I have some laxatone at home I can give to him. He really likes it. I'll try that when I get home tonight.
I've been giving him 1/4 tsp of psyllium powder (the amount recommended by my vet). In your opinion, should I cut back or add to?
And finally, if the fecal matter still inside him is rock hard, does giving him the stool softener and laxatone do anything to help or should I either give him an enema (the kind you suggested) or take him to the vet to have him cleaned out again?
If I do give him an enema, what kind of soap do I use...and how do I get it up there...
Y'know what...I think I should just ask my vet. I don't want to burden you with all this.
I have some laxatone at home I can give to him. He really likes it. I'll try that when I get home tonight.
I've been giving him 1/4 tsp of psyllium powder (the amount recommended by my vet). In your opinion, should I cut back or add to?
And finally, if the fecal matter still inside him is rock hard, does giving him the stool softener and laxatone do anything to help or should I either give him an enema (the kind you suggested) or take him to the vet to have him cleaned out again?
If I do give him an enema, what kind of soap do I use...and how do I get it up there...
Y'know what...I think I should just ask my vet. I don't want to burden you with all this.
Yep, you probably should head to the vet, have them show you how to do the enema and get you the "equipment". What's in there now needs to be got out, and while the vaseline might help that, maybe it's best to just deal with it now, and work on the cause from here on out.
1/4 tsp sounds about right, but of course every kitty is an individual and it may need to be adjusted one way or another.
Cheers,
Dr. Jean
1/4 tsp sounds about right, but of course every kitty is an individual and it may need to be adjusted one way or another.
Cheers,
Dr. Jean
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