? 2/10 Max - Better numbers, but vomiting!! HELP.

Giomax

Giomax

Member Since 2018
Max has vomited three times today! The first two times were only bile, the third was his whole lunch. He's eating again right now. Is that the right thing to let him do? He's mostly nibbling and licking gravy. He's had his normal food today, FF Classic Paté and a little bit of cooked turkey. Aside from the vomiting he seems his normal self, up walking around and all that. His BG numbers are looking good. Just tested him again a little bit ago. He hasn't vomited in quite awhile, and certainly not three times within a few hours.

When should I start to worry?
 
He just puked again! That's 4 times now. Think I'm going to call the vet.

Edit: Crap, it's Sunday! Nowhere is open. Can you guys give me some advice to hold him over until tomorrow??
 
Has he gotten into anything? could something be off with his food?

If he's interested in food, don't give him a full portion, just a little at a time.

Does he seem in discomfort? meatloafing?
Has he had pancreatitis?

My boy rarely pukes so this is not something I've had to deal with.

Let me see if I can find some info on the health links for you.
 
Gill & George said:
Has he gotten into anything? could something be off with his food?

If he's interested in food, don't give him a full portion, just a little at a time.

Does he seem in discomfort? meatloafing?
Has he had pancreatitis?

My boy rarely pukes so this is not something I've had to deal with.

Let me see if I can find some info on the health links for you.
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There's nothing for him to get into. He's not ever had pancreatitis (blood work on that has always been good; he just had a profile done a month or so ago). Should I get him tested for it again? I'll do a ketone check today as soon as I'm able to. His vomiting has been pretty rare lately and he's never vomited 5 times in one day before!
 
Giomax said:
His vomiting has been pretty rare lately and he's never vomited 5 times in one day before!
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It does seem quite unlike him.

Could he have eaten a foreign object? Has he been pooping normally? An obstruction could cause repeated vomiting.
Giomax said:
He's not ever had pancreatitis (blood work on that has always been good;
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I think you would be seeing other symptoms, lethargy pain, nausea, inappetance.
From what you've said he seems willing to eat, but just pukes it up after. So that would suggest he is not feeling nauseated.

Have you tested to see if he's dehydrated? It worries me that he may get dehydrated with the repeated vomiting.
If he's still willing to eat perhaps try some plain boiled chicken, just a small amount and see if he could keep that down.
 
I think if this continues, he may need to see a vet. I've put out a message to some other members with more experience dealing with this sort of thing. See if they can suggest some first aid to tide you over till you can get to a vet.
 
Max won't eat anything that isn't yummy food, so I never worry about him eating foreign objects. His brother, on the other hand....

He drank a bit earlier. I do worry about dehydration as well. He's been drinking and peeing like his normal self up until now. He loves drinking water. I've only seen him drink a bit today though, but that could be because his BG is down. When it's high he drinks like crazy. Lower BG means less drinking. He's not vomited in about an hour. I'm afraid to give him more food because I don't want him puking it up again. There's some pate sitting out on a plate that he isn't very interested in eating right now. He's chilling on the bed with me atm. Should I try getting him to eat a bit anyway?
 
Gill & George said:
I think if this continues, he may need to see a vet. I've put out a message to some other members with more experience dealing with this sort of thing. See if they can suggest some first aid to tide you over till you can get to a vet.
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Thank you!!
 
Gill & George said:
Has he been constipated?


Have you got something plain he could have? boiled chicken perhaps? Just a small amount to see if he will keep it down.
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Cooked turkey is part of his normal diet but he doesn't like it as much as the paté. He's starting to ignore the turkey more and more. But I can try.

Don't know about constipation? The litter box seemed plenty full this morning but I have two cats and it's impossible to tell who pooped what.
 
Gill & George said:
Yeah I have the same problem.
Did the poop look normal? Harder than usual or softer?
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There's definitely no diarrhea. It looked normal to me? I clean the box once a day so it's always pretty solid by the time I get to it. I can check next time he goes though if I can catch him.

Tons of pee like usual so I know he was drinking water all day yesterday.
 
How's his hydration? You can check how here. Max might be drinking water but still very dehydrated especially after vomiting so many times.

Gill is doing a good job telling you what to do for the time being! I'll explain what you might encounter if you take Max to the vet.

Pancreatitis levels change and a specific test is done to check it (spec FPLI). A blood test that's clear a month ago won't tell you anything about what's going on with Max today.

At the vet, usual treatment for pancreatitis is: fluids (either IVF or subq fluids), anti-nausea meds (cerenia or ondansetron) and pain meds (buprenorphine). If you go to the vet, make sure you get all three types of treatment. If you're really concerned, the vet will do a blood test to confirm pancreatitis (spec FPLI).

Constipation can also be treated by fluids and usually some kind of enema. I think the vet can usually feel for poops.

For now, definitely try to get a ketone test, offer Max food to see if he'll eat/is interested, and watch for signs of pain or nausea.
 
If Max isn't eating, vet might give an appetite stimulant like cypro or martazapine. I've never used either but I've heard cypro is the better option. But for some reasons, my vets are more concerned about battling the nausea first instead of making sure they eat... I don't get it since cats should NEVER go more than a day without eating. Although I do remember some members pointing out that a cat won't eat unless it's not nauseated.
 
Max is drinking water now as I type this. Yay! He wouldn't eat any of the turkey I offered (but I'm not really surprised at that). He did eat about 5 or 6 "Temptations" treats though. That was on the hour. I'll be watching to see if he keeps them down.
 
Giomax said:
Max is drinking water now as I type this. Yay! He wouldn't eat any of the turkey I offered (but I'm not really surprised at that). He did eat about 5 or 6 "Temptations" treats though. That was on the hour. I'll be watching to see if he keeps them down.
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:bighug: Fingers and paws crossed
 
It is always upsetting when they vomit and there is no hair ball produced from it. Whenever Bubba vomits, if I see a hair ball I am so relieved that was the cause.

Have you changed anything with his food like added a new flavor to his repertoire? Bubba can not eat beef, he will vomit within 20 minutes of eating it. Just throwing that out there.

I second the opinion to give very small amounts of food more frequently to help. Is his vomits close to after he has eaten something like a scarf and barf?

I think a vet visit is in order tomorrow. How is he acting? He is meatloafing as if in pain? Isolating himself and/or sleeping in places he usually doesn't sleep in?
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
It is always upsetting when they vomit and there is no hair ball produced from it. Whenever Bubba vomits, if I see a hair ball I am so relieved that was the cause.

Have you changed anything with his food like added a new flavor to his repertoire? Bubba can not eat beef, he will vomit within 20 minutes of eating it. Just throwing that out there.

I second the opinion to give very small amounts of food more frequently to help. Is his vomits close to after he has eaten something like a scarf and barf?

I think a vet visit is in order tomorrow. How is he acting? He is meatloafing as if in pain? Isolating himself and/or sleeping in places he usually doesn't sleep in?
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It's not a "scarf and barf" scenario. It was only bile the first two times so I thought he might be hungry (maybe he didn't like the turkey I left out?) so I gave him some paté and he ate it like he normally does. Didn't seem ravenous or anything. Within the hour it was vomited out.

UPDATE AS I'M TYPING: he just vomited up the treats I gave him 30 minutes ago. :(
 
He seems normal otherwise. Alert, up and about, sitting on the bed and the couch. He just drank a bit more water. Hasn't pottied yet since I've been watching him. He's just so pukey today! Won't keep anything down.
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
PS, I would get some plain all meat baby food, chicken or turkey and give that is small amounts and add some water to keep him hydrated. A bland diet will be best right now.
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I actually have some plain chicken baby food on hand right now. Problem is, he's vomiting out everything I'm giving him. I don't even want to offer him anything else because I'm certain he'll just throw it back up.
 
Cats are notorious for hiding pain. He might be looking good until he's really bad.

Ming right now has elevated levels and pancreatitis. But he's fine. He's eating. He's playing. But he has it. It's so weird to me because this is the first time I know he has pancreatitis and isn't vomiting 12 times within the hour. It makes me wonder if Ming is constantly in pancreatitis mode until it gets REALLY bad and only when it's REALLY bad does he show symptoms of anything.

Giomax said:
I don't even want to offer him anything else because I'm certain he'll just throw it back up.
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He needs to eat if he does have pancreatitis. But yes, give him time to rest and offer it again. Take away uneaten food so he doesn't associate food with nausea.
 
Giomax said:
I actually have some plain chicken baby food on hand right now. Problem is, he's vomiting out everything I'm giving him. I don't even want to offer him anything else because I'm certain he'll just throw it back up.
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I would give about 20 -30 minutes time since the last vomit and then offer a small amount of the baby food.

Another reason for a lot of vomiting can be kidney disease.
 
Today is the only day vomiting has been a problem. He's never acted like this before. He had some blood work done at the beginning of the year and his kidney and pancreas levels were all normal. Thyroid levels were normal when he was tested in October. I realize things can change in a matter of months though. I'm going to call up the vet first thing in the morning and have them test him for all that stuff again. Why oh why does this stuff always happen on a weekend?!
 
I really need to go to the grocery store, guys. Been putting it off all day since he started puking. I'm convinced he'll die the moment I leave the house, haha. But I have to make a quick run. I'll be gone 30-40 minutes at least. Do you think he'll be safe?!
 
Do you have any cerenia or ondansetron? I’d wait an hour since he lasted vomitedand offer just a teaspoon of baby food and see if it stays down. Max would always be inappetent with pancreatitis but ECID. Pancreatitis needs to be active for it to show up when tested.
 
It's unfortunate vets close on the weekends. I wonder if there are any vets open on the weekends that you don't normally see? Might be worth checking it out. I'd also get familiar with the emergency clinics in your area. Never a bad idea to be prepared.

I'd do a BG before you go and see how he's doing. But I think he should be fine BG-wise. If his breathing is normal, then that's good. I'd also lay out something in the litterbox so you're able to catch any pee. Or put him in a room with his own litterbox since you have multiple cats. Ketones present is usually an emergency.
 
There is a 24/7 emergency vet I can go to. I've been there before when I thought he was blocked (turns out, he wasn't at all). It's much pricier than my normal vet though, or pretty much any normal vet clinic in the area. I'm tight on money as it is so I'm trying to avoid going there unless I absolutely need to. If Max can just hang out here at home until tomorrow that'd be great. I just did a BG check and he's still in the low 200s. I will try feeding the baby food when I get back. New problem coming up: What do I do at PM shot time? It's in about two hours.
 
Ok, he just vomited again. I haven't given him any food in about an hour and a half. He's just vomiting to vomit now. I think I will see that ER vet after all. What do you guys think?
 
I think Max will be fine until tomorrow unless you see ketones present or laboured breathing.

As for dosing... hopefully someone more experience can chime in. I assume a reduced dose might be recommended o keep Max safe if he isn't keeping food down.
 
Crista & Ming said:
I think Max will be fine until tomorrow unless you see ketones present or laboured breathing.

As for dosing... hopefully someone more experience can chime in. I assume a reduced dose might be recommended o keep Max safe if he isn't keeping food down.
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I've not been able to check for ketones as he hasn't peed since I've been watching him,
 
What's the purpose of that though? Shouldn't I know what's going on ASAP so we can fix it? Or do you mean treat at the ER vet and test at my regular vet?
 
Yes, you can go the route of treating his symptoms first (so like my first post: getting meds like cerenia, ondasetron, FLUIDS FLUIDS FLUIDS, and pain meds). His blood tests can wait at the regular vet since test results will take time anyway. The specFPLI takes a couple of days to come back from Idexx with results.

No need to appetite stimulant since he is eating.

The only test you might consider doing is a urinalysis just to check for ketones and possible kidney disease if Max doesn't pee for you by the time you go to the ER.
 
Did you already go to the store? If not, pick up some pepcid (or a generic version). You want the regular AC, not the time released one. It should be 10 mg. The recommended dose is .25 mg to .5 mg per pound. The fact that he threw up bile the first two times makes it sound like he has a lot of acid in his stomach.

I think Crista meant wait to get any test run by a vet until you see your regular one. Emergency vets are always more expensive.

Did Max eat normally yesterday?

ETA: If he doesn't hold it down, I would definitely go to the ER.
 
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I'm just so torn on taking him! He seems OK otherwise...he's just puking out everything he eats. He's cuddling with me on the bed right now. Still haven't gone to the grocery store. Will ketone test sometime tonight as soon as I catch him in the box. I think I'm going to try feeding baby food and see how that works out?? I know he's gonna puke it right back up. Ugh. Can I wait until tomorrow to see vet?? I don't think he'll die overnight. Or should I go get him treatment ASAP at the emergency hospital? I don't like these kind of decisions!
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
Did you already go to the store? If not, pick up some pepcid (or a generic version). You want the regular AC, not the time released one. It should be 10 mg. The recommended dose is .25 mg to .5 mg per pound. The fact that he threw up bile the first two times makes it sound like he has a lot of acid in his stomach.

I think Crista meant wait to get any test run by a vet until you see your regular one. Emergency vets are always more expensive.

Did Max eat normally yesterday?

ETA: If he doesn't hold it down, I would definitely go to the ER.
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Pretty sure all was normal with him yesterday. Ate food and definitely no puking.
 
If you don't want Max to be hospitalized, get sub q fluids to bring home to do yourself. It will be cheaper to hospitalize him at your regular vet IF hospitalization is necessary.

I say all of this because it doesn't sound like Max is in real danger. I would definitely hospitalize if he shows signs of distress (laboured breathing, laying flat, loaf position, pale gums, dehydration).
 
Crista & Ming said:
If you don't want Max to be hospitalized, get sub q fluids to bring home to do yourself. It will be cheaper to hospitalize him at your regular vet IF hospitalization is necessary.

I say all of this because it doesn't sound like Max is in real danger. I would definitely hospitalize if he shows signs of distress (laboured breathing, laying flat, loaf position, pale gums, dehydration).
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No labored breathing. He's just chilling out on the bed with me right now. Gums don't seem pale. CRT doesn't seem bad. It's hard to tell for sure since he's fighting me on it, haha. I'm going to make a quick grocery store run now, feed baby food when I get back, and go from there.
 
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