Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Update: bad news

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Michele and Peeps

Michele and Peeps

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This evening when I got home, I wasn't in the door for 30 seconds when Peeps came out and vomited. It was reddish, watery, with a bit of yellow bile looking stuff.

Peeps has been OTJ since September of 2008. 116 is quite high for her, but she wasn't feeling well January 5th of this year and I did get a reading out of her at 120. She has read as low as 64 and as high as 99 since '08 (all OTJ readings).

I am not rushing her to the ER vet at this point. She is responsive, happy to get brushed & petted, and she isn't hiding or acting sick or in pain at all. Shortly after I took her bg she was at the water dish taking a drink. The other two cats are not acting "weird" around her, as they did when she had a severe bladder infection, pre-diabetes diagnosis.

She has been eating EVO Turkey & Chicken formula dry. She was switched to the EVO from prescription M/D dry late February/early March.


I would appreciate any help with questions I should be asking the vet in the morning when I make her an appointment. Even if she isn't vomiting by then, I will have her go in. What is necessary and what can I wave off as simple money wasting testing?


ETA: She vomited the water she just drank. It's almost not bloody at all, just a few splotches of pink, but she didn't keep any of the water down.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

Is it bright pink? I would be sure to take her in tomorrow. I hope she is ok.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

I wouldn't exactly call it a bright pink. It's more of a muted pink, very subtle. She just drank some more water, I will be watching to see if she holds it down.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

Michelle, could it be food coloring from food she ate? Ask vet also if a possible ulcer could cause the pink vomit. No clue really :? but hope you get an answer and Peeps will be just fine. Any chance of a little Pepcid A/C to settle her tummy?
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

Food coloring is not a possibility... Good idea though... We also don't have any antacids that she could take.

She is still not keeping down water.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

Yittle had a similiar situation the DAY he went OTJ (talk about added panic). He went off his food a bit, although it took us a little while to realize because when we'd feed him he'd start eating and then we'd be feeding the rest or wander off and not realize he didn't finish. Since it was his first day without insulin we didn't stand there and stare at him eating like we did usually. Then later in the day he threw up a huge quantity of water with numerous bright red spots of blood in it. We took him to the vet immediately (along with the paper towel we cleaned the vomit up with so we could eliminate the "are you sure its blood, how much" coversation) - long story short we never did find out what was wrong with him specifically but about $800 and 5 nerve-wracking days later he was on the mend. He was severely dehydrated and had we not taken him in for subQ fluids and so forth he probably would have died within a day or so. He didn't have a fever, his blood tests were wonky (some kidney and liver damage) but there wasn't any one thing that screamed - this is why you threw up blood. After a little over a day they let us take him home if we agreed to keep giving him subQ fluids and the appetite stimulants. We couldn't afford much more treatment and we all thought he'd be more likely to eat for me then at the vets. For about a week he got subQ fluids every other day and the stimulants and I fed him his favourite foods. His blood sugar stayed down, he never went back on insulin, and to this day nobody knows what the heck happened. Eventually his kidney and liver levels started improving and we got the all-clear about a month ago to not take him back for more tests for 6 months.

As the vet told me then - sometimes we never know what happened. And I figured I'd rather have him recover and never know then know and have him not recover. The best guesses we came up with were - he got kitty food poisoning somehow perhaps by eating a centipede or something or he swallowed a prescription nsaid painkiller a friend who lived with us dropped. She hadn't lived with us for several years, but about 3 weeks before Yittle got sick I was cleaning and found a single pill underneath some furniture. A month or so after he got sick we found a second one caught in a heating vent. Side effects from it include stomach bleeding and throwing up so who knows.

So you may never figure it out - but knowing and recovering don't have to be connected if good care is received. The only other thing I can add is for awhile I had a bad gallbladder - and when I'd have attacks I frequently would end up throwing up for so long that I'd rupture tiny blood vessels and the result would be reddish or pink-tinged liquid. It could happen to the cat as well if they've thrown up a lot/often. One of my civvies has had it happen a few times after an extreme bout with hair-balls. The most important thing right now is probably getting the cat to the vet for subQ fluids so they don't dehydrate.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

Thank you for sharing your experiences Gina & Yittle. She isn't throwing up much blood at all. Every few vomits there is little clots, but it's mostly a very faded pink color. It seems the liquid comes out clear (right after she drinks), but it's a few heaves later that the pinkish tint comes. I am going to throw the regular water dish in the sink and give them a new bowl with water in it. Maybe something inadvertently got dropped in their water, like hand soap or even spoiled foods meant for the compost container.

She has finally gotten cranky with me. She is laying out on her recliner and will not purr for me when I pet her and she gives a little growl if I keep touching her, but she's still quite alert. I think she feels better after laying down, tries to drink and then starts her sickness again.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

We went in this morning for some testing. The Dr. found what appears to be cancer in her colon. Peeps got a shot of prednisone to hopefully help with inflation and make her comfortable this weekend while I decide the actions I want to take with her.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

Aww, Michele........any chance of second opinon? Did the vet say anything about possible treatement/surgery? Prayers that vet is wrong and Peeps is with you for a lot more years.
 
Re: Bloody vomit, bg: 116, OTJ kitty. Questions to ask vet?

We talked about a few options. I was told that an ultra sound could be done to see if the cancer has spread and how badly, but that exploratory surgery would be the route to fully identify the intensity of the problems. When I asked about best case scenario, cancer isn't spread & removed fully, her time frame would be another 6-12 months, and the cancer could reoccur.

Since she isn't in pain, I'm going to give her a chance with the prednisone. She is quite mad at me still (I haven't put the cat carrier away), but she's been purring and giving kisses since we got home. I'm trying to give her a little personal space, she's always a little weird after being at the vet's office, and she has no idea why I keep sobbing into her fur.

About a second opinion... I have lots of faith in her doctors. I am just leery of treatment because of a lot of factors right now. She is 14ish and we've run down a lot of her lives in the years she has been here. I also don't feel right about expanding her life for a few months, especially if recovery can be more uncomfortable & painful than what she is going through right now. Money is a kind-of issue, it's not like I haven't spent obscene amounts of cash on her, and gone without severely because of it, but I haven't had a whole lot of time yet for this all to sink in.

Do I want to have this kind of decision on my plate? Of course not! Can I live without my Peeps? Probably... but I'll never love like that again. Do I want her in pain, a former shadow of herself? Absolutely not.
 
Nope, I'm not a big fan of exploratory surgery .......especially with the chance of cancer involvement and time left. Just was wondering if there was anything to try and I see you are going to give her Pred. I know she has used up a few of her 9 lives, and quality of life over rides quantity, and IMHO I think surgery also spreads a cancer faster. Just so sad to read about Peeps and mega prayers that the pred slows it down and she has a lot more time with you.
 
Michele I'm sorry to hear this. Can I ask what your vet thought of the bloody vomit? Because the colon is the very end of the intestine that connects to the anus, and colon cancer does not cause bloody vomit. Also I can't imagine how it is diagnosed in a regular exam -- did he do a rectal exam and feel a mass?

Definitely go for the ultrasound. You still don't have an idea of what's going on here, let alone what treatment options (curative or palliative) are out there. You don't know why she has bloody vomit, and she was just given a drug (steroid) that can actually cause damage to her stomach lining and possibly increase bleeding. (Did your vet prescribe anything else such as sucralfate or famotidine or omeprazole?) You need some answers and she needs some relief of whatever is causing her such nausea and bleeding.
 
The vet believes the vomiting is just from that. Not all of her piles had been bloody, and when I say bloody, I don't mean massively so. Because there was so little blood, and it wasn't coffee ground color, the dr didn't believe the blood was coming from the stomach, just a by product of so many heaving episodes.

I am not sure of what was done to my Peeps downstairs, but the dr poked her externally in front of me before taking her down for lab work. They did the x-ray and found the intestinal problems. The blood work (CBC?) that she recommended before the problems were found on the x-ray were not done. No other medicine was given or sent home.
 
Oh my dear dear friend. Words cannot express how sorry i am to hear this news. My heart hurts just reading your words and i am so sorry i am not there to simply hug and hold you! Please know that if i could take the weight of your pain right now, i would certainly carry it and you.

I'm here for you (i know you know this).

All my love MN 1L, NY 1L
 
The ultrasound will tell you what you need to know...Trouble had the same issue but he was too far down the road for anything to help. You might go to a veterinary oncologist for the next round of tests - they are super for treatment advice. Laura
 
((( Michele )))

I hope the pred. helps your precious Peeps feel better and keep some food and water down. My heart aches thinking about what you must be going through.
 
michelle , i am so sad to read this about peeps.

i would encourage you to get further evaluation and to see an oncologist ( or internal med specialist if an oncologist in not in your area) cornell will also do long distance oncology consults with your vet. they are not expensive ( i had one a couple years ago was 55) they will recommend testing and treatment

Winnie lived 5 years past her gi lymphoma dx -- and she passed from other causes. ( no sign of the lymphoma)
her case is a bit exceptional, but I wanted you to know that you never know.
ECID applies to all health issues ;-)

AND you still don't have a firm dx.

healing wishes for Peeps.

((((((((( Michelle ))))))))))))))
 
Cancer sucks! There are different types of cancer of the colon. Many kitties with small cell cancer live long normal lives with pretty easy treatment. Some even do well with large cell. There are a couple of kitty cancer groups on yahoo that would be a good resource for you. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline_lymphoma/

Paws crossed it's small cell and she responds well to treatment. I'm sorry you both got this sucky news.

PS: If you do continue w/the steriods, you can get them compounded into flavored chews. Most kitties think they are treats and love eating their meds. They wouldn't be something you'd give a diabetic cat though, so I don't know about an OTJ cat.

PSS: Linda's (& Bear) kitty, Teddy, has lived 5 years beyond lymphoma dx on meds given at home.
 
I took Peeps home on Friday to use the weekend to cry and scream over what to do. Since she seems to be responding to the prednisone, I am going to talk to my vet about what else can be done (other than surgery) for her. My vet had told me she could refer me to a specialist in the cities, as the office I go to does not have all the equipment for cancer kitties.

Just an update... Peeps never vomited again after the vet visit. She's been drinking and eating regularly, and her personality is normal. Her litter box habits are a mystery to me, she is extremely private about them, so I do not know when she is going, but the next morning after the vet trip - if all 3 cats didn't poo - they were inviting in friends specifically for filling the litter box. She does seem a little down today, but it is cloudy and kind of crappy out. None of the cats (or even the birds) are moving around a whole lot. I caught her on the window shelf, and she only sat there for a few minutes. I assume she wanted to sun tan and thought the weather was too dang crappy and went back to bed.

As for pilling her - I'm reluctant to do it. She is more chipmunk like than kitty like when it comes to pills, and after a few days she will be spitting them and not getting the medicine she needs. I do need to talk to my vet to see if they allow prednisone to come home and be administered without dragging her to the vet. She also doesn't do "kitty treats" in the conventional sense of the word... If I could get pills that look, taste, and feel like spinach - no problem, but she's never tried 99% of the foods given to her (including new york strip steak), and I don't see her changing her habits any time soon.

Any resources anyone has, would be a great help to me. I have found googling "feline cancer", or other such terms brings up several pages with the exact same information.
 
Michele and Peeps said:
I do need to talk to my vet to see if they allow prednisone to come home and be administered without dragging her to the vet. She also doesn't do "kitty treats" in the conventional sense of the word... If I could get pills that look, taste, and feel like spinach - no problem, but she's never tried 99% of the foods given to her (including new york strip steak), and I don't see her changing her habits any time soon.
Click to expand...

Huh? You have to take her in to the vet's office to get the pred? Are they giving her injections? Pred is a tiny little pill, very small. Have you tried a pill popper when pilling Peeps? Makes pilling so much easier! I coat the pill with olive oil first and always follow with food.

Regarding compounding the meds into treats I mentioned above, your vet can order a sample packet of flavors from a compounding pharmacy at no cost (I think that's right about the free sample). We use Veterinary Pharmacies of America http://www.vetrxrx.com/. You can let Peeps try them and see what she thinks. Zoe loved the liver and Aaron & Wally love the tuna and chicken. Prednisone evidently doesn't change the flavor of the treat very much. At least according to Zoe. Famotindine (Pepcid AC) and Prozac evidently do make it taste yucky.

When I can, I give the cats Prednisolone instead of Prednisone. Cats change Prednisone into Prednisolone while processing it through their livers. I figure I'd rather they use the energy for fighting cancer or whatever's going on. Nothing scientific to back up that theory. However, many cats do just fine on Prednisone. If a cat doesn't respond to Prednisone, often Prednisolone is tried.
 
My civie has lived over five years with lymphoma - half his life. He takes a home chemotherapy regimen of Dexasone and Leukeran. If there is no hope for remission, chemo can also provide palliative effects for the cat by shrinking tumours and giving more quality time. It doesn't make them sick like it does humans, though, of course, it has side effects.
 
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