Daily regurgitation

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car523

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I have a ~10 yr old diabetic cat who I've had for 4 years (a rescue). He is the only cat in the household. He has been regurgitating his food daily since Saturday, which is highly unusal for him. We've got an appointment to see the vet next week, but in the meantime, of course, I'm worried, and I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

I'm finding he will regurgitate the first meal of the day no matter what. Today, I gave him a very small forkful--it came back up within 15 minutes. After that, if I wait about a half hour and give him a 1/3 of a can of Fancy Feast, he keeps it down, and tolerates small, frequent feedings like that throughout the day. He eats no dry food, only FF.

He has no teeth at all--I had to have them all removed soon after I got him.

Any thoughts about what is going on? Might this be related to the diabetes?

Thank you!

Cindy
 
car523 said:
I have a ~10 yr old diabetic cat who I've had for 4 years (a rescue). He is the only cat in the household. He has been regurgitating his food daily since Saturday, which is highly unusal for him. We've got an appointment to see the vet next week, but in the meantime, of course, I'm worried, and I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

I'm finding he will regurgitate the first meal of the day no matter what. Today, I gave him a very small forkful--it came back up within 15 minutes. After that, if I wait about a half hour and give him a 1/3 of a can of Fancy Feast, he keeps it down, and tolerates small, frequent feedings like that throughout the day. He eats no dry food, only FF.

He has no teeth at all--I had to have them all removed soon after I got him.

Any thoughts about what is going on? Might this be related to the diabetes?

Thank you!

Cindy
Click to expand...

You feed several times during the day, but what about overnite? How long between his last evening meal and first morning meal?
many people use an autofeeder to provide small meals/snacks through the nite.
 
I know we are real obsessive about home testing and think it is the answers to most things, but that might help you with this puzzle. If you knew what his numbers were overnight, it might be that he is going down low and then reacting in the am? Having that information is helpful in so many ways to see what is happening when behaviors are off.
 
Gayle and Shadoe said:
You feed several times during the day, but what about overnite? How long between his last evening meal and first morning meal?many people use an autofeeder to provide small meals/snacks through the nite.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I was actually thinking of trying that tonight.

I generally feed him a half can right before bed, and then as soon as I get up...so there's about 7 or 8 hours in between.

When he wasn't regurgitating so much, I'd give him a full can when I got up, and a half can late in the morning. Then 2 more cans spread out in the evening beginning at 4 or 5. He eats about 3 1/2 cans Fancy Feast (gluten-free flavors) a day. (I can't give him the diabetic formula prescription food...something in it throws him off).

If I'm going to be out for longer than 8 hours, I set him up with a timer feeder.

But it's never been an issue before...I'm not sure why it is, all of a sudden.
 
Sue and Oliver (GA) said:
I know we are real obsessive about home testing and think it is the answers to most things, but that might help you with this puzzle. If you knew what his numbers were overnight, it might be that he is going down low and then reacting in the am? Having that information is helpful in so many ways to see what is happening when behaviors are off.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I've never done the home testing, except for a while with confetti urine strips. His blood-work numbers have stayed solidly consistant over the years, and he remains at 1 1/2 units Lantus 2x daily. But maybe the overnight 'fast' is causing him to eat too fast...and then it comes back up.
 
I'm also starting to wonder if this could be from stress. He's been licking his lips a lot in the morning the past few days while waiting for me to get up--I know this is a sign of too much stomach acid.

And it just occured to me: we had a guest stay here over the weekend, someone he doesn't like. She arrived Friday night and stayed through Monday. The regurgitating began Saturday morning.
 
We have lots of people who come on and say "I have been giving my cat the same dose for years and he has been fine" and then one day, he gets the usual dose and starts having seizures or howling or any of the other hypo symptoms. As the vet who posts here says, "Giving insulin without home testing is like driving down the freeway with a bag over your head."

We are all about keeping the kitty safe and know that home testing is the best way to do that. Your cat, your call. We would be glad to help you learn how if you want.

Lip smacking can certainly be sign of nausea.
 
His insulin needs may have changed - regurgitation could be due to either high or low glucose.

An older cat is more prone to renal issues, which cause upset stomach, lack of appetite, lots of urine, and sometimes a sort of urine smell to the breath. How much wet litter is being produced a day? Does his breath smell a little like urine?

A growth, benign or malignant, in the esophagus could cause regurgitation. A partial blockage in the intestinal tract (hairball, constipation) could force food back up. The need for small feedings, ie small volume suggests some sort of restriction to me.

A health check with the vet is a good idea; there are numerous possibilities and a thorough exam may rule them in or out.
 
Gayle and Shadoe said:
You feed several times during the day, but what about overnite? How long between his last evening meal and first morning meal? many people use an autofeeder to provide small meals/snacks through the nite.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I did this and it worked. No regurgitating today at all.

Cindy
 
Small meals may work if there is a restriction; be sure to mention it at the next vet visit.
 
Might want to check to see if he is constipated. One of my civvies cut back on eating larger quanties and is was due to constipation. They gave her an enima and she went back to eating more shortly afterward.
Just wanted to second the home testing just in case it does have something to do with the diabetes and bg.
 
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