Does anyone give Pepcid as a preventative?

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Shoeskitty-GA

Shoeskitty-GA

Member Since 2016
Just curious because sometimes when Shoes is in a sitting position his stomach will move inward and he will almost stretch his neck out like a burp or an almost retch and I wonder if he has some acid.
 
Have a look at this page from Tanya's Site. It's a great guide to learning how to spot clinical signs of nausea or stomach acid problems. It also covers treatment options, too.

Nausea, vomiting and stomach acid - symptoms and treatments

It can be helpful to watch Shoes behaviours after he eats to see if he engages in lip licking or 'yawning' behaviours. An easy thing to try is to raise his food and water dishes a few inches so that he doesn't have to bend down to eat.



Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Have a look at this page from Tanya's Site. It's a great guide to learning how to spot clinical signs of nausea or stomach acid problems. It also covers treatment options, too.

Nausea, vomiting and stomach acid - symptoms and treatments

It can be helpful to watch Shoes behaviours after he eats to see if he engages in lip licking or 'yawning' behaviours. An easy thing to try is to raise his food and water dishes a few inches so that he doesn't have to bend down to eat.



Mogs
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It's really weird Mogs, when he does this. He doesn't yawn or lick his lips. It's like he's about to burp or retch but doesn't. ETA: His food bowl is elevated and his water bowls are up on top of desk. He won't drink if they are not. I just don't know what to make of it sometimes. It's not something he does frequently however.
 
I give Pepcid AC daily but I'm not sure it qualifies as a preventative. Bama was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and suffers from nausea and inappetence occasionally. On the days when Bama is struggling with inappetence she does seem to eat better after I give her Pepcid AC.

I second raising the food bowl - it made a big difference for Bama when she first started having problems. I also give slippery elm bark but I'm not sure if it is helping with stomach acid, it certainly wasn't enough on it's own.
 
I'd run it by the vet. It's not ideal to give acid blockers chronically unless you have to (can affect nutrient/med absorption and also cause knock-on digestive issues).

Is Shoes pooping OK?

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Critter Mom said:
I'd run it by the vet. It's not ideal to give acid blockers chronically unless you have to (can affect nutrient/med absorption and also cause knock-on digestive issues).

Is Shoes pooping OK?

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Yep. Easter weekend he had some mucousy stools and I made it worse by giving him 1/2 tsp. yogurt with milk in it, but he's ok. For a little guy, he sure has some large BM's. TMI, I know. I have asked his vet about this before, but I think it's one of those things that vet would have to see to understand what I mean, sort of like a car having a random noise that stops when you take it in to be checked.
 
Bring a stool sample with you next time you go to the vets?

I don't know of anything else to suggest to you. If Shoes did have slimy poops and you're noticing odd clinical signs that may possibly have their origins in a digestive tract issue then trust your instincts and get it investigated; no-one knows Shoes the way you do.


Mogs
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I started giving pepcid preventive in addition to the cerenia. Then I decide I will talk to vet about it. I remember reading not to give if there are issues with kidney or liver. Smokey doesn't have them but want to make sure it won't cause any either. So until I see the vet tomorrow I stopped giving it.
 
Shoeskitty said:
Yep. Easter weekend he had some mucousy stools and I made it worse by giving him 1/2 tsp. yogurt with milk in it, but he's ok. For a little guy, he sure has some large BM's. TMI, I know. I have asked his vet about this before, but I think it's one of those things that vet would have to see to understand what I mean, sort of like a car having a random noise that stops when you take it in to be checked.
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Could you talk to your vet about dropping off a stool sample in the future when he is having issues? My vet has been good about letting me drop off abnormal samples for analysis without an appointment.
 
Bama said:
Could you talk to your vet about dropping off a stool sample in the future when he is having issues? My vet has been good about letting me drop off abnormal samples for analysis without an appointment.
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I could ask, but the thing of it is, he acts normal. I just wonder if its a hairball thing.
 
The vets in my practice have started prescribing prilosec instead of pepcid - I can't really remember why - I think a new study came out -I'll ask about it - I also am at a loss about whether to give it daily - I'm trying not to but I do think it helps I have started automatically giving anti-nausea and appy stimulant when he doesn't eat at meal time -
 
Carol would really love to know what you find out! I don't give Shoes any kind of supplement and have wondered if giving him 1/4 of a Pepcid would help or hurt him if he did not really need it. Thanks much!
 
Carol & Murphy said:
The vets in my practice have started prescribing prilosec instead of pepcid - I can't really remember why - I think a new study came out -I'll ask about it - I also am at a loss about whether to give it daily - I'm trying not to but I do think it helps I have started automatically giving anti-nausea and appy stimulant when he doesn't eat at meal time -
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Useful links about Prilosec:

http://marvistavet.com/omeprazole.pml

http://felinecrf.org/nausea_vomiting_stomach_acid.htm#omeprazole (Gotta love Tanya's Site!)


Mogs
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Shoeskitty said:
d have wondered if giving him 1/4 of a Pepcid would help or hurt him if he did not really need it.
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I don't think if you give it once in a while and he doesn't need it it would hurt, but I would not suggest giving famotidine on a regular basis if he doesn't need it. The stomach acid and gas balance each other. WAny time you take an acid reducer or a gas reducer, it allows the other to increase. If you give an acid reducer on a regular basis and there isn't any excess gas for it to work on, you could reduce the acid he needs in his stomach for digestion and end up with improper digestion, possibly excess gas and create a whole different set of problems.
 
I give Rico pepcid every night and he has been doing much better as far as comfort and no wanting to puke at 4 am (he doesn't always puke but he clearly wanted to-BUT I am going to talk to my vet because I think sometimes it makes his heart race.....

I will probably try a different kind (maybe the one I take/lansoprazole) but going to talk to Dr probably today-
I have found that giving 1/4 pepcid once in a while does not work for him it seems I have to stay ahead of it.

If I give it every night he has no issues with acid (lip licking -wretching -appy)
He is also CKD for years which I am sure where it stems from. He used to have the acid pukis about 3-4 x a week and since we started pepcid he has only had it 1x and it was a hairball-

If he was more accommodating I would give slippery elm bark but not so much :facepalm::stop:
 
jayla-n-Drevon said:
I give Rico pepcid every night and he has been doing much better as far as comfort and no wanting to puke at 4 am (he doesn't always puke but he clearly wanted to-BUT I am going to talk to my vet because I think sometimes it makes his heart race.....

I will probably try a different kind (maybe the one I take/lansoprazole) but going to talk to Dr probably today-
I have found that giving 1/4 pepcid once in a while does not work for him it seems I have to stay ahead of it.

If I give it every night he has no issues with acid (lip licking -wretching -appy)
He is also CKD for years which I am sure where it stems from. He used to have the acid pukis about 3-4 x a week and since we started pepcid he has only had it 1x and it was a hairball-

If he was more accommodating I would give slippery elm bark but not so much :facepalm::stop:
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Please let me know what the vet says. Hope you find the right thing for Rico.
 
Shoeskitty said:
Please let me know what the vet says. Hope you find the right thing for Rico.
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I think the pepcid and what I take are pretty much the same:oops:
I guess you have to weigh what stage you are at and Shoes is at-
For us Rico is 17 and CKD for 6 years on fluids.... I accept that there is a downside but I decided at this age I want him comfortable and he has to eat (which he won't without onadestrom and pepcid) he has gained the pound he lost before increased the onadestrom and added pepcid. I wish he was ok without it:(
I am still going to ask my vet if he has an alternative. If there is I will post what he says :bighug:
 
Shoeskitty said:
Carol would really love to know what you find out! I don't give Shoes any kind of supplement and have wondered if giving him 1/4 of a Pepcid would help or hurt him if he did not really need it. Thanks much!
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okay - I emailed my vet (a feline specialist at a feline only practice) and she said that there is recent data that pepcid can be quite ineffective in cats - so they (and presumably other feline vets) are beginning to prescribe prilosec instead (1/4 of 20 mg tablet daily). I have to say, I have always found pepcid to be effective, so I am continuing to give it But just a heads up, of what we will likely start hearing from our vets. I don't give to Murphy every day, just when he is beginning to go off his food (pretty often) or when I fear pancreatitis is rearing it's ugly head -
 
Carol & Murphy said:
okay - I emailed my vet (a feline specialist at a feline only practice) and she said that there is recent data that pepcid can be quite ineffective in cats - so they (and presumably other feline vets) are beginning to prescribe prilosec instead (1/4 of 20 mg tablet daily). I have to say, I have always found pepcid to be effective, so I am continuing to give it But just a heads up, of what we will likely start hearing from our vets. I don't give to Murphy every day, just when he is beginning to go off his food (pretty often) or when I fear pancreatitis is rearing it's ugly head -
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Thanks Carol! I appreciate the info!
 
I have heard the same thing that Carol's vet is saying. I have also found famotidine to be effective for us so never switched.

jayla-n-Drevon said:
For us Rico is 17 and CKD for 6 years on fluids.... I accept that there is a downside but I decided at this age I want him comfortable and he has to eat (which he won't without onadestrom and pepcid) he has gained the pound he lost before increased the onadestrom and added pepcid. I wish he was ok without it:(
I am still going to ask my vet if he has an alternative. If there is I will post what he says :bighug:
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I would say if it ain't broke don't fix it. There is nothing wrong with giving it when it is needed. I've not heard of any adverse effects in that situation. The only case I've heard for vets switching is the idea that famotidine is not effective. If it is for Rico, I'd go ahead and keep using it. We used it for the same thing. Taz had it for much of the early part of CKD. In the later years, she no longer had the content nausea so we stopped it and only gave when she had periods of nausea. Smokey took it much of her CKD time too. Nausea due to excess stomach acid is common in kidney cats so you do what you have to do to keep them comfy.
 
Critter Mom said:
You'd be well advised to do so Jayla. Famotidine can affect the heart. See below:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002914904002462

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_QT_syndrome

I think there might be more info on Tanya's Site about this (see the nausea page - I can't access the site at the moment).


Mogs
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WOW--Thank you Mogs.... I picked up some slippery elm bark powder today and put it in a size 5 capsule-:banghead:
Rico has been up and down the past few days and I am not sure if it has anything to do with the pepcid?
But I have seen what looks a different breathing pattern and being CKD for so long I don't want to take any chances.
Getting this powder in these capsules is crazy:eek: I wish they made small capsules, he will not let me syringe it:(
:bighug:
 
Shoeskitty said:
Please let me know what the vet says. Hope you find the right thing for Rico.
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My vet didn't have any medicine he said he would change to.... he does use slippery elm bark..... It is hard getting it in the tiny capsules!
I wonder if they make a tablet? hmmmmmm
I cannot syringe in Rico:stop::stop::stop:Phsyco kitty!
 
Shoeskitty said:
Thanks Jayla! Pyscho Rico?
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Rico is very independent .... he is not interested in taking pills or being assist fed--although he is fine for fluids and injections-:cat:
He has to be sedated for blood work:( I do not declaw and they LOVE their nails! I trim them often but he is a pretty slick fella!
FYI they do make slippery elm bark tablets!:)
 
Critter Mom said:
You could try the SEB in his food. See this page at Tanya's Site for instructions on how to make up an SEB 'syrup'. It's a bit slimy and something of a pain to measure the dose with a spoon - might be better to use a syringe or a pipette to measure it instead. @Elizabeth and Bertie just mixes the powder directly into food IIRC.
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I mix SEB into Bama's food and she actually seems to prefer the taste.
 
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