gastroparesis?

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Lkldcatlady

Lkldcatlady

Member Since 2013
Hi all! Does anyone know anything about this condition? Bob and I used to be on the lantus board but because we don't follow the protocol, we left. He has been diabetic for 2 1/2 years and has some stomach problems. No diarrhea, no vomiting, but seems to have painful digestion. Rigid belly, looks uncomfortable. Seems ok right before and right after eating. Ultrasound with internal med specialist shows nothing. Blood work is good. FLP TEST SCHEDULED for tomorrow. Bob does not and will not eat canned food. We did a nutritional consult with the university of TN and he has been on venison and pea dry food. His BG STAYS between 100 - 200 and we are happy with that. I'm going to call for another nutritional analysis - they also can give you homemade food plans, but with this stubborn butt, I doubt he would be agreeable. Just wondering if anyone has experience with his gastroparesis I found online. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you!!!
 
Gastroparesis means the muscle movements to push the food through aren't working well.
 
Hi Dara, I remember you.

My aunt has this.... I haven't heard of it in cats.
It generally involves lots of nausea and vomiting for her.
I would say try to keep meals frequent and small....
also, if you can hear well ( i can't) lay your head on his belly and listen. If you can't hear well, find someone who can.

Have you tried things like pepcid? ondansetron?
Is the venison a novel protein for him?
How long has he been on this diet?
My vet says it takes 6 months to develop allergies to a novel protein altho' in my own personal allergy experience,
that isn't true. And plenty of people eat shellfish or strawberries for years, and then one day, no more.... suddenly
serious allergic reaction. ( that's the best quick example I can think of)

since venison is similar to beef ( and beef is often an allergen to cats) , it's certainly possible.
 
metoclopromide is the drug they use in humans for this. I think vets use it as well. It's important to rule out electrolyte problems, obstructions from hair, cancer, infection and parasites.
 
Gastroparesis means the stomach muscles are not working properly or at all. Digestion is delayed. Early satiety and bloating are common with this condition. Nausea may or not be present. It is best to feed smaller meals that are easy to digest and find food with limited ingredients your cat can tolerate. Perhaps duck? Reglan (metoclopramide) is a medication to speed up motility. Has acid reflux been ruled out? Has an endoscopy been performed?
 
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Reglan (metoclopramide) can affect the dopamine system and movement. If side effects develop, some of them can be permanent.

Zantac 75 (ranitidine) - is an alternative acid reducer to Pepcid AC (famotidine). It is reported to have some beneficial effects on gut motility.
 
@Cat Ma - Saoirse was on it for a couple of weeks last year. She developed a slight head twitch. I had been looking to get her onto ondansetron. When I reported the tic I finally got the Rx for the ondansetron from our vets and stopped the Reglan. (Note: Saoirse was given Reglan as an anti-nausea treatment, not for gastroparesis.)

EDITED TO ADD:

The head twitch disappeared after cessation of Reglan administration.
.
 
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I have heard awful side effects experienced by humans but wasn't aware of the side effects for cats.
 
In humans, gastroparesis is confirmed with a GES (Gastric Emptying Study). I can't imagine putting a cat through such a test! And in gastroparesis, patients often have pain with eating.
 
Maggie had it and was on a small dose of reglan. It seemed to help and she didn't have the bad side effects. But the side effects are very worrisome. Best to try other treatments first.
 
It was once thought that I had this condition, but the gastric emptying test proved it was not the case. I had no idea that cats could get it! In countries other than the US, a drug called domperidone is sometimes prescribed and without the side effects of Reglan. Hope you find some answers soon.
 
Thanks for all the info guys!

rhiannon and shadow (GA) said:
Hi Dara, I remember you.
My aunt has this.... I haven't heard of it in cats.
It generally involves lots of nausea and vomiting for her.
I would say try to keep meals frequent and small....
also, if you can hear well ( i can't) lay your head on his belly and listen. If you can't hear well, find someone who can.
Have you tried things like pepcid? ondansetron?
Is the venison a novel protein for him?
How long has he been on this diet?
My vet says it takes 6 months to develop allergies to a novel protein altho' in my own personal allergy experience,
that isn't true. And plenty of people eat shellfish or strawberries for years, and then one day, no more.... suddenly
serious allergic reaction. ( that's the best quick example I can think of)
since venison is similar to beef ( and beef is often an allergen to cats) , it's certainly possible.
Click to expand...

Hey Rhiannon! I did read there wasn't much research on it, but it's possible. I am waiting on some bloodwork from this morning, but I was just curious about this particular disorder. I do listen to his belly and it almost always sounds bubbly and loud like he's digesting food but it's all the time. If I listen to one of the other cats' bellies, I don't hear much. He also tenses his belly so I know it's bothering him. I try Pepcid but it doesn't seem to do a whole lot. I've also tried Prilosec. Not sure what ondansetron is. The venison WAS a novel protein but maybe no more - he's been on for about 8 months. I'm calling the University of TN and seeing what else they can find for me. It did seem to help at first, but not so much any more.

I'm so sorry about Shadow - it had to be pointed out to me because I haven't been on the site in so long, I can't remember how things work. You are a wonderful cat mom and I hope you are doing ok. I'll definitely send prayers.
 
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Cat Ma said:
@Lkldcatlady, is Bob being tested for fLP or FLP?
Click to expand...

Hi Cat Ma - I just took Bob in this morning for the FLP test although the internal medicine specialist said his pancreas looks ok and normally it might be enlarged or inflamed or something like that. I really thought he had pancreatitis. I guess we will find out for sure. I just want to know what it is so I can treat it! I've had the poor boy doped up on bupe for several weeks and I just want him to feel better. Thanks for all the information.
 
Critter Mom said:
Reglan (metoclopramide) can affect the dopamine system and movement. If side effects develop, some of them can be permanent.

Zantac 75 (ranitidine) - is an alternative acid reducer to Pepcid AC (famotidine). It is reported to have some beneficial effects on gut motility.
Click to expand...

Hi Critter Mom - I actually tried the reglan once (it was liquid) and there is no way we will be trying it again unless it comes in a different form. He turned into Cujo and every time I looked at him for the next two weeks, he gave me the evil eye. He doesn't do well with liquid medications. LOL. Thanks for the suggestion of Zantac - I never thought about that, but I will definitely give it a try. Do you know how many mg I should give him?
 
Lkldcatlady said:
I do listen to his belly and it almost always sounds bubbly and loud like he's digesting food but it's all the time. If I listen to one of the other cats' bellies, I don't hear much. He also tenses his belly so I know it's bothering him. I try Pepcid but it doesn't seem to do a whole lot. I've also tried Prilosec. Not sure what ondansetron is.
Click to expand...

Has IBD been completely ruled out? The bubbly, loud sound is heard a lot in my IBD cat, Bonnie.

Ondansetron is an anti-nausea medication also known as Zofran.

I wonder if Bob has trapped gas. That can cause considerable discomfort and gurgling.
 
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Lkldcatlady said:
Hi Critter Mom - I actually tried the reglan once (it was liquid) and there is no way we will be trying it again unless it comes in a different form. He turned into Cujo ..
Click to expand...

:eek:

Mirtazapine did similar to Saoirse. She only ever got the one dose (wasn't warned about potential side effects and got the drop of my life when I discovered it could induce serotonin syndrome - Saoirse's pupils were like plates within 30 minutes of taking it. She became vocal, agitated and aggressive (she's very quiet and pacific by nature), and crazed with hunger. It was awful to see what it did to her. Reglan didn't help Saoirse much at all (cats don't have many of the receptors it targets for anti-nausea effects). She got on much better with cypro.

Zantac - I never thought about that, but I will definitely give it a try. Do you know how many mg I should give him?
Click to expand...

Dosage info for Zantac 75 - link to Tanya's Site

Obviously run it past your vetty bean before administering. :)


Mogs
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So this is kind of an old thread but I found it while trying to find answers for my boy. I've been dealing with his stomach issues for a solid 2 years now and some times it's almost too much. Toby has been vomiting a bunch lately - 2 and 3 times a day. Sometimes it seems he doesn't keep down anything he eats. The only diagnosis I have for him right now is inflammatory bowel, altho several vets had several other thoughts that were ruled out (pancreatitis, bad teeth etc) For some reason gastroparesis popped into my brain after realizing he first pile of vomit seems almost totally undigested, and the second pile seems almost fully digested. i did see a symptom
Of gastroparesis is pica- Toby has an obsession with licking plastic
The past few years. I decided to try him on some ranitidine. I tried to chop a 75mg tablet into 8ths as best I could, but 24 hours into it and he hasn't vomited. Keeping my fingers crossed.....anyobe else had similar issues ?
 
I have a cat with IBD. She had constant diarrhea for more than a year, after I got her. What finally worked for her was s.boulardii and Slippery Elm Bark (SEB). SHe never had any vomiting issues, though. I do have another civvie who vomits all the time, and we finally figured out that he is always mildly constipated. A lot of his vomiting was when he would strain to have a bowel movement, or right after he ate. He is on a regular dose of Miralax plus an additional couple of tablespoons of water added to his food (all my cats get the extra water added to their food!).
 
I found this on MedicineNet.com. which is a human med site, rather than a pet site, but I would imagine the same would apply to our fur babies: "The most common cause of gastroparesis is diabetes mellitus, which affects the function of the stomach's nerves and muscles."
 
Thanks for the reply. Back when this all started, the vets were doing tons of bloodwork but never mentioned diabetes. I've tried so many things over the past 2 years. I had to syringe feed him when it all started, because he wouldn't eat, then he got dehydrated and I had to give subQ fluids. He had teeth removed, he had an EGD, he had a chemo med (from the vet that did the EGD). Combination of prednisone and Pepcid, and carafate I believe. Another vet (closer to home) basically said with the IBD he should be on prednisone indefinitely. But he still vomits with it, so I don't really see the point ?
 
For some reason I'm having a really hard time replying on this board :( the vet did a biopsy when she did the EGD but I don't think it showed much. I don't believe he had lymphoma, but maybe she thought he had some early signs? Sorry I don't really remember her reasoning. She was an oncology type vet tho, and her final diagnosis was IBD. As far as I know, he does not have diabetes.
 
Acid reducers like ranitidine and pepsid can actually make gastroparesis worse. The lower valve of the stomach (pyloric valve) relies on the acid of the stomach to trigger it's opening and stomach emptying into the intestines. Acid reducers interfere with the process and delay emptying. In addition, the acid dump into the intestines triggers the release of bile and digestive enzymes in the first part of the intestines, increasing the breakdown of the food. Acid reducers slow this process as well.

Metoclopromide is used to promote GI motility, but is really best when used short term. When used long term, there can be side effects that cause movement and balance disorders.
 
My cat (who has IBD) was diagnosed with some motility problems. Now and then he will regurgitate his food undigested and it just literally flies out of his mouth after he eats. His specialist prescribed ranitidine to move the food through his system faster but he ended up with diarrhea from it. Small frequent pureed meals have helped, along with no dry food at all. He had a very bad reaction to Reglan.
 
Well, I keep writing posts and discarding them due to being unable to post them. Not sure why. Just ordered some s.boulardii tho.
 
He’s doing so much better with the ranitidine...!?

I do always have wet food available to him, for the longest time that’s all he ate and it obviously digested easier- but now his picky butt won’t eat the wet and goes for the dry food that his sisters eat. As long as he’s eating and it’s not coming back up, I’m not arguing
 
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