? Question about puke

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AlphaCat

AlphaCat

Member Since 2017
Fabby is short hair, and because of diabetes hasn't been grooming for a long time, so we really haven't had to deal with throw up from hr in forever.
But today she threw up right after eating (no hairball in puke).

Is there something I should be doing right now due to her having in-regulated diabetes?

She is eating Friskies Patés all with carbs under 5. She eats almost 1/2 can 4 times a day. Today we were on track for the best numbers we've had in a while...
Here's her daily schedule:
Wake up to her being aggressive wanting to eat.
7:30 - 8:00 am Test glucose for AMPS, feed, then insulin.
2:00 pm (or close to it) test glucose and feed another portion.
7:30 pm - 8pm test glucose for PMPS, feed, then insulin.
1:00 am (or close to it) test glucose and feed another portion.

She likes her food, and is excited to eat it, but she stops eating at about 1/4 of a can. But if she only ate 1/4 of a can 4 times a day, she wouldn't be eating enough to maintain her meager 12 lbs. So at each of her feeding times I let her eat, then I chase her around making the food more appealing so she eats 1/2 can (or at least close). To make it more appealing the things I do are: pile the food into a food mountain, add water to the food to make cat food soup, add broken up treat of Fancy Feast one ingredient treat (Salmon) into the food, spoon feed.

So today, at her 2:00pm glucose test she was in the Blue! Somewhere we aren't usually! I opened a new can of Friskies Flaked with Tuna and put half a can in her dish. She ate her 1/4 and then walked away. Then threw it up all over the floor. (It could have been worse.) I left the food down for her, but am not doing my normal chase her around to eat the other quarter. She's in one of her normal spots fast asleep right now. (Looking peaceful)

Do I need to test her again now to see if her glucose is dropping further since she didn't have any food at her nadir today?
Do I need to feed her treats so she's eating and holding down something?
I don't have a reason for her throwing up, could this be due to the insulin? (We increased .25 4 days ago.)

One step forward- two steps back... help!
 
Sounds like something is causing a little bit of nausea. Does she have any food allergies? Gross factor: what does the throw up look like? Clear and foamy or yellowish?
 
Yong said:
Sounds like something is causing a little bit of nausea. Does she have any food allergies? Gross factor: what does the throw up look like? Clear and foamy or yellowish?
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No food allergies. She's always been able to eat anything. She's been on her wet food diet for 2 weeks now - no new flavors in the rotation.
Also, it'd be hard to gross me out with kitty stuff. ;)
The vomit was brown liquid, no foam just digested food. It was about the size of a fried egg, so I don't think she held down any of what she just ate. Ate at 2:10, threw up by 2:30.
 
When had she last successfully eaten? Did she eat very fast? Has this happened before?
Sorry for questions :facepalm:. I want to understand as best I can before answering :bookworm:
 
Also, she's been in quarantine for these two weeks, so there's nothing for her to get into. I don't even keep trash in that room.
 
Yong said:
When had she last successfully eaten? Did she eat very fast? Has this happened before?
Sorry for questions :facepalm:. I want to understand as best I can before answering :bookworm:
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No, thank you for the questions! Thank you for helping!
Last successful meal was at 8:15 this morning. 1/2 can of Friskies Ocean and Whitefish. She ate her quarter as normal, and then I mountained the food, ate a bit more, then I watered the food for cat food soup and she finished it off. The other cats got to lick the bowl when she was done. (They are all fine, not that she left much for them today.)
She didn't have access to any other food, only water until her 2pm meal.

Her eating pace for both morning and 2pm were normal.
Nope, this is the first vomit from her in ages. She has a stomach of steel.
 
Hold the phone... her majesty has woken up and went back to the food dish.
Please let her hold this down! It's a Friday, of a holiday weekend... please let he hold this down. I do not need an emergency vet bill right now. (I mean really, who does...)
I'll get you another update in 30 minutes to let you know if it stayed down.
 
So of the remaining quarter that was there she ate most of it. (What's left I wouldn't even save, just give to the scavengers that lick the bowl after her...) Currently, it's still left out in case she decides to go back for more.
After eating (normal pace for her) she went and laid in the computer chair, one of her preferred spots. She groomed paws, belly and back briefly... maybe for two minutes, then went back to sleep. No more issues.

So maybe this is over?

I'll take the food up in an hour if she hasn't eaten it. Is there anything else I should do or be worried about?
 
*No professional explanation* here but Maury had a day like that. I fed his meals in smaller portions and it has not happened again. Had a Vet appointment, told them I appreciated them able to get me in same day but I wanted to wait and observe him for 24 hours. Ended up cancelling appointment after telling them it didn't happen again. Just made a note for myself. :)
 
Yong said:
*No professional explanation* here but Maury had a day like that. I fed his meals in smaller portions and it has not happened again. Had a Vet appointment, told them I appreciated them able to get me in same day but I wanted to wait and observe him for 24 hours. Ended up cancelling appointment after telling them it didn't happen again. Just made a note for myself. :)
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Good idea on the note... I'll add it to my spreadsheet!

I'll be back if happens again. ;) (I'll be back anyway... lol.)

Thank you!
 
Day two and we were doing so well, now (of course now) Fabby puked again.

So this time she ate a quarter of her Friskies Scrumptious Salmon and Chicken Liver can for her PMPS dinner.
She walked away as normal, so I began piling into the mountain, again as normal...
Then she puked... twice.
This time it appears there is a hairball involved.

Hairball is a mixed bag.
It means she's grooming, which means she's feeling better! Yay!
It also means she's got no food in her, so I can't give her shot and then go cook my own family's dinner as planned. (Another late night at our house...)

So what do diabetic cats do for hairball remedies? Mine don't tolerate the goopy stuff they have to lick off their paw. (They will shake their paws flinging said goop onto anything nearby...)

HELP - Is there a diabetic cat treat that solves the hairball concern but that also won't mess with her new low carb lifestyle - one that stubborn cats will actually want to eat?

I am seriously due for a good upswing of progress... come on karma, it's time.
 
I keep this typed up at the ready!
Once a day, smear a 1/4 teaspoon of Vaseline or Petroleum jelly on the front paw and see if they lick it away
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.

Another alternative is to increase fiber but with sugar kitties the best option for that is pumpkin (not raw pumpkin). You can use 100% canned pumpkin without additives, fillers, spices, or sugar. Add about 1/2 teaspoon for adult cats to each meal, total of 1 tablespoon daily. Don't want to give a lot because it is a natural laxative so you will want to monitor stool firmness. Yes, poop duty

I found this article: http://www.cathealth.com/nutrition/is-pumpkin-good-for-cats
 
Thank you!
I'll be picking some up tomorrow.
About tonight???
We've passed shot time by an hour and a half. She has eaten a little and kept it down, but no where near the 1/2 can I try to get in her every meal.
Her BG was 408 right before the food/hairball incident.
Do I give her the insulin shot now anyway?
(I do usually test and feed again at 1-2am, if that makes a difference.)
 
Can you dose an hour later tomorrow? So the schedule doesn't get too off and tomorrow evening move back 30 mins. Testing at 1-2am would be +3 or +4 from your shot time?
 
Yong said:
Can you dose an hour later tomorrow? So the schedule doesn't get too off and tomorrow evening move back 30 mins. Testing at 1-2am would be +3 or +4 from your shot time?
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Yes. I can do that!
I appreciate the suggestion & help.
Bonus: I'll get to sleep in slightly more tomorrow.
 
Just using these times for clearer example of your situation and my visual aid for explaining lol
Normal shot time 08:30 / 20:30
Tonight, 90 mins late: new schedule 10:00/22:00
Sunday morning: 10:00
Sunday evening: 21:30
Monday morning: 09:00
Monday evening: back on schedule 20:30

If you're pressed to get her back on schedule by Monday morning, I guess you could start backing up 30 mins each schedule, so Sunday 09:30 and so forth.
 
No there's no urgency at the moment, so we'll go slow and get her back on track by the 30 minutes each shot. (Going to set new alarms for the next couple days now...)

Another question about pumpkin...
Once I open the can I will put it in Tupperware to use only a tablespoon a day (or less). Do I need to keep it in the fridge, or will it be okay sitting in the Tupperware just on a shelf?
If I must store it in the fridge, do I need to heat it before mixing it into the food?
 
Refrigerate after opening and putting in plastic tupperware. See if she'll eat it cold, many kitties do not like cold food though, so if not slowly warm it up to like room temperature. Don't nuke it in the microwave lol. Low heat, longer time just to take the chill off :)
 
Newbie here but I can address the pumpkin use. Because Jimmy is at a pretty decent size dose I need to give him pumpkin to help things move along and he is a groomer (med hair). When I open the can I put some in an ice cube tray and freeze. The rest I keep in the fridge in a bag or Tupperware - I take it out and mix it right in with the food. I also add a bit of water and mix well. No heating necessary - but if kitteh needs encouragement then go ahead and mix together then warm it up a bit. When I run out of the fresh I pull out a few cubes at a time, let that thaw and use that portion. It just helps stretch the can of pumpkin so I can use the whole thing. I hope this makes sense.
 
Susan G said:
Newbie here but I can address the pumpkin use. Because Jimmy is at a pretty decent size dose I need to give him pumpkin to help things move along and he is a groomer (med hair). When I open the can I put some in an ice cube tray and freeze. The rest I keep in the fridge in a bag or Tupperware - I take it out and mix it right in with the food. I also add a bit of water and mix well. No heating necessary - but if kitteh needs encouragement then go ahead and mix together then warm it up a bit. When I run out of the fresh I pull out a few cubes at a time, let that thaw and use that portion. It just helps stretch the can of pumpkin so I can use the whole thing. I hope this makes sense.
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That does make sense. How long is an opened can of pumpkin good for if kept in the fridge?
 
AlphaCat said:
That does make sense. How long is an opened can of pumpkin good for if kept in the fridge?
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Up to 2-3 weeks if in a good sealed container. I recently switched to a small mason jar and it's kept longer than the plastic...1) the fact it's glass 2) tighter seal, less air. Note: I'm putting it in my non diabetic cat's food also.
 
Well, puke.
Again this morning...
Ate 1/4 of the can, then threw it all up.
Food consistency and color. Some lumps. If they are hairball they are small.

I'm thinking of getting the pumpkin, but also trying to change brands of low carb from Friskies to Fancy Feast.

So much for getting her back to her earlier shot schedule. :(
Here we go again...
 
Go slow with the food transition...add a little at a time while you take away a little at a time. Add a little water too as the vomit is prob making kitteh a bit dehydrated.
 
Susan G said:
Go slow with the food transition...add a little at a time while you take away a little at a time. Add a little water too as the vomit is prob making kitteh a bit dehydrated.
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That's good advice that I'd normally follow.
But she can't lose any more weight & she must have food in her to get her insulin. We're already up to 3 hours off schedule to be getting her shots.
She needs the food, and currently Friskies isn't staying down. So if she'll eat the Fancy Feast without puking, we're going to just swap.
This is not looking hairball related.
I'm wondering if it's something about the food, or if we've got much bigger problems. :( I have pictures of the puke if you're really interested... :(
If she doesn't hold down the Fancy Feast were headed back to the vet tomorrow when they open.
*I regularly add filtered water to all her wet food and make a cat food soup. She prefers liquid over chunks, and it's the only way to get more food in her. As it is, with the Friskies she wasn't eating enough to gain back her weight loss, only enough to maintain current weight.

Signed frustrated and exhausted.
 
Phoebes said:
Is she getting anti-emetics? Or anti nausea? Meds
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No.
I didn't burn my vet bridge, but I don't feel comfortable bringing her back to him. (For a couple reasons.) But also cost... We just spent a grand on this diagnosis and everything that goes with it. There's no more, sadly. It's a holiday weekend, so only the ER vet is open.
We have picked out another vet that was going to be for our next visit, but we really need time to build up the funds for that. (Planning for about a month when we'll need an insulin refill.)

I feed 4x a day, but she's only throwing up 1 meal (ususally right after AMPS).
She doesn't appear dehydrated - normal water intake and output, and I do add water to the other 3 meals she is holding down. Skin pinch is normal at shot times. I haven't checked her gums, but no other signs of dehydration.

I am out getting new food now, is there something over the counter that may help?
 
I have a new clue!
So I'm back from the store with the new food and it's almost time for the afternoon meal. When I went in Fabby's room she came and sat on me immediately. I was just petting her and I noticed her ears are red. Not where I poke to test her. It's visible on the outside, on the back, a little swelling and slight redness.
The vomiting might be from the Neosporin + pain relief.
The first week I wasn't using it, but after her curve I felt so bad for her little ears so when we picked up more food for the next week, I also picked up the Neosporin - so that's new to this week.

I got fancy feast for today and tomorrow's meals for her, and I'll stop the Neosporin immediately.
Please oh please let this work!
 
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AlphaCat said:
I have a new clue!
So I'm back from the store with the new food and it's almost time for the afternoon meal. When I went in Fabby's room ska cane and sat on me immediately. I was just petting her and iy noticed her ears are red. Not where I poke to test her. It's visible on the outside, on the back, a little swelling and slight redness.
The vomiting might be from the Neosporin + pain relief.
The first week I wasn't using it, but after her curve I felt do bad got her little ears so when we picked up more food for the next week I also picked up the Neosporin - so that's new to this week.

I got fancy feast for today and tomorrow's meals for her, and I'll stop the Neosporin immediately.
Please oh please let this work!
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Fingers crossed you've figured it out!
 
Me too Kris!
I washed her ears with hypo allergenic pet wipes, brushed her, and then did our glucose test.
I wonder if it is the Neosporin causing this issue when we'll notice a difference?
Last application was this morning at 9:30am, wiped off today at 4:00 pm.
 
Yong said:
Hmm. Guessing 2x for each cycle? Are first cycle meals same hours apart as second cycle meals?
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Yes. I do one meal for each AMPS & PMPS, then I also test and feed at approximate nadir. (Though the overnight cycle can happen before nadir due to my sleep.)
On my spreadsheet every test is also a feeding (except for the one curve cycle - I did not feed every 2 hours that day, still only 4x total).
If you don't see a test # she didn't get a meal. (Like last night, due to the cycle being so thrown off with time.)
 
Fabalous update:
The ear reddness and swelling has gone down since yesterday.
This morning she didn't puke!!!
Also, while this particular cat has the stomach of a tank... She LOVES the Fancy feast much better than the friskies. I'm not having to chase her to eat at all!
We still have a couple more meals before I can for sure give the all clear, but I think this was as simple as a reaction to the Neosporin. Fingers still crossed!

Oh and here's how happy she is this morning to have kept her food down while we wait to shoot her shot.
High on sugar...
 
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