? Starving remission cat!

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Becky & Baby Girl GA

Becky & Baby Girl GA

Member Since 2017
Does this sound familiar & what is it?

Thank My Baby girl kitty went into remission on 10/10/17.
  • She is starving every 3- 4 hours. If I don’t get up at 4:30 or 5:00 she is waking me up. If I don’t feed her she tends to vomit. I say morning vomit because when this started she didn’t wake me first & I keep feeding small meals(some not) to keep her from meowing! Very vocal! She eats 2-3 cans of friskies a day. (Mixed grill & poultry platter) <10 carb gr.
  • She was at the vet for a day & half in the beginning of remission (10/23) because of bacteria in her urine. She also had diahpoo at that time. They also did a curve. ie; remission confirmed. Put on forti flora & antibiotic 2xday. That part has been resolved.
  • After a couple weeks still & still vomiting - they said to try 1/2 tab of cerenia every 3-4 days. Which I’m doing.
I do freeze chopped food before bed & put it out around 11:00- just simetimes not enough according to her:)
I haven’t weighed her, (no scales) but I know there’s a good lb extra on her. She usually weighs between 8 (first dx) to 8.5-9 (before dx)
& now I’d say 9.5 at least! I can’t have her this pudgy but she’s meowing constantly if hungry. I just want to know what this sounds like to you smart kitty people?!? Tia.
 
Hi Tia - I have been going through a similar thing. My 17 y/o went into remission in Feb via Young Again Zero Carb using a 5-meal a day (AM and PM settings = 10) auto feeder, which was awesome and she was never food-crazy...until the YA caused gastro issues turned into IBS. I read and got advice here so I switched her to Blue Wilderness Mature Grain Free Pate cans = 9 carb gr, plus probiotic. She absolutely went nuts for it, but a can a day plus even adding water to the bowl...she was always meowing and following me around, like everywhere I went. I then started using the feeder again for 'snackies,' which are 1" bites of frozen friskies pate and a few pieces of the Young Again kibble which I do it with her AM and PM meals. She still follows me and meows but less. She is not hypo and her numbers are great, and her poops are big but normal. My vet doesn't have a theory as to why she's obsessed with food and I cannot find any medical reason for it - but the feeder seems to 'trick' her into knowing there are little meals coming throughout the day.

The PetSafe 5-meal auto feeder is $38 on Amazon, and I buy Bue Wilderness by the case on Amazon which is about $1.37 per can. I add water, flatten thinly, put into a square reusable plastic container & freeze the Friskies to lessen the bacteria risk over a 12 hour time period.

I hope this helps a little and I literally logged on to post about her food-craziness so maybe the amazing folks on this site will have insight for us both.
 
Thank you & yes it sounds like Baby! Someone else suggested the YA for dry food so I’ll get some. But you think it was the can ya food to be the cause of gastric stress? I am home most days & if it’s more then a few hours; I put some partially frozen friskies out. I’ll keep that feeder in mind! Baby never ever cared this much about food until remission hit!
Did your cat vomit when her stomach was empty? (Before feeder)
I told the vet I was feeding her 2 cans & sometimes more & they didn’t think that was too much.?. Maybe someone else has answers. I have read this in other threads but no one can diagnose.
Janet seemed to think that famotidne (stomach acid reducer) would be better than the cerenia & ill call my vet about that on Monday. Thank you for helping & info! Appreciated!
Maybe someone else that has a similar story will help... :)
 
My cat has been in remission for a while now (other than spikes from anxious vet visits). He needs to eat every couple hours and if his stomach remains empty for too long he will throw up liquid. He has IBD though so I'm not sure if this also happens to non IBD cats. He does get PepcidAC periodically. I use the PetSafe auto feeder over night and it has been working really well for his middle of the night feedings.
It sounds like he may be having some gastric problems if he is throwing up when his stomach is empty. Not sure how this would be connected to being in remission, or if it is just coincidence.
Has the vet considered possible IBD?
 
Yes - after 3 bouts of vomiting (clear) & diahpoo- I’m pretty sure it’s IBD. I switched vets after the diabetes dx. But that & peeing outside of box was the reason for my initial visit in Sept. So it really began with the diabetes.
I’m calling the vet on Monday for ibd treatment for her. An acid reducer for sure. I do appreciate your response as this helped confirm what it is. May not have a thing to do with onset if diabetes or remission. I get so crazy when she’s ill that I can’t see the forest for the trees!!! Thank you!!
 
I get crazy too. My cat has had so many things (diabetes now in remission, IBD confirmed by biopsy, saddle thrombus blood clot but no heart disease, temporary seizures from topical flea med) that I seem to be in a perpetually anxious state at this point waiting for the next health scare. Not to mention it draining my wallet. After all that though he is doing amazingly well right now. Whew!
 
My Smokey had to be fed every 3 hrs to prevent vomiting. I firmly believe it was because of the condition he was in before I got him. He was 16 at the time. Had to be fed every hour for quite some time and eventually got to the 3 hr mark but could never get past that. Using the feeder was necessary for us.
 
Woodyswife- Aaaaw so glad you saved him!! Kitty lifesavor. :bighug:What’s crazy is this all (vomiting, loose stool, & of course peeing everywhere”” diabetes “) came at the same time. I believe she was peeing everywhere months before thinking it was always my other cat. (Put down in August) Feel so bad for this! :banghead: So now remission but the starving/ vomiting sometimes continues. Ordering a feeder today! So diabetes caused IBD? Starving cat syndrome, Vomiting? Who knows! What is the dx? (Diagnosis)
Lillie yes crazy cat lady - I know because my kids tell me so! My niece overheard me say I’m loosing my mind over my kitties- My niece said they were studying women’s with schizophrenia (not me) crazy cat lady’s & they thought it might be due to the litter dust! I laughed (she is slightly autistic & not knowing what schizophrenia is) she just said “ no aunt Becky! I’m serious!” My sis quickly said “ no no aunt Becky doesn’t have that! “ .... yet! Lol (She got it) We laughed so hard! Glad you & kit are doing well!
 
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@Becky & Baby Girl Kitty I can't say diabetes cause ibd or vis versa. Starving cat syndrome as you call it can be from unregulated diabetes, hyperthyroidism and I'm sure other things. The urination everywhere can be from anything. They tend to do that when not feeling well to alert us something is wrong. It seems once they have one thing, other conditions just seem to follow. Smokey has been with my various family members his entire life. Because of his "behavior" he kept getting passed along, no one took the time to seek answers. The year before I took him, his diabetes was not being treated due to owners dementia. He was literally starving because he was only getting 1/3 cup dry food once a day. He lost 1/2 his body weight. He vomited constantly, peed everywhere because owners just didn't realize or remember what to do. So I had to start from scratch and feed very slow so his system wasn't over loaded from influx of food. Had to retrain to use the box. Get the insulin going again. Basically treated him like an abandoned newborn kitten. Slow, steady, consistent schedule. It took 7 months to get him to where he should be for a 16 yr old. Could never get past the 3 hr feeding though. With patience you can get there.
 
Chicken- egg thing? Who knows but I wish they could talk!
That is like retraining after a human has a severe stroke. I’m so glad you were there for him! I understand dementia, physical ailments etc; but you would think someone would’ve noticed an ill kitty. I would imagine everyone was more concerned about the owner... thank goodness they found you. Not a young age to start with either. It sounds like you really had a steep hill to climb but kept at it! I’m sure he was a thankful cat & you had a special bond. Thanks for the reply, very much appreciated!!
 
Becky & Baby Girl Kitty said:
Thank you & yes it sounds like Baby! Someone else suggested the YA for dry food so I’ll get some. But you think it was the can ya food to be the cause of gastric stress? I am home most days & if it’s more then a few hours; I put some partially frozen friskies out. I’ll keep that feeder in mind! Baby never ever cared this much about food until remission hit!
Did your cat vomit when her stomach was empty? (Before feeder)
I told the vet I was feeding her 2 cans & sometimes more & they didn’t think that was too much.?. Maybe someone else has answers. I have read this in other threads but no one can diagnose.
Janet seemed to think that famotidne (stomach acid reducer) would be better than the cerenia & ill call my vet about that on Monday. Thank you for helping & info! Appreciated!
Maybe someone else that has a similar story will help... :)
Click to expand...


Hi - YA is only available in dry, and that was the cause of gastric stress. She did not vomit with empty stomach that I saw...but I used Famotidine successfully with my renal failure kitty. Same with Jazzy..she was 'normal' with food before remission but definitely loves her food...I check her numbers and they've been great, her weight is normal...I look forward to reading the responses from others...diving in now...
 
@Becky & Baby Girl Kitty , I tried the YA, my 3 cats loved it but it did cause digestive upset. Their insides were grumbling loudly all the time. Even after being on it for a month. You said above your giving cerenia every 3-4 days. Cerenia is best given everyday. 1/4 of a tab or 4 mg. My vet told me (and I don't know how true it is) it takes 24 hrs to work so you wouldn't want to skip a day.
 
My cat went into remission few months back. He was also constantly hungry and asked for food every 2-3 hours. He was underweight then so I just kept giving whenever he asked. He grazed on YA when I’m at work. No diarrhoea or vomiting whatsoever. Over the few months he gained some weight and he’s looking great now. And the starving stopped about 2 weeks ago. Now I can sleep 5-6 hours without him meowing for food. The vet thinks his system has stabilised somehow. He also has kidney and heart failures. So on regular Vet visits and tests. On daily heart medicines which he happily spat out and I kept struggling with. He’s a smart boy and will hide behind the washing machine when it’s time for his medicine. So perhaps your kitty will soon stabilise too.
 
If you suspect IBD, I would get him checked out, see if he needs other treatments. IBD can morph into lymphoma, which can also cause diarrhea and ravenous appetite. IBD can also contribute to pancreatitis. If you are on Facebook, joining IBDKitties is a great place to get a lot of information. http://www.ibdkitties.net/ is also a good place for info.
 
@woodyswife - thank you for that info & appreciate it so much! I really agree with your vet on cerenia & I don’t even understand why every couple days would help. I came to the conclusion after reading posts that its really more of an empty tummy- acid problem. I don’t give it to her now. Just watching. I will say that I think it does have a calming effect as she sleeps more when I give her 1/2. Since I have been freezing food & putting it out at bedtime, she hasn’t vomited! Crossing fingers.
I called YA to send a sample @ it hasn’t arrived yet. I will be sparingly cautious. I guess some do well with it & others not. I really hate to chance another poo bout- upset stomach! I’ll let you know. I actually was going to use it as a treat. She loves temptations chicken & I know that’s bad for her. Don’t want to throw her out of remission.
Also the bowel problems have calmed down. I hate to say that too for fear I’ll be jinxed!
She’s still hungry more than normal & doesn’t need to gain any more weight. Hopefully that will calm down too. I still feed her 2 cans of friskies (or the equivalent w/ff) daily with about 5 feedings.
Thank you for your help & commenting @Waheeda & @Tara L.. every bit of input helps us all with similar problems.
 
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