Abnormal Eating Habits - Vomiting

[Hwangster]

I don't want to make this too long, but for the sake of being informative, I will try not to miss anything.

This all started on 8/30 (Mentos' 4 year old birthday), he had a climbing accident and ripped out a claw in his front paw. He went to the Kitty ER and had it cleaned, and bandaged. He was put on antibiotics, and E-Collar... he has not been the same since.

After bringing him back from the Hospital, he vomitted on a daily basis, I thought it was the anti-biotics, so i stopped administrating it. However, the vomitting persisted. He acted normal so I did not read too much into the situation.

After about 2 weeks of daily vomitting I took him to a vet, since kitty doesn't like vets, he requires sedation for any in depth analysis. The doctor suggested a fecal analysis and a laxative to begin. He also gave me Hill's C/D formula food.

2 weeks later, he is still vomitting but then develops a NEW problem, he is having trouble eating. When he chews his food, it seems labored....he would pick up individual pieces of food, chew it for a long time with his eyes 1/2 closed, and it seems labored. Pieces of food will fall out of his mouth, and I would say 1/3 or 1/4 of his food is on the floor. The food recovered from the floor he REFUSES to even go near or eat (I wonder if this is a sign of anything)

So I take him to the vet again.... this time the doctor prescribes Reglan, this is suppose to help with his GI Tract.... it seems to have reduced the occurence to every OTHER day, but it could also be coincidence.


As a background of what I've done for Kitty...... I've raised his bowl, started using only porcelyn bowls instead of plastic, tried 4 different kinds of food (started with Hill's Light -> Hill's C/D -> Purina Indoors -> Nutro Max) He seems to like the Nutro Max the most and the C/D least.

Kitty (his name is Mentos) is strictly indoors, the fecal analysis came back negative for parasties. He doesn't vomit up hair balls, and sometimes there is chunks in the vomit but not really. The Vomit is the color of whatever food he is eating...so it has basically varied in 4 color (plus a mix of colors during food transition)

I am concerned that his problem is more serious. Starting today, I am only going to give him canned foods to see if the dry food is irritating him. I will also make an appointment to have Kitty's teeth looked at. (I pryed his mouth open to look for swollen gums or cracked teeth, did not see either)

Please Help... Although Kitty is as affenctionate as ever, and hasn't lost weight, and poops and pees regularly, I can't bear to watch him vomit all the time.

[Mona]

I would definitely have his mouth and upper digestive tract checked for obstruction or decayed teeth or oral ulcers first.

It almost sounds as though the antibiotics upset his digestive tract. ALso changing foods can upset their stomachs, and you mentioned several types of foods.

Have you tried some acidophilus . I will say that my cat Honeybun (5yrs old) vomited on the Nutro Max dry food. I stopped the food, and she now eats Royal Canin Special 33 for senstive stomaches, with very little vomiting.

Here is a link about it. Also, I would not feed the Purina. Your cat may have allergies to certain fillers such as corn or wheat. The Nutro Max does contain wheat. I really like the Royal Canin Special, and I also feed Wellness canned which is excellent just in the morning for moisture.

I thought it was worth a try to let you know my experience, sometimes you can ask a good pet store for a sample of the food. Mine has samples on hand which is how I was introduced to the Royal Canin.

http://www.feline-nutrition.com/special.htm

Mona, Honeybun and Chloe

[Traci]

I would get your kitty to a NEW vet for a comprehensive exam, including bloodwork. It does sound like an oral health problem, given the problem with the chewing, however, you probably should opt for an x-ray to rule out inflammation or even a GI tract obstruction/blockage. Bloodwork can help rule out further infection or organ disfunction, make sure your vet includes a gastrointestinal profile.

Call the first vet and ask about the type of anesthetic used to sedate when you first took him in. While it's a long shot, kitty could have had a reaction to it.

As for the food, I'd approach a veterinary diet for GI tract health (i.e., Hill's I/D or possibly a hypoallergenic diet).

Please don't wait any longer on this, since the first vet couldn't find anything definitive, I'd kitty seen by a new vet immediately.