Our cat has been heaving! What''s wrong with her?

[Maisie]

Poor little baby. Whatever it is is making her very uncomfortable. I would agree that seeing the vet would put your mind at rest.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/26/2010 11:16:58 AM
Author: Maisie
Poor little baby. Whatever it is is making her very uncomfortable. I would agree that seeing the vet would put your mind at rest.

Thank you, Maisie. I appreciate your kind words. Yes, poor little baby. I just feel soooo bad for her.

 

[y2kitty]

Phoenix, most cats get sick when exposed to other cats. Since Pumpkin hasn''t been outside, it seems puzzling to me. Though there is another disease, can''t remember what its called - I want to say cat herpes - where once they have it, they have it for life and it can come back when they are stressed. Is Pumpkin still eating and drinking normally? I hope she feels better soon.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/26/2010 11:31:59 AM
Author: y2kitty
Phoenix, most cats get sick when exposed to other cats. Since Pumpkin hasn't been outside, it seems puzzling to me. Though there is another disease, can't remember what its called - I want to say cat herpes - where once they have it, they have it for life and it can come back when they are stressed. Is Pumpkin still eating and drinking normally? I hope she feels better soon.

Thanks for chiming in again, y2kitty.

Do you mean herpes as in the kind humans also get? OMG!! I hope that isn't it!! When we lived in Singapore, there was this nasty grey male cat in the neighbourhood that kept sniffing around; and once he also got her pregnant - we think he raped her!!

We tried to keep him away but he kept coming back. We also tried to keep Pumpkin inside but she almost always managed to get away and would go totally crazy if kept inside for too long (she would start screaming/ meowing like crazy and would somehow almost always managed to get away - literally. However, I now think we should have tried harder to keep her inside!

). OMG!! I hope that she doesn't have herpes. Oh poor dear little thing!! I guess a blood test at the vet's would confirm it one way or the other (?). I'd never have guessed this.

If this is indeed the case, is there any medication that we could give her to ease her condition?

Pumpkin's appetite doesn't seem to have waned too much. Just tonight, we switched her back to her fave food brand and she seemed to gobble it up. We also give her distilled/ mineral water (the same as what we drink - since tap water here is really yucky, totally contaminated!), but she seems to prefer the water that overflows from the two houseplants that we have (and those we water with tap water). Seems strange to us, but she keeps drinking it instead of the water in her own bowl!

ETA: I just googled this condition. I wonder if she might have caught this when she was quarantined for a week after she was shipped here? That doesn't seem to make sense though as the whole point of quarantine is to keep her away from other cats, but what if the bedding/ where she was kept was infected with the virus?

Also, after thinking about this, I think her appetite must have waned, as otherwise why would she have lost weight (even if it doesn't seem obvious to me)?! OMG, I think i need to bring her to the vet's tomorrow. The sooner she's diagnosed the better. No time to waste!

 

[ladypirate]

There is something called petromalt--it''s basically petroleum jelly with flavoring. You give it to the cat once a day and it helps them pass the hairball. Sometimes it can take up to 10 days for them to pass it. I feel you--our cat has one right now as he is starting to shed his winter coat. Poor thing.

 

[partgypsy]

If it were my pet I''d take her to the vet. We are alll just guessing here.

 

[y2kitty]

Its not the same as human herpes. Feline Herpes Virus - rhinotracheitis - causes acute respiratory illness known as rhinotracheitis (or feline herpesvirus infection). The symptoms are respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, nasal discharge, rhinitis (inflammation of the nose), and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the eyelid). Does your cat have any of those? I actually think she could be sick from quarantine- aren't they only looking for rabies during that time? Honestly if she gobbled up food and drinks water, I think its a hairball still. Its a mystery I think the vet must solve.

 

[Matata]

Phoenix, don''t mean to be a meanie but it''s a bad idea to ask for advice about these kind of symptoms on a jewelry board and it would be irresponsible to act on any of that advice until the cat has been to the vet. Frankly, I wouldn''t take my cat to a vet who thought it wasn''t alarming for a cat to have breathing problems, lose weight, and gag for a week.

 

[HVVS]

I'd take her in for an exam and blood work. She's in the age range where some start having thyroid or kidney or heart problems http://www.petplace.com/cats/congestive-heart-failure-in-cats/page1.aspx. Cough, shortness of breath, and weight loss are symptoms of heart failure. I didn't read through this whole thread, but maybe kennel cough is a possibility. Asthma or respiratory irritation triggered by exposure to something could happen, too.

Remember, cats will mask illness symptoms until they are really sick. So I would get her to the vet now.

 

[MAC-W]

have you taken her to the vet yet? what did he//she say?



Also with regard to her now being an indoor cat, have you thought about spaying her? It would lessen the urge for her to escape outside and will stop the Toms from hanging about as they would/will when she goes into heat.

 

[honey22]

Date: 1/26/2010 2:00:00 PM
Author: Matata
Phoenix, don''t mean to be a meanie but it''s a bad idea to ask for advice about these kind of symptoms on a jewelry board and it would be irresponsible to act on any of that advice until the cat has been to the vet. Frankly, I wouldn''t take my cat to a vet who thought it wasn''t alarming for a cat to have breathing problems, lose weight, and gag for a week.

Ditto. We can only speculate. The responsible thing to do is take her to a vet asap!

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 1/26/2010 11:14:30 PM
Author: HVVS
I''d take her in for an exam and blood work. She''s in the age range where some start having thyroid or kidney or heart problems http://www.petplace.com/cats/congestive-heart-failure-in-cats/page1.aspx. Cough, shortness of breath, and weight loss are symptoms of heart failure. I didn''t read through this whole thread, but maybe kennel cough is a possibility. Asthma or respiratory irritation triggered by exposure to something could happen, too.


Remember, cats will mask illness symptoms until they are really sick. So I would get her to the vet now.

Yes, I agree! Take her to the vet ASAP - and let us know what they say. I hope it turns out to be nothing serious.

 

[yssie]

Phoenix, I hope she''s okay! Poor dear

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/26/2010 2:00:00 PM
Author: Matata
Phoenix, don't mean to be a meanie but it's a bad idea to ask for advice about these kind of symptoms on a jewelry board and it would be irresponsible to act on any of that advice until the cat has been to the vet. Frankly, I wouldn't take my cat to a vet who thought it wasn't alarming for a cat to have breathing problems, lose weight, and gag for a week.

Matata,

I appreciate your taking the time to write in, but I think you're a wee bit tough on me! PS'ers have been more than wonderfully informative, not to mention supportive, whenever I have a problem - of whatever nature and not just bling-related. Added to that is the fact that there're lots of cat lovers on this board. I thought it might be a good idea of get some information from other cat owners to see if they could help identify possible causes. I don't think vets are that different from doctors for humans in that you need to come in equipped with some information and questions so that you could help them to help you, ie. so that they could diagnose possible problems and solutions. I definitely would have checked with the vet first, before trying suggested remedies that we're not familiar with. In any case, DH said that Pumpkin had had heaving problems in the past and then after that she threw up (I didn't actually know DH had seen her hairballs before, until after I'd posted on here and talked to him about it) and then the problem stopped. So he wasn't overly worried. Plus, the friend I spoke to has 5 cats so I was kind of counting on her advice. It wasn't until I saw Pumpkin sticking her tongue out that I started freaking out a bit. I also didn't notice her losing weight since I see her everyday. It's just a slight weight loss and it was our part-time maid that noticed it, since she only sees Pumpkin on an irregular basis.

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful suggestions and caring words. You guys have def given me a lot to think and research about.

I did indeed take Pumpkin to the local animal hospital. She was attended to by two-three doctors and several assistants (I wonder if that's normal here?!). I told them about all of Pumpkin's problems and concerns that I had (based on information given to me here, and other infor that I gathered from internet research). Well, the summary is as follows:

- They took Pumpkin's temperature and she doesn't have a fever. So far so good!
- They checked Pumpkin's heart rate, checked her breathing and took several X-rays. She doesn't have any heart, asthma, kidney or lung/ respiratory problems. Yay!!
- They checked her eyes, nose, mouth and tongue. Confirmed no feline herpes. What a HUGE relief!
- Took her blood test. The poor thing was so brave. I think I was more freaked out about the needle than she was!
- The blood test result also came back today. Confirmed no heart, kidney, lung problems. No thyroid issue there either.
- What they DID find though is that:
i) lots of poop stuck in her large and small intestines (the poor thing!!) - seen from the X-rays. They seemed to think that this is because of the hair she swallowed and the fact that she no longer eats grass, so the stuff is just stuck in there; and
ii) Pumpkin has an allergy problem - as indicated from the blood test result!! This could be due to parasites in her stomach or some other allergens - the vets couldn't determine exactly which.

So, the vets gave Pumpkin some more pet laxative (similar to the stuff we bought and gave her yesterday). They said that there's some air traped in her intestines (next to the poop) which may explain her discomfort and after a few days, we should start to see an improvement. They also seem to think that the weight loss/ reduced appetite is due to the fact that she's so constipated that she may not feel like eating as much as before.

RE the allergy problem, I told the doctors that Pumpkin used to go out a lot, so she may have eaten some insects/ bugs or picked up parasites somewhere outside. I must say though I'm VERY surprised about the parasites (if they do exist), since Pumpkin had a full health check just a few months ago, so how could they have missed this totally? Re the allergens, I am not sure that this is due to and the doctors couldn't shed any light on this. They did suggest however that we get a couple of air-filters for the apartment to reduce the dust particles. This is strange also though, as Pumpkin used to roll around on the ground outside and in the garden, so it doesn't make much sense! They gave me a pill to give to Pumpkin which I think we'll give to her (unless you guys advise otherwise. I'm also going to google the medication and the problem and see what I can find out before and if we do indeed give her the medication). Re the air-filters, we're totally going to do that. It'll be good for everyone all around.

I'm to bring Pumpkin back to the hospital within one week and will also continue to observe her closely to see if there's any improvement. As mentioned, we've also switched back to her fave food, so she may be tempted to go back to eating more.

I'm also thinking that if the problem gets worse these next few days, I may bring her to see another vet to get a second opinion. What do you guys think?

Thanks very much again, everyone, for all your help, advice and concerns. Pumpkin appreciates it too.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/26/2010 11:36:00 PM
Author: MAC-W
have you taken her to the vet yet? what did he//she say?



Also with regard to her now being an indoor cat, have you thought about spaying her? It would lessen the urge for her to escape outside and will stop the Toms from hanging about as they would/will when she goes into heat.

Pumpkin was spayed several years ago, ever since she got pregnant (I must say though we didn't know that cats could get pregnants at as young an age as six months). That didn't stop the Toms from chasing her and terrorising her, even afterwards!! She used to run like hell from them every single time! Good thing she's super fast and agile!

Thanks for chiming in again and for the suggestions.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 1/26/2010 10:06:32 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 1/26/2010 9:43:08 AM

Author: Phoenix

Date: 1/26/2010 7:43:22 AM

Author: y2kitty

I don''t know if they sell it in China but there is a product for this called Catlax. It is a gel like substance, you feed it to the cat (mine would just eat it out of the tube) and it lubricates the digestive track and helps kitty pass furball.

Thank you, y2kitty. We''ve just given Pumpkin called ''Malt Soft Extra''. DH went to the local pet food store and described the problem to them. They recommended it. We put a pea-sized amount on DH''s finger and Pumpkin licked it right off. We also got here some food that''s supposed to induce her to poop out the hair.


I''ll have a look tomorrow in her litter and see if these two things have helped. At the risk of sounding stupid, will I see hair sticking out in her poop when I look?

Hi P!


I don''t normally find hairballs in the poo, although you can find some on occasion as a bit of hair wound in the poo, normally I find they get coughed up. I think a vet check would be the way to go at least to rule out more serious conditions such as asthma.

Good to hear Pumpkin doesn''t have some scary disease, hopefully the laxatives kick in reall soon

Phoenix if she does poop out the fur you can usually tell because you will see the hair in the poop sometimes it links the nuggets together (ewwww I know) if she vomits hair up my cats very rarely vomit furballs due to their food but when they do the colour is a yellow colour and has lumps in it - fairly gross really.

Keep us informed

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/27/2010 5:07:32 AM
Author: Deelight


Good to hear Pumpkin doesn''t have some scary disease, hopefully the laxatives kick in reall soon

Phoenix if she does poop out the fur you can usually tell because you will see the hair in the poop sometimes it links the nuggets together (ewwww I know) if she vomits hair up my cats very rarely vomit furballs due to their food but when they do the colour is a yellow colour and has lumps in it - fairly gross really.

Keep us informed

Thanks for your kind words and information, Deelight. That''s very helpful!! I''ll take a close inspection (that should also help me to see if there''re any dead worms in there, yeah?). Eeeehhh... the things you do when you''re mommies and daddies to these furry babies!!

Oh I''d like to ask you: what food do you give your cats since they rarely vomit furballs?

 

[Deelight]

Your welcome

I know a lot of people here don't recomend it but I give them science diet hairball control my kitties personally thrive on it, I tried them on other suggestions made here of higher protein food, better quality but it really didn't do well for them and found they were better on the hills - it works for them.

I have one long haired domestic and a himilyan persian - both really fluffy and providing they eat that mostly I still feed them treats they poop out the furballs rather then messing up the carpet. I also do one or twice a year get my himi shaved and once year for the other one, last night I attempted to do my himi myself, I have not finished yet as I am only doing as much as he will tolerate but he looks mutaedly cute LOL.

 

[Phoenix]

All,

YAY!! Pumpkin just threw up some hairballs!!

They look exactly like what you described, Deelight! Slightly light brownish/ yellow with some lumps in it. It looks, shape-wise, like poop. There's quite a bit of it, I'd like about a quarter to a fifth of what I saw in the X-ray's today. It's a bit surprising since I thought that if the stuff is stuck in her large and small intestines, then it should be pooped out and not vomitted up. Also, we thought the laxative we gave her was supposed to help her poop but this will do!

Anyway, we're relieved to see that she's thrown up some furballs.

Oh btw, the food you mentioned, Deelight, is *exactly* what DH bought and gave her yesterday and today. In fact, he says that she's been eating science diet food (not the hairball control version - until now) and other organic cat food also with natural vegetable fibres and she likes it. May I ask why some other people don't recommend this food?

Your cats sound very adorable, Deelight. Do you have pics of them somewhere? Would you mind posting their pics? I'd love to see them.

 

[MAC-W]

Yay - Result !!!!


Really glad to hear this news. Hopefully Pumpkin will start to feel better soon & hopefully some more (vomit and good news) tomorrow!

You are now officially becoming a cat vomit expert

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 1/27/2010 10:05:17 AM
Author: MAC-W
Yay - Result !!!!


Really glad to hear this news. Hopefully Pumpkin will start to feel better soon & hopefully some more (vomit and good news) tomorrow!

You are now officially becoming a cat vomit expert

LOL!!

We're very happy indeed and really hope that Pumpkin will start to feel better soon.

Thanks very much again for all your very kind words and great help, MAC-W.

 

[lulu]

Even though that wheezing behavior can be alarming it''s just hairballs. I brush my guys everyday and give them treats with the petromalt inside, but they still get them. I just wish I could convince Margaret that the white matelasse bedspread is not the spot to cough them up!

 

[beechezz]

I''m so glad that your kitty doesn''t have asthma, that is what I was concerned about. I''m glad the Vet did a thorough check and you have a diagnosis and can proceed with treatment. Hope kitty is on the mend and feeling better!