Millie and her digestive system again

[andtiggertoo]

Oh dear, getting a bit desperate here!

Millie's liver enzyme levels have fallen significantly, so the vet thinks she probably ate something toxic and that her liver is recovering.

However, she now doesn't seem to be able to keep any food down. In fact, over the last three or four days she has lost her appetite completely, even for things like freshly cooked chicken.

Last October we had a severe case of vomiting when the vomit (sorry if TMI for some) was very dark coloured and she was in obvious pain. We and the vet put that down to an allergy/sensitivity to wheat because she had been on a bulking agent because she gets constipated on a regular basis (no pun intended). This time it is just clear liquid. Once or twice when she has eaten something she has brought it straight back up again. We took her to the vet on Wednesday, and he thought she might have acid reflux, so prescribed her some tablets to help. She wasn't sick for a couple of days, then started vomiting again yesterday and has not eaten since Friday morning, and that was only a tiny amount of wet food.

I have tried her on numerous hideously expensive foods to try to tempt her, plus have cooked some salmon (usually good), and chicken (favourite), but she's not interested in eating anything. She has drunk a bit, but not enough to keep her hydrated. I am going to take her back to the vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas?

Apart from all the above, she has allergies to something or other that cause her to manically scratch from time to time, although that has been under control for the last couple of months. The constipation has been pretty good too. I have been feeding her a mixture of Royal Canin sensitivity (wet and dry), and home cooked chicken mixed with carrots or peas/squash and brown rice, which are about the only things she's really interested in. When she's on the chicken, she has a multivitamin tablet daily as well.

She was also on doses of lactulose to help the constipation, but I can't get that down her if she's not eating.

She is the only cat I have ever had that is absolutely impossible to medicate. She had a runny eye on Thursday, and I couldn't even wipe it for her. If she has to have any sort of procedure at the vet she has to be sedated. I work with animals a lot, and I'm used to medicating, so not a novice.

We are getting seriously worried about her now and just don't know what to do. Any suggestions or ideas would be very welcome, and I do apologise if I'm repeating myself. It seems that every time she has something wrong with her, it's whatever it was last time PLUS whatever the new thing is.

[Kay]

very dark vomit would suggest digested blood to me, but I have no experience of liver problems

it does sound as if a really thorough investigation is now required to get to the bottom of her problems, including if necessary hospitalization and tube feeding - if your vet doesn't have the expertise or facilities to find out what is going on, then a referral to one that does, perhaps?

[andtiggertoo]

Dark vomit was last October. Clear liquid vomit now!

We are, of course, taking her to the vet tomorrow. Unfortunately our lovely vet left last week, and who knows what the new one will be like. We are actually thinking seriously about changing practice, although this one is incredibly convenient for us. It was taken over a while back by a bigger company who are purely profit-motivated, not patient-motivated, which is why the vet has left, and I'm not terribly happy with the new attitude to patients either.

Anyway, we'll see what happens tomorrow and thank heavens for insurance!

[Grace56]

I think you should ask the vet to carry out blood tests on your little one to rule out possible kidney problems, especially if vomiting a lot. Is she drinking more than usual...and how is she after a bout of vomiting? Is she lethargic for a day or two?
Hope you find out what is wrong with Millie soon. Let us know.

[andtiggertoo]

Actually she's fine. No she's not drinking any more, and apart from putting her off eating, she seems absolutely fine within herself. That's the mystery part.

Anyway, back from the vet. He has given her an anti-emetic to see if that helps, and is arranging for her to go and have an ultrasound and more blood tests to see if we can get to the bottom of what is wrong. There has been something amiss on and off for more than six months, so I think we really do need to get more information. She growled and hissed at the vet this morning, so she's obviously getting more and more stressed about being hauled up there. They need to sedate her to perform any procedures. I am absolutely dreading being told that she needs daily tablets or something, because I just cannot medicate her. I've never had a cat I can't medicate before, but she turns into a raging tiger with super-feline strength and it is just not possible to get a tablet down her. It takes two people at the vet's.

[andtiggertoo]

Have just left her at the vet. She is a bit dehydrated, so they have put her on IV fluids prior to doing an ultrasound scan. This vet is thinking megacolon, so I may be picking your brains, Mark. However, it could be anything at this stage, so we'll have to wait and see. She hasn't really eaten anything since last Thursday - just little bits and pieces, so I don't suppose that's helping. I feel awful...

[Crewella]

Poor Millie, but she's in the right place, and hopefully they can get to the bottom of it as well as giving her immediate help and rehydrating her.

Sending positive vibes and all paws here crossed for her. (((hugs)))

[greenkitty]

Keeping everything crossed for Millie x

[MarkB]

Sorry Penny, just caught up with this. Hopefully it isn't anything serious. At least if it is Megacolon, it is manageable and mechanical rather than a disease. I know when Laz is backed up he stops eating. I think like me, you have digestive issues' so understand why they don't. The vomiting seems to go hand-in-hand with it too.

Good Luck

[andtiggertoo]

Thanks peeps. Latest news is that they now don't think it's megacolon. Aaaaaaargh.

Nothing showed up on the scan except for lots of gas in her gut, so the vet now thinks it could be allergy related, which I have to say was my first thought back in about September last year. So, thank gawd for insurance because she has now had blood tests that will be sent off and will hopefully pinpoint anything she might be allergic to so we can avoid it. I am getting slightly desperate because this has been going on so long. She knows instantly when her food has been interfered with, and just refuses to eat. We can't medicate her because we can't get drugs down her. As if to prove my point, she lacerated one of the vet nurses last night, apparently, and it took three of them to get something down her.

We had two years with Fred of barely being able to go away because of his feline asthma, and I am just hoping we don't end up with the same sort of scenario here...