My cat keeps vomiting and has lost 3 kg in a month

I'm italian and I have a cat that is FELV+. We found him about 2 years
ago and has ever since kept under control with regular visits to the
verinary. Age unknown, presumably 6-7 years old, male, already neutered
when we found him.

He had always been in good physical conditions. Except last october
(2006) when he developed a suspicious formation inside his mouth,
protruding dangerously toward the throat cavity. The doctors thought it
was a cancer. Since he's FELV+, anestesia couldn't be performed without
big risks and the doctors couldn't take a tissue sample (they tried
while the cat was awake, but they didn't succeed). However, the cat
recovered thanks to some interferone injections and an antibiotic based
treatment. The formation stopped growing and the inflammation around it
disappeared in a month.

He kept a good appetite during all this period. The levels of his white
blood cells after the cure returned to normal (when he was ill they
dropped to 1200).

Since last may (2007) the cat is ill again. There's no strange visible
formation in the mouth this time, but the veterinarians suspected it
could have grown deeper inside the throat. Since he's sick and FELV+,
they are cautios in performing an endoscopy because of possible risks
involved with anestesia.

The doctors gave the cat a treatment based on antibiotics (bayer
baytril) and piroxycam and some antiemetics. In fact, this time the cat
vomits every food he eats. In a month he lost about 3 kg and we can't
find a way to feed him. He's able to swallow food, but after a little
time (between 1 and 10 minutes) he vomits it. Sometimes he doesn't vomit
all the food he has just eaten, often it is more a "foamy saliva", which
the doctors told us is a symptom of feline nausea.

What originates this nausa or vomit is unknown. The doctors hypotized
that he has "something" in the throat cavity that stimulates the vomit.
However, the cat does not vomit when he has not eaten any food. He only
vomits after he eats some food - no matter how much he eats. He's able
to drink water, so we tried to feed him with special sick cats food
diluted with water but it didn't improve much the situation, the cat
keeps on vomiting.

After we started the cure with antibiotics and piroxycam, the cat white
blood cells count became normal again (actually, above the average). The
red blood cells are little lower, but that could be either because of
the leukemia or the lack of food. The cat does not have other symptoms.
He walks a little, looks out of the window, etc. But he's too weak to
jump, purr or clean himself (he scratches his nails though).

We believe that if we could be able to feed the cat he would be healthy
again.

Please, if you had any similar experience with FELV+ cats, anorectic
cats, cats unable to eat, etc., if you can suggest something, we'd
sincerely appreciate it.

thank you

You might want to try giving him Pepcid, but not more than 5 mg in a day. If
anything can control nausea in cats, that will, but he sounds like a very
sick kitty :-(
Best regards,
---Cindy S.


"LCV" nospam wrote in message
...
I'm italian and I have a cat that is FELV+. We found him about 2 years
ago and has ever since kept under control with regular visits to the
verinary. Age unknown, presumably 6-7 years old, male, already neutered
when we found him.

He had always been in good physical conditions. Except last october
(2006) when he developed a suspicious formation inside his mouth,
protruding dangerously toward the throat cavity. The doctors thought it
was a cancer. Since he's FELV+, anestesia couldn't be performed without
big risks and the doctors couldn't take a tissue sample (they tried
while the cat was awake, but they didn't succeed). However, the cat
recovered thanks to some interferone injections and an antibiotic based
treatment. The formation stopped growing and the inflammation around it
disappeared in a month.

He kept a good appetite during all this period. The levels of his white
blood cells after the cure returned to normal (when he was ill they
dropped to 1200).

Since last may (2007) the cat is ill again. There's no strange visible
formation in the mouth this time, but the veterinarians suspected it
could have grown deeper inside the throat. Since he's sick and FELV+,
they are cautios in performing an endoscopy because of possible risks
involved with anestesia.

The doctors gave the cat a treatment based on antibiotics (bayer
baytril) and piroxycam and some antiemetics. In fact, this time the cat
vomits every food he eats. In a month he lost about 3 kg and we can't
find a way to feed him. He's able to swallow food, but after a little
time (between 1 and 10 minutes) he vomits it. Sometimes he doesn't vomit
all the food he has just eaten, often it is more a "foamy saliva", which
the doctors told us is a symptom of feline nausea.

What originates this nausa or vomit is unknown. The doctors hypotized
that he has "something" in the throat cavity that stimulates the vomit.
However, the cat does not vomit when he has not eaten any food. He only
vomits after he eats some food - no matter how much he eats. He's able
to drink water, so we tried to feed him with special sick cats food
diluted with water but it didn't improve much the situation, the cat
keeps on vomiting.

After we started the cure with antibiotics and piroxycam, the cat white
blood cells count became normal again (actually, above the average). The
red blood cells are little lower, but that could be either because of
the leukemia or the lack of food. The cat does not have other symptoms.
He walks a little, looks out of the window, etc. But he's too weak to
jump, purr or clean himself (he scratches his nails though).

We believe that if we could be able to feed the cat he would be healthy
again.

Please, if you had any similar experience with FELV+ cats, anorectic
cats, cats unable to eat, etc., if you can suggest something, we'd
sincerely appreciate it.

thank you

cindys wrote:
You might want to try giving him Pepcid, but not more than 5 mg in a day. If
anything can control nausea in cats, that will, but he sounds like a very
sick kitty :-(
Best regards,

Cindy, thank you very much for the suggestion

I will tell the veterinary about this Pepcid (although it may have a
different name in Europe). Is it an antiemetic?

Were already giving him some antiemetics... If the cause of this
vomiting is "mechanic" so to speak it probably won't work - anwyay we're
going to try everything we can

"LCV" nospam wrote in message
...
cindys wrote:
You might want to try giving him Pepcid, but not more than 5 mg in a day.
If
anything can control nausea in cats, that will, but he sounds like a very
sick kitty :-(
Best regards,

Cindy, thank you very much for the suggestion

I will tell the veterinary about this Pepcid (although it may have a
different name in Europe). Is it an antiemetic?

The generic name is famotidine.

It's not an antiemetic per se. It controls stomach acid which often causes
nausea. I give it to my cat who has early chronic renal failure. What
happens is that the kidney is only about 25% operational and some of the
toxins begin to build in the bloodstream and this also causes nausea. If my
cat is off his food, I will give him the Pepcid and later on in the day
(it's not an instant cure), he is usually hungry and eats with a good
appetite. The veterinarian has advised me to give it to him daily whether he
is eating or not.

Were already giving him some antiemetics... If the cause of this
vomiting is "mechanic" so to speak it probably won't work - anwyay we're
going to try everything we can

I wish you luck. Please keep us updated.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

I wish you luck. Please keep us updated.

thanks again for the informations, I will pass them to the veterinary

by the way, today we had more luck as we switched to another "liquid"
high protein food ("Convalescence") we didn't try before. The cat does
not like it at all and we had to "force" feeding him with a needless
shot. But he does not vomit this food because it's very liquid and
that's the important thing. He does not like it very much so we hadn't
another choice.

this thursday we have to bring him to the veterinary for the weekly
check and we'll discuss about having him x-rayed as suggested by another
doctor on another newsgroup

bye

I'm sorry to learn that your kitty isn't doing too well. I would
second the xray suggestion.

Force feeding is not pleasant, but he certainly needs the nutrition.
Have you tried something like Medi-cal? It's a high-calorie paste they
can lick off your finger. Here's a little about it:
http://www.bullwrinkle.com/ShoppingP..._nutri-cal.htm

You could probably add some to the force feeding mixture if he won't
eat it for you.

I wish you luck. Please keep us updated.


thank you for your help

unfortunately the cat developed a serious respiratory problem in the weekend

the xrays showed a large tumor in the lungs area

he had a crisis and passed away before we or the doctors could take any
decision

while this happened he was at the veterinary clinic for oxygen, so at
least the doctors didn't make him suffer...