Several months ago, Kitty started throwing up her food. It started out as an occasional thing but soon progressed to a daily occurrence. I was very worried! Eventually, once a day turned into several times a day. A vet appointment was quickly made. Upon taking a closer look at her throw up, I could see that it was mostly undigested food. She would start to hack, then throw up the food and continue to puke until there is just bile and sometimes blood. I tried everything to help her little tummy, from feeding her small portions to making her dry food moist. I gave her chicken broth, pumpkin puree and limited ingredient food but nothing helped.
Once I got her to the vet, it helped that I had kept track of when and how much she had thrown up and any behavioral changes so I was able to provide the vet with details of what had happened. We talked about the reasons why cats throw up such eating too fast and food intolerance to more serious conditions such as kidney issues and infections. After further discussion and a physical examination, it was evident that Kitty was physically in good health. There were no visible issues nor has she displayed any behavioural changes. I was given the option to do further testing to which I gladly agreed. I wanted to get to the bottom of this so Kitty was taken away for blood work and x-rays.
I was eager to know the results. The x-rays turned out to be normal (such a relief!) and I was told that I will be informed of the blood results the next day. They also sent in for additional set of blood work to test her pancreas. It was a long 24 hour wait but it was worth it as the news was good! ALL her blood work was normal! Hurray! Even though it cost over $425 for all the testing, it was worth the peace of mind.
In the meantime, the vet had suggested looking into switching her food into a gastro – friendly vet food. I was not too thrilled about pursuing that path so I did a bit of research to find something that could provide some relief for sensitive stomachs. I found that Halo pet food had a blend for sensitive stomach (Halo Food). The kibble was much smaller than usual kibble so it could help Kitty chew it better. I also found a food tree from Catit (Food Tree) which I figured would help slow down her eating. As I slowly transitioned her to her new food and food tree (it took her a good week or so to get used to it!), I was fortunate enough to connect with a company called NHV Natural Products. They helped me figure out what I could add to Kitty’s diet to help her get more nutrients. I purchased their Multi Essentials For Cats. I also stopped giving her assorted treats and only give her a couple of freeze dried salmon or Greenies occasionally.
Fast forward several weeks, I am so happy to say that she hasn’t thrown up since the end of October. She has been enjoying the Halo food. To keep things consistent, I have also gotten her on the Halo wet food. She takes 0.5ml of the multi vitamin drops twice a day which has helped her greatly.
Having to deal with this situation only reiterated the fact that it is so important to know your pets. Paying attention to their habits and routine will really help you in times like this. Also, please get pet insurance! Even though the vet visit and testing was only $425, insurance covered 90% of the testing (THANK YOU, TRUPANION!). I had to pay a little over $200 (the deductible of $100 and the examination fee).
Crazy Cat Lady Corner 