Cat tummy aches

[Christie]

Hello! What to do when a cat had eaten spoiled food or done something to give themselves a tummy ache? Anything natural to give them to help at all? Or must they ride it out?

Thanks!
Christie

 

[Dr. Jean]

It's not classical homeopathy, but in a pinch Nux vomica can be very helpful! As always, though, it would be best to actually work up a remedy that precisely fits the picture. Probiotics would also help rebalance the gut and allow better healing.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Christie-

What are the symptoms of the tummy ache?

These will guide you to to an immediately helpful homeopathic remedy.

For example, one response may be wanting to be alone and cramping/abdominal discomfort whereas another response is clinginess and vomiting/diarrhea.

Nux is perfect for the first ones, but I'd use Pulsatilla for the others.

 

[Christie]

Wow that's interesting that there's differences. I've seen both kitty responses before and was just asking for future reference. Probiotics are definitely added in. These are helpful, thank you guys!!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

?

 

[Christie]

So my kitten Punky had bouts of throwing up. I can’t tell if her stomach hurt or not. I did give three day old cooked chicken to her without heating it up. Whoops. I wasn’t thinking but the other kittens are not sick. I wish I had the remedies on hand. She keeps licking her mouth. She panted before throwing up and just wants to lay down now. She is purring when I pet her. For this do you recommend the Pulsatilla?

 

[Dr. Jean]

I'm not a great homeopth but Nux Vomica may be a good place to start.

The one thing I would say is that if remedies don't work, there's a possibility of foreign body ingestion that would require surgery. (Fingers and toes crossed that it's not that bad!!!) Hydration is critical, can you give fluids at home?

 

[Christie]

Thanks for the quick response! It’s passed thank god. Punky is back to spunky! But she threw up four different times last night and I wound up not sleeping cause I was watching her. I knew she was dehydrated so I squirted water into her mouth. Would coconut water be okay to use next time?

I’ve never seen panting and drooling like that before! Had to have been something she eat that needed to come out. Thanks again!

 

[Dr. Jean]

No doubt! The violence of it was what had me worried. Glad she got out whatever it was, and may she never eat it again!!

Just plain water is the best thing. It's okay to give by mouth as you did, but if she got really dehydrated and wasn't eating, you'd have to squirt about a jillion doses to make a difference. A 10# adult cat needs about 8 oz of water a day, which is not practical to do by syringe.

Anyway I'm so glad she's better, thanks for letting us know!

 

[Christie]

Agree! Wow really good to know this info! Thank you again!!

 

[Dr. Christina]

I am glad that Punky is spunky again.

First step of HMDM (Holistic Medical Decision Making) is to set your goal. Are you worried enough that you need to go right to vet or can you try some at home treatments? Step 2, research, can help you make this decision and set your goal to rebalance the energy system to allow natural healing. Record all the symptoms you are observing when there are concerning symptoms (like Punky's vomiting and drooling). Especially important are the BEAM symptoms - since the symptoms (whatever ones concern you) began, has the Behavior, energy, appetite and mood changed. As you learned from Dr. Jeff's reply, the behavior and mood (especially if it changed) can help you decide on which homeopathic acute remedy may be needed. If the energy is very very low, you may need more professional help.

Another part of your research is about the symptoms. Often, when a cat is vomiting, it is normal to have some drooling. Some cats are upset by the vomiting and therefore pant. Observe carefully if this happens in the future, or if you can remember from this recent episode - was the panting before, during, and/or after the vomiting? Describe the vomitus and the drool itself - amount, smell, texture, color, etc.

Think, as you certainly did, of possible causes. Just feeding 3 day old non-warmed up chicken is unlikely to be the cause, especially since the other cats were ok. Cats do sometimes eat odd things which can cause an upset.

Learning some physical exam techniques can also be useful. You could have taken her temperature. You could learn how to "tent test" the skin and test the gums to measure any dehydration. Then you would worry less.

On this journey of health for each of us, one of the joys is continuing to learn more and more, realizing there is often no one correct answer. The love you clearly give these kitties is the very best way to help.
Dr. Christina