Cat vomit hairball almost choked, eating less,... a worry?????

[TammiL]

My cat, Chewey, 13, long haired Domestic was having difficulty with constipation. Gave him Chia gel with 6x the amount of water to soak them in since I couldn't separate and just give him the liquid portion.

First time I did it several weeks ago, he ended up throwing up 4 days in a row TONS of hair logs. Like when all was said and done it looked like he threw up a baby cat!

This time he coughed for a few days so I knew a hairball was coming. It finally came but he had quite a struggle to get it out of his mouth. I could see it in his mouth but he couldn't get it completely out. I tried to grab it to bring tension to it to see if I could help it slide out but he jerked his head. He got it out but curled up in his cat condo panting and his heartrate was 125, usually around 20 breaths a minute. It slowed and continued to decrease. He threw up another 4 inch x 1/2 inch within an hour or so. Both pictures attached.

He pooped and peed that day which was Thursday night. Pooped Friday morning and peed. He drank a few times and layed sprawled out on top of his cat condo. I only gave him 1 small raw nugget per meal just to let his body relax. He was fine eating that and no more throw up. He also came to me middle of day for snuggles and was purring while I held him in my shirt. Tried 2 nuggets around 7pm, ate fine. 11pm I tried to give him 3 nuggets and he ate maybe 2 and saw he regurgitated liquid but continued to try to eat a little. Didn't finish. He peed and drank water.

Today he peed and drank water but trying to eat 3 nuggets I see he gets maybe 2 down, they are 1 inch nuggets you squish with a fork - raw Stella and Cheweys Rabbit, and he made a throw up gesture and stopped, repositioned his posture a little and slowly ate a little more.

I feel he has a hairball left to come up that hasn't come up yet or the hairball is too large possibly and stuck. He has never had a hard time eating with hairballs but that one seemed stuck and was large. He drank a few times today, Saturday, for like a minute or so each. His heartrate is better and he has snuggled laying on my lap all stretched out today.

Do I wait and see if he throws up the next hairball since he is purring, drinking, peeing and eating a little or should he see an emergency vet?

I may try to see if he takes a little vaseline to help it move.

It is not unusual for him to go a few days with a hairball waiting to come up but choking on it and it not coming completely out of his mouth and being stuck was a SCARY first!

I will stop the chia gel with whole flaxseeds. I could not separate the gel from the seeds so I just added a ton more water but I think the Chia gel makes his hair masses large AND SCARY!

My apologies so long and THANK YOU from a very gracious heart for ur thoughts.

Also, hairballs are usually white as he is a white cat. These are food colored like he wasn't getting his food and it was being absorbed by this Monster inside him which is probably why he was sooo hungry asking for 2 more meals a day!

Tammi
@Dr. Jeff

 

[Dr. Christina]

I think you can wait until the AM since there is some improvement. Let us know how he does.

Then we need to focus on getting him balanced so he does not accumulate hair. Healthy cats never vomit hairballs nor need to be on gels or herbs for them.

Dr. Christina

 

[TammiL]

Good morning.
Here's the rundown.
Ate 10:50pm last night no issue, 1.5 nuggets eaten.
Pooped after he ate.
3-1.5 inches long dark moist with hair, darkness happens when I switch him to the Stella & Cheweys rabbit raw frozen food.
2 were 1 inch dark little hair and
1 was 1 inch lighter and crumbly.
A 3/4 last terd was light and crumbly. The darker ones were stinky like they usually are but Stella's doesn't seem to make his constipation worse.
He drank at night.

SUNDAY
3:40am threw up clear liquid and white bubbles...3x1 2x2 2x2 spots.
4:10am held him in my arms for about 5-10 and he purred and purred as we walked around the house dancing slowly and sniffing things.(the usual)
4:20 he was hungry gave him 1.5 nuggets he ate no issue.
10:20am he pawed at play stick as if to pounce on it and find it under the carpet 2x.
10:30am ate 1.5 nuggets and did a gag reflex then paused and ate the other 1.5. 3 total.
Went in litter box and peed it wasn't all in 1 lump it was like 4 little pieces of clumps.
10:35amJumped on my lap and purred and purred while I scratched his neck, chest and mouth for 5-10 minutes with my nails.
10:45am Hungry again ate 2 nuggets. After 3/4 of 1 he gagged then finished them.
10:50 he was watching the play stick poke out from under the paper towel intently and burped.
11:15am he is lying in his cat condo on lower level on blanket.
Heartrate is 23 breaths a minute so that's still good.

IS THERE A WAY TO HELP HIM GET THE HAIRBALL OUT?

I gave him about maybe what was equivalent to 1/4 tsp of VASELINE last night. He pooped after the vaseline.

He absolutely hates carriers. I have to give him Gabapentin night before and 3 hours b4 he sees a vet so that is not an easy task. Worried for stress he endures if I have to pack him up in a carrier.

Would love your input.
THANK YOU!
Tammi

 

[Dr. Christina]

Will you be able to get an appointment at your regular vet on Monday?
Is there a mobile vet to avoid the car ride stress? Now will certainly be the time to create your healing team (holisticactions.com/select)

I think you can wait since he is active, even a little play and eating some.

There may be something more going on than a hairball, so Monday or Tuesday do try to get a veterinary exam, although I hate to see him need the gabapentin. Be an advocate and make sure you agree with whatever diagnostics or treatments that are suggested. You can even say you want to sit in the waiting room (or your car, depending) while you decide. Be sure, if not going in with him, that they do nothing more than an exam without your approval.

He may be better enough on Monday, so you could take a few days to find a vet with some holistic leanings.

Are you near a health food store? do you have rescue remedy? do you have homeopathic medicines?

Rescue remedy decreases stress, physical and mental, so that may work for the car ride if it is necessary. It may also help if he does need to pass a hair ball.
If you have or can get Nux vomica 30c, you could put a few pellets in 1/2 C water and give him a few drops. If he seems better, then worse, you could repeat it once. This is not a remedy for hair balls specifically, but it is often needed for digestive issues and constipation.

If you have a friend who does Reiki, or can listen to Kathleen Prasad on the empower Hour so you can offer some intentional healing, that may help.

Be sure, when this is over, to check back in with what you are doing to prevent a recurrance.

Dr.
Christina

 

[TammiL]

Thank you Dr. Christina,

If I call the vet on Monday, I can give him the gaba that night and hopefully have a Tuesday appointment. They have Emergency Vets on call but I don't believe they make appointments. If I gave him gaba tonight and they couldn't take him tomorrow, I will have wasted giving him that junk then have to do it again that night.

I would guess they would want to do an xray or something to see what is in there that is stuck and won't come out. I will be right by his side if they let me come in nowadays. I know his rabies vaccine is due as well, can I ask them to run a titer instead of just giving it to him if they plan to do blood work?

I have been working with Dr. Jeff since January 1st of last year but I do have a local vet also who Chewey saw first who does a little chinese medicine and now I read they do acupuncture. Tho to bring him to an acupuncture appointment I would need to give him gaba so not sure that's worth it.

I do not have rescue remedy but I will go to the store today to get it. I have Thuja 30c and Arsenicum 30c that Dr. Jeff asked me to have on hand. I will also grab the Nux Vomica today. I will try giving him that. I will listen to Kathleen Prasad, will see if I can find her empower hour. Thank you.

I have been trying to get him not to throw up hair balls with Dr. Jeff for a year now. He is itching so he is licking more hair than normal and we haven't been able to get the itch to stop yet. It is down from what it was but not gone. I thought through the winter it would stop again but it has been consistent around a 3 or 4 daily whereas it used to be 8 or 9.

Thank you Dr. Christina. I appreciate your input.

 

[Dr. Christina]

I did not know you were working with Dr. Jeff. Please private message him, email or call him before giving a remedy.
@Dr. Jeff

 

[TammiL]

Thank you. I private messaged him on here and sent him an email. Not sure what phone to place a call to.
Thank you!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Tammi!

Regarding your stopping his vomiting hairballs, you still want to promote the symptom until his body is better balanced.

How's his BEAM, and other symptoms been today?

 

[TammiL]

Besides what I wrote above he has slept all day as has Tigger. He should wake soon to want to eat.
He HAS an appetite, I am just giving him less since he does a gag. Usually he gets 5 nuggets per meal 5 times a day.

I just gave him 2 tiny pieces of steak where he was laying so maybe that will initiate him getting up to eat! He definitely wants to eat!

He has been drinking more than normal, I would assume in an attempt to get that out.

He was snuggly and a little playful this morning.

Will update soon! Thank you so much for responding Dr. Jeff.

@Dr. Jeff

 

[TammiL]

UPDATE: Good I feel.
Chewey didn't get out of bed after feeding him a few tiny pieces of steak but he easily ate the steak. He did turn around in the bed tho.

So I tried to tent his skin to see if he was just tired or dehydrated. It was too hard to see in the spot he was in.

I brought him 3 of his nuggets, 2 had BB juice on them and the third plain. He smelled and licked and then came out of bed and did a couple stretches and ate all 3 with no gag. He eats fast so I pulled plate away slowly in between to slow him down a little.

He then jumped on bed and laid on heating pad. He was interested in watching the toy stick pop out of places and even sat upright.

Then...I created a new entertainment and plopped about 10 soda tabs on the bed from my closet hangers and dropped them 1 by 1. Interest! Then swatted them gently with the toy stick so they hopped around...more Interest and now we r sitting up Intently staring for idk 10 minutes until the POUNCE! Then he watched and then found another comfy spot on bed where covers are bunched because it's waiting to be made. He was kneading for a minute or two and then plunk. Curled up on comfy blankies. Both kitties chilling now.

So, we have
BEHAVIOR..nothing weird. He came out of room and went to new toy box I set up in LR with 2 boxes together and a hole connecting. Intently watched stick go up and down and followed it with his eyes.

ENERGY...at first I showed him his food and he smelled it and I pit it 2 feet in front of his bed. He was falling asleep. So, I brought it to him and let him eat a drop and then put it back 2 feet and he came out. During play, sitting upright, staring intently and pounce! Also, when he left boxes I slowly chased him and he did trot to bedroom.

APPETITE..3 nuggets and 3 or 4 tiny pieces of steak smaller than a pinky fingernail. GOOD!

MOOD...interested in play, not aggressive, not grumpy when I pet him or tent his skin. Let me do it all.

SO ... what say you Dr. Jeff???

???
Thank u!

@Dr. Jeff

 

[TammiL]

P.S. I think his focus has been on his belly so last couple days itching is 1-3 rather than 3-5 but he has been sleeping a lot so less time to itch! But even at night at bedtime when it usually escalates a little it hasn't.

Why didn't we figure this out a year ago! Give him a big hairball that won't come up and we decrease the itch !!! ???

BUT escalate the hairball issue! ??☹

Not sure which I want....neither really, but symptoms are our friend!

 

[TammiL]

UPDATE #2:

9:50pm
Chewey was up and sitting in LR on his warming pad for an hour. Started food and BOOM....Here's the little ghostie that appears like a silent Ninja!

Ate 3 nuggets, 1/4 BBJ and NO GAG.

Then he went and peed full stream, sounded GOOD!

I did give him maybe 1/4 more tsp of vaseline maybe around 8pm when he was laying down after playtime with soda tabs to help him push it out 1 way or the other. Sometimes vaseline helps it come out the bottom and others, he ends up throwing up shortly after vaseline.

?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Tammi-

My suggestions would be for you to schedule time for a 30 min. virtual recheck and local vet exam (to r/o anything physical and/or recheck his blood test parameters).

 

[TammiL]

Thank you. They will want to do a rabies vaccine as he is due January 21. How do I work that? Obviously with his issue lately I do NOT want to add to it a rabies vaccine as he does lousy on that for at least 24 hours and I will tell them that tomorrow. I will ask them to do a titer and see if he is low enough that he needs a booster or is it mandatory to reboost yearly no matter what? He is on the yearly rabies one.

Have an appointment tomorrow at 11am, not with Dr. Trish because she is in surgery until Wednesday, but with Dr. Mike there. I will do a follow up physical with Dr. Trish afterwards but would it be a good idea to ask them to do the blookwork they would normally do at the physical tomorrow if they are going to run any so they don't take blood on him 2 times and steel all of his WBC's? I know Medical Medium talks a lot about how too much blood is taken on humans and it deprives your body of the much needed cells and hinders your healing. ???

Will schedule a 30 minute follow up with you Dr. Jeff after I know what the deal is with blood work tomorrow and also physical with Dr. Trish. Would prefer not to have to dope him up with Gaba 2x but the woman said the visit tomorrow would just be for the current issue.

I can't go in with him as they are still not allowing pet parents in, which I understand, just don't like.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

YW Tammi.

In advance of your visit (in addition to when he goes in) be emphatic that this is a "sick" cat checkup and tho he's a bit overdue, please DO NOT boost at this time as the vaccine insert says "only for healthy pets".

The vaccinosis ebook in your member resource area has lots of other potentially helpful info.

 

[LilF]

Thank you. They will want to do a rabies vaccine as he is due January 21. How do I work that? Obviously with his issue lately I do NOT want to add to it a rabies vaccine as he does lousy on that for at least 24 hours and I will tell them that tomorrow. I will ask them to do a titer and see if he is low enough that he needs a booster or is it mandatory to reboost yearly no matter what? He is on the yearly rabies one.

Have an appointment tomorrow at 11am, not with Dr. Trish because she is in surgery until Wednesday, but with Dr. Mike there. I will do a follow up physical with Dr. Trish afterwards but would it be a good idea to ask them to do the blookwork they would normally do at the physical tomorrow if they are going to run any so they don't take blood on him 2 times and steel all of his WBC's? I know Medical Medium talks a lot about how too much blood is taken on humans and it deprives your body of the much needed cells and hinders your healing. ???

Will schedule a 30 minute follow up with you Dr. Jeff after I know what the deal is with blood work tomorrow and also physical with Dr. Trish. Would prefer not to have to dope him up with Gaba 2x but the woman said the visit tomorrow would just be for the current issue.

I can't go in with him as they are still not allowing pet parents in, which I understand, just don't like.

 

[LilF]

Why are you scheduled for yearly rabies vaccines. Did you know the 1 year and 3 year are exactly the same except for the label? But if the label says one year then legally you have to get it yearly. So why not ask for the 3 year. If it were me, I would not go to a vet who pushes these things anyhow. I believe after the core vaccines they last for life... I have had my dogs titered on distemper, parvo etc... and they were still immune 9 years later... Again, be sure they don't sneak it in without your knowledge like sometimes they do it while the animal is "under". This is a deal breaker for me.... Rabies lasts much longer than the "expiration due date" Read the Rabies challenge Fund, Dr. Dodds. Even if the titer is low, there are memory cells that kick in when stimulated by infection. When was the last time you got your polio shot? I know this is always a stressful topic to advocate for with your vet but some think the vaxes are "benign" as I was told----" why not just get the 20 dollar shot instead of paying 100 dollars for a titer. " Yikes...... good luck!!