Up-chucking kitty

[catdoc]

Phaedra, my 8-year-old spayed kitty keeps vomiting every day around 3-3:30 in the afternoon. Sometimes there is a hairball, and (if you will pardon the graphic details) brownish in colour and sometimes just white foam. It happens just about every day and usually in the mid-afternoon. She has a lump on her right side around the area of her liver and has had this same lump for the past 2 years. it does not get any bigger and it is soft. I have had the lump checked out and have been told it is fatty tissue. (no ultrasound done as yet)

Her appetite is good, her energy level normal (for her) her behaviour patterns have not changed in any way and she is a grouch by nature, bossing the other cats around, even those twice her size. (she has mothered most of the other cats as they came along as kittens, so she still thinks she is the boss)

It is the daily upchucking which is now giving me concern. I think the first step is an ultrasound of her upper right abdomen to see what might be going on. My question is, what else can I be doing for her. Other than her original rabies shot when I first found her 8 years ago, I have not had her vaccinated for anything else. She was starved and emaciated when I found her. She had a parasitical infection in her spine which migrated to her brain and has caused some slight neurological damage. Her heads tilts to one side and sometimes she misses the mark when she jumps. The vet, 8 years ago, said she could die anytime from a grand mal seizure, well, that has not happened. I am going to rep her case to see what possible Homeopathic remedies might be useful.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi-

You already put Phaedra's vomiting in context of her normal BEAM.

Your next step is to further define the vomiting symptom.

You've already got 1 awe-some modality that helps define it.

Do you know which one I mean?

Are there any other ways that you can describe this symptom such as association with eating, drinking, defecating (or straining to defecate), etc?

What about other 4 P symptoms?

Has she had any wellness screening in the past few months?

This will add internal biomarker symptoms that you can add to your homeopathic analysis.

 

[catdoc]

Dr Jeff, looks like my earlier reply got lost somewhere as I do not see it. To answer your questions again, yes, I know which symptom is really outstanding. . the time of day. I cannot see any other association with the vomiting, however, I neglected to say when the vomit is brown in colour, in addition to the upchucked hairball log, there appears to be undigested food (mainly kitty crunchies) Offhand, I have forgotten what the 4 P symptoms are (must be old age!) can you refresh me please?

A wellness screening has not been done in a year and a half, however, the visit to the vet today for the ultrasound, as well as an Xray, has revealed a hairball the size of Manhatten in her tummy. This might explain the upchucking of undigested food. The vet has prescribed a hairball gell as well as ranitidine and metoclopramide which will be used to ease nausea and help the stomach empty. Would it be ok to administer these meds to her?

I did the reportorization but it seems to be a bit inconclusive. Perhaps I am focusing too much on the nausea symptoms. There is nothing I have been able to find in the Pitcairn Vet Rep relative to hairballs. Dr Hamilton in his book, makes reference to hairball fixing by giving organic butter daily (at least I know Phaedra will take that without an issue)

I would like to solve this issue as holistically as possible, as Lord knows, the kitties get enough exposure to chemicals every day let alone introducing more chemicals into their little bodies

 

[Dr. Jean]

By the traditional Chinese medicine clock, 1-3 pm is Small Intestine. 3-5 is Bladder but this seems more like small intestine, where that partially digested food hangs out. It is also in the realm of Fire. I'm not an expert in TCM but here is a nice article about this: Small Intestine Pattern Differentiation in Chinese Medicine

 

[catdoc]

Thank you for this Dr Jean. I read through the article and realize I know or understand even less about TC!. Right now, I am giving Phaedra a pat of butter (even as I type here) She enjoys this far more than me trying to get her to swallow meds of any type.

 

[Dr. Christina]

Vomiting hairballs is definitely one of the early warning symptoms that many people consider normal when it happens occasionally.

You mentioned crunchies. Feeding dry food can keep a cat dehydrated, which can delay digestion. Switching to a raw meat diet (no bones at this point), or at least feeding canned food only, adding probiotics and digestive enzymes (there are many good brands that kitties love to eat!) along with a flower essence from greenhopeessences.com, jacksongalaxy.com, anaflora.com or other companies would be a great support while you are trying to figure out the best homeopathic medicine.

You may wish to work with a veterinary homeopath since it is possible to resolve the neurological problems, the vomiting and the lump.

Be sure, as you look for rubrics, to have at least 3 in different sections, especially ones that are Peculiar (the very most important ones), Prominent, Persistent and Problematic.
Dr. Christina

 

[catdoc]

Thanks Dr Christina. Crunchies are more snack and treat food as opposed to regular diet. Phaedra eats canned food (the best I can find here in Mexico at Petco which really isn't the best) as well as raw food which I make on a regular basis, however, the raw food does have ground up chicken thigh bone in it. I do have a probiotic which I can add to her food. If I could only get the products from the places you have mentioned delivered to Mexico, specifically the Yucatan where customs are very strict regarding the importation of "medicines"

Phaedra's neurological problems do not seem to give her an issue, fortunately. I will work more on the rubric selection and thank you for reminding me about the 4 Ps. I am giving her butter which she joyfully accepts. Olive oil does not cut it for her.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Bonnie-

Thanks so much for the clarification and thanks for posting @Dr. Christina and @Dr. Jean!

Bonnie, in general, those meds are pretty benign however metoclopramide is contraindicated when there is obstruction .

However, since every drug can lower Phaedra's ability to heal so I agree 110% that you should focus on homeopathy and supportive holistic supplements.

Have you read Calendula, Phosphorus and Ars for her?

Papaya enzymes will help break down the hair in the stomach and some forms are quite palatable for cats.

Here's Dr. Becker's article with a few other tips:

Does Your Cat Have Hairball Issues?

Although hairballs in housecats are very common, they aren't a normal part of a feline's digestive process.

healthypets.mercola.com

 

[catdoc]

Thank you for this information Dr Jeff. Ars. seems to be the best remedy choice for Phaedra, so I will proceed. A question though, since Phaedra is medicine phobic, can I put the Ars.30C on her food? While it have the same effect? I am also looking for papaya enzyme in a form that I know Phaedra will accept, probably liquid again to put on her food. If only Phaedra wasn't such a witch when it comes to treating her!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes, you can add it to food.

Great question about how well it would work.

Your best bet is to add it to a bit of cream and see if she'll lap it up.

If she doesn't whipped cream often works well.

If not, then just add it to a bit of her food.