What could cause air in my cats belly

Hello I have a himalayan Kahlua who is 12 years old and has been diagnosed with air in her belly. I have had her blood work done and her fecal and also dewormed her , tried probiotics then a hairball remedy/laxative. She was going poop and pee and had an appetite until we dewormed her and then it seemed like her appetite got less and less then the diarreah (diarrhea) came that was jelly like. We have given her a b-12 shot and a shot that is a steroid/cortisone shot that increases her appetite but is also an antiinflammatory. Her stomache has gone down some but her appetite is almost nothing. She eats some but not much. She likes raw fish but that is bad for her so she cannot have it. I am at a loss. She purrs when you pet her and she does not seem to be in pain. She is an awesome cat.The Doctor is bewildered to. Can someone please shed some light on this. The Doc says she seems to have air in her belly cause if it was fluid her belly would be hanging down from the weight. Can anyone help me please . I do not want to lose my cat. Someone told me there is a holistic medicine. A chinese herb that works for this. Does anyone out there have this problem and used the herb with success. ? She just started to eat a little more. But I would like to know if there is anything that I can give her.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

It is very difficult to diagnose gas in the abdomen with only blood work.  More sophisticated tests are usually necessary, such as, X-Ray, endoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, or other imaging.

If she truly does have gas in the abdomen, than Mylicon infant drops or Gas-X would help. These are available over the counter at pharmacies.  The dose for these products are as follows: for the infant drops, follow the dose schedule on the box for her weight category.  For Gas-X the dose is 1/4 of a Gas-X tablet per dose.  Follow directions on the package for frequency of treatment.

Another question is why she has gas in her abdomen.  GI parasites are one cause and it sounds as if she has been well treated for them.  Other causes include: Dysbiosis, Inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal lymphoma, and food allergies, as well as other causes and can occur separately or simultaneously.  B-12 injections, and probiotics are helpful for dysbiosis but often other medications are necessary.  It would be best if the cause for her problem was definitely diagnosed for the most appropriate treatment.

What ever the cause it is important to keep her eating since cats who don't eat can develop fatty liver disease.  Raw fish is fine as long as you buy Sushi-grade raw fish.  Only feed tuna once weekly due it's high mercury content.  Once she is eating normally you can gradually add some canned or home-made cat food.  

The appetite stimulants, Periactin or Mirtazapine may help.  These are available by prescription by your vet.  If you would like to try some holistic appetite stimulants (Chinese herbal formula's), the following have proven successful to stimulate appetite: Four Gentleman, Four Marvels (Si Miao San), Happy Earth or Stomach Happy.  The latter two are available from the Jing Tang herbal company by prescription.  

You could also check for a holistic vet in your area at AHVMA or Chi Veterinary Institute.