Air in my cats stomache

[glow007]

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 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. ?

[opus88]

If she isn't eating at all and you are feeding her than IMO theres more wrong than air.....I would really like you to see another Vet before trying any remedies...
Just air wouldn't cause her to stop eating completely. ...

If you do try the calms forte, be sure to mix correctly as copied above, only 1 pill  ADDED to 15ml of water, than give a drop of this mix 3-4x spaced over a day. And I always start with less when trying anything new. I've never used this myself it was just a suggestion I found, so I'm always hesitant especially when your not exactly sure what else is going on..

how much are you hand feeding her?

poor baby....yes they are so very precious and so reliant on us especially when not well, take care and keep posting please.

[glow007]

Thank you all for your wonderful help . I never imagined that there were so many caring people out there. Thank you from the bottom of my heart

[glow007]

Thank you so much for all your help. The response was more than I could imagine. I am going to try the calms forte. Kahlua is eating more but I have to hand feed her , I do not care if that is what I have to do as long as she will eat. I think part of her not eating is that her belly feels so full do to the air. But I wanted to thank you for all your help. You know my love for her since you have a beautiful little beauty yourself. She is so delicate.

Glow

[nancyjac]

Has her decline in appetite been gradual or sudden?  Have you weighed her as has she actually lost a significant amount of weight?  It is quite normal for a cat's appetite to decline somewhat as they age since they tend to be less active.  Have you tried a cat food intended specifically for older cats?  They are typically easier to digest and have the appropriate nutrients for older cats.  The air in her belly is simply another way of saying she has indigestion or gas.  I would go with an canned food intended for senior cats and continue with the probiotics.  Neither one will result in an overnight "cure", but both are helpful in promoting digestion and absorption of nutrients.

[opus88]

hi, me again....you are right she shouldn't be eating alot of fish, not without the required nutrients along with it, but it doesn't hurt to be giving her some as long as she is eating some cat food also(with the nutrients needed)...she needs to keep eating and drinking that is very important.
IF the problem is gas/distended stomach I did find a remedy you can try...ask the Holistic Vet about it on the site I gave you....its CALMS FORTE

- prep and dosing, same for all homeo remedies,  for single and combos e.g. Calms Forte:

      In a shot glass or dropper bottle (15ml or so), put in 1 pellet of pill or 3-4 drops of a liquid tincture.
      Do not touch remedy just pour out from cap or directly from bottle.
      Fill up rest w/ pure water (what u use for drinking).
      Gently swish around by moving the glass/bottle so remedy pellets/drops are mixed in well.
      Then use this bottle to dose 3-4 times today spaced out during the day for 1-2 days.
      After that, evaluate whether to continue at an even more reduced dosage or d/c altogether.

that will work for gas in an acute situation.....but that said I do URGE you to get a diagnosis to find out what exactly is causing this gas if indeed it is gas(?) and the lack of appetite.
Please keep us posted...♥

[opus88]

I found this article that relates to abdominal distention...assuming thats why the Vet has dx'd her with 'air'...?
there are a few tips there for other diagnostic tests the Vet should run on her. give it a read and see if anything there helps...♥

http://www.petplace.com/cats/abdominal-distension-in-cats/page1.aspx

[opus88]

hi and welcome to our forum. I have a Himalayan seal point just like Kahlua(beautiful name for a beautiful kitty)...
I know how frustrating it is to not get a proper diagnosis and watch our kitties not doing well. you have done all the right things...although i do urge you not to get anymore steroid shots this will only add other health issues to what she is already fighting.
I will do some searching for you, have never heard of 'air in the belly' before, perhaps like Tina says another opinion maybe a good idea to pursue.
Meanwhile I will give you a link to our Holistic Vet here on Medhelp, perhaps she can help you with the herb question you have....

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Animal-Health---General/show/112?camp=msc

I wish you both our best...I sure hope you find some answers, keep us updated please and if I can find something out I will send you another reply...♥

[Tinabudde]

Hi glow, air in the belly is totally not normal.  Did the doctor put her on an antibiotic, an intestinal one?  Worms can cause infections and that should be tried.  Has she been tested for any of the corona viruses?  Feline Infectious Peritonitis would be a concern.  It's just not normal to have a belly of air so if the vet you are seeing has no more ideas or tests I would take her to a different vet for a 2nd opinon.