Help with cat - vomiting and won't eat - vet was no help

[Moochysmom]

Please help me if you have any idea what I could do to help my cat. Moochy is 3 years old and started vomiting a week ago. She coughed up two big hairballs in that time and wouldn't eat. I took her to the vet on the third day. The vet kept her for five days, did every test available and confirmed she has slight bilirubin and a very low white blood count but he couldn't find any cause. She doesn't have feline HIV or leukemia. He gave her broad spectrum antiobiotics and gave me some to give her now she's back home. But she still won't eat - she's lost loads of weight, and she's still vomiting - though it's only liquid now.

The vet didn't tell me how to keep her energy up or feed her with a syringe or anything and I don't htink they supplemented her the whole week! My uneducated theory is she had hairballs and started vomiting and developed cat anorexia after a few days of not feeling like eating. So her bilirubin would be due to anorexia. But that doesn't explain the blood count. The vet said all he could think of is that she got poisoned somehow. But she's an indoor cat and we live in a child-safe, clean house with no known poisons around.

Please give me some advice if you can as to what might be wrong and how we can help her eat again - or at least keep her energy up?? I'm desperate. I will look for another vet this week if she's no better because I was very unhappy with this first one - but it all cost us nearly $1000 so I don't know how much more I can do. If I can do anything myself in the meantime I want to....
Thanks in advance -
KW

[opus88]

sorry I'm so late to give you a reply...also sorry to hear your kitty is so unwell..it is NOT normal to loose half your body weight, esp for a cat. this can cause Hepatic Lipidosis or fatty liver disease. however that is not the cause its a side effect of weight loss

you've done well by gettin her to the clinics for testing, surprising nothing has shown up, did they do the specific T3&T4 thyroid level testing? and also sugar levels?  b/c to me it could be hyperthyroidism, pancreatitis, diabetes or cancer to name just the top ones that lead to drastic weight loss..

http://www.vetstreet.com/care/thyroid-level-test-thyroid-profile-tests-feline-hyperthyroidism

if she hasn't had these tests make sure she gets them...otherwise I really can't tell you much more.

wish you good luck, something has to be found and fast to help her or she won't survive loosing so much. keep us posted please♥

[MissysMom10]

My 10 year old has lost 1/2 her body weight over the last year.  She has been to the vet several times, last time they did blood tests again, urinalysis, x-rays, and could come up with nothing.  I'm working with her food and now have her on blue buffalo for sensitive stomach as I could hear her tummy gurgling frequently, along with a prebiotic.  She eats fine and drinks, acts pretty normal other than she is so thin.  She potties normally (other than a bout of diarrhea from an earlier food change that did not agree with her).  We are keeping an eye on her potty habits to make sure she is doing both and so far so good.  My concern is first that she is not gaining weight and second, over the past month she has vomited about 3 times, vast amounts of liquid usually colored the same color as her food but with very little food in it, just a lot of water/liquid.  Does not appear to be bile.  But it is a lot.  I can't figure out why this happens, I don't see any pattern and don't know what would cause it.  Any ideas?  She did used to groom a lot and doesn't do it nearly as much as she used to, she has coughed up hairballs in the past and even recently, so I do use hairball treatment and brush her frequently, but why would this make her vomit so much liquid??  Can't figure out what to try next.  Any suggestions are welcome ~

[CML2014]

As Opus said this is an emergency.  She will need IV Fluids and x-rays. She may have Pancreatitis or a bowl obstruction.

Please take her NOW!!!

Let us know what happens, K?
CML

[opus88]

I'm afraid the person you are asking this question too hasn't posted since 2009.
If yr kitty hasn't eaten in 4 days he needs to see a Vet asap...cats quickly go into liver failure within a very few days of not eating, and if there is vomiting as well they also need IV fluids or it quickly becomes fatal
PLZ take yr kitty to a Vet, the Internet can't help him only a Vet can. Best of wishes

[Judithhelen]

What medication was it? My cat is having the same issue and my vet thinks it is the same thing as yours did. I'm afraid she is going to die. She hasn't eaten in 4 days

[CML2014]

Hi Stella Bella001,

I am afraid your kit is gravely ill. Sounds like she may have pancreatitis--an ultra sound will be able to see this. There is also a test specifically for  this, but it is not available everywhere.

Your best bet is to find a Veterinary School/university near you and take her there for emergency care. They will sometimes no charge.

If she has gone for 72 hours without food she needs to ne given fluids by IV immediately and hopefully this in appetence has not caused harm to her liver.
Yes your baby is gravely ill and needs medical care--however you can get it. Home remedies will not fix this.

Please take her to the vet--if you cannot afford bringing her back to health, then please make sure she does not continue to suffer in this pain. The vet will advise if without the proper care she may be better off being put to sleep to relieve her from living with this pain.
I know this is hard to hear , but we must always do what is best for our pets, not us.

Good Luck , and please keep us posted.

Sincerely,
CML