Simba and his 'illness'
By blackbriar
@blackbriar (9075)
United States
April 3, 2008 11:16am CST
I got Simba neutered and all his shots done at a low cost spay/neuter clinic just over a week ago. Well, this past Sat. he started throwing his food up. Didn't think much of it till he did it 2 more times that day, 3 times on Sun. and again on Mon. along with gassy diahrrea early that morning. Called the vet where I got him done at to see if the surgery or shots had anything to do with it but no and suggested it was something to do with his digestive tract. I decided to do a 24hr fast on him and then see how he does. I got to thinking about it and wondered if he was just gorging himself on food and as a result, throwing it back up. Well, when I started reintroducing food to him Tues. evening, I gave him a small handful, waited a few hours then another small handful. So far, so good. Weds same thing. Yesterday since he was being such a pest and I mean PEST, I got a small flat bowl and put a rock in it. Then put a handful of food around the rock. Simba had to pretty much take his paw and grab a few kibbles at a time to eat. The way he was trying to grab that food, I now know he was gorging himself..eating too fast and too much at once which cause the tummy problems. I'm hoping to get him to learn to slow down and not eat so much at once with the rock in the bowl. I know it's been done with puppies so hoping the same theory will work with Simba. So far, no throwing up and no diahrrea but plenty of pestering from Simba. lol
6 people like this
12 responses
@sherrylwatts (326)
• United States
3 Apr 08
I had to respond to this - One of my cats does the same thing - my husband & I joke that she's bulimic. They were getting too fat so we had to stop leaving food out all the time, no first thing in the morning when she's fed, she'll run in and gobble her food so fast she turns right around and throws up! I've never thought about putting a rock in her bowl - brilliant idea! I'll have to try it
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
3 Apr 08
It's a common thing to do with puppies when they eat too fast so I'm just adopting that concept with Simba. It's working thou and he HATES it. 
You have to make sure the rock is big enough so they can't get their whole face/head in, just the nose/mouth and a paw. Here he is making a pest of himself last night while I was trying to type a response to a discussion. He either lays on my mouse arm, tries to lay on my shoulder or sit up in front of the screen so I can't see anything. lol All because he's 'starving'. 
You have to make sure the rock is big enough so they can't get their whole face/head in, just the nose/mouth and a paw. Here he is making a pest of himself last night while I was trying to type a response to a discussion. He either lays on my mouse arm, tries to lay on my shoulder or sit up in front of the screen so I can't see anything. lol All because he's 'starving'. @blackbriar (9075)
• United States
3 Apr 08
Hey, mylot ate the pic I uploaded. Trying the upload again.
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
3 Apr 08
I am having the opposite problem of you my little kittens won't eat much and they are very skinny. I got them from the humane society and a day later they had respitory infection they had shots and are on anitbitotics they were really weak and didn't want to eat. They are finally feeling better and will hopefully put on some weight now.
I hope your idea with the rock helps your kitty to not eat so fast so he can keep his food all down.
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
3 Apr 08
Wow! I'm surprised the humane society adopted them out in that condition. The one here will keep the sick animal till it's fully recovered b4 putting them up for adoption. How old were they when you adopted them? Could be they still needed to be with their mom or, if not possible, on formula in a bottle. The rock is working but I gotta use some double stick tape so the rock can't move. The lil bugger learned quick if he moves the rock, he can get his whole face in and gulp his food.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
5 Apr 08
What Simba is doing is a 1st for me as well, gabs. Just goes to show, it really pays to pay really close attention to how your 'kids' behave so you know when they are sick or misbehaving.
1 person likes this
@canadiandreamsbig (173)
• Canada
4 Apr 08
What an innovative solution! Good for you! I've never really had cats eat too fast and throw up before. I did have one cat that threw up a lot. Sometimes it's the food that upsets their stomachs.
Cats are obligate carnivores so don't digest grain well. Most commercial cat foods, even "vet recommended" ones are comprised mostly of grain. The cat MAY bolt the food because he's not getting enough meat from it. I have become a real label reader in the past few months and am trying my cats on a couple of grain free dry cat foods to find one they like. If you go that route, make sure you mix some of the regular food in with it or Simba may throw up from the sudden change in diet. A second option to add more protein to his diet would be to start giving him some wet food every day. Again, read the labels because a lot of wet cat foods are full of grains, artificial colours and flavours. Our fur kids don't need anything artificial in their food any more than we do. The wet food may keep him satisfied longer.
By the way my cats are doing very well with a higher protein diet.
I hope that helps!
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I've become a label reader myself, canadian. Have you looked into Pet Promise? No by-products and no artificial crap or preservitives. www.petpromiseinc.org is the website, I think. It's not the food cause if it was, the small amounts I'm giving him now he would be throwing back up like he was b4 I fasted him. He's also the same way with canned cat food. He will stuff his face as fast as he can and throw it back up. Least with the kibble, it's not as messy to clean up.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Knew I was close on the website. Just had the .com wrong. If you have something similar to it, then should be fine. It's not easy to find here in the US either. Petco is the only pet store within a 75 mile radius that sells it and it's close to me, thankfully.
@canadiandreamsbig (173)
• Canada
4 Apr 08
Hi there! I agree that kibble is a lot easier to clean up than wet food. You were really close on the website, it's www.petpromiseinc.com but according to the website, it's not sold in Canada at this time. :( It looks like a terrific product, so I'll watch for it at the pet food stores in my city. I can get something very similiar to it,though. Or maybe order it through one of the stores mentioned on the site.Thank you so much for sharing. It's always good to talk with another pet parent.
@Ceciliah (56)
• Canada
5 Apr 08
Hi, Actually vaccinations can cause the same symtoms of the illness that they were used for. It's not all that comman or we would hear about it more often but I think that's what happened to Simba. Then as his body adjusted to the shots (and the trauma of neutering) he slowly got better. I think it was a really good idea on your part to have him fast for a bit and give his body a chance to rest. I am glad he is better. Make sure you tell your vet on his next vaccination day and they might adjust the medicine so he feels better. He might be fine next time any how now that he has had his first shots.
ceciliah
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
5 Apr 08
I called and talked directly to the vet about Simba's illness, thinking it might of had to do with the vaccinations but the guy said if he was to have a reaction, it would of happened within hours after the shots, not days.
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
5 Apr 08
maybe he is nervous or stressed for some reason. give him a massage or pet him and help him relax so he can slow down when he eats. maybe he is afraid someone will steal his food and he is trying to eat it fast. hold him and make him feel comfortable rather than insecure. maybe it will help him relax and eat slowly if he feels happier and less anxious
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
5 Apr 08
He's not nervous. Stressed maybe from the neutering. He was real clingy and would want under my shirt alot more than usual. For the past week, I've been sitting here typing with him under my shirt up near my shoulder purring up a storm till he purred himself to sleep. Then would want back down after a few hours. He gets held and snuggled alot. All my cats do.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
5 Apr 08
I didn't think that. This vet is a new vet to me. My reg. vet is very gentle with the animals but I have no clue how the new one was. Thankfully, he won't be going back.
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
5 Apr 08
some vets or the assistants handle pets badly, because every time i used to take my late pets to the vet for their shots, they used to pee and poop all over the vet's lobby out of nervousness. they hated going to the vets.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
4 Apr 08
hey that was a wonderful plan, I am glad that it worked I will try that myself if it happens to one of my cats.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Yeah lol Simba's not happy with the plan but it's working which is what really counts. Whenever he comes in here to eat, he will sit there and throw daggers at me with his eyes for a bit b4 getting down to scoop, eat, scoop eat. lol Too funny to watch him. Least he's slowed down his eating so his tummy has a chance to tell him when he's full.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Yeah, when I was thinking about why he was throwing up suddenly, I remembered noticing after he got back from the vet, he was indeed eating like he hasn't eaten in weeks. I was trying to figure out why the self-feeder was gettting emptied so darn fast with only 2 cats eating out of it when it was lasting for 2wks. at a time b4 the trip to the vet. It's funny watching him dip his paw in and pull a few kibbles out to eat. He's even trying to do that as fast as he can but still slowing him down. I gave him a hug from you as well as the well wishes. lol He just jumped up here to pester me for more food again.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
3 Apr 08
Now this process is one I've never heard of before. I have never had the problem with any of my cats or dogs of overeating etc. they have the self feeing dish and eat just when hungry then stop when their appitite is sated. Glad he is feeling better and that you have no more messes to clean up as well.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
3 Apr 08
I've never had this problem either and all my animals have always been on self-feeders. Simba is a first for me. Yeah, you notice the Bissell sitting right next to his dish? That's what I used to clean up all his messes. Thankfully, he only made them in Tigger's room/my computer room. This is Simba trying to hog the screen so I can't see. Only doing it so I'll feed him. Once fed, he will leave me alone till he's hungry again.
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Wow. What great thinking! My kitties have never done this before, but I really like your logic, and I'm glad kitties slowing down when eating! Hope you can teach him to sloooowwww down. :)
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Not logic, lots of reading. lol I learned a TON just by reading when I was younger and even now when I have time, I have a few magazines I like to read.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
3 Apr 08
Aww...sounds you have a "piggy" on your hands...yup, my cats, especially Kissy will gorge on food, and goodness it isn't as though I don't feed them enough, but she tends to be a piggy herself, and she'll just finish pigging out herself, and back up its comes a few minutes later. Wonder just why cats will do that, especially if food is handy all the time? I especially have dry food down all the time. Glad to hear Simba is doing better though
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Glad to hear Simba isn't the only piggy. Either he learns to eat slower or off to the vet we go. I wanted to try my concept out first b4 having to make an expensive trip to the vet.
@zydecokitten (451)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I really hope that Simba's stomach is settling down. I really would suggest that if anything happens again a vet visit in order asap. Also free feeding is out of order for this little piggy. A first step is usually worming by a vet. I would also suggest a nice gentle food, something with rice in it by Pet Guard. Wellness wet food is very good as well.
Dry food is not chewed up by your cat, it may cling to the teeth and cause tooth decay to happen early or go directly to the stomach for bloating.
If you give two meals a day with half a regular cat size can or a little less depending on how big the cat is you should be ok. If he really wants to chow down more than you want, I would mash up salt free french cut stringbeans that after you strain off all the water. Maybe a fork full per meal. Add that instead of more food and mix it well and disguise it with the wet food.
Your vet can give you a recommendation on how much Pepcid you can give your kitty for an upset stomach based on the weight. If by any chance you have a cat that won't eat, depending on the medical reason, you can get an appetite stimulant.
Between Saturday and Thursday is five days, please don't let something like this go that long. Your kittty can get dehydrated in that short a time. If it is a bowel obstruction or poison etc. That is really late in the game to provide help, also more expensive. Good luck with Simba.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Thank you for your concern, zydecokitten. Simba is doing much better now that he is forced to slow down and not eat so much. Still free choice food BUT with a rock in his dish so he can't bolt his food down. He's slowly learning that if he eats slower, his tummy tells him when it's full and to stop eating. If this wouldn't of worked, I definately would of been taking him to the vet.
