Aging cat with chronic vomiting - advice on what to add for nutrition

[DayshaG]

@Dr. Christina thank you for a great call last night about Bella. To all members and @Dr. Jeff @Dr. Jean Hofve , I wanted to ask as your cat is aging and getting thinner (Bella still is considered in early stage kidney disease a few years now, but has had increased vomiting over the summer), what are some complete foods I can add? Dr. Christina suggested some ideas like Wysong products (PDG, DreamTreats), Anitra Frasiers high calcium chicken broth. I ordered the Wysong items and will purchase some organic chicken to make broth over the weekend. Also, if anyone has an opinion on whether to bring her to next week's abdominal ultrasound appt, I am gathering opinions too. I was debating whether to let her rest up for her wellness exam which is scheduled already for 2 weeks from this week but the ultrasounf was scheduled recently for next week. Maybe tuning in to see what Bella wants is ideal too. I did schedule an appt with my animal communicator for this weekend and have been in touch with my homeopathic vet Dr. Judy Herman. Thanks!

 

[DayshaG]

@Dr. Christina @Dr. Jeff @Dr. Jean Hofve also, I am wondering if feeding duck to Bella (VIVA brand - raw for felines) also may be too rich for her, it is rich for us humans. I rotate between rabbit, turkey, beef, and duck. This AM after feeding duck she vomited it back up and then vomited it again. She has a history of eating over the years since a young kitty, and to clarify, most of her vomiting issues now are not from eating too quickly. It is either 4AM-5AM, with clear or clear with fur or clear with hair ball. Thanks!

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Duck is really high in fat and may indeed be too much for her.

 

[DayshaG]

Duck is really high in fat and may indeed be too much for her.

@Dr. Jean Hofve, I thawed out another package of the VIVA turkey and am back to that. She held that down. Any suggestion for potential constipation? Not sure if canned pumpkin was a good thing to try.

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Pumpkin is okay, but let's not treat a "potential" issue, only the ones we see!

You could mix a little of the duck in with the turkey, see how that goes.

 

[DayshaG]

Pumpkin is okay, but let's not treat a "potential" issue, only the ones we see!

You could mix a little of the duck in with the turkey, see how that goes.

Thanks!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great thread! Thanks for your contributions, Daysha and Dr. Jean.

aging and getting thinner

I'd like to divert to a new thread (maybe you can start one).

It will be about an often-overlooked yet super important lifestyle dis-ease. One that can be easily modified.

@DayshaG, the thread I'd love you to start, if you are interested and have time/energy, is about sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, aka muscle wasting, weight loss, etc is a huge factor for decreased quality of life and health span of cats. It is often the reason why old, sick and frail cats get euthanized.

It is one of the top three reasons for euthanasia of geriatric cats.

I look forward to posting more about Tiggy's simple Sarcopenia Stew...

 

[GinnyW]

Hey, I'll jump in on the sarcopenia thread...A vet I know, because of his work with longevity issues, has been prescribing ursolic acid, to support muscle mass retention. I have read the extensive dog studies and see the potential here. Apparently ursolic acid, and the plants from which it is sourced, are in common usage in TCM and Ayurvedic medicine, so it's not some recently invented drug. We're going to give it a try, although my boy is quite healthy and active still. I will report on observed improvement. Heck, I need this myself now, too....

 

[DayshaG]

Hey, I'll jump in on the sarcopenia thread...A vet I know, because of his work with longevity issues, has been prescribing ursolic acid, to support muscle mass retention. I have read the extensive dog studies and see the potential here. Apparently ursolic acid, and the plants from which it is sourced, are in common usage in TCM and Ayurvedic medicine, so it's not some recently invented drug. We're going to give it a try, although my boy is quite healthy and active still. I will report on observed improvement. Heck, I need this myself now, too....

@GinnyW Good luck and you made me chuckle, we all could use it as we grow old gracefully, haha

 

[DayshaG]

Great thread! Thanks for your contributions, Daysha and Dr. Jean.

I'd like to divert to a new thread (maybe you can start one).

It will be about an often-overlooked yet super important lifestyle dis-ease. One that can be easily modified.

@DayshaG, the thread I'd love you to start, if you are interested and have time/energy, is about sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, aka muscle wasting, weight loss, etc is a huge factor for decreased quality of life and health span of cats. It is often the reason why old, sick and frail cats get euthanized.

It is one of the top three reasons for euthanasia of geriatric cats.

I look forward to posting more about Tiggy's simple Sarcopenia Stew...

@Dr. Jeff Why not? Will do. But also, I did a search on sarcopenia and saw other with similar issues like me Bella. I have decided to cancel her abdominal ultrasound for now. I have been so conflicted about this. For now, I will just keep her regularly scheduled wellness exam in 2 weeks and discuss my concerns and hesitations with my regular vet.