# Vomiting 2 days after spay - normal?



## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Is it normal for kitty to vomit 2 days after spaying? She eats her food (in smaller amounts than usual) and then throws it all up. She was quite lethargic yesterday, but today seems more active. She got a dose of meloxicam yesterday, but we haven't given her any today yet. I'm afraid she will throw it all up anyways. Is this normal? Thanks!


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Metacam can cause liver and/or kidney damage in cats and is NOT labeled for oral administration in cats AT ALL. My vets all have strict instructions NOT to administer Metacam to any of my cats in any form for any reason ... EVER! If I were you, I would NOT give any more Metacam to your cat, AND I would take her back to your vet tomorrow for bloodwork to have her liver and kidney function checked to make sure that the drug hasn't damaged them.

Hopefully, the fact that your girl seems a little more active today indicates that no substantial damage has been done, but the inability to keep food down is definitely concerning. 

Get her back to your vet and insist on bloodwork.

Laurie


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Wow, I didn't know this drug was so dangerous! After we gave her some yesterday, she threw it all up almost right away and we called the vet and he said its ok to give her some more, so after a few hours I gave her about half the normal dose...


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Read these links:

http://www.metacamkills.com/
Metacam Injection for Cats Veterinary Information from Drugs.com
Meloxicam


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

When you take your cat to the vet for bloodwork to check her kidneys and liver, make sure you get copies of the lab results both from this new bloodwork AND from the bloodwork that was run prior to her spay surgery (assuming the vet ran pre-surgical bloodwork). You should ALWAYS obtain and keep copies of all labwork run on any of your pets.

Laurie


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Thanks. They didn't do any blood work before the surgery, they said that for young cats it's usually not needed. We are on a very tight budget... Do you think it's absolutely necessary to do the blood work if she feels better tomorrow? She seems to be recovering, she is more active today, the vomiting is the only thing... Also, I don't think she pooped at all after the surgery, unless what I thought was vomit in the litter box was really watery stool.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

If she is able and willing to eat AND keep food down tomorrow, then you may be able to hold off on the bloodwork. You need to understand, however, that even if she does start eating and keeping food down, that doesn't necessarily mean that damage hasn't been done by the Metacam. Bloodwork is the only way to check her organ function and know for sure.

If she can't or won't eat or can't keep food down tomorrow, I'd definitely recommend taking her to a vet immediately for bloodwork. Any cat who doesn't eat for more than 24 hrs is at risk of developing potentially fatal Hepatic Lipidosis, and the longer she goes without eating her normal amount of food, the greater that risk becomes.

Vomiting in apparent response to Metacam is a HUGE red flag for me.

Laurie


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Thanks a lot for all the info. I will monitor her closely and will take her to a vet if this continues


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

If you can take your girl's temperature, that may tell you in she's developed a systemic infection of some sort.

Laurie


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Oh, forgot to mention that when we went to a vet yesterday he said she had a slight fever 39.5 and he gave her a shot of long-lasting antibiotic (I think it's supposed to work over a 2 week period). Could that be damaging to the liver, kidneys, etc on top of metacam?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

That depends on the antibiotic and on the current health of her internal organs. But fever alone can do a job on a cat's appetite, and a lot of antibiotics can cause nausea and/or inappetance. The problem with a long-acting antibiotic is that if your girl is having negative side effects from it, those effects are going to continue until the antibiotic wears off. That's why daily dosage antibiotics are generally preferred ... so that they can be discontinued or changed if negative side effects occur.

Laurie


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Ugh... I cannot believe the vet didnt warn us of the dangers of metacam and I feel very bad for giving her that extra dose after she threw up the first one. He said it was safe  I think we'll do the blood work anyway, even if she feels better. I should have read up on the deug before giving it to Juliette  thanks Laurie


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## Teennine (Nov 5, 2011)

I didn't know that this drug was dangerous... ):

My kitten was spayed last Tuesday and my vet gave me 3 doses of the stuff to give to my kitten orally over 3 days.

She hasn't reacted negatively to it or had any issues... but I think I might talk to my vet about this anyway. Why are they giving people dangerous medications to give to their cats after spay surgeries?! D:


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I believe Metacam is approved for use orally in cats in some of the European countries, and perhaps elsewhere, but it's not in the U.S. It is, however, frequently prescribed off-label even here in the U.S., I assume because it's the only NSAID that's been approved for any kind of use in cats in the U.S. (it is approved for one-time, subcutaneous injection in cats for spay/neuter and orthopedic surgeries only). None of this means that it isn't a potentially dangerous drug, even in the locations where it has been approved for oral use in cats.


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

We're in Canada. I think it is approved here, since the package says this preparation is specifically for cats. 

On top of everything, she just pulled out one of the three sutures... The wound is still ok, but we're taking her to the vet for sure tomorrow.


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