Page 640 - Problem-Based Feline Medicine

632 PART 9 CAT WITH SIGNS OF GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT DISEASE

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NUTRITIONAL

● Food intolerance or dietary indiscretion** (p 635)
Indiscretion is associated with an acute vomiting due to over-eating, eating too quickly or ingest-
ing a foreign substance (food or non-food), e.g. lizards, beetles, plants. Food intolerance causes
intermittent vomiting or loose stools, with no pattern or association with eating, and resolves when
food source is changed to omit offending substance from diet.
INFLAMMATORY
● Acute pancreatitis** (p 639)
Anorexia and lethargy are the most common signs, with abdominal pain and vomiting being
observed much less frequently.
● Gastritis/gastric ulcer disease** (p 637)
Acute onset of vomiting, anorexia and lethargy. May be associated with hematemesis if there are
deep erosions or ulcers.

● Septicemia/bacteremia/endotoxemic shock (p 655)
Vomiting is only one of the signs that may occur, others include hypothermia, weakness or col-
lapse, depression, weak or thready pulses, tachypnea and pale to gray mucous membrane color.
● Peritonitis (p 655)
Abdominal pain, distention, fever, decreased appetite and lethargy are the most common presenting
signs. Vomiting may occur, but is not a consistent problem.
● Encephalitis/meningitis (p 659)
Vomiting, when it occurs, is due to inflammatory effects on the CRTZ or results from systemic
effects of the disease that is causing the encephalitis, e.g. histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, crypto-
coccosis, etc. Most cats with inflammatory CNS disease either have seizures, neurologic deficits,
ataxia or dysmetria, or cervical pain.
● Vestibular disease (p 656)
Vomiting is more commonly associated with peripheral vestibular disease. In addition to vomiting,
other clinical signs may include head tilt, ataxia, nystagmus and circling.

INFECTIOUS
Viral:

● Feline panleukopenia virus* (p 650)
Infectious viral enteritis of young cats that is often fatal in unvaccinated populations due to the
severity of the clinical signs and systemic septicemia. Clinical signs include an acute onset of
anorexia and depression, followed by vomiting. Diarrhea may not occur, or is delayed for
24–48 hours. The disease is a relatively rare problem in well, vaccinated cats due to the efficacy
of the vaccine.
Bacterial:

● Helicobacter spp.* (p 646)
The true importance of Helicobacter in feline gastritis is still unknown, but increasing evidence
points to them having a role in inflammatory diseases of the stomach, liver and pancreas.