Advocate for cats, possible worm resistance?

[Spottyappy]

One of my cats, whom is 5 years old, has been vomiting for almost a week. Food comes straight back up, and sometimes bile. She has lost weight.
Vet has given her an anti sickness jab, and that has helped, but she is only having chicken now.
All bloods are normal.
Vet is at abit of a loss, but mentioned worms. She is wormed and de flea’d using advocate monthly.
I can find nothing on my friend google to suggest there could be worm resistence, with advocate, but I am now wondering if it’s possibly the cause.
Anyone have any experience of this, or knOw of a wormer available in the UK what he treats the worms advocate claims to? My vet was not awfully knowledgeable when asked, and said there is not any other option. Obviously, the cats are tape wormed too, as that isn’t in Advocate.
TIA.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Get a scan done, in particular the gall bladder.
Not saying it's the same, but my last cat had v similar, a mass in gall bladder was found after nearly 12 days of not keeping food down despite looking cheerful, and appearing ravenous, lost 2kg in a fortnight (Was 7kg previously) bloods good, temp pulse etc fine.
Really hope it's nothing serious xx

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks FF. vet wants us to advocate again tomorrow, and see how she is then.
Will ask for scan, he said x rays but scan sounds abit more like it maybe useful.

 

[Shady]

Get a scan done, in particular the gall bladder.
Not saying it's the same, but my last cat had v similar, a mass in gall bladder was found after nearly 12 days of not keeping food down despite looking cheerful, and appearing ravenous, lost 2kg in a fortnight (Was 7kg previously) bloods good, temp pulse etc fine.
Really hope it's nothing serious xx

Yes, echo this, it's very unlikely that the problem you are describing is worm related and i wouldn't re do with the Advocate if she is being as sick as you say. That is a strong mix of active ingredients. Kidney's possibly or as Fuzz says. Get a scan done and some bloods taken asap, maybe a different vet. Do hope it's nothing too serious Spotty but something is definitely wrong. xxxxx

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks, Shady.
She hasn’t lost any of her appetite, which is good. There seems to be no abdominal pain either.
The other thing which occoured to me today, is a (sudden) food allergy. She is fed grain free Anyway, as our dog has a grain intolerance. But, I didn’t get time to get her normal wet meat, and gave her a cheaper one. It is after the first packet of that, the sickness started although I have only just realised this. The other cat has been fine with it.

 

[SOS]

Advocate only covers for round worm, hook worm and heart worm in cats. It does not cover tape worm but in theory as this is spread by flea ingestion, and as it is a flea treatment they are less likely to get it but it doesn’t stop accidental ingestion when eating a mouse.

That said your cats symptoms aren’t similar to that of a worm burdened animal. Normally the signs would be more chronic and show a increased appetite with weight loss/possible pot belly.

Have you mentioned to your vet about the food? I would push for further diagnostics such as ultrasound or radiographs. If the cat is still ill after that and loosing weight I’d be looking to contact a referral, atleast for their opinion on where to go next.

Hope your cat is okay, get better soon.

 

[Shady]

Thanks, Shady.
She hasn’t lost any of her appetite, which is good. There seems to be no abdominal pain either.
The other thing which occoured to me today, is a (sudden) food allergy. She is fed grain free Anyway, as our dog has a grain intolerance. But, I didn’t get time to get her normal wet meat, and gave her a cheaper one. It is after the first packet of that, the sickness started although I have only just realised this. The other cat has been fine with it.

Ahhhhh, could well be that then, one of mine absolutely cannot eat fresh chicken, if you don't think she is in immediate danger i would pop her back on her normal food for 3 days or so and see what happens, if you feel uncomfortable doing this go back to your vets.
I'm not a big fan of combined treatments although to be fair i have never used Advocate. I prefer to treat each issue separately with a week in between rather than overload the cat with chemicals in one hit. SOS makes a good point too regarding tapeworm. God i hope that doesn't sound like a lecture Spotty, it's really not meant to. xxxx
Let me know how she is? xx

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks all.
She’s seeming improved, although nothing has changed bar her diet and the anti sick jab the vet gave her.
I have to advocate her today, but she’s gone out and likely won’t be home until tonight. I have ordered new worming stuff online and will get a different de flea drop on. I can’t wuite grasp why you need to worm a cat monthly, when in my past experience it’s 3 monthly.
She had been tape wormed separately about a month prior to this, but I have seen no evidence of tape worms. Mind, seen no evidence of any other worms either.
No sign of an increased appetite. Our other cat is always hungry, but this one not so. She will feed herself though, so could be catching and eating anything we don’t know of!

 

[SOS]

I can’t wuite grasp why you need to worm a cat monthly, when in my past experience it’s 3 monthly.

I hear this a lot and do sympathise - it wasn’t long ago that people were told once a year was enough, then 6 months, then three and now every month! It’s the manufacturers of the products who are recommending this, whilst some may argue it lines their pockets, there is some sense.

Tapeworms take ~3-4 weeks to mature and roundworms slightly longer at ~8 weeks. Whilst quartly worming eliminates any potential worm burden present at the time of administration, monthly worming halts the process before it even completes a cycle. Cats who hunt a lot or who live with children in the house are advised to be wormed monthly. Roundworm poses a more realistic zoonotic risk so although has a longer cycle, must be kept on top of.
Not a great explanation/my facts may be slightly out of date as haven’t covered endoparasite cycles in a while!

Also not sure what product you are ordering online but bear in mind if not POM it will have much smaller amounts of ingredients than that you would get at the vets and often are found to be ineffective.

 

[Spottyappy]

An update from today.
Cat was sick again over the weekend, although remarkably well in herself.
Visit to vet today for scan and x Ray.
Showed a fricking hairball,lodged in her stomach. So, she had an injection to try and shift it but has so far not worked. 10 day of a hairball spray and tablets.
If they don’t work, it’s an operation.
Nightmare!
I have had cats years, but never had one with issues with hair balls. Apparently, once hair balls cause an issue, they’re always an issue. She’s not even a long haired cat!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Oh crikey, glad you know what you are dealing with, but not pleasant for you or cat, hope it shifts soon x

 

[Shady]

An update from today.
Cat was sick again over the weekend, although remarkably well in herself.
Visit to vet today for scan and x Ray.
Showed a fricking hairball,lodged in her stomach. So, she had an injection to try and shift it but has so far not worked. 10 day of a hairball spray and tablets.
If they don’t work, it’s an operation.
Nightmare!
I have had cats years, but never had one with issues with hair balls. Apparently, once hair balls cause an issue, they’re always an issue. She’s not even a long haired cat!

Wow, that possibility briefly passed through my brain but I just though nah, can't be that, it's not that common, just goes to show, bum, that is horrible.
You mention spray and tablets but has the vet given a laxative ? you need a tube of Laxatone or equivalent , it will hopefully coat the hairball and expel it.
Hairballs can be a symptom of something else underlying or something as simple as the cat grooming too much
Did the vet recommend some different food to help prevent it again?
Do hope she gets rid of it Spottyappy xxxx

 

[Fransurrey]

I was going to suggest hairballs. My cat has had similar issues. She went on high fibre diet food - Royal Canin at first, then I found Gourmet Gold Savoury Cake, which is also >1 % fibre, but a fraction of the price and she likes it more. I have also introduced grooming to reduce ingested fur. I'm still worried that this is suddenly an issue at age 11, but in our case we're monitoring her for now. Her poos are certainly back to normal and of better consistency (she was seriously constipated at one point and we had a few botty-skiing sessions to clean up!).

 

[Spottyappy]

Sorry not got back on here for a few days.
Thanks FF.
Shady we have famotidine tablets and hairball relief squirty cream (yum! Well, cat thinks so!). Cream contains petroleum jelly, parrafin, glucose syrup, malt extract and yeast powder. Not sure if it works in the same way as the laxatone, but the idea is to coat the hairball, apparently. And, force it one way or the other.
So far, we have had nil noticeable results, but cat is eating the grain free biscuits, chicken and fish without throwing up.
Fran, never heard of gourmet gold savoury cake, as long as it’s grain free I can use it, so will go and google. Thanks.
We have another 5 days of this and can then introduce other foods, to see if they will stay down, In which case hopefully the ball has passed possibly unnoticed. If not, then looking an op...

 

[Shady]

Sorry not got back on here for a few days.
Thanks FF.
Shady we have famotidine tablets and hairball relief squirty cream (yum! Well, cat thinks so!). Cream contains petroleum jelly, parrafin, glucose syrup, malt extract and yeast powder. Not sure if it works in the same way as the laxatone, but the idea is to coat the hairball, apparently. And, force it one way or the other.
So far, we have had nil noticeable results, but cat is eating the grain free biscuits, chicken and fish without throwing up.
Fran, never heard of gourmet gold savoury cake, as long as it’s grain free I can use it, so will go and google. Thanks.
We have another 5 days of this and can then introduce other foods, to see if they will stay down, In which case hopefully the ball has passed possibly unnoticed. If not, then looking an op...

Hi SY!
Yes, that will work the same way and it sounds as if she is happy, it may well have been pooped out! logic tells me that she would be feeling worse otherwise as any food eaten would meet the blockage so it is either reduced or gone by now so fingers crossed for her.
Let me know ? xx

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks, shady,
I hope so.
We tried some packet meat this morning (sooner than vet suggested,but though would see if it stays out) and it didn’t reappear. So, that is more positive as she was chucking that back the second she ate it previously.
Hope she’s heading in the right direction now, but I’m not sure she will ever forgive me!