She is precocious and grew up eating homemade food, so she has gotten into trouble several times by eating strange things, like sautéed onions, bird suet, bags of treats etc.
Her routine lab work often showed a lymphocytosis when she was young.
She has always eaten a homemade diet or Primal or (frozen raw diet) and has had minimal vaccinations. She had a rabies vaccination as a kitten (2004) and once again in 2012. She had a bad reaction to the second one - hunched over, trembling, RR lameness and rapid respiration which resolved in 24 hrs. Homeopathy was used immediately and for several months following.
In 2013 -2015 she had some head scratching, a few fleas were found and treated.
Stage 2 CKD was diagnosed with mild BUN/Creatinine elevations and dilute urine however there is a lot of water added to the food. No PU/PD was or is observed.Recently, when she was dehydrated at the vets office she concentrated to 1048. She was on 1/16 tsp rehmannia eight for about a year but it was discontinued because she would not eat her food.
We moved to WA aug 2015 and she was grooming excessively on the abdomen, inner thighs, right flank and tail, presumably stress. We lived through a very disruptive year long remodel in 2016-2017 where she hid in the closet every day and she became fearful.
In March 2018 veterinary dermatologist suspected that the overgrooming might be neurological due cervical disc disease. She was showing very sporadic right forelimb lameness and previous radiographs had suggested cervical disease. We started gabapentin and there was some regrowth of hair. Also the remodel was over.
In April 2018 she started vomited a few times and in June she started vomiting frequently - a few times a week. She had already started licking herself more again despite the gabapentin, so it was discontinued.
Labs were normal except for stage 2 CKD, and a low folate suggesting long term intestinal disease. US was most consistent with IBD, with emerging small cell lymphoma less likely.
In august 2018 we changed her protein from rabbit to venison and increased the amount of food. We stopped giving Crystal, the other cat, her rehmannia 8 because kiki often licked the remains of Crystal’s food. We cleaned out the bird suet that had dropped into her outdoor cat enclosure. She improved for a few months and gained about a pound.
She started vomiting more frequently again late december 2018. She used to be able to eat squash and broccoli and green beans but they have been removed because it seems to make the vomiting worse. She is now vomiting 5 out of 7 days, usually around 4 am, usually a hairball with some liquid and a small amount of food.
Repeat labs now show a worsening folate. She was eating poorly and refused the venison, but ate readily when offered rabbit. (food aversion?)
Her appetite is good to fair.
It could be IBD or small cell lymphoma. I am very reluctant to put her through endoscopy because it would be so traumatic for her. She is a tiny thing, and she fights tooth and nail when restrained.
Her tongue is slightly pale, not wet or dry. Her pulse is toned, but not really superficial, maybe a little deep. Yesterday it felt full, today it feels thin. She continues to overgroom- her abdomen and inner thighs are smooth. She likes warmth, but will also move off the heated bed if it is a warm day. She usually vomits around 4 am, but has done it at all times. Her face is a little itchy now and she may be starting to lick that right flank again.
The local vet is urging pred but I really want to try herbs first. I appreciate your advice.