Question Details
Borborygmi In A Cat
by CorinneC - November 6, 2020    View Case Report
Sol is an 11yo MN Orange tabby with chronic pruritus controlled with Pred since 2005. I met him 2 years ago and he was incredibly overweight and weak in the hindend. We managed to get him off CHO-laden kibble, put him on Harmonize the Stomach for vomiting, and he has gradually lost weight but his hindend weakness has progressed such that he can no longer jump or climb. He has also lost a fair amount of muscle in his thighs. Last year he came in for acute hindend lameness and pain. I found a heart murmur and with xrays found lumbosacral bone spur, spondylosis, and collapsed disc space with gallbladder sludge. He was put on antibiotics and really rallied, started jumping and climbing again. We also started him on CBD at that time.

Exam in May, he was much more atrophied over caudal epaxials and thighs, able to climb by draqgging himself up, but not jumping again. Bloodwork was WNL so I added Nourish Essence (You Gui Wan) as trial.

Recent exam in October he appears to be losing too much weight now, grinds his teeth when eating canned food, has loud early morning borborygmi, large BMs, and is drinking more water than normal. He had another 4 day period f inappetance and asocial behaviour which is really unlike him. O is very sensitive to him and felt like he was trying to die. She increased his Pred in desperation and he has slowly rallied. I cannot get a good hold on his pulses, sometimes they feel strong, sometimes weak? His tongue seems to be pink, slightly swollen. I am seeing him next week and will take a closer look.

We have him scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound but soonest is Nov 19. Wondering if you can shine your brilliant light of experience on this case?
Replies
by naturevet
November 11, 2020
Hi Corinne

If his appetite was basically normal and his stool formed during the weight loss period, then he likely has Yin deficiency. Increased thirst is a feature of that, as well as occasionally more forceful pulses (if Empty Heat is a feature).

The Yin tonic Yi Guan Jian is my favourite recommendation for borborygmi. However, for hind end weakness and paralysis in cats, my favourite formula (also a Yin tonic) is Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan. It has the cooling influence of the antibiotics that seemingly made him better a year ago. Prednisone, which is helping him now, is likewise 'cooling' and 'moistening' like ZBDHW.

With everything you've said, it's the first thing I'd try, but we look forward to hearing what the ultrasound showed

Steve
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