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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / November 2004Cat Vomiting - please help
I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only feed him once a day that meant he threw up all his food for the day. Right after that he'd be begging for food. I took him to the vet who examined him and said he appeared to be just fine. He suggested it was probably a hair ball and told me to give him hair ball remedy twice a day for a couple of weeks. I did but that didn't help too much. I tried feeding him very small portions many times daily. I even tried tossing the food on the rug to force him to eat slowly. Nothing really helped. Eventually the vomiting stopped on it's own in a few weeks. After having no problems for about two months he's started again. He threw up his dinner yesterday morning and this morning. I feed him at 8 pm at night but when he threw up it was clearly his entire meal. Since he sleeps right after eating for the rest of the night I'm not sure if having the whole meal still in his stomach is unusual or not. This morning he not only threw up the meal but continued throwing up for about 15 minutes. He threw up 18 times in all. He has NEVER done that before. About 15 minutes later he was begging for food. Here's my problem: my husband just had heart bypass surgery. I am barely able to cope with what I need to do for him. I cannot take the cat to the vet and start with tests, special treatments,etc. In fact I can't take him at all. If he doesn't improve I may have to have him put down since I cannot allow the cat to interfere with what I need to do for my husband. There is nobody else that can help me with the cat or my husband. I love my cat and don't want to lose him. I was wondering if I should change his food? I give him Science Diet Feline Light Maintenance (1/2 cup daily). This has been his diet for the past 12 years and he has thrived until now. Is canned food easier to digest? I just don't know what to do. Don't know if this is related but a few days before this all started four months ago he ate a mouse. He caught it in the kitchen, ate it and threw it up, along with his food all over the house. It looked like a mini autopsy on my living room floor. The vet didn't think it was related. He is an indoor cat and has no contact whatsoever with other animals. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Is it possible that he is swallowing the dry food without chewing it - maybe a tooth problem? Why not try a good quality canned food (not supermarket types) and see if that helps. ---MIKE--- > Is it possible that he is swallowing the dry food without chewing it - They don't chew dry food. > maybe a tooth problem? Why not try a good quality canned food (not > supermarket types) and see if that helps. > > ---MIKE--- Mary, they may not "chew" dry food but they sure do break it up. I can hear Amber doing this. ---MIKE--- > Mary, they may not "chew" dry food but they sure do break it up. I can > hear Amber doing this. Good point. They do crunch, as I hear Cheeks doing this too. However--when I clean up the kitty puke most chunks are intact. >I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started > to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only > feed him once a day that meant he threw up all his food for the day. Why do you only feed him once a day? By the time he eats he's probably starving. > Right after that he'd be begging for food. I took him to the vet who > examined him and said he appeared to be just fine. He suggested it [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Nothing really helped. Eventually the vomiting stopped on it's own in > a few weeks. So you're also feeding him dry food. This stuff expands in the stomach, particularly when a cat has not eaten in 24 hours, I bet. No wonder he vomits. You know he needs to see the vet again. He also needs to be put on good canned food and fed twice a day, about 12 hours apart. Good luck. >So you're also feeding him dry food. This stuff expands in the stomach, >particularly when a cat has not eaten in 24 hours, I bet. No wonder >he vomits. If anybody doubts this, just try wetting a few kibbles of dry food and watch them puff up twice their original volume, but maintain their shape. It's creepy. > >So you're also feeding him dry food. This stuff expands in the stomach, > >particularly when a cat has not eaten in 24 hours, I bet. No wonder [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > them puff up twice their original volume, but maintain their shape. It's > creepy. I know it from scraping it up off the floor ten minutes after Cheeks eats it. The pieces are noticably bigger than when they went in. She LOVES Purina One Tuna and Salmon, (my cats are junk food junkies, sigh) and she is so skinny I can't say no so she gets it. >I know it from scraping it up off the floor ten minutes after >Cheeks eats it. The pieces are noticably bigger than when they went in. >She LOVES Purina One Tuna and Salmon, (my cats are junk food >junkies, sigh) and she is so skinny I can't say no so she gets it. That's the *only* food Bootsie will eat with any regularity. She won't even eat Fancy Feast. The only canned food she will touch is Nutro "Hunter's Stew". Sigh. I open cans and she sniffs and *runs*. Then Biskit comes along and finishes it up. So Bootsie is still tiny and Biskit is getting fat. Sherry > >I know it from scraping it up off the floor ten minutes after > >Cheeks eats it. The pieces are noticably bigger than when they went in. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Sigh. I open cans and she sniffs and *runs*. Then Biskit comes along and > finishes it up. So Bootsie is still tiny and Biskit is getting fat. Hmm, seems there may be the secret "Kitty Crack" ingredient in this Purina food, just as there is in FF Chopped Grill. Your Biskit is like my Buddha. She wolfs all of her canned food then sneaks upstairs (low to the ground and furtive, like very fat tuxedo land sub) to find Cheeky's if I don't pick it right up. Sherry, Boo is HUGE since the hypothryoid correction. I play with her as much as I can, but nothing seems to help. BTW, I tried Nutro's Hunter's Stew on my cats, and they liked it better than the other Nutro brands but I had to mash up the chunks with a fork. *rolling eyes* Yes, switch to high quality canned food and feed him small amounts as frequently as possible. Gail >>I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started >> to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > on good canned food and fed twice a day, about 12 hours apart. > Good luck. Definitely I would try canned food. I have been using Wellness and the cats love it. My young cat threw up some furballs and then was throwing up every day. I stopped the interactive toy play I had been doing after she ate. We do that now before she eats. I feed all the cats 2 times a day and give just a tiny snack at dinner. I have now been giving that young cat a little at a time so she doesn't wolf it down. It really doesn't take long. I believe the canned food is easier especially for my 13 and 14 year olds, easier on the teeth and the digestion and even the bladder because they get more liquid with it. -- Barb Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time. Going back to my first response to Carol.-- try canned food AND have the vet check his teeth to see if a tooth problem is causing him to swallow the food whole instead of breaking it up first. When you buy the canned food, don't get the type containing pieces of meat. Wellness makes a nice, smooth, chicken food which my cats like. ---MIKE--- To those of you who responded, thank you. I will try Science Diet canned food. Luckily my (fat) cat loves any cat food. As far as the vet goes - did you miss the part about my husband just having surgery? Don't know if you've ever experienced this but every waking moment is spoken for right now - I even have to help him bathe. If the cat wasn't practically chewing my ankle off I'd probably forget to feed him. I love my cat but my husband comes first. > I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started > to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please make sure you feed the cat more frequently than once daily. Gail > To those of you who responded, thank you. I will try Science Diet > canned food. Luckily my (fat) cat loves any cat food. [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] >> >> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. "Carol" <googlemail2003@yahoo.com> wrote : > If the cat wasn't practically chewing my ankle off I'd probably > forget to feed him. > > I love my cat but my husband comes first. If you are unwilling or unable to feed this animal twice a day, you might want to think about giving him to someone who can do that much for him. > As far as the vet goes - did you miss the part about my husband just > having surgery? Don't know if you've ever experienced this but every > waking moment is spoken for right now - Sleep 1-2 hours less one day and take your cat to a vet for x-rays. I'm sure your husband will survive 1-2 hours without you. If his condition is so serious that he cannot, he should be in a hospital. Your cat has entrusted his life to you; his health and welfare are your obligation and responsibility. Don't betray the trust your cat has placed in you. Make time; take him to a vet. >> As far as the vet goes - did you miss the part about my husband just >> having surgery? Don't know if you've ever experienced this but every >> waking moment is spoken for right now - I'm sorry about your husband, and I know he is a priority,but you still have a responsibility to that cat. If the situation is so severe that you say you're considering putting him down, he has GOT to see a vet. Your husband can do without you for a few hours. I had a quadruple bypass, carotid bypass and femoral artery bypass and I know what I'm talking about. Sherry >I had a quadruple bypass, > carotid bypass and femoral artery bypass and I know what I'm talking about. Wow. I may be emailing you at some point. I think I may be headed this way, as I have led a fairly err, shall we say "contemplative rather than active" life. Also, my motto has always been "You Can Have My Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit When You Can Pry It Out of my Cold Dead Hands."(My athletic friends are all having knee replacements, hip replacements, tendon replacements and of course botox to try to counteract all the sun damage outdoorsy types tend to have. At this point I am still at the stage where I'm thinking "haha, remember when you laughed at my white legs?" But I know the time to pay the piper is coming. >>I had a quadruple bypass, >> carotid bypass and femoral artery bypass and I know what I'm talking [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >remember when you laughed at my white legs?" But I know the time to >pay the piper is coming. Well, personally I don't think cholesterol *by itself* is any indicator to get too choked up about. My cholesterol always maintained around 130 and I was slim, and fairly young. (46). My problem was genetics. I just didn't choose my ancestors carefully enough. :-) I was Sherry I am trying a new feeding schedule of three small portions a day. If that doesn't work I'll try canned food. So far he's been fine for the past 24 hours. Believe me I love this cat. He is a wonderful, gentle, loving animal and I'll do everything I can for him. He's clearly not sick. It may be that he's getting older and simply cannot continue on the same feeding routine. > To those of you who responded, thank you. I will try Science Diet > canned food. Luckily my (fat) cat loves any cat food. [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > > > > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > I am trying a new feeding schedule of three small portions a day. Great! >If that doesn't work I'll try canned food. So far he's been fine for the > past 24 hours. When I began feeding my cats mostly canned they got healthier looking and happier acting. You might want to try it anyway. > Believe me I love this cat. He is a wonderful, gentle, loving animal > and I'll do everything I can for him. > > He's clearly not sick. It may be that he's getting older and simply > cannot continue on the same feeding routine. I really think the feeding dry once a day is what was doing it. But you know he needs regular vet care, too. Phil is right. It isn't expensive, it doesn't take long, and its one more thing off your mind. Believe me, some of us take care of sick relatives and a million other things while still vetting and caring for cats. I hope your husband has a speedy recovery, and that your kitty stops barfing and is happier. > I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started > to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. You didn't mention whether the vet did blood tests when you took him in the first time this started. There are a variety of ailments that could cause vomiting like this, especially in older cats, and it's necessary to do blood tests to narrow down the possible causes. Sometimes they vomit when their food is switched, but that obviously isn't the case here. Some cats are just prone to throwing up, but the ones I've seen who are that way have been that way their entire life. Canned food might help. If not, I urge you to at least make a few calls to see if it's possible to rehome your cat rather than have it euthanized. It's a fact of life that sometimes people find themselves in situations where they just can't care for their cat anymore; some shelters take cats in that situation; some vets are also aware of possible new homes. I really hope things work out; it's obviously a difficult situation for you to be in. Yes, the vet did blood and fecal tests. Everything was fine. He's been fine for the past 24 hours. I'm going to try and feed him three small meals a day. If that doesn't work I'll try canned food. If I have to clean up vomit every day, so be it. As long as he eventually keeps down enough to be healthy and happy I'm more than willing to do that. Thanks > > I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started > > to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > possible new homes. I really hope things work out; it's obviously a > difficult situation for you to be in. Once again, thank you all for your advice. The reason for not going to the vet is a bit more complicated than just having a sick husband to care for. My cat is terrified of leaving the house. He trembles, loses fur, vomits and cries. Taking him to the vet is so traumatic that I started having the vet come to me years ago. Cost a lot but it was more than worth it for the cat's sake. My cat has a heart murmur and I was always afraid he'd have a heart attack. What you all are suggesting cannot be handled by a house call. I've already had the exams and lab tests that could be done here. Also, according to the vet if there is a blockage or other internal problem it would require surgery. I know my animal. The experience of staying at the animal hospital would be so horrible that I don't think he could survive it. I've decided he's entitled to live whatever time he has left happily and calmly. He's close to 14 and has had a wonderful life - which he deserves because he's a wonderful cat. Having said all that - he's been just fine for the past two days. I'm feeding him smaller, more frequent meals and I'll start on canned food as soon as I decide what's best to give him. Your advice has been very helpful. Thanks again. > I have a 13 1/2 year old male tabby. About four months ago he started > to vomit usually, but not always shortly after eating. Since I only [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. |
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