have a siamese cat,barfs up his food 50% of the time.thought this is because he ate so fast. any thoughts?

Question

This has been going on for years. The vet says not to worry, but the cat is beginning to look very thin. He's happy, has a very shiny coat, not at all lathargic and has a very healthy appitite,gobbling up his food so fast he practically inhales it! I'm worried.

Answer 1

Yes you really need to get it checked out. I watch the animal channel alot and they had a few cases on there and some of them were so bad that if they were not checked out they would die. One had something foreign in the intestines, another was eating too much and the other had a problem with his intestines not pushing anything out. One of the cases I saw when I worked at a vets office had that problem and it didn't get enough nutrition and ended up passing away even though we tried for days to save it. Get your pet to the vet! If that vet won't worry take him to another. Find one that will actually test it!

Answer 2

If he is throwing up half his food it's no wonder he is getting thin. That's what bulemics do!

I would not let a vet get away with telling me this is OK. You should try another vet.

Cats do best on a single source protein diet. Natural Balance has a venison and pea (which my cats like a lot), CA Natural has chicken and rice. I think NB has another like duck and a grain. I noticed it and really didn't look at the bag.

I would definitely go for one of these premium foods. To make the switch mix old cat food with the new. Start with 3/4 old and 1/4 new. Mix some up in a plastic container and then feed this for a week to 10 days. Then make a mixture that is 1/2 old to 1/2 new for another period of time. Then do a mixture of 1/4 old and 3/4 new for another period of time. After about three weeks the cat should be on the new food.

I had a Siamese cat and he never threw up in his life, though he wasn't a pure-bred (applehead)

Answer 3

If this were my cat I would spoon-feed it.
I know that sounds silly, but it seems to be the only way to assure his eating slows down.
I have a feeling that because he bolts his food, his poor tummy doesn't have a chance to tell him its full before it is actually too full.
I would worry also that the food doesn't stay in his stomach long enough for him to absorb the proper vitamins and minerals.
If he is fed a bit at a time, his tummy has a chance to register that the food is there and is also allowed the time to do as it is supposed to do.
Also, does he have any competition for his food?
If so, feed him in the same place from now on. It shoud be isolated from other animals or competition, and he should feel that you are on guard for him.
Once again, I know this sounds silly, but addressing animal's problems involves thinking like them as an essential ingredient for success.
Is he taking vitamins, or does the vet say he doesn't need them?
Also, catnip is a great way to help his tummy stay prepared for digestion. Its also good fiber for the cat, and satisfying to him.
I would graduate him from spoon feeding to very small portions several times per day. Perhaps two table spoons at a time five times a day. It seems time consuming, but I think this could condition his stomach into receiving and holding food.
Even when he gets to where he holds all of his food, I wouldn't decrease his feedings to less than three times per day with catnip available all the time.
One more thing, dry food helps slow down eating also, and canned and dry food combination for his diet is recommended by vets anyway.

Answer 4

If it has been checked by a vet and they say not to worry, then it's probably ok. Siamese have sensitive stomachs (i've had many who have thrown up on supermarket brands and some premium food) and yes, they do woof down their food.

Royal Canin make a kibble formula especially formulated for Siamese with a special shape to prevent these problems, it works! I have only two Siamese at the moment and a 2kg bag has lasted me 7 weeks (they have canned and raw as well) so it actually works out cheaper than others, as it's concentrated and considering your cat won't be vomiting you'll save on veterinary treatment (stomach ulcers, throat infections, gingivitis, dental decay to name a few problems of chronic vomiters) I have a chronic vomiter and she hasn't since switching to RC Siamese. It is ok for cats to vomit up to three times in a month though.

Also, make sure he's wormed, that can cause them to vacuum up the food.

All Siamese breeders and many owners I know use and recommend this food. Also, to slow him down, you can hide his food around the house, cats are hunters, it will entertain and exercise him at the same time.

Also make ensure you wash out the feed bowls daily and rinse the slime from the water bowl and replace the water, this can cause tummy upsets too.

Answer 5

I have 3 Siamese and they just barf a lot. I even tried to feed them prescription food and that was a waste. (and never get lite food or sensitive stomach because they are usually yellow or orange and stain the carpets and sofas.) They just have sensitive tummies and are fussy eaters. I can't get a big bag of cat food because I think they can sense that it is getting old or they are allergic to the ziplocs I put it in. So I have to keep the dry food in a bag and buy smaller bags. The only thing they don't throw up very often is Iams plain dry and the wet pouches.

You just have to try different stuff to see what they can tolerate.

Answer 6

I have a cat that was constantly throwing up his food. It only started in the last couple years. We always kept dry food out for him (he won't eat canned food). My vet told me it was because my cat was eating his food to fast. That because we added another animal (a dog) to the house the cat was eating his food fast so that our dog wouldn't get any of his food. So to solve the problem we give the cat small amounts of food a few times a day.

If the cat is losing weight then it should be looked at by a vet. My cat even with all the vomiting never lost any noticable weight.

Answer 7

If he has been doing this for years and he is happy and seems to be healthy, I wouldn't worry.. If he is eating fast, so fast he practically inhales it and is getting thin, I would guess he is not getting enough to eat and is very hungry so when he gets food, he gobbles up his food too fast and eats too much at one time causing him to throw up.
I would feed him smaller amounts 3 or 4 times a day.

Answer 8

My friend had a cat that ate (and vomited) just like yours. The solution in this case was to give him his food in small amounts at a time. Say, for instance where you normally give him a bowl of food, you give him the same amount in 4 portions, giving the cat some time between portions. When you think its safe, and he wont vomit, give him the next portion, and so on. Maybe even doing more portions might help. This cat eats so fast his stomach cant stand it!

Answer 9

Your cat probably eats too fast.lol..I have "kitties", that do that and throw up their food..I also found out ,that if I wait too long to feed them, the cats will eat too fast and throw it right back up..Your cat may have an allergy to what is in the food.. if your cat is getting too thin, then something is not right, maybe a second opinion should be next.. Your cat may have worms , if so he will lose weight ,and have blood in his stool..I would get a second opinion, don't take chances with your pet's health.

Answer 10

If he is eating and then trows it back up he may have a digestion problem, you need to take him to the vet. Take notes on the eating and throwing up of your cat, knowing how long before he throws up his food is helpfull to the vet to determine the exact problem and how to solve it. I owned a simese as a kid and he did the same. Trie to feed him soft food 3 times a day untill the vet visit, take away the hard food. Monitar his eating carefully and pay clos attention.