Cat Vomiting Excessively?

Question

I have a 2 year old cat who has been vomiting anywhere from 3-6 times a day over the past 2 1/2 weeks. It is almost always that frothy bile (first it was clear, now it is bright yellow). He has stopped eating, stopped defecating and pretty much stopped drinking over the weekend and is very lethargic and slow with walking. He has been to the vet several times- they ran multiple sets of blood work, 2 sets of x-rays, 2 ultrasounds, switched his diet three times, given him anti-vomiting medication and pepcid-ac, and nothing has helped. Our vet has suggested that we do the exploratory surgery, but my husband will not go along with that idea as he thinks the cat won't live long anyways and it is very expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do? At least how I can make him comfortable?

Answer 1

Well, if your vet did bloodwork twice they have probably ruled out kidney failure, which is what seems to be going on with pets that ate the recalled food. So I wouldn't worry about that. Seems lots of answers focussed on that.

If he has had 2 sets of xrays and 2 ultrasounds then your vet may think he could have an obstruction that cannot be seen somehow, like a thin piece of thread that is sort of 'tying up' the intestines. I dont' know if they did a barium series yet: that is a series of xrays taken after feeding the cat some contrast called barium. It helps identify whether or not stuff is moving through the gut from beginning to end. It can be expensive to do that so your vet might be thinking that its better to put that money toward surgery. I don't know.

To keep the cat comfortable, keeping him hydrated would help. Your vet can do this in the hospital on an IV or could possibly teach you to give some fluids at home under the skin. It's not very hard. It might help if the cat has some sort of GI virus that will run its course but if there is an obstruction it will only make the cat feel a little bit better for a while, not really treat the cause of the problem.

Is there diarrhea? If there is, consider FIP... cats can get a "dry form" of this that is hard to diagnose. Its a virus of young cats, usually younger than 2, but your vet won't pick it up on regular bloodwork or xrays. Look for little whitish spots, very tiny, on the cat's cornea, the front of the eyeball. They don't wash away, they are stuck to the cornea.Sometimes these spots can show up with that disease.

Finally, find out if the ultrasound was done by a vet radiologist. If not, you may want to have the xrays and ultrasounds (if recorded, or if there are pictures) reviewed by one. Your vet could guide you to a local one. Also consider referral to an internist (veterinary). The recommendation might be the same but getting a second opinion from a specialist (bring all bloodwork and xrays, u/s results) won't hurt and is usually b/t $50 and $100 depending on where you live. Again your vet could direct you to these specialists.

Good luck!

Answer 2

A couple of ideas:

Check the food recall list, just in case, at http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

Has the vet given the cats an antibiotic? Maybe it's a UTI or a bladder obstruction?

You could try a hairball treatment, mineral oil on the cats paws will work as the cat should just lick it off. It is safe for cats to ingest

Has the cat been given worm medication lately? I know some cats vomit when they have worms. Tapeworms look like little grains of rise or small pieces of white spaghetti
Some info about tapeworms http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/tapeworms.html

Perhaps you have already considered this but is it possible the cat is allergic to an ingredient in the foods he has been given. Maybe a common filler?
Just a few ideas.


Good luck, I really hope the cat gets better soon. My thoughts are with you.

Answer 3

He definitely vomited a hairball (that's what looked like a tiny piece of poo- that's what I thought it was the first time I saw one!). It could be that he's still trying to hack up some more. There are several products for hairballs, like Laxatone- which is a flavored lubricant. There's even food and treats you can give on a regular basis as well. For sure, keep an eye on him and don't let him get dehydrated. I'd take him to the vet also.

Answer 4

Check for a hairball... my cat always vomits up yellowish goo... sometimes it looks like he used the floor as a litter box.. it is just a hairball.. might look for that.... but
if your not willing to foot the bill for the animal you should not get one or have one.. animals while they are here to serve humans.. by way of food.. fun and company still should be taken care of... that is the deal.. they are like children they can not help themselves that is what you have to do. my only suggestion is if the cat is not eatting and he looks like he will die.. try finding a group that will help him.. (force feed him) if in the end you cant get him help... put him to sleep... dying of starvation is a horrable thing

Answer 5

Personally...Give the cat away to a veternarian shelter who can do the surgery for him...its a sad choice but...it will help your cat. Your husband doesnt seem to care about the cat tho hm? I'm sure he'll be happier in a shelter.

Answer 6

What have you been feeding it? There is a recall for many brands of dog and cat food, wet meat and gravy flavors, your cats symptoms fall into the recall warnings symptoms.
Check www.menufoods.com for a list of recalled pet foods.

Answer 7

Your cat could have been poisoned by the massive pet food recall. Rush your cat to the vet and put it on an IV to rehydrate him. It could have kidney failure. I just hope its not too late.

Answer 8

Get a feline Aids Test I had two with the same symptoms and had to put them down...They had AIDS.

Answer 9

this is gonna sound stupid but have you given him hairball medicine?? my cat used to throw up like that hairball medicine fixed it right up.Good luck

Answer 10

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