Vomiting in cats?

[Poohbear246]

This has been going on since October. The first vet said it was food allergies, and switched her to IVD, a veterinary diet. During the follow up, a second vet said it was probably just hairballs. Armed with that diagnosis, I idiotically switched her back to the old food (fancy feast). As soon as she started throwing up again, I discontinued it and put her back on the IVD. She has been on that now for the last 2 weeks or so. And she is still throwing up. The vet told me to give her hairball medication every day and wait. She just threw up for no particular reason right now -- I haven't fed her since lunch. I don't know what to do and am so worried.

She is active, alert, and playful. How long should I wait before taking her back to the vet? Has anyone experienced this before? Can cats throw up at will as a bid for attention or something like that?

 

[Poohbear246]

Since lunch = about 5 1/2 hours ago...

I am so worried. ;(

 

[Mr. Friendly]

I am far from an expert, but here is what I have observed so far:

Sometimes my cat deliberately induces herself to vomit. She eats from the tray of grass and actually goes to a certain corner of a room to throw up. Aftewards, she becomes playful and alert as if she feels much better. (Before I gave her a supply of grass, she would try very hard to escape or noisily beg to go outside. I finally investigated what she was up to and saw her first act of "freedom" was to eat grass from behind the building.)

Sometimes my cat throws up unexpectedly. Those seem to be furball issues and she has less control over where it happens. She seems withdrawn and tired afterwards.

Food can also be a factor. Don't know why, but my cat got sick four of the seven days I fed her Iams. I now feed her a name brand "adult health" food (less expensive than Iams but costlier than the cheap generic) and it seems the best for her overall health.

Anyway, my advice? If she is lively and alert, I wouldn't panic just because she vomited. I would try offering her some grass as a way to clean her system out. It can be a laxative and a good way to clear out her stomach.

 

[Poohbear246]

I've tried those home grown grass plates, and my cat won't go near it. She doesn't seem to be interested in vegetation. She was quite insulted that I had the temerity to put a plant on *her* windowsill.

 

[Lycana]

If she keeps it up, take her back and of course, prayer works wonders!

 

[Dagna]

Honestly, I would probably find a new vet, but that's just me. Hairballs generally won't make a cat throw up consistently. They'll hack them up, but it's a very distinctive noise they make, not really similar to them throwing up. I would bet food allergies over hairballs any day of the week. If it's been 2 weeks since switching her over to the new food and she's still throwing up, I would take her back. There's so many other conditions it could be and throwing up is pretty damaging to a cats system.

 

[Poohbear246]

It is sooo frustrating. Because the vet never gave a definitive diagnosis and just treated the symptoms. The first doctor said: "It could be thyroid, diabetes, FIV, etc etc....or it could just be hairballs." (I had this shocked look on my face: Oh....my....God....") When I brought her back for a follow up. Doctor #2 said: "It's probably just hairballs." When I had to bring her back the 3rd time, doctor # 3 said: "It could be...and rattled off the list, adding some intestinal diseases and cancer."

"Take this, and if she doesn't stop throwing up bring her back." This is all I ever get. Since our local vet office has several doctors, we see a different doctor every time depending on who's free at the moment. I don't mind puttng out money for the x rays or tests. I want to find out what is going on with my cat, and if there is something wrong I want to act on it now before the problem is exacerbated.

Yes, I pray for her every night. She just turned 3. Love her so much!!

 

[Lycana]

Well if you get a different doctor every time maybe one of them will give you the right diagnoses. I would wait the 2 weeks and then take her back. Poor baby, I hope she's all right. Is she overweight or a normal weight? If normal, I would rule out diabetes.

 

[Poohbear246]

Honestly, I would probably find a new vet, but that's just me. Hairballs generally won't make a cat throw up consistently. They'll hack them up, but it's a very distinctive noise they make, not really similar to them throwing up. I would bet food allergies over hairballs any day of the week. If it's been 2 weeks since switching her over to the new food and she's still throwing up, I would take her back. There's so many other conditions it could be and throwing up is pretty damaging to a cats system.

I think I will. What is the difference in the sound? Short abrupt coughs verus, what I can only describe as "Ggguh, guuuuuuh, guuuuuh" kind of a gasping noise?

Could she be developing a food allergy to what the doctors put her on?? She is not throwing up as much. When it was at it's worst, she was doing it like twice a day. (That was when she was initially having the problem.) At which point I took her right to the doctor's, and her small intestine was inflamed. Now it seems like she'll do it every other day or every 2 days. Sometimes it seems to have a *lot* of hair in it, but last night it was just food, a while after I fed her....

I'll probably take her back on Monday.

 

[Poohbear246]

Well if you get a different doctor every time maybe one of them will give you the right diagnoses. I would wait the 2 weeks and then take her back. Poor baby, I hope she's all right. Is she overweight or a normal weight? If normal, I would rule out diabetes.

Well, the weight has fluctuated too. She is a British Shorthair, so she's naturally stocky. She was 13 lbs, and I was told to put her on a diet. 3/4 of a tuna fish sized can & 1/4 dry food per day. Then she kept losing weight. She's over 8 lbs. (Lost 10 oz. in 4 months.) The doctor said that if she is still losing weight the next visit, he'll be worried, but it was probably due to the food change. She is either gaining too much or losing too much

Thank you for your kind thoughts -- she is such a sweet girl. Always active and wanting to play! She is so smart too -- she made up a game where she sits on the top of her kitty cave and will hit a wad of paper back to me when I toss it to her. I realized that this kind of kitty tennis was actually her intention when I put the toy (usually a crumpled up yellow store receipt, she loves the yellow ones. ) next to her without tossing it, and she hit it upwards back to me. Lol.

 

[Poohbear246]

I think I'll go back to the doctor who really interacts with her. There's one lady doctor who, while examining her, will hold a conversation with Bonnie, taking the role of both as herself and Bon. She'll actually talk to me instead of just waving me out, and takes the time to compliment Bonnie.

 

[Dagna]

Be very careful with a cat losing weight. That can cause a whole host of other problems in itself. From what you described about your vets office, I would run to a different vet, but again, that's just me. I'm the one person that my vets office hates because I have to know what's wrong with my cat, I won't just take a "it might be this or this". It better be, here's the tests we ran and here's what is wrong with your cat and here's what we do to fix it.

Regarding the hairball sound, it's really hard to describe in words. It's kind of a gasping, hacking noise...almost like a really heavy smoker gasping for breath, if that makes any sense. I would doubt that your cat is allergic to the IVD, but it is possible. I have seen some cats allergic to just about every carbohydrate source you give to them, so it is possible. Unfortunately, allergy tests would be the only way to really rule them out, and that's a little pricey.

I want you to read this web page and take it with you to your next vets appointment. It sounds to me like it might be IBD...
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/health/ibd.html

Good luck with your kitty and I hope she gets to feeling better.

 

[Poohbear246]

Thank you so much! This certainly sounds like it... and oddly enough the last doctor was saying something about giving her prednisone which he said was medicine given to humans with irritable bowel syndrome. But then he eventually decided to give her Flagisil.

It seems like my vet's office won't run tests until they absolutely have to, yet at the same time, they make you panic. There's one vet that seems to be more on the ball than the others, so I'll see what she says. I've heard that different opinions are really common. A dog owner of 18 years once told me: "If you ask 2 vets what the weather is like outside, they'll tell you something different. With a human, you get a second opinion. When you're dealing with a vet, why bother, every one will tell you something else."

I have read before of cases where a vet will continually misdiagnose something until the owner brings in an article she found in a magazine. Why does this seem to happen so frequently?? Are they just not well trained enough?

 

[Poohbear246]

Btw, I don't mean to slam the veterinary profession in my last post. I'm just panicky!

 

[Dagna]

I think the biggest problem is that cats can't tell us anything. The vets have to go on what the owner observes and what they see. And a lot of times it is a process of deduction. I had a very sick cat at one point that, based on the symptoms, could have been 1 of three things. So basically we treated her for two of them (since the third one had no cure or treatment) while we did biopsies to determine the actual disease. But many owners aren't willing to go that far due to the costs associated with extensive tests. My cats tests ran over $300 and that was with the discount I get at my vet, many people wouldn't pay that and the vets know it.

It's very important to get to know one vet, that way they are aware of how far you are willing to go. My vet knows that I will pay for just about any test or treatment that they feel is necessary, so they don't even bother to ask me anymore, they just do it. And don't worry, I think everyone understands your situation. You're in a very frustrating situation and you're just worried about your cat. It's normal.

 

[Poohbear246]

That is the impression I get too, that most people won't want to or simply can't pay for it. I am also willing to perform whatever tests are necessary, perhaps I just need to make that very clear to them. I have asked them before: "Well, do you need to take an x ray to see if her bowels are inflamed again?" And their response was eeeehhhh, let's wait and see, the antibiotics might clear it up. Thanks so much. She is doing just fine today, running around like a maniac, actually. She just curled up for a nap.

 

[Mr. Friendly]

Again, I am not an expert but I wanted to be conscientious so I really tried to learn stuff over the internet. Here is a website with cat noises:

http://home.att.net/~kittycatfurballssounds/cats.html

If you play the hairballs/hacking up file, that is the noise my cat makes when she is passing a hairball. It is very different when she simply vomits. I also look at "tail indications" (keeping in mind I have a domestic short hair):

http://198.60.22.4/~emailbox/tailtalk.htm

My cat gives off the "pensive" to "very annoyed" beforehand. I am fully aware this is not a substitute for a visit to the vet, but...just giving you information.

Hope she gets better!
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[Blank123]

hmmm if your cat is losing weight, then there is something going on without a doubt. I think I would be inclined to take her elsewhere since the vet doesn't seem to be too interested in invetsigating what the problem could be. But regardless of whether you go to a new vet or stay at the same place, you need to be assertive in this and make it very clear that you need to know whats wrong with your cat and what can be done to treat her.

 

[symphonyb]

AWW it sounds like something intestinal going on,that vet should know whats happening..really are they new at animal medicine???

 

[Poohbear246]

hmmm if your cat is losing weight, then there is something going on without a doubt. I think I would be inclined to take her elsewhere since the vet doesn't seem to be too interested in invetsigating what the problem could be.

Well, they thought it was because I (stupidly)changed the food back after their second opinion. We'll see if she's gained anything back the next time. In the meantime, I think I shall look around for a new vet.

AWW it sounds like something intestinal going on,that vet should know whats happening..really are they new at animal medicine???

Yes, it probably is, because intially her intestines were inflamed, which is what started this whole thing. Actually, my hospital has been around since the early 90s and apparently boasts pretty state of the art equipment. So they say. There's a whole boarding room and operating rooms beyond the exam rooms, which you never see, obviously. I was just under the impression that this is how vet's generally operated...

Btw, thank you everyone for the websites! The cat tail explanation thing was interesting. Oddly, the one about if the cat flicks her tail in wide arcs from side to side = anger -- my cat isn't necessarily angry when she does that. Many times she's just playing and ready to pounce on a toy. When she's puking, she doesn't announce it really. She just squats with her haunches kind of puffed up and then starts gagging. She was fine today!

IBS sounds like a reasonable suspect, since it has been cyclical like that. I'll definitely bring in the article when I take her in. Thanks everyone for your help!

Worse comes to worse, Cornell Univ. Veterinary hospital is in the city. Although that's kind of a long way and I don't drive!

Colleen