cat vomit

by Sheryl
(Canada)

Tinky

Tinky

My cat is 8 yrs old. She throws up at least 4 times a day. Sometimes it is clear liquid but most of the times she is throwing up food. I give her medications for hairballs and maybe once a week in her throw up there will be a hairball. She throws up so much that sometimes I find blood in her vomit. I have talked to my vet about this problem and all her says that she has a hairball and give her Tonic Lax.(hairball medication)

I feed her premium brands of food. She used to eat Iams, then I switched her to Blue Buffalo and now I switched her to Science Diet Sensitive Stomach.. I thought that I finally found food that she could handle but after 2 weeks on the Science Diet she has started to throw this up now.

All the vet says is that it is hairball and keep giving her the medication. He wont run any test or anything else with this cat. I am at my wits end with all this throwing up that I am about ready to put her down, which I dont want to do, but my carpets are just stained so much from her

Answer by kate
Well it does sound like hairballs to me, if she is a cat that grooms herself a lot or has a dense coat then hairballs are common. Do you groom her? if not then daily grooming by you with a special cat brush will remove the loose hairs and prevent your cat from digesting them.

If you really do think that she may have further problems, then i would suggest either finding another vet or asking you vets to do tests any way. they will do them if you are paying. But it could be expensive and if the vet really does not think they are necessary then the decision for tests is entirely up to you. If the tests come back negative then the hairball situation will still remain.

it is important that you do not change your cats food too often as this can also cause tummy upsets and possibly vomiting. Try mixing her wet food with a few dry kibble bites this may help her digestion and also clear any hair from her throat etc.

Lastly, if you really can't find a solution and you feel that you can't cope with the vomiting. PLEASE DO NOT PUT HER DOWN have her re homed. She looks like a beautiful cat and if she is not ill as such does not deserve to be put down. perhaps someone who has outside areas would be good for her.

i really do hope that you can find a solution to this problem.

best wishes kate

Comments for cat vomit

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stopped the vomiting
by: Anonymous

We started feeding our twelve-year old spayed female small amounts several times a day.
me too
by: frustrated

I have the same problem, I have a 9 year old male. that had some health problem, he was having uranary blockage many times, so he ended up having a surgery to pee like a girl(sex change) and that help. so he is on low ph food. but the past 6 months he has been vomiting alot. I take the hard food away at night, because if he eats at night he vomits. but if we are away for the weekend, I leave a bowl of hard food for him. and when I get home, it is terrible I have food vomit everywhere, my carpets look terrible. I don't know what to do. do I give up my life for him. and not ever go anywhere? it is a good thing I love him so much, or he would be out the door. I don't know what to feed him to stop this.

Answer by Kate
hi
It sounds to me like your cat may be the sort who eats his food too quickly and gulps it down causing him to vomit.

This means that you cannot leave food out for him all the time but need to feed him smaller meals through out the day so that eh can't physically eat too much. this also means that if you go away you have to get someone in to feed him rather than just leave food down for him.

My old cat was like this and we had to be very careful how much we fed her.

Also check his teeth if he has some bad ones that may also make him gulp his food rather than chew it.
Your cat may have a food allergy
by: Anonymous

My cat had a horrible vomiting problem similar to what you are describing. I tried steroids and antibiotics with minimal effect. I came across an internet article about so called "inflammatory bowel disease" and the writer had compiled research which pointed to grain allergies. I found a cat food (Wellness brand; wet food only and only the cans with the yellow Grain Free flag) and tried it and it WORKED. Amazing results. I used to clean up giant puddles of vomit daily; now it happens rarely. It's worth a try. I knew it was the food and not some other factor because I unknowingly bought a few cans of their wet food which had grain (rice) in it; he'd go a week without vomiting but the days I fed him that food, he threw up again. Hope this helps.
Don't harm Tinky Please
by: Anonymous

Hi,
I too have a cat that vomits all the time and in addition I'm severely allergic to him.

If you are unable to tolerate her behavior please find her a new home rather than put her down or worse put her out on the street.

I hope you find a solution that works for both you and Tinky.

Best wishes.
Don't Give Up Yet
by: Anonymous

First, get a bissel little steam cleaner-about $50-$60, a life saver! I have a cat doing the same thing. My vet said it was probably Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Distress. We have been to the vet two times, at a cost of $120 a visit, and she is still not better. They have done blood work to make sure nothing more serious was wrong. They cannot cure IBS! They can only controll its symptoms. I myself, am sick of her vomiting, it can't be fun for her. Even worse is the fact were paying $18 for a 4lb. bag of food that lasts us less than two weeks. I wish you and your cat the very best. Good Luck.

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