Help my kitty...
September 14, 2010 1:43 PM Subscribe
Cat has been throwing up with increasing frequency. What should I do?
For a couple of weeks my cat has been vomiting more than usual. Today and yesterday it happened twice.
I need you to tell me if this is worth a visit to the vet, or if there's something I can do. If it's a vet situation, how much should I be prepared to fork out? Money is a concern.
If not, what could it be? She lives indoors but has escaped a couple of times, we have these theories:
She has a corpse hidden somewhere and keeps going back to it.
Our cockroach poison around the house is affecting her (although we got the traps after she got sick)
She has been eating some funky plants outside, or a basil plant I have in the house.
I would really, really rather not take her to the vet (I don't even know where there are vets), since money is tight.
Thank you!
For a couple of weeks my cat has been vomiting more than usual. Today and yesterday it happened twice.
I need you to tell me if this is worth a visit to the vet, or if there's something I can do. If it's a vet situation, how much should I be prepared to fork out? Money is a concern.
If not, what could it be? She lives indoors but has escaped a couple of times, we have these theories:
She has a corpse hidden somewhere and keeps going back to it.
Our cockroach poison around the house is affecting her (although we got the traps after she got sick)
She has been eating some funky plants outside, or a basil plant I have in the house.
I would really, really rather not take her to the vet (I don't even know where there are vets), since money is tight.
Thank you!
Response by poster: Once it looked like saliva only. Then it's like a mixture of wet/dry food.
posted by Tarumba at 1:47 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by Tarumba at 1:47 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: For what it's worth, here's a listing of some lower-cost vet options in your area.
You should feel free to phone them, explain the problem, and ask for a ballpark cost for an exam.
posted by dersins at 1:49 PM on September 14, 2010
You should feel free to phone them, explain the problem, and ask for a ballpark cost for an exam.
posted by dersins at 1:49 PM on September 14, 2010
If this has been going on for "a couple of weeks", you need to go to the vet. She may be a cat, but she's still your responsibility.
posted by mkultra at 1:49 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mkultra at 1:49 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Has the cat been pooping? Our cat does that when he gets blocked up. He's had to have a few enemas and is on medicine to keep things moving. I forget how much the enema costs - maybe a couple hundred dollars. They confirm the need by an x-ray.
posted by exogenous at 1:51 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by exogenous at 1:51 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If she's throwing up undigested food, then she's *probably* wolfing and then has to purge. My cat does this when he's stressed. He also drinks too much water when he's freaking out about getting fed and then throws that up, but not ALL THE TIME and certainly not at the frequency you're describing.
Is she otherwise okay? How is her behavior? Is she *acting sick* for your cat? This is only stuff you know, and if she doesn't seem okay, if her behavior is off, then you need to take her to the vet.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:53 PM on September 14, 2010
Is she otherwise okay? How is her behavior? Is she *acting sick* for your cat? This is only stuff you know, and if she doesn't seem okay, if her behavior is off, then you need to take her to the vet.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:53 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you so much Dersins, I'll start calling right now.
Mkultra, I know she's my responsibility, that's why I'm worried about her. I happen to adore her, but I am seriously broke, which is why I am posting this question.
posted by Tarumba at 1:54 PM on September 14, 2010
Mkultra, I know she's my responsibility, that's why I'm worried about her. I happen to adore her, but I am seriously broke, which is why I am posting this question.
posted by Tarumba at 1:54 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: Medieval Maven, I really think so, we thought it was some sort of bulimia, because she is really eating twice as much as she usually eats. And then she throws up...!
She's happy, friendly, playful, demanding as usual.
posted by Tarumba at 1:55 PM on September 14, 2010
She's happy, friendly, playful, demanding as usual.
posted by Tarumba at 1:55 PM on September 14, 2010
Vet.
Similar thing happened to our cat and he was, as exogenous said, blocked up. If kitty keeps returning to the litter box without any output, that's another indication of it. Because cats can develop both megacolon from bowel obstructions, and fatty liver, from not being able to eat, this is something you should try to address promptly.
For future reference, if this is the case, there are a few things you can do to help your cat digest better: one easy one is to feed it a spoonful of vaseline (yes, vaseline) once a week or so as a laxative. Our vet also recommended an acid reducer for our cat.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:56 PM on September 14, 2010
Similar thing happened to our cat and he was, as exogenous said, blocked up. If kitty keeps returning to the litter box without any output, that's another indication of it. Because cats can develop both megacolon from bowel obstructions, and fatty liver, from not being able to eat, this is something you should try to address promptly.
For future reference, if this is the case, there are a few things you can do to help your cat digest better: one easy one is to feed it a spoonful of vaseline (yes, vaseline) once a week or so as a laxative. Our vet also recommended an acid reducer for our cat.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:56 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: Take her. My late kitty did that, and it got worse and worse. She dropped too much weight. You can surmise the rest.
Take her and get a full blood panel.
posted by jgirl at 1:56 PM on September 14, 2010
Take her and get a full blood panel.
posted by jgirl at 1:56 PM on September 14, 2010
Oh, and it might be helpful to look into care credit and vets who accept it in your area.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:58 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:58 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you for the info, but she is going to the toilet as usual... actually more often, since I now have to clean it almost twice as much!
posted by Tarumba at 2:05 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by Tarumba at 2:05 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: My very furry cat will do that until she gets the huge hairball that is bothering her out. The hairball gel in a tube stuff seems to help speed things a little, but sometimes we just have to wait. She does it very seldom now that she gets hairball control food.
posted by meepmeow at 2:06 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by meepmeow at 2:06 PM on September 14, 2010
potential kidney problems. or just being a cat.
Our cat pukes more when the weather changes and his coat starts to shed, or after we started brushing him after a little while of not.
He also has kidney problems and that was an early sign.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 2:07 PM on September 14, 2010
Our cat pukes more when the weather changes and his coat starts to shed, or after we started brushing him after a little while of not.
He also has kidney problems and that was an early sign.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 2:07 PM on September 14, 2010
Okay, how does he look otherwise? Still active, affectionate, using the litter box & eating and drinking normally? I'm asking because my cat has been randomly throwing up for over a year and I've spent over 500+ dollars on vet visits, blood work etc. and haven't pinned down a cause yet. If he seems normal other than the throwing up than I might wait on the vet visit (I'm not a vet and have no training...so take this with a grain of salt)
We thought it might be a food allergy, so you might try going with a different cat food. The problem seems to get worse in the summer and wane during the winter, so my cat might be getting into something outside too. Try making sure your cat doesn't get outside and move the basil plant to see if that helps.
Good luck and I'd definitely take him to the vet if you see any significant change in behavior and/or he's not able to keep anything down.
posted by victoriab at 2:14 PM on September 14, 2010
We thought it might be a food allergy, so you might try going with a different cat food. The problem seems to get worse in the summer and wane during the winter, so my cat might be getting into something outside too. Try making sure your cat doesn't get outside and move the basil plant to see if that helps.
Good luck and I'd definitely take him to the vet if you see any significant change in behavior and/or he's not able to keep anything down.
posted by victoriab at 2:14 PM on September 14, 2010
On preview...a significant increase in water intake is a concern. I'd definitely track this and take her in if you think she's drinking a lot more than usual. Bottlebrushtree is right about kidney concerns.
posted by victoriab at 2:18 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by victoriab at 2:18 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: Victoriab, She's perfectly normal behavior-wise, and toilet-wise. I am on hold right now at a local vet, in the process of scheduling an appointment for her tomorrow. Will definitely move the plant and won't let her out at all.
We had a visit from mom, who loves cats and stayed with her for the 8 hours we are at work. Her throwing up coincided with her leaving (she started vomiting the day after she left) and I have the feeling that it's a psychological thing, since she's now completely alone for several hours.
We'll take her to the vet, change everything we can change and I will get her a kitty tv (the window seat plus a bird feeder) to see if she's less lonely.
Thank you so much, everyone, for your replies. Kitty is sleeping next to me right now. I'm off to clean up some of her presents.
posted by Tarumba at 2:23 PM on September 14, 2010
We had a visit from mom, who loves cats and stayed with her for the 8 hours we are at work. Her throwing up coincided with her leaving (she started vomiting the day after she left) and I have the feeling that it's a psychological thing, since she's now completely alone for several hours.
We'll take her to the vet, change everything we can change and I will get her a kitty tv (the window seat plus a bird feeder) to see if she's less lonely.
Thank you so much, everyone, for your replies. Kitty is sleeping next to me right now. I'm off to clean up some of her presents.
posted by Tarumba at 2:23 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: You may want to let the vet know, if he doesn't ask, if it's regurgitation or if it's throwing up. It's important, but sometimes overlooked by vets. With regurg, there's no heaving, it just sort of comes up all at once. Throwing up, there is heaving.
posted by TheBones at 2:32 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by TheBones at 2:32 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
My cat is 14 and she has vomited on a regular basis for the last 4-5 years. It's usually undigested dry food. The vet says that she probably just wolfs it down and it upsets her tummy.
She doesn't throw up the wet food as much, so maybe try that.
posted by Ostara at 2:33 PM on September 14, 2010
She doesn't throw up the wet food as much, so maybe try that.
posted by Ostara at 2:33 PM on September 14, 2010
For what it's worth, my 10-year-old cat started doing this. Turned out she had a bad tooth and she wasn't chewing her food enough. Once the tooth was removed, the vomiting stopped. Good luck! Hope your kitty's OK.
posted by Laura Macbeth at 2:48 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by Laura Macbeth at 2:48 PM on September 14, 2010
I will second changing the food. My cats would just projectile vomit until I changed the dry food they were eating. (Neither likes wet food.) I'm buying $7.99 a bag dry food now in supermarkets and they tolerate that well.
posted by andreap at 2:52 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by andreap at 2:52 PM on September 14, 2010
Second on the telling the vet if it's regurgitation or vomiting.
Also....how shall I phrase this...of the great links dersins posted, I suggest trying the SPCA clinics first, and then maybe the PAWS clinic.
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 3:01 PM on September 14, 2010
Also....how shall I phrase this...of the great links dersins posted, I suggest trying the SPCA clinics first, and then maybe the PAWS clinic.
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 3:01 PM on September 14, 2010
I had this problem a few months ago, to the point that I made an appointment with the vet to put the cat down (he's 19, and this had happened with another cat we had who was 21 when she was put down, so I figured this was just normal kitty aging and a sign that it was time). As soon as I made the appointment, he made a miraculous recovery. I took him anyway for a checkup and they found no problems at all. Since then, he barfs maybe once every few weeks, down from 2-3 times a day.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think merely making an appointment is a viable solution, but somehow, it solved my problem. I wonder if it somehow scared him straight. Either way, I'm glad that my kitty will be around longer and it's nice to not have to clean up kitty barf all the time.
posted by Fuego at 4:03 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Don't get me wrong, I don't think merely making an appointment is a viable solution, but somehow, it solved my problem. I wonder if it somehow scared him straight. Either way, I'm glad that my kitty will be around longer and it's nice to not have to clean up kitty barf all the time.
posted by Fuego at 4:03 PM on September 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
You can also try checking for dehydration. link. link 2.
posted by amtho at 4:10 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by amtho at 4:10 PM on September 14, 2010
You say her behavior and toileting are perfectly normal, but eating twice as much and using the litter box more means she's stepping outside of her normal behavior. Please be sure to mention both to your vet.
posted by moira at 5:33 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by moira at 5:33 PM on September 14, 2010
one thing i haven't seen mentioned so far: inflammatory bowel disease. my cat is 13 years old. she started with the puking around age 9. it started slowly, then progressed to several times per day. she also developed wicked diarrhea & began to avoid using her litterbox. she dropped to 5.5 pounds. several vets ignored the problem and suggested it was a food allergy or something. i tried different kinds of food (raw, grain-free, etc.), but in the end i gave up and fed her fancy feast because it was the only thing she would eat and she clearly couldn't lose anymore weight. anyhow, eventually i got a better vet, who told me it could be intestinal cancer or the inflammatory bowel thingy. the only way to diagnose the cancer was to take a biopsy. so instead, we began treating for the IBD. she now gets a steroid pill once a day and is fine. gained back weight, doesn't puke, poops normally. it might be something to bring up with the vet.
posted by apostrophe at 7:53 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by apostrophe at 7:53 PM on September 14, 2010
Apostrophe is right on. Our nearly 7-year old male Burmese (Charlie) was vomiting a lot; some with dry food, some liquid, different colors, etc. (sorry about the graphics, but it's true). We took him to the vet and found he had lost over two pounds -- significant in a nine pound cat. She mentioned IBD or cancer as possibilities and decided it was more prudent to treat for IBD first. She gave him two steroid injections nearly three weeks ago and he hasn't vomited since. Not only that, but we hadn't realized how his behavior had become less active until he started feeling better. Now he's rolling around on the floor again, chasing toys and is his old self. Subtle differences for sure, but real ones. Total cost for the exam and medications was $80+. (We live in Seattle.) A real bargain to have a happy kitty again. Now we're giving him extra feedings to try to put the weight back on. We're happy, Charlie's happy and the carpet is happy. Good luck with your little buddy.
posted by Freedomboy at 9:19 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by Freedomboy at 9:19 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: UPDATE:
took her to the vet, she seems to be fine, I told the vet everything you told me to say - that she's eating a bit too much, drinking, playing, and pooping normally, etc. The vet said it may be a partial blocking dute to hair.
She gave me some cans of special food and laxatone that I'm supposed to mix together. Mini ate the mixture happily, but threw up a little bit. I think some of the medicine stayed in, and I really hope it's just hair, because the X rays are $350! I'm hoping she didn't swallow a hairband or something that laxatone can't work out.
Thanks everyone for your advice. I will keep you posted.
posted by Tarumba at 6:08 AM on September 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
took her to the vet, she seems to be fine, I told the vet everything you told me to say - that she's eating a bit too much, drinking, playing, and pooping normally, etc. The vet said it may be a partial blocking dute to hair.
She gave me some cans of special food and laxatone that I'm supposed to mix together. Mini ate the mixture happily, but threw up a little bit. I think some of the medicine stayed in, and I really hope it's just hair, because the X rays are $350! I'm hoping she didn't swallow a hairband or something that laxatone can't work out.
Thanks everyone for your advice. I will keep you posted.
posted by Tarumba at 6:08 AM on September 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yes, keep us posted. I've been thinking of the two of you. MeMail if you need.
posted by jgirl at 3:37 PM on September 15, 2010
posted by jgirl at 3:37 PM on September 15, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:44 PM on September 14, 2010