CAT VOMITING
Cat Vomiting problems can present in many different ways. The following is a recent email from a concerned cat owner:
Hi,
My cat is 3. For the past few months, she has been throwing up a few times a week, sometimes a few times a day. My vet has tested her blood, done x-rays, changed her to a low residue food but nothing seems to help. My cat also has chewed all the fur off her right shoulder blade. I have her wearing a soft collar for now, until it heals, but I'm afraid it will happen again.
Should I change vets and get a second opinion? Could this be behavioral or stress? We got another cat in December and had a baby in April. She acts fine otherwise...please help!
You can tell from the way the above email is signed that cat vomiting scares us. Unfortunately, many (all?) cats vomit from time to time. Some cats vomit several times a week and yet, there is nothing physically wrong with them. Others vomit once monthly. Some vomit only in the summer months; others, year-round. There is a large range of normal when it comes to the frequency of cat vomiting.
First, let's look at the above question and analyze the various parts of it and decide if we should be seriously concerned about this particular cat vomiting or not.
The cat is 3 years old. That's young. What can a young cat have that could cause vomiting that is serious?
(1) Young cats get into things. They are playful and interested in string, yarn, rubber bands, just about anything. They may chew on plants, knock things over, lick or eat things they shouldn't and do other mischievous things. This can lead to cat vomiting from intestinal obstruction.
(2) Cats of any age can get into something poisonous that could cause vomiting. Household cleaners, human medications, pesticides, anti-freeze are a few of the more common toxins.
photography by AskTheCatDoctor
Those are the two most common causes of cat vomiting in a cat that is only 3 years old. Other less serious causes would include parasites, a virus, ingestion of grass or a little fabric or plastic, hairballs, eating too quickly, and anxiety.
Lowest on the list of causes of vomiting in a 3 year old cat would include cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, other metabolic diseases.
Of course, not every case reads the textbook, so anything is possible. Not probable, but possible.
This 3 year old kitty has a fairly high frequency of vomiting which is more serious than if it were occuring less often.
Blood has been analyzed and is normal. That rules out such things as diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, most infections. It also helps to eliminate ingestion of poison.
The kitty had x-rays and I assume nothing remarkable showed up on them. That gives a fairly reliable indication that there are probably no foreign bodies in the stomach or intestinal tract.
A low-residue diet was tried to see if it was easier to digest or if the problem could be food allergy. It seems not to have helped. does that leave?
Cancer. HIGHLY unlikely at this age and because she's a cat.
Irritable bowel. Unlikely at this age and the low residue diet didn't help.
That leaves parasites, viruses, hairballs, anxiety, and eating too fast -- all of which are common causes of cat vomiting.
By all means, if a fecal sample has not been looked at microscopically, it should be.
If it were a virus, it should be over with by now.
Hairballs are always possible, even if there is never hair in the vomitus. Giving a bit of hairball lubricant such as Laxatone daily for awhile should help if that is the problem. I find actual hairball lubricant in a tube to be much more helpful than foods that are labelled "hairball formula."
Now we're left with anxiety and eating too fast as far as this particular kitty's most likely causes of cat vomiting. Is there reason for anxiety in this cat? That's a HUGE "Yes"! A new cat joined the household in December. That alone is tremendously stressful!
Just when the stress from that may have started to subside, a BABY came along in April. Another huge stressor from the cat's point of view. Not only is there this new noisy, strange-sounding, different-smelling creature in the house, but the humans are giving all their attention to the new "creature" and not nearly as much to the cat. Now the original kitty feels "replaced" in two ways: by the addition of another cat and by the arrival of the baby.
In addition, it often happens that the addition of a new cat makes the first cat feel a sense of competition for food, even if there is always abundant food there. It can also be that just the presence of the other cat, if they haven't yet become best buddies, makes the first kitty nervous while eating. That creates a nervous stomach as well as the desire to eat as quickly as possible and get away.
There's another very obvious sign of anxiety in this cat. She has chewed all the fur off her right shoulder. That makes me think this is a very anxious kitty. Not to mention the extra fur she is ingesting that may be irritating to her stomach.
Obviously, I haven't examined the cat personally and I cannot say definitely that there is no medical cause of her vomiting and that it is strictly caused by anxiety. However, that would certainly be the first thing on my list, based on the information I've been given.
I would give her hairball lubricant on a regular basis. There are many such products on the market. Most are quite similar - they just have different names. One of the more popular and effective hairball lubricants can be found inexpensively at Discount Cat Supplies from the Largest Pet Store In the World: That Pet Place
 . You can pay much more for a different brand name at your vet's office, but there's no difference.
I would make sure she has a private, quiet space where she can go to get away from both the baby and the other cat. A place where her own bowl of food is readily available. I would try to arrange for different members of the family to take turns giving her extra attention. Feeding small amounts of food more frequently also can help tremendously to decrease the frequency of vomiting.
If necessary, the kitty's vet can prescribe a tranquilizer or anti-anxiety drug to be given temporarily. If that helps, it also gives a diagnostic answer as well as some relief.
If the above measures do not give improvement, then I would suggest repeating bloodwork, fecal and x-rays and possible ultrasound and perhaps referral to a GI specialist.
There's lots more to discuss regarding vomiting in cats, so look for additional articles as well and questions and answers on the subject.
Shelby Neely, BM, MA, VMD
AskTheCatDoctor.com
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