Hey guys, new member here. 
I've read several threads here about alternatives to foods like Hills Z/D, but most of the advice I've seen doesn't apply, so wanted to start a new thread to see if anybody has experience with this.
I have one cat, probably 3ish years old, called Magpie. (After fostering a bunch of dogs with behavioral issues I wanted to get a "simpler" pet that didn't need to deal with the world outside, lollllll.) We're like 90% sure she has mild feline hyperesthesia (well controlled on gabapentin), she's got whisker sensitivity, and worst, she vomits up her meals very regularly. I'd say at least 3-5 times a week on average, sometimes a lot more, sometimes less.
When I first got her she was on Science Diet from the shelter and I intended to transition her slowly, but she threw up almost every meal. Tried her on premium kibble next to ease transition, also threw that up. Premium human-grade canned, threw up about half the time. I'm amazed she wasn't emaciated when we got her. We tried all sorts of things thinking she just needed to be slowed down as she was initially a gobbler... Added water to the food, fed small meals, fed kibble from puzzle feeders, etc. Nothing fixed the issue. Every time she hadn't vomited for awhile we'd think we had it licked only for her to start up again.
Now before you say feed raw... I am a HUGE proponent of raw feeding and was trying to get her there anyway, was just trying to go slow. So we went right to raw after trying all that other stuff. That's where we got it down to 3-5ish times a week rather than at least once a day. Tried her on every protein we could find.. Chicken, turkey, venison, duck, lamb, beef (which she hates and refuses to eat), even did a couple months on rabbit. Best option we've found was Honest Kitchen, which I thought was weird, because IMO it has way too much vegetable matter in it for a cat, and I also put out Wellness kibble in her puzzle feeders so she can snack between meals (we already feed her 4-5 times a day in small meals, but going too long between meals also seems to set her off, so I try to make sure she has SOME kind of food at all times, now that we've figured out doing strict raw feeding isn't going to help). But even with that she only went to throwing up maybe 1-3x a week.
Saw a new vet because the old one didn't even have any ideas. This one was pretty stumped too, but suggested we treat like it's IBD, though it'd be an unusual presentation because she hasn't had any diarrhea issues this whole time. We're trying her on Hills Z/D, which kills me a little because I have very strong super negative opinions about most of the major pet food brands.
But I'll feed her whatever's good for her! We're only a few days in so she's still on a mix of Honest Kitchen, the Wellness kibble I've been giving her, and both kibble and canned Z/D. So far so good, but I feel like it's only a matter of time before she starts throwing up again... the Z/D can't possibly have fixed the issue, since she's not on it exclusively yet. I'm going to give it a chance but honestly am not really expecting it to work, and from what I've read it sounds like over time the hydrolyzed food is just not great for them.
Has anyone out there ever had a problem like this with their cat? She is otherwise very healthy, beautiful coat, bright and playful; my vet's only other idea was cancer, and she doesn't feel that's likely given the good state the cat's in. I'm at that point where my only idea for future treatment is for me to invest in a monthly carpet cleaning (that part's just a hilarious pipe dream, I'm super broke) and cry forever. I feel so bad for her, it looks miserable every time she throws up, and it can be tough to keep weight on her. My vet's next suggestion is an ultrasound, which will cost around $800 no matter what vet we go to (we've shopped around), and we just can't afford it, especially since the vet has told us the odds are maybe 1 in 3 that she'll even see something useful. /o\
I've read several threads here about alternatives to foods like Hills Z/D, but most of the advice I've seen doesn't apply, so wanted to start a new thread to see if anybody has experience with this.I have one cat, probably 3ish years old, called Magpie. (After fostering a bunch of dogs with behavioral issues I wanted to get a "simpler" pet that didn't need to deal with the world outside, lollllll.) We're like 90% sure she has mild feline hyperesthesia (well controlled on gabapentin), she's got whisker sensitivity, and worst, she vomits up her meals very regularly. I'd say at least 3-5 times a week on average, sometimes a lot more, sometimes less.
When I first got her she was on Science Diet from the shelter and I intended to transition her slowly, but she threw up almost every meal. Tried her on premium kibble next to ease transition, also threw that up. Premium human-grade canned, threw up about half the time. I'm amazed she wasn't emaciated when we got her. We tried all sorts of things thinking she just needed to be slowed down as she was initially a gobbler... Added water to the food, fed small meals, fed kibble from puzzle feeders, etc. Nothing fixed the issue. Every time she hadn't vomited for awhile we'd think we had it licked only for her to start up again.
Now before you say feed raw... I am a HUGE proponent of raw feeding and was trying to get her there anyway, was just trying to go slow. So we went right to raw after trying all that other stuff. That's where we got it down to 3-5ish times a week rather than at least once a day. Tried her on every protein we could find.. Chicken, turkey, venison, duck, lamb, beef (which she hates and refuses to eat), even did a couple months on rabbit. Best option we've found was Honest Kitchen, which I thought was weird, because IMO it has way too much vegetable matter in it for a cat, and I also put out Wellness kibble in her puzzle feeders so she can snack between meals (we already feed her 4-5 times a day in small meals, but going too long between meals also seems to set her off, so I try to make sure she has SOME kind of food at all times, now that we've figured out doing strict raw feeding isn't going to help). But even with that she only went to throwing up maybe 1-3x a week.
Saw a new vet because the old one didn't even have any ideas. This one was pretty stumped too, but suggested we treat like it's IBD, though it'd be an unusual presentation because she hasn't had any diarrhea issues this whole time. We're trying her on Hills Z/D, which kills me a little because I have very strong super negative opinions about most of the major pet food brands.
But I'll feed her whatever's good for her! We're only a few days in so she's still on a mix of Honest Kitchen, the Wellness kibble I've been giving her, and both kibble and canned Z/D. So far so good, but I feel like it's only a matter of time before she starts throwing up again... the Z/D can't possibly have fixed the issue, since she's not on it exclusively yet. I'm going to give it a chance but honestly am not really expecting it to work, and from what I've read it sounds like over time the hydrolyzed food is just not great for them.Has anyone out there ever had a problem like this with their cat? She is otherwise very healthy, beautiful coat, bright and playful; my vet's only other idea was cancer, and she doesn't feel that's likely given the good state the cat's in. I'm at that point where my only idea for future treatment is for me to invest in a monthly carpet cleaning (that part's just a hilarious pipe dream, I'm super broke) and cry forever. I feel so bad for her, it looks miserable every time she throws up, and it can be tough to keep weight on her. My vet's next suggestion is an ultrasound, which will cost around $800 no matter what vet we go to (we've shopped around), and we just can't afford it, especially since the vet has told us the odds are maybe 1 in 3 that she'll even see something useful. /o\
