Cat is Vomiting

[Petitenoisette]

(As of late this issue has gotten worse. It is a reoccurring issue that the vet doesn't find physical issues to solve. She is 7 years old.) My cat has been vomiting her food up very recently after eating it, and will vomit at other times as well. (She only eats dry food, is strictly indoor.) I want to know if I can fix the vomiting after meal issue? It's heartbreaking to see her vomit up what she just ate. Also, when she trys to vomit at other times I think it could be a hairball, is there a way to coax her to cough it up? (Might not be a hairball.)

 

[LTS3]

Did the vet do any blood work or other diagnostic test? If not, ask for those to be done or seek out another vet opinion. Vomiting could indicate a gastrointestinal issue or other internal issue, not always hairballs.

Some things you could try until your cat to the vet are to elevate the food bowl, use a slow feeder, add canned food to the diet, give hairball gel just in case. Sometimes dry food can be the cause of vomiting in some cats even if the cat has never had a problem with it. Lots of dry foods contain ingredients which bother sensitive tummies. What brand of dry food do you feed? Can you feed less of it and more canned?

 

[stephanietx]

It's very possible she is intolerant of one or more of the ingredients in the food. She could also be overeating. Is she free fed or do you have scheduled times for feeding?

 

[daftcat75]

Less dry food, more wet food. She needs more moisture in her diet. Cats don't have a high thirst drive. They are meant to get their moisture from their food. Smaller, more frequent meals should also help. Consider an internal medicine specialist if those two suggestions don't reduce or eliminate the vomiting. Vomiting in cats, however common it might be, is never normal. Not even hairballs. Ingested hair should pass through into the stool in a healthy cat. Hairballs are often the first sign of a developing gut issue. Start saving for an ultrasound. Gut issues usually don't show up in blood work or X-rays. But at seven, she's still awfully young. This is something you'll want to control with food, if possible, rather than medication. Steroids are often used for gut inflammation and they are very hard on a cat on a regular basis. And on a daily basis, they can be dangerous over the long-term. You'll want to be consulting with a specialist if your vet wants to start her on steroids.