Cat Retching /Dry Heaving

Cdcrawford25

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Hi There- for almost a year now my 3 yr old brown tabby at least 10x per day goes through a retching/dry heaving spell that usually lasts for 2-3 minutes. I have taken him to the vet multiple times and after exams, bloodwork, X-rays etc nothing can be found. When he does this usually nothing comes up, but maybe a little liquid in his mouth it seems and then he is fine for a couple of hours. Maybe 1x week he actually has some vomit. I feel very bad for him that we cannot figure out how to address this. Any ideas if someone else has gone through this please advise. I have a video, but won’t allow video attachments.
 

fionasmom

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I can see why that would be upsetting for both of you. We can't diagnose your cat, but I did wonder what the vet had specifically ruled out which might be a slightly different question than just determining that blood work is okay.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. That looks like the dry heaving Feeby does when she has a hairball, but ends up what I call 'dislodging' it and it passes on through her system - with never having actually thrown up anything. But, that is a couple or so times a month, not 10x a day! When he does vomit, is there a hairball involved?

What x-rays did they do? If not of the head, that probably should be done. This could actually be respiratory related, or maybe even something like sinus/throat nodules, for example. I would also go the next step and have an ultrasound done.

How is he doing otherwise (eating, drinking, litter box, playing, as well as his breathing)?

May I ask what that trail of 'stuff' is on the floor - is that related to his retching? Sorry, just want to make sure everyone here has the entire picture.
 
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Cdcrawford25

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X-rays were taken I think of abdomen I guess looking for any sort of obstruction. Blood work just looking for any sort of infections or abnormalities.

There is never a hair ball which I thought was a likely cause early on, but when it became so consistent and never a hairball I ruled that out.

He acts normally otherwise and eats and drinks normally. He has always been constantly hungry since a kitten.( he has been dewormed several times too).

This also happens sometimes like after my kids maybe pick him up and put him down that it sort of seems to trigger it.

I was thinking could it be some sort of reflux problem, asthma, food allergy? I just don’t know what to try and have not seemed to find anything matching his symptoms online.
 
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Cdcrawford25

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X-rays were taken I think of abdomen I guess looking for any sort of obstruction. Blood work just looking for any sort of infections or abnormalities.

There is never a hair ball which I thought was a likely cause early on, but when it became so consistent and never a hairball I ruled that out.

He acts normally otherwise and eats and drinks normally. He has always been constantly hungry since a kitten.( he has been dewormed several times too).

This also happens sometimes like after my kids maybe pick him up and put him down that it sort of seems to trigger it.

I was thinking could it be some sort of reflux problem, asthma, food allergy? I just don’t know what to try and have not seemed to find anything matching his symptoms online.
Oh and on the floor that is just a cat toy like a long piece of felt in a stick that they enjoy playing with.
 

FeebysOwner

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This also happens sometimes like after my kids maybe pick him up and put him down that it sort of seems to trigger it.
Ask the vet to go down the respiratory path and see what tests they would recommend for that. That actually could be coughing from asthma. A chest radiograph, perhaps even an ultrasound of the chest cavity might reveal it. Check his breaths per minute when he is at rest - they should be in the mid-20s (one full inhale and exhale counts as one breath). Also, pay attention to after when he has been active and if you notice any changes in his breathing.
 
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