Help with throwing up brown sludge

[Georgina887]

Hello,

I recently changed food for my cats from an expensive brand to a less expensive brand. I have tried to still get quality - for example no filler, grains, additives etc. This food change has been gradual but coincided with one of them throwing up dark brown sludge with a small hairball in it. Always at night. This NEVER happened whilst eating the other food. Stool has been fine - no issues. This new food has gizzard in it and seems to be a lot darker than the old food. I am wondering if it the food change or hairballs? I used to feed egg yolk lecithin a few years back which helped but since being on the expensive food (ziwi) I never had a hairball problem.

I am just trying to work out if its the food or not. If it is, I will just bite the bullet and go back to the old brand. I really hate paying so much for it but going to the vet is more stressful.

For reference old food is ziwi peak chicken wet and new food is Venandi Grain free chicken. Both cats have had a history of colitis and issues vomiting and pooing blood which is why I am so cautious and I cannot feed them anything with gums, grains etc.

 

[di and bob]

The hairballs make me suspicious. I would continue to give the new food and treat for that. There are many OTC meds for hairballs and treats too, you might try that first. It could be the old food had something in it that helped them to pass the hairballs. If it continues a few more times switch to a different brand of grain-free food. There are so many out there now.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Agree. You could always go back to using the Egg Yolk Lecithin since it helped before