Kitten throwing up

[unetsu]

I'm sure everything is fine but I'm a little worried about my new baby. I just brought her home yesterday and she's thrown up a little bit 3 times within 24 hours. It wasn't a lot of throw up, but I get worried easily. It was liquedy and yellow. I think I could see a little bit of her food, but I'm not sure. She's a 4 month old Himalayan. She's been drinking water normally but she hasn't been eating as much food as I think she should. I bought her Purina kitten chow and she had been previously fed Kirkland signature brand cat food at the shelter. I'm hoping she is just not used to the food change. Plz give me some insight. Is this normal? If she continues to throw up when should I call the vet?

 

[denice]

I would take her to a vet as soon as possible, I'm not trying to alarm you that she's in some kind of crisis but she came out of a shelter environment.  Many are good, they do a great job, but they can only do so much in a shelter.  That's just a reality and thank you for getting your kitty from a rescue.

Putting her on a wet food would be really good.  I think her current problem was caused by sudden dry food change.  She's still a kitten and will transition easily to wet.  The best wet is grain free but get what you can afford.  Wet food is also easier on the digestive system.

 

[unetsu]

The shelter I adopted her from is called Kitty Harbor, a famous no kill shelter that is very strict with their cats and even who adopts them. I should have mentioned that. Also, she's been eating dry food for a while, even at the shelter. I'm a little curious if her litter might be bothering her. I accidentally got the scented kind and it smells really strong. I don't think she likes it but I'm not sure why that would make her throw up. Other than her throwing up, she's acting completely normal. Playing, sleeping, poop is healthy. I could give her some friskies but I think that might just give her diareeha.

 

[franksmom]

Yes sudden changes in dry food brands cause stomach upset. Also no matter how good a shelter is or even if you get a cat from a great breeder you still need to take them to the vet to do a wellness checkup. 

Cats vomiting is not normal and here is a great video by a vet on why cats vomit:

One of the main causes of GI upsets in cats is feeding a species inappropriate diet, which the purina kitten chow is. Cats are obligate carnivores and do not do well with high amounts of grains which again the purina kitten chow has. Please read www.catinfo.org which is an amazing site on feline nutrition written by a vet.

The best thing for your cat is to feed an all wet diet and if you supplement with dry there are many better options. The best option would be to feed a freeze dried raw like ziwipeak or stella and chewy's. Dry foods that are all right (again I do not recommend dry and I certainly never think it should make up 100 percent of any cats diet) are Wysong epigen 90 and Nature's Variety LID. Again dry food needs to be switched slowly to prevent GI upset but canned does not need this transition. 

 

[unetsu]

I posted a thread earlier about my kitten throwing up but now I am really worried! She hasn't eaten a full meal all day, she refuses to eat the Purina Kitten Chow. She ate a little bit of Fristkies wet food, and I mean a little bit, maybe a bite or two. She was playful and acting fine earlier when it started, but now she is acting off. She is laying near her litter box and won't come to me when I call her (she has every other time I've tried) she also won't go for her favorite toy, she just watches it. I think she's sitting at her box because she still feels sick. She makes sure to throw up in her box. I adopted her from an amazing shelter yesterday where she ate "Kirkland Signature Brand" Cat food (I believe it's door adults...) she's 4 months and they didn't report anything odd about her health or eating. I even watched her eat before we left the place. She also ate right when we got home and a little while after that but I can't remember her eating any after the first few hours she came home. Her throw up is mostly liquid and it's yellow. She's thrown up about 6 times now. Can she just have an upset stomach from the change of food? From adult food back to kitten food? Or from the car ride yesterday? I'm going to call the shelter and a vet tomorrow but please I need insight on what it could be. I've only been able to relax when she falls asleep! Plz ask for any other info you might need to know about her and I'll let you know! I'm very scared :,( she's my first cat of my own.

 

[franksmom]

I hope you read my previous reply as I outlined the possible reasons she is vomiting and told you she needs to see a vet.

The situation does not sound good and I personally would take my kitten to an emergency clinic right now if she threw up 6 times and was acting lethargic. It now sounds that she might have eaten a plant or something poisonous and this has gone beyond food intolerance . She might have a serious infection or a blockage. If this is the case she I am sorry but she may not survive without immediate veterinary attention.  Kittens can go downhill very fast and it is not worth the risk to wait. 

I notice you are in Seattle here is a map of emergency clinics (https://maps.google.ca/maps?client=...,+USA&ei=pKQRUq2SFcKi2wW28YGwBg&ved=0CJ8CEMgT)

 

[goholistic]

I'm so sorry this is happening. The first thing to do is try to calm down. This new girl is probably a bit stressed from being in a new home and new surroundings, and she can sense your anxiety. For now, let her lay down if that's what she wants to do.

I definitely think you should call the vet first thing. The vomiting could be anything...new food, stress, an illness.

Purina Kitten Chow has some not-so-good ingredients that could aggravate her - corn gluten meal, soy flour, wheat flour, fish meal. Kirkland Signature doesn't have these ingredients (from what I could find in a quick internet search). If she did well on the Kirkland, I would try to keep her on that while she gets settled in to her new home. Try to avoid too many changes too quickly.

In the future, I would suggest ditching the dry food and opt for a wet only diet. If this is not feasible, then try to incorporate as much wet food as possible.

 

[unetsu]

I unfortunately don't have my liscense and can't get her to the emergency room unless my parents see a "bigger problem". They don't take things very seriously. I have read a lot of pages on what she's experiencing and they all say that she is most likely getting sick from the change of food and I shouldn't be too worried about it. I will be calling the shelter and vet first thing in the morning, and my step mother is dropping off some of her dry food and buying the food my kitten was fine with after work. When I posted this, she must have just been waiting to use the bathroom because after she did she played normally. Her poop is normal and she drinks more water than I've seen any other cat drink (still not too much, but enough I believe). She still purrs and seems to be happy, I just worry so much. She is sleeping next to me right now. I'm hoping she will rest most of the night so she can wake up to new food when she wakes. Also, I will be switching to wet food in the future, but for now I am worried about her eating anything. If Kirkland dry is what she wants right now, that's what she will get.

 

[franksmom]

Any update? Has she seen a vet? I still suspect something else is going on because throwing up 6 times is very excessive even for a sudden food change. I would really suggest she get sub q fluids because even though she is drinking a lot she must be dehydrated. I would get her tested for Giardia and Coccidia which is not covered in general de-worming and about 80 percent of shelter cats have some sort of parasites. There are often false negative with these tests and she may have to be retested. If she is given antibiotics make sure to get her a good human probiotic to help rebuild her gut bacteria after treatment. 

 It is also very dangerous for cats to stop eating for more than a couple of days. If she continues to refuse food you will have to syringe feed. Here is a great thread on how to do it (http://www.thecatsite.com/t/227858/syringe-feeding-lucky-video-if-your-cat-is-not-eating)

FYI I do not drive but when my cats are sick I take them in a cab to the vet. It is never a good idea to delay vet care especially for kittens. 

Please refer to the forum rules:

No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

I really hope your kitty is doing better and please let us know if there are any other questions you have.

 

[unetsu]

We just got her the food she was eating previously but she doesn't seem interested in it now either... I'm thinking she's afraid to eat now because her stomach hurts from what she ate before. When we brought her home she went straight for the food. I noticed she did get a little gassy, and she only ate the Purina about two more times the first night (Saturday) before throwing up. The shelter let me know that I can bring her in for a checkup since she is "under warranty" (I hate that statement, it makes it seem like she's just an item to them..) If she doesn't eat her food by morning I'll take her to the vet. Please realize it's hard for me to do anything when my parents don't take this seriously. She is currently sleeping. She has been acting normal aside from the no eating and vomiting. She is not lethargic, although I haven't really seen her groom herself which is worrying me. She was dewormed twice, just letting you know. Is there any way to get her appetite back? Can I try to give her a little plain tuna? I really feel like she's just scared to eat at this point. My poor baby...

 

[denice]

At this point you can give her the tuna.  She needs to eat something.  When trying to find something that she will eat don't give her anything with onion or garlic in it.  If she will eat tuna and it's the kind that is canned in water you can try putting some of the juice on a little of her food.  If she doesn't eat it right way it will need to be thrown away so it doesn't go bad.  Dry food can be overrun with bacteria very quickly.

 

[franksmom]

We just got her the food she was eating previously but she doesn't seem interested in it now either... I'm thinking she's afraid to eat now because her stomach hurts from what she ate before. When we brought her home she went straight for the food. I noticed she did get a little gassy, and she only ate the Purina about two more times the first night (Saturday) before throwing up. The shelter let me know that I can bring her in for a checkup since she is "under warranty" (I hate that statement, it makes it seem like she's just an item to them..) If she doesn't eat her food by morning I'll take her to the vet. Please realize it's hard for me to do anything when my parents don't take this seriously. She is currently sleeping. She has been acting normal aside from the no eating and vomiting. She is not lethargic, although I haven't really seen her groom herself which is worrying me. She was dewormed twice, just letting you know. Is there any way to get her appetite back? Can I try to give her a little plain tuna? I really feel like she's just scared to eat at this point. My poor baby...

Did you not call the shelter or the vet? This is a very dangerous situation and she needs to be seen by a vet.  Like I said it is very dangerous for cats to not eat and they can develop hepatic lipidosis in just a couple of days (http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/12/13/feline-hepatic-lipidosis.aspx). Please take a look at the thread I posted above on how to syringe feed. 

I looked through your past posts and you assured everyone that you would be able to take care of this kitten despite being young and living at home. You said you had your own financial resources to take care of her. Despite what your parents say you need to contact a vet and the shelter. It sounds like she is under a pet insurance trail from the shelter so it will not cost you much to take her to a vet. I am not sure why you haven't yet?

As I said in my last post even though she has been dewormed she could still have Giardia and Coccidia because they are not covered in the blanket dewormers they give cats. 

Meat babyfood will sometimes get a cat to eat (no garlic or onions added). Also try giving her treats and as much as she wants she needs to get nutrition in her body.

 

[smitten4kittens]

I'm so sorry you're going through this with your new cat. ((( hugs))).

I do understand that you are young and your parents aren't taking this seriously, but this IS serious and your cat needs a vet ASAP. You said somebody was bringing her new food, maybe she would be willing to take your cat to the vet for you?  Cat's systems are different than other animals and it's dangerous when they stop eating and especially when they are throwing up a lot too.

Good luck with everything.

 

[unetsu]

I can literally do nothing now. I feel so bad that she is feeling sick and yeah I have called the shelter that's how I got the information on her "warranty"... They told me to feed her what she had before and to come in if the problem persists... I have the money and I know what I have to do but I literally can not do anything for her right now. My mother's boyfriend is screaming at me about it and telling me I'm making a big deal out of nothing. I'm not being irresponsible, I just can't do anything right now... If I tried to take her out to the vet right now he'd scream even louder, and I don't want the kitten to be stressed by his damned yelling. Like I said if she doesn't eat by morning she'll be going to the vet but I can't get her out of the house right now. So please don't think I'm a horrible person because I am doing everything I possibly can for her, and don't worry, I feel guilty enough. :/

 

[franksmom]

I know this is very hard for you but I really think you have to think about if this is the right home for this kitten. I read your past threads and you say your parents smoke in the house and this could very well be a contributing factor to her illness as many cats are allergic. I am also very worried about the unfixed cat on your property and am surprised the shelter allowed you to adopt this cat if they knew this.

If you are not allowed to take proper care of this cat and the kitten is subjected to this kind of stress then again you might have to do what is best for this kitten and let her go to a better home. As a himalayan mix kitten she will be adopted out very quickly to likely a much better environment. I know you love her and if you lived on your own would be a great pet parent, but you really have to think of this beautiful little kitty. What is she has chronic health problems, will you be allowed to take her to the vet? Pure bred cats sometimes have a lot of health problems especially if they do not come from a responsible breeder, will you have the resources for this? What if the smoking is causing this, will your parents stop? They do not sound very responsible with pets, will they ever leave the door open and let her get out? Will the unfixed male be able to get to her and are you aware unfixed males can be violent towards kittens? Will they take proper care of her when you have to go away or are at school?

You really have to think this through and be honest with yourself if this is the right environment for this baby and if you will ever be able to take proper care of her while you are living there. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices so our cats can have happy lives

My intention is not to be mean or make you feel guilty but I am very worried for this kitten and for you as well. My cat had a chronic vomiting problem so I know first hand how serious this is. I also know how fast kittens can go downhill. I see all the time on these boards cats and kittens dying because they stopped eating and their care takers did not take them to the vet in time. 

 

[presouz]

Hi I read  your posts how if the kitty now? Been a few years..  I HOPE all is well and good eating a no grain kitten CANNED food!! best of luck