Lip smacking and vomiting

[italysa]

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I have been here, but I need some advice. I have since lost my 19-year-old kitty. I had to have her put to sleep last year. I now have a new rescue baby "Trixe." I've had her since 5 weeks of age. She has been to the vet for all her tests and kitty vaccines....all is fine.

She is now about 6 months old, she was spayed last month. At about 4 months of age she started vomiting on and off for no apparent reason. She would start smacking her lips as if she had something in her mouth and shortly thereafter she would vomit. A few minutes later she would be eating and running around like nothing happened. The vet checked her out and really didn't know what the problem was. Long story short, she still does this on and off a couple of times a week. Usually it at night while she's on our bed! My husband is ready to kill me and her.

I now think it may be the plants in the house. I have two that she loves to swat the leaves on, although I have never seen her chew on it. She does this mostly at night when we are having dinner or watching TV. I'm assuming it's for attention. Does it make sense that this would cause the vomiting late at night, early morining? I have now put those plants outside to see if anything changes in her behavior.

Also, when she does vomit, it's mostly food and I don't see anything that looks plant-like or hairball-like. She's short haired and I comb her often.

Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!

Lisa

 

[carolina]

Lisa, is she vomiting right after she eats? How long after? Can you clearly see the food there? Can you see the kibbles, or it is digested food?
What is she eating?

 

[italysa]

No, it's usually hours later. It seems to be in the middle of the night lately.

It appears to be digested food. Awhile back I could see the kibble still intact and thought she was just eating it too fast. It was the tiny kitten-size kibble. I went up to a slightly larger size so she would chew it better, which she does.

She eats EVO canned for kittens, and Royal Canin babycat dry. One because the OVO only has 2 flavors, I will sometimes give her a can of Fancy Feast; they have a new one for kittens. I thought switching the cat food may have done caused it. She has also had MaxCat kitten cans, but, like I say it's always hours later, while we are in bed that she vomits. She actually vomited on the bed last night!! We didn't move quick enough to get her down.

I know she's not picking on food during the night, because I don't leave it out for her to do so. She eats about 7 p.m. at the latest and throws up about 2 in the morning. Also, she was swatting at this plant last night right up until we went upstairs to bed and vomited about 2 hours later.

 

[carolina]

Some plants are definitely toxic to cats, so you should check that for sure, but is she was not eating the plant... than I doubt that is it. You can move the plant out of reach of reach to see if that makes a difference.

Also keeping her in one wet food, instead of changing all time might help. For a health cat that is not an issue, but for a kitty with sensitive issues, that makes a big difference. EVO might be too strong for her... It is an excellent food, but it might be too much for her system right now. I would not feed her Fancy Feast either, lots of junk in it.

Where do you shop, what stores are available in your area?

If this doesn't help, I would go back to the vet, and if he doesn't find something wrong, I would go for a second opinion.

 

[valanhb]

Since this seems to be more of a Heath issue, I'll move it to that forum.

 

[italysa]

Would I be better off trying something for sensitive digestive systems?

I have a little pet shop around the corner that sells the EVO and other 'healthy' foods. They don't even carry anything like Fancy Feast. That is where I usually buy her food. I belive there is another kitten formula they had; I think called Precise, something like that.

I am also close by to Pet Smart, Petco.

 

[otto]

I'm sorry for the loss of your beloved kitty, but congratulations on Trixie!

I agree a sensitivity to something in one of the foods may be the culprit, but I also think you are smart to keep the plants away from her

When you do chose another food, be sure to do a diet change very gradually. Keep her on only one food for at least six weeks to see how she does.

She is peeing and pooping normally? She is spayed?

Keep us posted on Trixie!

 

[hissy]

When they smack their lips it is a sign of intestional distress and vomiting soon follows. If at all possible, I would make an appointment with a feline specialist not a vet. For a kitten to have such consistent vomiting it is a concern.

You can try a few things- be sure her food and water bowls are away from her litter pans.
Move the water a few feet away from her food so she doesn't have access to it while she is eating. She has to walk a bit to get there.
Give her 1/4 tab of Pepcid about an hour before she eats
Don't free feed- kibble air spoils in about 30 minutes
Elevate her food dish to prevent gobbling. I just take an old, thick yellow pages and cut out a round section in the middle of the book and set the food plate in that circle. It's an elevated food dish on a budget.
She could have parasites, she could have gotten into something in your home like a loose carpet thread, or really anything. If she will let you, open her mouth and look under her tongue. If there is an obstruction- you won't see it except under her tongue.
Is she vomiting or is she regurgitating? Vomiting occurs sometime after the kitten eats- regurgitating while she is eating.
Good luck with her- and please see if you find a feline specialist around your area.
You can also provide her with organic catnip or catgrass after she eats- both aid in helping food pass through the system in a normal fashion.

 

[xocats]

Originally Posted by hissy

Give her 1/4 tab of Pepcid about an hour before she eats

hissy has offered some excellent ideas.

Regarding Pepcid....
there are some important things to be aware of if you choose to try Pepcid including...
how often to dose and the type of Pepcid to use.
You might want to give your vet a call before using Pepcid to extra safe.

The plain Famotidine (Pepcid AC) formula is not easy to find anymore.
I know for sure that the generic Famotidine (Pepcid AC) 10mg. is available at Target.
Start with the lowest dose possible every other day.

Bottom line...
Tanya's CRF site has excellent info about stomach acid.
http://www.felinecrf.org/treatments....g_stomach_acid

I hope that you get this issue resolved soon Lisa.
Trixe

 

[italysa]

Thanks, otto.

Yes, she is peeing and pooping normally. Nothing unusual, although about a week ago the poop smell was horrid! Back to normal now.

She was spayed last month.

I will check with my vet before I try pepcid. I just came from the pet store and the owner, who has cats, also suggested not giving her those junkie treats in a pouch. I have given her some from time to time, so maybe that was adding to it.

Hissy - She is vomiting, actually projectile sometimes; not regurgitating. She doesn't do it every day, sometimes 2 or 3 times a week at times and it's almost always in the middle of the night.

Also, her water dish (fountain) is about a foot or so away from her food. I don't have too many options of where to put it because of the outlet, although I could move her food further away. As far as dry food, I give her less than a hand full twice a day. There maybe as little as 15 or 20 kibbles and it's never in the dish long enough to spoil.

I am going to keep her on Evo and Precise for now. No treats or Fancy Feast in between and see if that makes a difference.

 

[otto]

Projectile vomiting says to me that something is messed up in her intestines or digestive tract. Blockages can cause projectile vomiting.

Also, a lot of gas can cause projectile vomiting. Gas can be caused by diet, or eating something she shouldn't. Gas build uip can also be caused by hair balls.

You might try rubbing her little tummy, to help break up any gas bubbles, and encouraging her to stretch, while doing it.

Definitely a trip to the vet is in order.

 

[italysa]

Thanks for the advice! I am calling the vet on Monday. She will usually see her in on the same day I call.

It's not always projectile vomiting, but it's not just regurgitation. I was wondering if maybe a hairball would cause that, even though I never actually see one come up. She does have short hair.

I could always see it with my other cat; she had long hair and it was always just the hairball that would come up, no food.

 

[februa]

Is she alert during these episodes? While I mostly agree with what everyone else says, it could also be a neurological disturbance ( such as a seizure). Does your cat behave differently before these events?

 

[italysa]

No, she still acts like herself, other than the lip smacking previous to vomiting. Even when she wakes up in the middle of night. She'll just start the lip smacking and within a few minutes she'll vomit.

It's been two nights since the last time threw up. No signs of lip smacking either. The only changes were putting the plant outside and no treats or Fancy Feast. Just EVO and Precise. She's eating a bit better too. She usually just nibbles and walks away. She's eating more of it before she walks away.

 

[xocats]

Just a thought...
I am glad that she seems to be doing better.
If health issues have been ruled out by your vet, in case she has a food sensitivity, you might want to try a vet prescribed limited ingredient diet.

My Isis had digestive issues. Finally after medication, testing with no results, we had almost immediate success with Royal Canin's limited ingredient, pea and venison diet.
They have other formulas too.
The link below will give you a good overview of the ingredients in some of the formulas.
http://www.royalcanin.us/cats/Veterinary_Diets.aspx

If you vet does not carry Royal Canin, it is available by prescription on line.

 

[italysa]

Thanks, xocats. I have thought of that too. I figured I would take everything else out of the equation first; plants, junk food, treats, and then go from there. If the vomiting starts again, she'll be back at the vet's. She has gone as long as 4 or 5 days without vomiting, but she usually still does the lip smacking in between, even without vomiting.

So far, no lip smacking either!

 

[xocats]

That is essentially what we did with Isis...
we ruled out health issues, then turned to food ingredients as the potential culprit.

Finding what they are sensitive to can be a real challenge.
The purpose is to feed a food that they have never eaten before.....
a very simple (novel) formula.

We tried Natural Balance venison & pea formula, which is available without a script, but it did not work for Isis. That is when we turned to prescription food. After almost a year, Isis is now able to eat small quantities of other food without tummy upset.
Recently, I talked to an interesting man at our local big box pet store who, after years of feeding different pre-made limited ingredient diets that eventually failed, he ended up cooking ground ostrich and pumpkin for her. She lived to the age of 13. A success for that very sensitive kitty.