Miss Kitty throwing up

[2ketzels]

~~Miss Kitty has always had a delicate digestive system but lately she's throwing up every time I feed her. I thought I was on a winning streak when I discovered she really liked trout Fancy Feast but then...one day she threw that up too. for a while I thought it only happened when I slept in on the weekends and she didn't get her regular feeding at 7AM but now...when I get home from work, I try to feed her and just now she threw up again. I usually feed her wet in the morning and Blue dry food at night - today, after work, she threw up the Blue dry food too. i think she gets so hungry that she eats too fast. on the weekend i can usually feed her a little here, a little there but i can't do that during the week. i am concerned and the last time i took her to the vet they kept her overnight and the bill was $700 plus Fortiflora ($45). should i try to feed her human food? i've never done that. i just don't know what to do. looking forward to your answer...

 

[2ketzels]

by the way, Miss Kitty is about 6+ years - I don't know exactly because I adopted her as a 'used cat'

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

FortiFlora is more for diarrhea than vomiting, as far as I have ever heard.  Did the Vet say anything about IBD?  From the sounds of it, it's very possible that's what you're dealing with, although we can't make a diagnosis via the internet.  What did the Vet say he thought was the issue?  Did he make any food recommendations, etc.  I will tell you that I don't think that particular Fancy Feast is grain free, (only the CLASSIC line is grain free) and grains could very well be causing her problems.  Also, not sure which Blue you are feeding her, but if she does have IBD, dry food is not really good for her at all. 

When she throws up, is it just bile, just froth, or her food?  How long after she eats does this happen?  Also, I saw in your pm to me that you just started her on childrens probiotics and she threw up shortly thereafter.  I think probiotics are good, but more for diarrhea, similarly to Fortiflora.  I am not really familiar with childrens probiotics, but don't know why they wouldn't be ok.  I give mine the same ones I take.

When you say she has had a delicate digestive system , exactly what is her history...any diarrhea, or just an occasional vomit?  And what else should we know about that?  (best to respond here vs a p.m. so everyone can see it...the more eyes on, the more responses

)

 

[2ketzels]

I didn't know that about Fortiflora, thank you for enlightening me. I can't remember what the vet said now; it was 2 yrs ago since i brought her in. He wasn't quite as helpful as you.

what is IBD - some sort of intestinal disorder?

lately I have been feeding her Blue Wilderness duck, altho i also have purchased Blue 'sensitive stomachs' and salmon and that has been fine.

is bile a messy, clear fluid? - that is what she is throwing up, along with the food

she doesn't suffer from diarrhoea. She doesn't vomit 'occasionally' but....at least once a week which i regard as frequent since Boy never regurgitates at all!

NEWS:  Tonight I just fed her trout Fancy Feast WITH children's antibiotics sprinkled on it and she seems fine now. She ate at 2 small sessions and seems ok. she hasn't finished her plate but at least she seems sedentary. whew!

I must thank you again for your kind assistance - hope all goes well in the future!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

IBD is Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which is fairly common these days in cats.  Possibly because so many people feed them dry food, which is not really a natural food for cats.  (I'm guessing here that this is a reason for why IBD is suddenly so common).  Here is a website dedicated to specifically to IBD http://www.ibdkitties.net/index.html.  As I understand it, the only way to definitely prove whether or not a cat has IBD is thru an intestinal biopsy, but you can at least read up on it to see if Miss Kitty seems to fit the profile.

As far as throwing up bile, bile is either yellowish or green, not what you describe.  What you are describing, the clear stuff, is normally indicatng too much stomach acid, and that is usually from them going too long without eating.  So that must be different from what she experienced recently after she ate her food, then thru up, unless it was several hours later.  And to avoid that, you could simply give her one or two treats in between her meals, if possible.  I give mine freeze dried 100% whole meats, like PureBites.

Anyway, glad to hear in your update that (at least as of your update) she had kept her meal down.  Maybe her throwing up had something to do with the dry food change?  Even though it was the same brand, just changing from the sensitive stomach to the duck can upset their tummies and should be done slowly. 

I would say even vomiting only once a week is too frequently.  It is not normal for living beings to throw up unless something is wrong.  Even hairballs should actually go out the back end vs the front end if everything is working smoothly

  (most people don't realize that)

 

[2ketzels]

thank you so much for your information. I don't think she has IBD, after reading from that website. Perhaps I should give you some more particulars:  I have 2 kitties; they don't go outdoors; I have always fed them wet in the morning and dry at night; for the last month or so the dry food has been Blue wilderness duck with no problems.

i was perplexed because just recently miss kitty threw up her wet food and then later when i fed her dry - i didn't want to re-introduce the same type of wet food she had already hurled - then she threw the dry up.

yes, i admit they do go for a fair amount of time between feedings; as i think i said:  7 am and then 6 pm.  perhaps I should do the 2nd feeding at 4PM?  by the way she never throws up a few hours later - it's usually within minutes so it would seem, as you say, to indicate a long time between feedings but I can't do anything about that, I have to work

how long IS a long time between feedings anyway?  and I thought that some people only feed once a day - is that right?

News:  yesterday night and today day I sprinkled children's probiotics on the wet food and let her eat a little, then took it away and then after an hour or so, if she asked for it, I gave her her bowl back etc etc. so far, it's 4:21pm now and no problems. by the way she never ever throws up hairballs - Mr Kitty does that all on his own!  and...Mr Kitty is one enthusiastic and large kitty (they're brother & sister, adopted together) - he shakes his tail so hard in excitement, sits for his bowl and must be attached to a leash so his sister can have her food in the other room since he tends to steal any food he can find (he likes 'hunting') esp after she's left her dish! he places his head face down into the bowl and the food flies EVERY where...hahaha!  really he is TOO amusing - she, on the other hand, is the delicate, dainty flower

thanks again