My 11-year old cat is starting to vomit frequently after eating. Should I change to a different food?

[three4rd]

She has always had the same food since we got her as an approximately 1-yr. old. Age was never definitely determined. I used to feed her three times a day but then because of more frequent vomiting I divided her feeding into six times throughout the day: Two A.M. feedings - spaced roughly 90 minutes apart although it varies - are each about two (non-heaping) spoons of Little Friskies Paté (wet food). Two afternoon feedings are about 1/4 cup each of Little Friskies dry ("Seafood Sensations"), and then two P.M. feedings - also about 90 minutes to 2 hrs. apart are once again the approx. 2 spoons of the wet food. I suppose I'll be told that Little Friskies is not exactly the best stuff around and with her advancing age I'm betting it's likely not the best (or most easily digestible) choice? Hoping for some input. At this point I'd say she vomits every few days. Granted that we DID recently have a visit from my daugter and her cat for about a week, so that surely stressed out my cat, but my daughter has been gone now close to two weeks but maybe there is still excessive hair being shed and thus more hairball activity - though haven't seen any lately.

Thanks for any thoughts. Every few days of cleaning carpets is getting a tad old. If it's on the basement cement floor or upstairs hardwood floors that's no real big deal. Most important thing is I feel bad for her if she's not feeling well after eating. Recent vet annual check-up was back in April and all was well.

I forgot to add that besides the above feeding schedule, we also give her about 6 catnip-flavored "greenies" roughly around noon. She loves those things. Also, she has one of those ceramic tilted bowls - bought one for her about 2 years ago (for the same reason - increased vomiting, though not as often as lately).

 

[maggie101]

Since she is senior, full blood work there are many medical causes.. you are right about the food try fancy feast classics or depending on your budget rawz. No more dry. Very slowly mix in the other food. Take tops off litterboxes to watch her pee. Scatter water bowls and a fountain

 

[three4rd]

fancy feast classics

Is this considered a "better" food than Little Friskies?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
Pates have less gums/thickeners in the ingredients, but I've noticed that there have been other members whose cats have had digestive issues with Friskies.

Can you find another brand of treats that she might like and try that for a bit, again you're trying to find the source of the stomach upset. However, I agree that a vet visit is in order.

This might help
What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food? – TheCatSite Articles

How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food? – TheCatSite Articles

With all that vomiting, and that's not a lot of food, is she losing weight?

Next time there's another cat visiting, ensure that your resident cat gets a safe place for herself (much better would be that the visiting cat is contained to just one room) and that you use calming products.

Get a Bissell pet floor cleaner, I have the Little Green Pet Pro, they're frankly awesome.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. What is in the vomit - undigested food, partially digested, or no food at all - as in bile and/or hair? Any pattern to when she vomits? I know you said every few days, but I am looking more about if it relates to a specific food she is eating, or a specific time of day, and whether or not the food is somewhat digested before she throws it up and how close it is to her meal(s).

 

[three4rd]

Next time there's another cat visiting, ensure that your resident cat gets a safe place for herself (much better would be that the visiting cat is contained to just one room) and that you use calming products.

We did. My daughter's cat was contained to one room or else had the run of the house for an hour or two later at night once my cat was back downstairs in her crate. So they never came in direct contact. Also had several containers of feliway plugged in.

No evidence of losing weight. Acting and eating normally. I agree on vet appointment / bloodwork as has been suggested. I'd like the ears checked again cause she still does the head shaking at times.

 

[three4rd]

What is in the vomit - undigested food, partially digested,

I'd say partially digested food for sure - sometimes more solid, sometimes more liquid. AND sometimes simply a hairball, which is what some of this may be leading up to. Often has. I'd say it more looks like her wet food than the dry, although both are essentially the same colors. However, since you mention bile, sometimes it's just small puddles of (at least what looks like) mucus. It generally shows up fairly soon after she eats, but no hard and fast pattern to it.

 

[three4rd]

Can you find another brand of treats that she might like

Suggesting that perhaps the greenies are contributing to the problem? And yet she's been eating those for several years already.

 

[LTS3]

Possibly? I have heard on other cat forums that Greenies have caused upset tummies in cats. You can eliminate the Greenies from the diet for a couple of weeks to see if that makes any difference. Your cat probably won't notice the missing treats. If for some reason she does, try a healthy treat like freeze dried meat treats (PureBites, Vital Essentials, etc) or a small piece of plain cooked chicken. In the meantime, definitely get your cat to the vet. Vets are booked weeks in advance these days so be prepared to wait a bit to be seen.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Lots of good ideas/suggestions above! If by chance this could be hairball related, you can add a couple of drops of olive oil to her food or give her a dab of butter from your finger or place on her paw to lick it off. Sometimes, that is all it takes if it is related to hairballs. Not all vomit sessions end up producing a hairball - they can dislodge the hair, so it passes, or the hair just stays in the stomach anyway triggering additional vomiting. Regular brushings might help as well.

 

[maggie101]

Is this considered a "better" food than Little Friskies?

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Yes,it is though some cats do OK on this. if given with healthier food higher quality but added very slowly
My cats like weruva,tiki,Dr elseys,

 

[goingpostal]

Definitely a vet checkup and switch to a better quality food, I'd also toss the greenies treats entirely and stick to treats that are more species appropriate, since cats are obligate carnivores stuffing them full of grains is pretty hard on their system and not healthy at all. Treats are really a people thing anyways and far overdone in most animals. Puking that often is very concerning so hopefully a diet change will do the trick.

 

[three4rd]

Bumping this thread just to update. The fairly frequent vomiting desribed here must have settled down from last year and then seems to have restarted again the past few weeks. I made an appointment with my vet but unfortunately they can't get her in till next week. I know her ears still bother her occasionally so I've been doing my best to carefully clean them out. We'll do full blood work and go from there. They adivsed not changing any food for the time being till she has the appointment. I'm betting that part of this is that she simply eats too fast along with the hairball issue.

 

[three4rd]

I have heard on other cat forums that Greenies have caused upset tummies in cats.

This is an interesting observation. She gets these every day so surely an easy experiment to eliminate them for a few days and see if any difference.

 

[three4rd]

you can add a couple of drops of olive oil to her food

For years she always gets the omega-3 oil with her wet food. Wonder if she's developed some sort of intolerance to it.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

If you believe she is eating too fast you could try a slow feeder bowl. Is she on an all wet diet if so you can start by smashing the food on the bottom and sides of her current bowl if that doesn't slow her down then you could try to buy a slow feeder something like this one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQS29J7/?tag=thecatsite

 

[FeebysOwner]

It is hard to say what is going on - but it does sound like it could be an allergy of sorts, particularly when you mention ear issues too. If both the vomiting and ear issues stopped for a while, it could even be an environmental/seasonal allergy as opposed to food. Unless she only vomits after getting the omega-3, it is probably not the culprit - and especially not if she was taking it all during the time she wasn't exhibiting any issues. But you are doing what needs to be done to start with - full scale vet exam and a full senior blood panel to start with.

Did you make any changes from last year that could explain why she went for a while with no issues? Did you again make any changes recently?

 

[three4rd]

you could try a slow feeder bowl.

Thanks. That looks like a great idea, along with the various "puzzle" bowls, etc. We do have one that slants forward which is supposed to help with these regurgitation issues.

it could even be an environmental/seasonal allergy as opposed to food.

It was determined that she probably DID have some sort of allergy issue back in spring and was on chlorpheniramine 4 mg as well as tobramycin opthalmis solution for some eye discharge. Haven't needed either since summer started. Accumulation of gunk in the ears continues to be an issue. I'm going to have them clean them again next week. I do fairly well with it, but surely not as thorough a job.

Did you make any changes from last year that could explain why she went for a while with no issues? Did you again make any changes recently?

No changes in any food or living conditions.

 

[three4rd]

Hoping it doesn't turn out to be a hyperthyroid / CRF situation. I got to re-reading the entire history (that I chronicled here) of having gone through this with my cat Jasmine. Between juggling T4 levels, methimazole dosage (transdermal cream and later a liquid preparation), sub-Q fluids, appetite stimulant, and a hodgepodge of all kinds of other meds and herbal treatments, I look back on all that and don't know how I did it. A realization I've come to, however, quite long ago actually, is that I can't let a similar situation go on as long as I did back in 2010-2011. Just seems unfair to the animal. It's so easy to be subjective, rather than objective, when you're in the moment trying to do all you can to hang on...just a few more weeks, or days...hoping that things'll get better. In the meantime, it was a gradual downward spiral and my Jasmine was slowly wasting away.

I'm promising myself I won't go to any extreme measures with Marzipan. She deserves a more humane (or at least less prolonged) approach, if and when it would come to it. Noticed in my (MANY) posts during that hard time that I kept saying "I believe the time may be here to let go", and yet...I didn't. It just went on and on, too long in retrospect. Force feeding with a syringe? Seriously? Can't believe I did it. What we do out of love, I suppose, and not wanting to let go. Not sure I could go through all that again. I remember having a spreadsheet with the unbelievable number of meds that my cat, Jasmine, was using. HOPING HOPING that Marzi's bloodwork does not show any irregularities that point to hyperthyroidism. My sole experience with it is that it's a long, hard road man. Sorry for rambling, but the thought of there maybe being something medically wrong with Marzi just takes me right back to 2010.

 

[FeebysOwner]

My 19+ yo cat has hyperthyroidism, CKD, high BP, arthritis, and lymphoma. She isn't the same cat she once was, but maintains her weight, enjoys our company, and still gets around well enough to do 'her business'. I keep a spreadsheet of her daily meds and activities. But, while hyperthyroidism may have been her first diagnosed issue, there is no way to know it led to any of the other conditions she has. CKD often is going on - behind the scenes - and treating hyperthyroidism just reveals it.

It is hard, it is time consuming, it is emotional, it is everything you experienced. It is what I am doing and will do for my cat for as long as there are signs that she is not ready to go yet. Do I think she will 'tell' me when it is her time? No, I really don't, but I think I will get the clues that come my way. If you would ask me right now, would I do it again - my inclination would be to severely hesitate. But, if posed with it, I pretty much think I would.

Don't get ahead of yourself. Your cat (relatively speaking to me) is 'young' yet.