Throwing Up

[sydney]

A week or two ago my cat Logan was throwing up for a couple days, it was food. I didn’t think much of it cause he was acting normal otherwise.

Then for the last week when I wake up I have found throw up on my couch, it was more like water and since it was on my couch I couldn’t see the color. But this am I found two spots on the floor and they both had the consistency of water but brown/red in color. He is still acting normal, I see him drink water and eat. I made an appt for the vet on Thursday for him but I’ve never seen vomit from a cat like this before. Any ideas what can cause it?

He’s been eating the same food he always eats, no treats or anything irregular. Drinking water. Acting normal.

Thanks

 

[Kieka]

If you can see a vet sooner I would. My worry would be some sort of obstruction at this point and those are better to treat sooner. How are his litter box habits?

 

[LuckyGirl82]

Hi,
How old is Logan?? I have two 16 year old cats & they throw up pretty much everyday. Our vet even told us he had an older cat that threw up food everyday it’s no cause for concern. It’s when they are throwing up multiple times in the day when a vet should be seen.

Does Logan go outside? Our cats love to go out & eat grass so they come in & puke it up right on our carpet. Sometimes seeing your vet helps just for peace of mind I know I’m like that. We just took my Lucky to the ER vet last night because she’s suffering from vertigo & I still want to go to my own vet for peace of mind but then I don’t want to stress her out she hates the cat carrier.

 

[daftcat75]

Our vet even told us he had an older cat that threw up food everyday it’s no cause for concern. It’s when they are throwing up multiple times in the day when a vet should be seen.

That's horrible advice from a vet. Vomiting in cats, while sadly common, is never normal. Even with hairballs, it can point to a gut motility disorder. Cats should be able to pass ingested hair in feces. Today's infrequent vomiting can become tomorrow's IBD or lymphoma if left unaddressed while waiting for it to get worse. But vomiting can also be a symptom of any number of diseases and disorders. And even if it pointed to nothing, repeated vomiting is irritating and inflammatory.

To the OP, if your cat is acting normally, eating okay, not lethargic, you can probably wait for your Thursday appointment. But, as frustrating and expensive as the various tests can be, if this is a regular occurrence, or becoming one, you should see this through to a diagnosis. Habitual vomiting rarely resolves on its own and it will likely only get worse the longer it goes unaddressed.

 

[sydney]

Thanks for the replies. Logan is about one and a half years old.

I’m definitely going to be doing whatever is necessary to make sure he is ok. I’d love to take him in sooner but I’m so busy today and had to go to Urgent Care for myself. and one of my dogs has lymphoma and has a consult with an oncologist far away tomorrow so Thursday is the quickest I can go. I’m juggling so much right now!

I’ve had a cat before who threw up food a lot, did so many tests and even xrays to see what was happening but the final conclusion was he was eating too fast.

My concern is the look of the throw up, cause it doesn’t look like food, bile, or hair balls. If he was showing another other symptoms I would take him to emergency no question.

I’ll keep you all posted, thanks again!

 

[LuckyGirl82]

Thanks for the replies. Logan is about one and a half years old.

I’m definitely going to be doing whatever is necessary to make sure he is ok. I’d love to take him in sooner but I’m so busy today and had to go to Urgent Care for myself. and one of my dogs has lymphoma and has a consult with an oncologist far away tomorrow so Thursday is the quickest I can go. I’m juggling so much right now!

I’ve had a cat before who threw up food a lot, did so many tests and even xrays to see what was happening but the final conclusion was he was eating too fast.

My concern is the look of the throw up, cause it doesn’t look like food, bile, or hair balls. If he was showing another other symptoms I would take him to emergency no question.

I’ll keep you all posted, thanks again!

I totally understand. My little guys go outside so they throw up grass constantly & then they groom each other so we got lots of hair balls. Hopefully it’s nothing serious! Sending lots of prayers!

 

[sydney]

So today Logan threw up what looked like watered down blood, i took him to the hospital and is is staying overnight. Did xrays and they came back ok, bloodwork showed he is dehydrated which is to be expected with his throwing up. I also don’t think he has been eating or drinking much the last couple days. They put him on iv fluids, gave him some injections. They will call me tomorrow with an update. We will probably do an endoscopy. Not sure what’s causing this.

 

[LuckyGirl82]

So today Logan threw up what looked like watered down blood, i took him to the hospital and is is staying overnight. Did xrays and they came back ok, bloodwork showed he is dehydrated which is to be expected with his throwing up. I also don’t think he has been eating or drinking much the last couple days. They put him on iv fluids, gave him some injections. They will call me tomorrow with an update. We will probably do an endoscopy. Not sure what’s causing this.

Oh no! I hope Logan is okay & it’s something simple. Sending prayers over your way! Keep us posted!

 

[MissClouseau]

Hospitalization is good to keep them hydrated. I hope you get the best possible news. All the good wishes to you!

 

[sydney]

Thank you.

The vet just called and said Logan is doing well, seems to be in good spirits and hasn’t vomited overnight. They didn’t try feeding him though cause he is having a procedure today. They are going to do the endoscopy and get some biopsy’s this afternoon. Hope we figure out what’s causing this.

 

[LuckyGirl82]

Thank you.

The vet just called and said Logan is doing well, seems to be in good spirits and hasn’t vomited overnight. They didn’t try feeding him though cause he is having a procedure today. They are going to do the endoscopy and get some biopsy’s this afternoon. Hope we figure out what’s causing this.

So glad he was able to hold food down that’s a great sign! Let’s hope all results come back clear

 

[sydney]

The vet just called, they saw some mild inflammation in his stomach and intestines but said it was nothing to serious. They sent out the biopsy’s but won’t get the results till next week, he said once we get those results back we should know more about what’s causing this. It could be IBS or a numerous other things. Once he wakes up they are going to try feeding him and see if he eats and if he does if he throws up. He said he seems in good spirits. He’s spending another night there.

 

[Kieka]

We have a lot of threads on IBS. What food are you currently feeding?

 

[sydney]

Purina kitten. He’s been on it a while with no issues. I thought IBS symptoms were mostly poop and pooping related? Cause he doesn’t have those symptoms

 

[sabian]

I don't want to jump the gun or cause undue alarm but, you may want to do an ultra sound just to be safe. My late Maine Coon had a tendency to throw up and not nearly everyday. He always seemed normal. Now, he was 16 yrs old and looking back, there were several signs I should have picked up on and just wrote off as old age. He just one day stopped eating and 5 days later he passed from cancer.

Blood test didn't show anything, x-rays showed suspicion but, ultra sound was conclusive. I wouldn't waste money on blood test and x-rays if it comes to that. Go straight to ultra sound and save your money. Not all vets do that, mostly emergency vets. You can schedule it but the one I went to had like a 5 month back log. I went in as an emergency and I don't think it was but around $300.

I'm just throwing it out there!!! Throwing up blood doesn't sound good to me though.

 

[sydney]

That’s what I was thinking too. We did do blood work and xrays and they showed up negative, now we are waiting on the biopsy results that don’t come back till next week. I can get them to do an ultrasound easy and I’ll ask them to do that tomorrow.

I was thinking the same thing only cause in July I brought in my dog and it was the same thing , bloodwork and xrays were negative, did ultrasound and biopsy and that’s when they found her lymphoma, and I just found out a couple days ago she only has 3 months left. So now I keep thinking the same thing is happening to the cat, however the cat is only 2 years old, it’s not as common in such young animals but it is possible.
I really hope it isn’t.

 

[LuckyGirl82]

That’s what I was thinking too. We did do blood work and xrays and they showed up negative, now we are waiting on the biopsy results that don’t come back till next week. I can get them to do an ultrasound easy and I’ll ask them to do that tomorrow.

I was thinking the same thing only cause in July I brought in my dog and it was the same thing , bloodwork and xrays were negative, did ultrasound and biopsy and that’s when they found her lymphoma, and I just found out a couple days ago she only has 3 months left. So now I keep thinking the same thing is happening to the cat, however the cat is only 2 years old, it’s not as common in such young animals but it is possible.
I really hope it isn’t.

I am so sorry! Still sending positive vibes your way that everything will be okay!

 

[sabian]

I'm really sorry to hear about your dog and do hope it's not the case with your kitty!

Yeah, If I had it to do over with I would have started with ultra sound and worked my way back to x-ray, then blood work which, wouldn't have been needed and I could have spent about a 3rd of what I did. Vets should know this too! Don't get me wrong I didn't mind spending it on him but, that whole situation was a debacle. I think some vets are recommending doing an ultra sound every few years which I could see.

I had a vet I loved and they sold the practice. The new owners were a joke and I switched. The one I switched to isn't much better. They just want to up sale and put my cat under for every little procedure. He breaks out in a rash every time he leaves there and I have to take him back for a cortisone shot and antibiotics. They say. well he's just got an allergy. I feel like saying. YEAH! He's allergic to your clinic!!! I'm changing to another one next time I have to take him in.

Best of luck with the results. Let us know what you find out!

 

[Kieka]

Purina kitten. He’s been on it a while with no issues. I thought IBS symptoms were mostly poop and pooping related? Cause he doesn’t have those symptoms

Vomiting can be related to IBS. My cat was throwing up nearly daily until we switched him off poultry. We never had him tested since it stopped when we changed food. It could be IBS or food sensitivity in my case.

Hopefully, it is something manageable for you.