Vomiting hours after eating???

[numystic]

Have two cats that have made the transition to 100% raw.  About 30 days now following an effortless transition from premium canned, and they've been absolutely loving their new diet with no concerns whatsoever. Feeding ground proteins from Hare Today. (duck, rabbit, turkey) For the last few days one of my cats has been throwing up every other meal, not right after eating, but hours after feeding time. Just happened at 11pm after a 6pm feeding.  She was just relaxing before vomiting, so no heavy play or activity right before either.  Also not linked to a specific protein that I can tell as I'm fairly certain the last time was rabbit or duck, and this time definitely was the turkey. What are some of the possible reasons for this? Besides my concern for what is causing the vomiting in general, I'm also worried about the fact that at this point she's eaten only 50% of her normal dietary intake for a few days now.

 

[mimi507]

This usually happens to my cat as well, but it's nothing to worry about.

i took him to the vets, and they said it is probably just a stomach upset - cats sometimes have them for days.

I'm no expert, but maybe you should send yours to the vets too, in case it has swallowed anything. 

 

[finnlacey]

Vomiting for days like this after eating is not normal. Have you added or done anything different? Have you noticed any other changes like lack of appetite, sleeping more, lethargic, anything like that? Are they vomiting hair at all? I think if this continues into tomorrow it's time for a vet visit. She could have a virus of some kind or some kind of bacterial infection. 

 

[numystic]

Vomiting for days like this after eating is not normal. Have you added or done anything different? Have you noticed any other changes like lack of appetite, sleeping more, lethargic, anything like that? Are they vomiting hair at all? I think if this continues into tomorrow it's time for a vet visit. She could have a virus of some kind or some kind of bacterial infection. 

Nothing different, no other changes, no hairballs. Happy and playful as ever otherwise, and the most odd is once again it is not after every meal, but every second meal. If it wasn't so odd and mysterious I wouldn't have posted. lol

And yes, of course if this persists for much longer I'll get her to the vet. Was just wondering if anyone else had encountered something similar. 

Thanks mimi and finn for the feedback. Of course anyone else that might have something to share I'm all ears! 

 

[finnlacey]

Yes, my Finnegan has recently had a bout like that where he'd vomit quite awhile after eating and it was a certain food I gave him. He doesn't get raw because he won't eat it 

 but they do get only grain free wet food. A specific food was doing it and I've eliminated that. I know you said you are giving 3 different proteins, I hate to say this but I wonder if it's the place you're getting it. I know Hare Today is very reputable so I can't see how that would be. Just throwing stuff out there for ideas. Is she maybe eating way too fast and not digesting it completely?

 

[violet]

Originally posted by NuMystic

Nothing different, no other changes, no hairballs. Happy and playful as ever otherwise, and the most odd is once again it is not after every meal, but every second meal. If it wasn't so odd and mysterious I wouldn't have posted. lol

There is something in one meal that is causing the problems. I would look at very closely the meal before "every second meal" and start from there. Also, I would look at the entire diet.

Some foods have an incredible (negative) effect on digestion and it can take time for this effect to become noticeable and start causing problems because the effect is basically the result of individual body chemistry and how the digestive system reacts to certain foods or ingredients. (Some things that end up in foods never show up on labels and this can make tracing a digestive problem even more difficult.)

This kind of problem is an incredibly frustrating one. It can be difficult to figure out but figuring it out anyway is worth every effort. (Speaking from experience here.)

(Also, supplements can also cause unsuspected but very serious problems.)

 

[numystic]

There is something in one meal that is causing the problems. I would look at very closely the meal before "every second meal" and start from there. Also, I would look at the entire diet.

Thanks for responding Violet. It can't be something in one meal as there isn't anything in one that isn't in the others apart from the core protein. Since she's vomited more than one, as well as kept down the same ones on other occasions that doesn't seem to be the case.

Being that they're being fed nothing but ground turkey, rabbit, and duck at the moment there aren't any labeling and ingredient issues to even consider! No allergens, no fillers, nothing.

Thank you so much for sharing so much of your wisdom though.

Last two meals have stayed down. Fingers crossed.

I hate to say this but I wonder if it's the place you're getting it. I know Hare Today is very reputable so I can't see how that would be.

If both cats were having a reaction I'd certainly be concerned about that as well, but since it's only her I doubt it's any problem on the supply side.

Just throwing stuff out there for ideas. Is she maybe eating way too fast and not digesting it completely?

I appreciate all the ideas! Heck, I know a definitive diagnosis isn't going to come from an internet forum, but I do value the community's collective experience immensely.

I always thought that the eating too fast thing is linked to vomiting right after. Can that actually be something which results in regurgitating food many hours later as well?  

 

[violet]

Originally posted by NuMystic

It can't be something in one meal as there isn't anything in one that isn't in the others apart from the core protein. Since she's vomited more than one, as well as kept down the same ones on other occasions that doesn't seem to be the case.
Being that they're being fed nothing but ground turkey, rabbit, and duck at the moment there aren't any labeling and ingredient issues to even consider! No allergens, no fillers, nothing.

Core protein is always one very important thing to look at. Also, never ending repetition of the same ingredients, the frequency of the same ingredients in the diet is exactly the thing that can lead to reactions.

I realize there are no labels but, even if there were, some things never get on labels.

Anything in food, the protein source itself, can become an "allergen". Handling of the food source by the company selling it can also cause unanticipated problems. There are certain things in the food (most foods, actually) we will never know about. And, unfortunately a food does not have to be an obvious allergen, or contain ingredients that may be called allergens, to start causing reactions.

With digestive symptoms and the reduced food intake you mentioned, I would have a chemistry profile done as soon as possible to rule out some unexpected problems ( involving the liver and pancreas most importantly), have my vet check for inflammation in the digestive tract, and start a very necessary overhaul of the diet even if symptoms seem to clear up. (Inflammation can be present without causing immediate noticeable problems and lead to more serious problems down the road, which is why vomiting and reduced appetite should never be ignored.)

 

[violet]

NuMystic, just a thought.

I'm worried and concerned that you never responded to my follow up post(s) and that we never had a chance to talk.

My posts to you came from experience - seemingly insignificant problems that turned out to have significant underlying causes.

Please think about what I was trying to share with you. 

 

[numystic]

No cause for concern Violet I'm simply continuing to monitor what she's eating and keeping track of results. 

The last time she heaved anything up was 3 days ago and it was only the tiniest bit of liquid surrounding a tuft of hair. 

Has held every meal down since, but I'm continuing to monitor and watch for any signs of anything wrong. 

So 3 days without any problems and there has never been a sign of other discomfort or lack of appetite. As happy, playful, hungry, and spry as ever.

I very much appreciate your thoughtful replies, but I'm also not going to go into a panic either because she threw up a total of 3 times over 2 days and has not once since. 

 

[violet]

Well........I hope you can forgive me for saying this but, for whatever reason, there seems to be a big difference between your original post and what you're saying now.

Anyway.........there is also a big difference between panicking and doing a precautionary vet visit that includes some testing to make sure everything is all right.

 

[numystic]

Well........I hope you can forgive me for saying this but, for whatever reason, there seems to be a big difference between your original post and what you're saying now.

Anyway.........there is also a big difference between panicking and doing a precautionary vet visit that includes some testing to make sure everything is all right.

Please do share how there is a big difference between my original post and what I'm saying now? Other than of course the obvious which is that my pet stopped vomiting since making the post? 

 

[violet]

I hope you can forgive me for saying I have no intention of continuing this discussion.

 

[numystic]

Nothing to forgive as I think that's a very wise choice.

I do appreciate your having taken the time to share your experience and clearly well intentioned concerns. 

 

[violet]

Oh please........

 

[numystic]

Every word I've said has been earnest and sincere. What is your problem? 

 

[violet]

My problem? 

Perhaps......posters that can't be reached....... 

 

[carolina]

In my experience, when this happened with my cats, every time it was hairballs. It has happened a few times to Bugsy, and I have taken him to the vet- he explained to me that this happens when the hairball is lodged in the bottom of the stomach, trying to reach the intestinal tract. So the food sits in the stomach for hours, until that it is expelled as it can't make its way through the digestive system. Because the hairball is lodged, the cat won't vomit it up.
You can help the hairball down with Vaseline, butter, hairball meds, etc. In more serious cases, such as Bugsys, where he was vomiting every meal, the vet put him on a 12 hour fast, gave a shot of cerenia, and hairball meds. This helped the stomach to calm down, and gave some time for the hairball to pass.
I had this happen with Bugsy and Lucky. Imho It seems that your kitty might have had the same thing, and the hairball dislodged. Reactions to the food with raw I get with immediate
vomit, or diarrhea (reactions to the proteins). If the food was bad, kitty would be quite ill- violent diarrhea, much more vomit, fever, lethargy. Imho your symptoms fit lodged hairballs.
They are all on daily egg lecithin to prevent hairballs now.
Hope this helps,

 

[numystic]

Thanks so much for the feedback Carolina, I suspect you're right, especially given the passing of the small tuft of hair. 

I did check out a number of veterinarian written articles on the subject and they all said that there was no cause for alarm unless there are other symptoms or the vomiting persists for more than a couple of days.

Being that this only lasted 48 hours without any other signs of duress and the vomiting has abated for 3 1/2 days now, I'm much more at ease. Of course I'll continue watching closely for anything that might point to something more systemic. Being that she's a rescue, a trip to the vet is a deeply traumatic experience for her that can take days to recover from so I'm very relieved that nothing has really pointed to something more serious. 

On the subject of hairball remedies, I've been using Vet's Best Hairball Relief twice daily which both cats go nuts for as if it's the best treat in the world! Not sure how it compares to others though. The active ingredients are:

Psyllium Seed ............................... 50mg

Marshmallow (Althea Officinalis) .. 25mg

Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmas Fulva)... 25mg

Allzyme (Lactobacillus Acidophillus, Aspergillus Oryzae, Bacillus Subtiles, Papain, Amylase, Protease) .............2mg

Papaya Extract (Papain) ..................2mg 

Would you suggest trying the egg lecithin over this?

 

[carolina]

Well, Slippery Elm is deffinitely a good one.... I am not fond of Psylllium, but that's just me.
I am having GREAT success with Egg Lecithin, and it was actually the solution I found for Bugsy's and Lucky's quite severe Hairball problem (Lucky had a complete blockage, and Bugsy had to be hurried to the ER, having a couple of vet visits due to HB also). My vet had suggested laxatone, but Bugsy couldn't handle. He does handle vaseline, but I wanted a natural solution.
In my research, I noticed that a lot of the raw feeding community uses Egg Lecithin as a Hairball remedy. I started with 1/2 capsule 2x a week - that is the usual dosage.
It was too little for Bugsy - now he takes 1 capsule a day, and the others 1/2 capsule a day.
It has been working wonders!

For those who need extra help, A dose of Slippery Elm twice a week seems to do the trick, when used in addition to the Egg Lecithin.
The kitties LOVE their Egg Lecithin too!!!