Vomiting Up Dry Food

[cats5]

My Siamese, Nicky, who is 11 1/2 yrs old, here lately has been vomiting up his dry food. My cats eat the Royal Canin Urinary SO wet & dry food as they have had UA issues in the past & this food seems to agree with them & prevents some UA issues. I normally feed the 1/4 can in the am & 1/4 can in the pm & dry food thru out the day when they insist. On occasion, throwing up dry food is not a problem but here lately, Nicky has been throwing up his dry food on a regular basis, no matter how little I give him & yet he wants the dry food. I plan on taking him in on Wed. when I have to take Mr. Topaz in for a recheck & maybe have some x-rays done as well as blood work even though he appears to be normal as always except for the vomiting. Has anyone else experience this with there older cats?? All my cats are strictly indoors & I always take them in yearly for a wellness exam, blood work, etc.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Unfortunately, I have not experienced this with Feeby (14+) who has been on both dry & wet Royal Canin SO (as well as Hills C/D dry and wet). Does Nicky throw up at all when he eats the canned?

I haven't noticed it, but could they have changed the formula for the dry and there is now something in it that doesn't agree with him? I do know that Hills offers chicken and ocean fish flavor, but in my location I have only seen chicken in the Royal Canin SO. Is there a chance that where ever you are located they offer a different flavor than just chicken and you picked it up accident? If so, could explain the vomiting.

If you have a old and new bag, compare the ingredients.

 

[maggie101]

Can you check his gums? Good you are taking him to the vet. No experience either! Can you water it down?

 

[daftcat75]

Take him in. It could be dental issues or it could be the start of IBD or any number of reasons that makes a cat barf. But that you say it's his dry food suggests it is coming back in kibble-shaped pieces. This would suggest regurgitation more than IBD. In any case, stop offering the dry food. Bringing it back up is not doing him any favors and could be causing harm (irritation/inflammation) if it's a daily occurrence now.

 

[lisahe]

I agree about taking Nicky to the vet -- there are lots of things that could be causing the vomiting.

Our previous cat had digestive issues and one of her symptoms was vomiting up food, often regurgitated. She, too, generally seemed to be fine but over the years she developed what was most likely IBD. (She was pretty old, at least 17, and had a lot of health issues and was too frail for testing!)

Another thing to keep in mind: our cat specialist vet told us that Siamese cats are particularly likely to have digestive problems. She recommends grain-free, high-protein, low-carb wet foods for all cats but particularly for Siamese because they're what's most digestible for cats. That's how we feed the two Siamese mixes we have now: they're almost six and have, shall we say, some digestive oddities but they stay under control most of the time with their all-wet diet and lots of small feedings each day.

Good luck!

 

[mizzely]

We had this issue with my senior who passed. We had good results with putting her bowl about 6" off the ground so she wasn't crouched to eat, and smaller, frequent meals.

 

[daftcat75]

We had this issue with my senior who passed. We had good results with putting her bowl about 6" off the ground so she wasn't crouched to eat, and smaller, frequent meals.

I think smaller, frequent meals might not have prevented Krista's IBD but certainly would have slowed its onset. I think a lot of cat food manufacturers over-estimate the size of a cat's stomach with their feeding suggestions. Every cat is different but mine will give back any meal larger than 2 oz (56 g.)

 

[cats5]

Hi. Unfortunately, I have not experienced this with Feeby (14+) who has been on both dry & wet Royal Canin SO (as well as Hills C/D dry and wet). Does Nicky throw up at all when he eats the canned?

I haven't noticed it, but could they have changed the formula for the dry and there is now something in it that doesn't agree with him? I do know that Hills offers chicken and ocean fish flavor, but in my location I have only seen chicken in the Royal Canin SO. Is there a chance that where ever you are located they offer a different flavor than just chicken and you picked it up accident? If so, could explain the vomiting.

If you have a old and new bag, compare the ingredients.

No, Nicky only vomits up the dry food not the wet. I'm not a big fan of Hills Science Diet & my cats are not too crazy about it either but they do like the Royal Canin SO food & have been on it for a very long time. No, the dry only comes in one flavor & like I said, he's use to eating it & never had any issues with it until recently.

 

[cats5]

Can you check his gums? Good you are taking him to the vet. No experience either! Can you water it down?

His gums look fine & we have 5 cats that eat this food but they only get a few bites & it would be hard to water down just a couple of kibbles & especially since they all eat the dry in the same room.

 

[cats5]

Take him in. It could be dental issues or it could be the start of IBD or any number of reasons that makes a cat barf. But that you say it's his dry food suggests it is coming back in kibble-shaped pieces. This would suggest regurgitation more than IBD. In any case, stop offering the dry food. Bringing it back up is not doing him any favors and could be causing harm (irritation/inflammation) if it's a daily occurrence now.

Your right about not giving him any dry food but he will drive you crazy as he wants it so bad & will keep pestering you into the room where the dry food is kept & than of course, the other 4 cats come running as they want some, too. And yes, it comes back in kibble shaped pieces with some yellow bile.

 

[cats5]

I agree about taking Nicky to the vet -- there are lots of things that could be causing the vomiting.

Our previous cat had digestive issues and one of her symptoms was vomiting up food, often regurgitated. She, too, generally seemed to be fine but over the years she developed what was most likely IBD. (She was pretty old, at least 17, and had a lot of health issues and was too frail for testing!)

Another thing to keep in mind: our cat specialist vet told us that Siamese cats are particularly likely to have digestive problems. She recommends grain-free, high-protein, low-carb wet foods for all cats but particularly for Siamese because they're what's most digestible for cats. That's how we feed the two Siamese mixes we have now: they're almost six and have, shall we say, some digestive oddities but they stay under control most of the time with their all-wet diet and lots of small feedings each day.

Good luck!

Yes, I will be taking Nicky into the vet tomorrow to get checked out. As far as what to feed him, since he has had a lot of UA issues in the past, my vet recommended the Royal Canin SO Urinary food & that is what I feed all 5 cats. But I will discuss this with him tomorrow & since he only vomits the dry food maybe I can offer him a different type of dry food instead. What brand do you feed your Siamese????

 

[cats5]

We had this issue with my senior who passed. We had good results with putting her bowl about 6" off the ground so she wasn't crouched to eat, and smaller, frequent meals.

I do have raised bowls for the cats dry food & it doesn't matter if its only a few bites thru out the day, he will still upchuck it.

 

[cats5]

I think smaller, frequent meals might not have prevented Krista's IBD but certainly would have slowed its onset. I think a lot of cat food manufacturers over-estimate the size of a cat's stomach with their feeding suggestions. Every cat is different but mine will give back any meal larger than 2 oz (56 g.)

I never give the amount of food that is listed on the can or bag as I split 1 can of Royal Canin SO wet food into 5 portions which they get in the am & pm.

 

[lisahe]

Yes, I will be taking Nicky into the vet tomorrow to get checked out. As far as what to feed him, since he has had a lot of UA issues in the past, my vet recommended the Royal Canin SO Urinary food & that is what I feed all 5 cats. But I will discuss this with him tomorrow & since he only vomits the dry food maybe I can offer him a different type of dry food instead. What brand do you feed your Siamese????

We don't feed our cats any dry food at all. Their canned wet food brands include Wellness Core, Weruva (mostly Cats in the Kitchen), Nutro Natural Choice, Fancy Feast Classics, Feline Natural, Fromm (when their one kind is available), Rawz (when they feel like eating it), and occasional cans of Koha duck stew. The bulk of their diet is homemade cooked food (which is less work than it sounds like it you buy premixed supplements) and freeze-dried commercial raw.

I don't know anything about urinary issues in cats but the big thing with our cats is to keep their carbs as low as possible, particularly since one cat vomits from potato. That's apparently not especially common, though other Cat Site members have also seen reactions to potato. Since you said Nicky vomits only from the dry food, I have to wonder if perhaps the corn in the dry formula is the problem. There's corn in the wet version of the Royal Canin food but it's much lower on the ingredient list and in a different form. Although the "grain-free" label takes a lot of abuse -- because many pet food manufacturers just replace grains with other carby, fattening filler ingredients like potatoes, peas, and lentils -- I still think "grain-free" is a good starting point when choosing cat foods.

Siamese cats' stomachs are really tricky, which is why keeping recipes as simple and meat-based as possible seems to work best for our cats!

Good luck with the vet appointment!

 

[cats5]

We don't feed our cats any dry food at all. Their canned wet food brands include Wellness Core, Weruva (mostly Cats in the Kitchen), Nutro Natural Choice, Fancy Feast Classics, Feline Natural, Fromm (when their one kind is available), Rawz (when they feel like eating it), and occasional cans of Koha duck stew. The bulk of their diet is homemade cooked food (which is less work than it sounds like it you buy premixed supplements) and freeze-dried commercial raw.

I don't know anything about urinary issues in cats but the big thing with our cats is to keep their carbs as low as possible, particularly since one cat vomits from potato. That's apparently not especially common, though other Cat Site members have also seen reactions to potato. Since you said Nicky vomits only from the dry food, I have to wonder if perhaps the corn in the dry formula is the problem. There's corn in the wet version of the Royal Canin food but it's much lower on the ingredient list and in a different form. Although the "grain-free" label takes a lot of abuse -- because many pet food manufacturers just replace grains with other carby, fattening filler ingredients like potatoes, peas, and lentils -- I still think "grain-free" is a good starting point when choosing cat foods.

Siamese cats' stomachs are really tricky, which is why keeping recipes as simple and meat-based as possible seems to work best for our cats!

Good luck with the vet appointment!

Thanks for all the info & guess I will find out tomorrow when I go in, what's going on. I prefer wet food as well & they get mostly that but they do like a few dry kibbles thru out the day, like a snack & I've never had an issue with giving them this snack except here lately, only with Nicky. He is relentless when he wants his snack & constantly pesters me until I give him some. Depending on what the vet says & his diagnosis, maybe I can give him some sort of dry treat instead of the dry food as an option. I do like some of the food brands you listed. Just hoping whatever the problem is, it is nothing serious as I have worried Mom syndrome as these 4 legged kids are the only kids I have ever had & they mean the world to me & I will do whatever is necessary to keep them happy & healthy for as long as possible. My last cat, Rachel was 23 yrs old when I had to say goodbye to her & I was very fortunate to have her all those many years but it still was painful to lose her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

No, Nicky only vomits up the dry food not the wet. I'm not a big fan of Hills Science Diet & my cats are not too crazy about it either but they do like the Royal Canin SO food & have been on it for a very long time. No, the dry only comes in one flavor & like I said, he's use to eating it & never had any issues with it until recently.

I think I may have said this already, but Purina offers a urinary health food - both wet and dry - that you could try.

Also, still think that there has been an ingredient change in the Royal dry that might be causing the problem.

 

[lisahe]

Thanks for all the info & guess I will find out tomorrow when I go in, what's going on. I prefer wet food as well & they get mostly that but they do like a few dry kibbles thru out the day, like a snack & I've never had an issue with giving them this snack except here lately, only with Nicky. He is relentless when he wants his snack & constantly pesters me until I give him some. Depending on what the vet says & his diagnosis, maybe I can give him some sort of dry treat instead of the dry food as an option. I do like some of the food brands you listed. Just hoping whatever the problem is, it is nothing serious as I have worried Mom syndrome as these 4 legged kids are the only kids I have ever had & they mean the world to me & I will do whatever is necessary to keep them happy & healthy for as long as possible. My last cat, Rachel was 23 yrs old when I had to say goodbye to her & I was very fortunate to have her all those many years but it still was painful to lose her.

I didn't realize you're feeding only a small amount of dry food, basically just as treats and small snacks, right? (Sorry, I can be a bit dense about these things!) Maybe Dr. Elsey's would work for you: here's the link. There's a mention (scroll down!) that it's a low oxalate diet so maybe that means it's good for urinary patients? There are quite a few Cat Site members that feed Dr. Elsey's. @duckpond, you feed Dr. Elsey's don't you?

Another option might be Pure Bites, which are just freeze-dried meat. Our cats love their chicken treats; we buy them in bags that are labelled for dogs. Our cats-only vet sells them that ways!

I completely understand about the worry -- I get the same way about our cats. And how great that you and Rachel had so much time together! Though I know sometimes those long years together can make it especially difficult to say goodbye.

Fingers crossed for your appointment tomorrow!

 

[maggie101]

After my cat Peaches ate wellness core canned for 2 yrs,since she was a kitten, she could not keep it down. I finally discovered Dr Elseys Clean protein canned. It's like limited ingredient. She is fed small amount 4x a day. Less than normal in the morning, then Maggie comes back for more 15-30 minutes later so she gets more food. Even if Peaches begs for food I do not give it to her. Many times I have made the mistake of giving in then she'll throw up. I have started giving my cats egg yolk powder I bought online and pure bites treats

 

[cats5]

I think I may have said this already, but Purina offers a urinary health food - both wet and dry - that you could try.

Also, still think that there has been an ingredient change in the Royal dry that might be causing the problem.

Thank you. After the vet visit today & hopefully they won't find anything seriously wrong with my sweet boy. I may try another dry food for him to snack on. Yesterday, when he was pestering me for a snack, I gave him a spoonful of Wellness grain free Signature Select instead & that seemed to make him happy. So, if he is not able to tolerate dry food anymore, than I may just start giving him a spoonful of wet instead, whatever it takes but just want to make sure he's still in good shape & health for now.

 

[cats5]

I didn't realize you're feeding only a small amount of dry food, basically just as treats and small snacks, right? (Sorry, I can be a bit dense about these things!) Maybe Dr. Elsey's would work for you: here's the link. There's a mention (scroll down!) that it's a low oxalate diet so maybe that means it's good for urinary patients? There are quite a few Cat Site members that feed Dr. Elsey's. @duckpond, you feed Dr. Elsey's don't you?

Another option might be Pure Bites, which are just freeze-dried meat. Our cats love their chicken treats; we buy them in bags that are labelled for dogs. Our cats-only vet sells them that ways!

I completely understand about the worry -- I get the same way about our cats. And how great that you and Rachel had so much time together! Though I know sometimes those long years together can make it especially difficult to say goodbye.

Fingers crossed for your appointment tomorrow!

I heard of Dr. Elsey's kitty litter but did not know there was a food option. Will have to check that out so thank you. Yes, I heard of Pure Bites & may try that as well for a snack. Well, hoping for the best today when I take him in to get checked out.