Warning: Undefined variable $href_target in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/phpGiggle/phpgiggle-config.inc.php on line 44
My diabetic cat is vomiting once a day. | Ask A Vet
 

 


Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Vomiting diabetic cat.

Species: Cat
Breed: DSH
Age: More than 15 ye
Hello Dr. We have a 17yr old male diabetic cat who throws up a nasty brown liquid almost daily. He gets two shots of insulin a day, one pill of eltroxin and we feed him wet food(Wellness Brand) when ever he is hungry. He was on Metacam for some rear legs/hip issues but we recently took him off that and that has seems to help a little with the vomiting. He eats quite a bit and has no problems going to the bathroom. He is slow and old but is there anything we can try before I have to take him to our vet.To me it seems like its a problem digesting. Anyways...any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

Dean


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Dean and thanks for your question.

Vomiting cats can be very frustrating! There are a great many possible reasons for a cat to vomit every day. While I won't be able to say for sure why Indy is vomiting and what you can do about it, I can give you a few ideas.

Sometimes vomiting can be because of hairballs, even if what is coming up doesn't look like a hairball. It's possible that there is a hairball in the stomach that is occasionally blocking over the outflow of the stomach. It won't hurt to try a hair ball medication such as Laxatone to see if this helps. I usually recommend giving it daily for 5 days and then twice weekly. However, some of these hairball medications can possibly cause changes in a diabetic cat's insulin levels so you should check with your vet first to make sure this is ok to do for Indy.

Is it definitely eltroxin that Indy is on? This is a thyroid medication that is meant to increase the thyroid level. The only time I ever put cats on this medication is if they have had radioactive iodine therapy on their thyroid gland and their thyroid level becomes too low. Cats really don't become hypothryoid on their own. If a cat is on eltroxin then they need to have their T4 level checked regularly. It's possible that the thyroid level is either too high or too low and either of these could cause vomiting. Don't change the medication dose though without having blood tests done first.

You can also ask your vet about using a medication called famotidine (pepcid). It is a good antacid that helps many cats with vomiting issues.

Many cats who vomit regularly have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), even if they have normal bowel movements. However, treating this is difficult in a diabetic cat because we treat this with steroids which are not easy for diabetic cats to handle. But, if there is IBD, sometimes we can see changes in B12 or folate levels on bloodwork and these can be supplemented to help.

Here is another thought. It's likely not this, but did you know that there was a recall on some wellness brand foods in the last few months? You may want to check and see if your food is on the list. Here is a list of the recalled Wellness foods.

And finally, has Indy had his glucose levels checked recently? Vomiting can be a sign of getting too much or not enough insulin. You can ask your vet whether doing a glucose curve may help.

I'm sorry I don't have a direct answer for you. (If I could solve the problem of chronic vomiting in cats I'd be rich!) But hopefully this information helps!

Dr. Marie.



Warning: Undefined variable $displayed in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/answer_np.php on line 253
Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Dog cowers and pees. my dog seems afraid of me when i call her over she cowers and pees when she walks... (16729 views)

Brown spot on lip of dog. Greetings, I have noticed that my cat has problem with her mouth. On the lower... (14566 views)

Stopped Rimadyl because dog is sick. I thought we could have a back and forth conversation? Oh well Aussie aprx 12... (28853 views)

Lump near spay incision. Dog has sore on paw looks like a circle and it's very tender to touch. It has... (40701 views)

Clumsy,wobbly yorkiepoo. My son put my 11 month old yorkiepoo outside yesterday and he didn't let him back in... (18142 views)

Watery eyes. Minnie's eyes are very watery, she can't seem to keep them open and her nose is... (13940 views)

Red spots under arms and legs. my dog has red spots under her arms and now on her legs what could it be... (16568 views)

Vet drained cyst. A few months back my dog developed a blocked sweat gland. My former vet basically... (10216 views)

Pink spot on dog. I noticed on my dog about a month ago he had a small pink raised bump on his chest... (46151 views)

Tresaderm causing seizure? Hi, I have a special-needs 6 year old cat that was born with a neurological... (11020 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.