Vomiting foam and not eating.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Susan...I'm so sorry to hear that Pumpkin is not feeling well.

There are unfortunately many possible reasons for a cat to vomit. It's often hard to tell the cause without doing bloodwork.

Some cats can get quite an upset stomach due to a change in food or a new treat. However, when an older cat starts to vomit and not want to eat I get really worried about more serious things such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or liver disease. Another possibility is pancreatitis. We often don't know the cause of pancreatitis in a cat.

Is he urinating ok? If he is straining to urinate at all then a urinary tract blockage could be the cause and this is very serious and requires emergency vet care.

The most important thing right now for Pumpkin is to get him to eat. If a cat goes a few days without eating they can develop fatty liver which is very serious. You can try encouraging an appetite by giving him a smelly canned cat food such as Fancy Feast. You can increase the odor by heating it in the microwave.

However, if he goes more than 24-48 hours without eating he really does need to see a vet. Your vet will do a good thorough exam and will likely want to do some bloodwork. If it looks like something minor they may administer some medications by injection to help settle his stomach. Or, they may decide that he needs to stay on iv fluids for a day or two to help him out.

I really hope he does ok!

Dr. Marie.

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