Species: Cat Breed: dom short hair Age: 8-11 years
My cat has been throwing up almost every day for weeks but not after feeding. This morning it was about an hour before eating. I will hear him start to heave and then find 2 or 3 puddles of light brown liquid. I noticed that there would be pieces of my silk plant mixed in so that was moved out of his reach but he continues to throw up. He is on an indoor dry cat food, fed twice a day via auto feeder. He seems to be starving all of the time and constantly tries to break into the feeder to get more food. I wasn't worried initially because he was chewing on the artificial plants but since it's continuing I am concerned.
Sometimes it can be normal for a cat to vomit. But what you are describing sounds far too frequent.
I have a few thoughts about what could be going on.
You have described some symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Cats with a thyroid problem will be voraciously hungry and often will vomit quite frequently. They usually do lose a lot of weight but sometimes this happens gradually enough that owners don't notice the weight loss.
If he is hyperthyroid then the way to find out is to have your vet do some blood tests on him. For most cats hyperthyroidism is treated quite easily with medication, but it is medicine that he would need to have for the rest of his life.
If he is not hyperthryoid then another thing that could cause these symptoms is diabetes. However, most cats with diabetes have an extreme increase in thirst and urination.
Another possibility is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While you would think that inflammatory bowel disease would cause diarrhea, in some cats it causes vomiting. IBD is hard to diagnose without doing a surgery to biopsy the intestines. However, if your cat's tests turn out to be normal then your vet may talk about treating for IBD.
What you have described doesn't sound like something simple like a hairball or a dislike of a certain kind of food.
It would be really great if you could have Lazy Boy examined by a vet soon. If he does have hyperthryoidism and it goes untreated it can cause serious problems with his heart and can even cause blindness.
I really hope he is ok!
Dr. Marie.
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Veterinarian, Dr. Marie created this site to be able to provide quick, accurate veterinary advice online. She would love to help with your pet's problem!
Dr. 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.
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