please help

My cat Oliver has not been feeling well for a couple days. Monday or Tuesday I gave him old food and he had diarrhea and vomited once. I realise it was my fault and I put him on wet food to clear up his diarrhea. 
He never once acted like he was sick, which is why I said it was the food. He's been playful, waking us up, silly, and naughty (at the bunny) like usual. 
About 20 minutes ago he vomited again. It looked like light colored gravy with nothing in it except a couple hairs. I was thinking he might have one of two things, he might have a blockage?? And he might be showing intolerance to the wet food we feed. 
I feed grain free dry food and the wet food is whatever. I was still trying different ones but his favorite seems to be Friskies turkey slices. I do not live close enough to a pet supply store to get non-store brands for wet. His dry is PC Nutrition First grain free. Which is not the best, I know, but it's what we have available. 
Today we're going to get hairball remedy just in case. 

Oh, one important thing, he's due for his second dewormer pill on Saturday. We know he's been affected by worms pretty bad. When we got him (Nov 4 '11) he was tested negative for feline leuk and flv and was given dewormers for his always-in third eyelids. 
Could he be getting sick because of a second wave of worms? And can we give him his second pill 2 days early? Thanks!!

I think you need to call the vet.  It could be food intolerance, worms, or any other number of things.

Is he using the litter box normally at all?  If not, I'd be worried about a blockage due to something swallowed.  If he's not using the box, I'd head for a vet as soon as possible.

AWW Poor kitty . It is possible it is the worm's (causing vomiting/diarrhea) especially if he was heavily infested with them. I would absolutely call the vet on this right away. I am sure you should give the second deworming pill too. You have to give the deworming pills two week's apart. The first deworming pill kills the "live" worms but not the eggs that will be hatching (yuk - I know) so you need to deworm again in two to three weeks. for Oliver.

 Thanks everyone, I'll call the vet. I honestly don't have the funds for the vet right now. I feel bad about that but after having my dog to the vet, euthanised, and cremated al in one student loan I am literally living on what I make a week- which is barely enough to eat on. I got him a lick stick to make sure everything is going through. I'll give him the de wormer tonight as well. 

And I forgot to mention, yes he is using the litter fine. There's nothing odd about his behavior at all. Other than the vomiting, which occurred this morning. He's been actively involved in our activities and he's sleeping no more than usual. 

They have a new shot out for worms that knocked bandits clear out. Maybe check into it?

OllieOxenfree said:

 Thanks everyone, I'll call the vet. I honestly don't have the funds for the vet right now. I feel bad about that but after having my dog to the vet, euthanised, and cremated al in one student loan I am literally living on what I make a week- which is barely enough to eat on. I got him a lick stick to make sure everything is going through. I'll give him the de wormer tonight as well. 

Click to expand...

SO very sorry about your dog ......

When was the last deworming of Oliver??? Was it no longer than three weeks ago??? If it was, then you will need to start over . They need to be spaced 15 to about 18 day's apart to be effective......

I would just withold his food for a little while, and then if he's hungry start him on a little food and move him up to his normal amount within a days time. See if the diarhhea and vomitting resolves. It's probably something he ate. Maybe that old food you were talking about. Food poisoning is usually self-resolving but if he continues to vomit and have diarrhea into the next day then definitely take him to the vets. Make sure he has water and when you do give him food make it extra wet so he gets back the fluids hes losing.

I think there are too many variables here for anyone but your vet to really help you out. Kibble can cause diarrhea and vomiting, as can worms and carb-heavy canned foods. If by "old food", you mean spoiled food, that can certainly cause both symptoms, too, never mind the many potential unknowns such as ingestion of toxic plants or chemicals. Going too long without food (which can be as short as 8 hours but averages around 10, depending on the cat) can also cause nausea and sometimes vomiting.

If you "put him on" wet food to "clear up his diarrhea", what was he eating before and had there been any recent changes to that diet, besides the "old food"?

The most important concern with a cat that has both diarrhea and vomiting is preventing dehydration. There are certainly other things to look for, but I think your best bet, in this case, is a check-in with the vet.

Good luck! Please let us know how things go!!

AC

Thanks everyone!

 @nebula-  I think I'll hold off on the shot for now bc I don't want to over run his system on de wormers! But if they persist then I'll look it up

 @ferelvr- thanks. My dog meant everything to me. I'm still depressed  The vet and the envelope for the pills said to space them 3 weeks apart! So he was technically due for his 2nd tomorrow but I gave it to him today. SO I'll give him the last one in 15 days instead of 21? The brand is Milbemax. 

 @MediCATe- He hasn't been acting sick or vomiting since when I originally posted this. He has the runs still. Not explosive as when I first noticed it and certainly not as stinky but I watched him poop today to see. Even though I didn't take up food and he's been eating the same, should I still limit his amounts?

 @Auntie- I don't think he touched any plants or chemicals because the only surviving plants I have left are an aloe vera and another type of succulent and they're both really tiny he doesn't even know about them. His dry food is grain free but I agree something in the can food might be upsetting him. He has never been more than 2 hours, let alone 8, for food!! Even if his bowls are empty he comes bawling for more- Matt gets up in the night to fill it. I must have put it across a little wrong, I didn't "put him on" wet food absolutely. I meant, he always gets wet food, every day. But the first day when I "put him on" wet food I meant I took up his dry food so all he could eat was wet. I was initially concerned with dehydration and looked it up. [I was going to suppress food altogether bc that's what I used to do with my dog, so I'm glad I looked it up!] 

 Thanks for your help and concern guys! Ill definitely keep you updated to his progress. I hope it's as simple as his food. :/  

Sounds like he's getting better. Advance his diet as much as he tolerates. If he's OK with eating his regular meals, then let him have them.

A common theme I've been noticing here on the forums is over-treatment/medication/concern.

Less is More.

Done and done Thanks a lot ^.^

Just a note - unless advised by a vet, DO NOT withhold food from the cat.  Cats can go into liver failure in as little as 2 days without food.  Please at least call your vet as we have no medical experts here, particularly with regard to animals.

Never heard of Milbermax before :dk:... Please be careful about over-the-counter worming medication's but if you got that from your vet, then that is good, but follow your vet's instructions exactly. You do need to worm a cat twice, about 15 day's apart, but I would only use something my vet dispensed. Then after the two deworming's, wait about two to three week's and run another stool check to make sure it is negative for any parasites. Much luck

It's a vet-prescribed heartworm treatment for dogs and cats that also treats a number of other internal parasites. :nod: It's by Novartis. http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/milbemax_dog.shtml

I don't think it's prescribed in the U.S.

ok so I am not with-holding food. I would never do that unless I was instructed to do so prior to surgery by a licensed vet. Also, Milbemax is what my vet gave me. I seen the vet. I'm not just here playing with medication I found in a corner store. 

Hi there, how is your kitty doing? Any better?
Usually when there is a blockage, they vomit everything they eat, kind of projectile, almost immediately after they eat - even if they eat a tiny little bit, they vomit.... Everything they ingest, comes out. It gets pretty extreme....
Sudden changes of food can cause diarrhea..... And food intolerance can cause both.....
Sometimes even eating a bug can cause those symptoms..... but then it goes away in a day or so....
My vet once told me - "if the kitty is sick for a day, watch.... Like people, sometimes they just feel sick, throw up, have diarrhea.... but if that last for over a day, or if it occurs several times a day - bring the kitty in". That is what I live by.... I do not bring them everytime they throw up..... But once they do, they are under close watch.
If your kitty is still sick, you should be looking for a vet now, as that can cause dehydration..... You also need to find and stop the cause of it.... I hope he is all better by now though.
Try giving a probiotic if the case is only diarrhea and see if it helps - especially with the dewormer.....
Please update us so we know how you guys are doing

 Ok last night I went to sit by my bunny before bed (she no longer has free run bc Oliver needs to learn his manners) and when I did Oliver jumped out of his sleepy sleeps and ran over, dropping a small solid poop. Never have I been so happy to see poop on the floor! Then I cleaned the litter box, I am happy to say my baby is all better! Matt cleaned the box the night before and he's obviously not as concerned looking for solid poops as I was (he even went as far last night to say, after I said Oll was better., " Oh, he still has diarrhea? I thought that was only for a day".. -_-" ) 

 So, I'm sorry about snapping in the last post by me. It seemed nobody had actually read thoroughly and were accusing me of playing with fire basically. I would never. I know there are a lot of dumb ignoramus' out there but I am NOT one of them. I simply said I wanted to hold off the vet for now. I'm also not one to rush to the vet at every little thing, that doesn't make me a bad owner. It makes me appreciate and recognize serious things more readily, bc I can differentiate between serious and non serious things. 

SO glad he's feeling better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, if you don't mind my asking - are you in Canada? Because I hadn't heard of Milbemax either, and I think it's not prescribed in the US. So I was just curious...