Cat vomiting despite anti-emetic

To make a long story short, my cat was recently found to be "pre-hyperthyroid," but since she has all the symptoms of full blown hyperthyroidism, she is being medicated for it. She was also found to have an elevated white blood cell count, so while no one knows what exactly is infected, she was given a broad-range antibiotic for said infection. She had her tests done Monday and I started her on her antibiotics that night, the thyroid meds the following day (not pills - it's applied through the ear).While I do see small improvements in her behavior (like a slightly restored interest in grooming and walking around a little), she's still throwing up what looks like white mucous and foam. The vet said this is from the thyroid problems and I took her back tonight (Wednesday) to get an anti-emetic shot and was told to try feeding my cat about 2 hours later.Well I did - she had a few nibbles of some wet food and proceeded to throw it back up a minute later. So much for the anti-emetic. Tomorrow I start her on Cerenia and if that doesn't work, I need to call the vet again.I'm getting concerned that she will get sick just because she's not able to keep any food down. She obviously wants to eat, but what do you do when not even anti-vomiting medication can stop the vomiting? Am I feeding her something bad? She's been getting a teaspoon of Meow Mix now and then. Should I try mixing it with water? I've been told to wait about 12 hours after she vomits to try feeding her again, and since she vomits every time she eats, she's basically had no actual food intake for going on 3 days.Thankfully she is still drinking water, but how do I help her keep what little food she eats in her stomach? She somehow managed to keep wet food down at the vet's office and even had a note in her file that she "ate well" after her tests were done. So I must be doing something wrong.

Bumping your post up so you should start getting some help.

RuneKeeper said:

To make a long story short, my cat was recently found to be "pre-hyperthyroid," but since she has all the symptoms of full blown hyperthyroidism, she is being medicated for it. She was also found to have an elevated white blood cell count, so while no one knows what exactly is infected, she was given a broad-range antibiotic for said infection. She had her tests done Monday and I started her on her antibiotics that night, the thyroid meds the following day (not pills - it's applied through the ear). While I do see small improvements in her behavior (like a slightly restored interest in grooming and walking around a little), she's still throwing up what looks like white mucous and foam. The vet said this is from the thyroid problems and I took her back tonight (Wednesday) to get an anti-emetic shot and was told to try feeding my cat about 2 hours later. Well I did - she had a few nibbles of some wet food and proceeded to throw it back up a minute later. So much for the anti-emetic. Tomorrow I start her on Cerenia and if that doesn't work, I need to call the vet again. I'm getting concerned that she will get sick just because she's not able to keep any food down. She obviously wants to eat, but what do you do when not even anti-vomiting medication can stop the vomiting? Am I feeding her something bad? She's been getting a teaspoon of Meow Mix now and then. Should I try mixing it with water? I've been told to wait about 12 hours after she vomits to try feeding her again, and since she vomits every time she eats, she's basically had no actual food intake for going on 3 days. Thankfully she is still drinking water, but how do I help her keep what little food she eats in her stomach? She somehow managed to keep wet food down at the vet's office and even had a note in her file that she "ate well" after her tests were done. So I must be doing something wrong.

Click to expand...

Which antiemetic shot was she given? Perhaps her dose was not high enough?
Here is a link to an explanation of antiemetics for felines and what they do in the Merck Veterinary Manual: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/190303.htm
Here is an article written by Dr. Johnny Hoskins that may help: http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=533211&sk=&date=&pageID=2
The Cerenia should help, it is a great antiemetic for cats and seriously the only thing that helped my kitty with cancer eat during her last few days. If it doesn't work, I would recommend going back to the vet and running some more tests. If you want to add some water, it could possibly help.

Thanks for the bump, farleyv. I found my receipt from last night's visit and Kitty was given an injection of Cerenia. The quantity is listed as 0.42, so a little under half a dose, I guess? My cat is pretty petite even when she is eating normally, so I don't know if she was given half a dose due to her small size or not. I tried mixing her soft food with water since I think it was a little sticky and she kept down about a spoonful of that last night. Started her on the Cerenia tablets today - she vomited up the first one (along with some cat litter) and it was dissolved, so there was no drying it off and trying again. Tried giving her more watered-down food, but it came back up. She did keep it down a little longer than usual, even without the Cerenia.Gave her another Cerenia tablet and so far, it's stayed down. She's still drinking plenty of water, though, so she's staying hydrated. It's obvious she wants to eat, which seems to be a good sign. I just feel so bad for her because she can't keep much of anything down for longer than a minute or two. She's not throwing up blood or anything yellow - just whitish, sticky mucous. And since she's been on her meds, she's mostly only been vomiting after she eats (with the exception of today when she threw up her pill). Thankfully she can keep water down just fine.Also, I don't know if it helps, but the antibiotics she's on are called Baytril and her hyperthyroidism meds are called Methimazole-TD.

As I'm reading more about the trans-dermal Methimazole, I'm wondering if I'm applying it properly. I've been putting the recommended one drop on my finger and just rubbing it on the inside of her ear everywhere. The directions say "Apply to the fleshy part of the inner ear." Well that doesn't help me because the entire ear is fleshy. Does it go more toward the ear canal or more toward the visible areas of the inner ear? I have to stick my finger in her ear to make sure the gel isn't sticking to her hair, but does it matter where exactly in the ear it's rubbed on? It's not like there's a big margin for error in a cat's ear.The Methimazole that goes in the ear is supposed to make the gastro-intestinal side effects more bearable. I tried spoon-feeding my cat watered-down soft food to make sure she didn't inhale it and she still threw up in spite of that AND the Cerenia she had earlier. I wish I knew if the vomiting is something that will subside with time. She ate wet food at the vet's on Monday, so what's so special about their food that she was able to keep it down without an anti-emetic?I also caught my cat chowing down on kitty litter. I almost wish I could just feed her that because she can keep that down better than her actual food.It is still just totally stumping me as to why she is still vomiting. I actually have not read anything online about a cat that continues to vomit after taking Cerenia. And the vets I spoke to said she should not be throwing up. Is my cat that much of an anomaly?

It's entirely possible that it's the BAYTRIL that's causing her to be so nauseated/throw up.   I had one cat who was very very sensitive to most oral antibiotics and this was the worst one for him to tolerate, he would throw up within a half hour of having it and would then not want to eat/would be nauseated for quite some time afterward.   It really inflamed his tummy, I'm guessing.    From your original post it sounds like the vomiting/nausea didn't start until AFTER your kitty started the Methimazole transdermal and Baytril.   The Methimazole really shouldn't be causing the nausea because it's being absorbed into the bloodstream via the little vessels in the ear (so it's bypassing the stomach).    I don't think you're doing anything wrong at all.   Baytril is a pretty potent antibiotic and some cats just don't tolerate it.   I'm surprised your Vet hasn't considered that it's the Baytril that's causing this all.   It's fine for your Vet to tell you that your cat shouldn't be throwing up but the point is, your cat is.....and need nutrition.  It can be very hard on the cat's liver to go for more than 24 hours without adequate food intake, can cause serious condition called Hepatic Lipidosis (aka Feline Fatty Liver Disease).  

As to the elevated white blood cell count --- did your Vet obtain a urine sample from your cat to check for something basic like a Urinary Tract Infection?.........or look into kitty's mouth to see she's got bad gingivitis (gum disease) or a possibly bad tooth?

Doesn't sound like your Vet is really taking this too seriously, the Cerenia doesn't seem to be working.    If it were me I might consider seeking a 2nd opinion from another Vet ASAP.....and contact your current Vet clinic and ask them to fax (or photocopy and you pick up) a copy of your cat's file, namely any recent bloodwork that was done (am assuming this was done and that's how your cat was found to be Pre-Hyperthyroid?) and take all this info along with a list of meds you've given your cat to date, when you started them, what dose (take them with you to show new vet).    Most of us request copies of our cats' bloodwork just to have on file, and it's our right to ask for it.   If they ask you why you want it, just say you would just like to have it all on file at home for future reference.

Just to confirm, it was a bloodtest that was done that lead your current Vet to determine that your cat was Pre-Hyperthyroid, correct?  

If you do a Google search for "cat baytril nausea vomiting" you'll see that these are very common side effects, along with reduced appetite.   Now that I think about, I had an old siamese kitty with kidney disease who would often get urinary tract infections and Baytril made her throw up big time  (so did Clavamox).  

How old is your cat?
 

TO ADD to my long response above, something I had meant to address in your 2nd response but forgot to.   You'd mentioned that your kitty had vomited up "CAT LITTER"?   That's a bit of a concern.   Have you mentioned this to your Vet?   I'd say this should be investigated.   My understanding is that often ANEMIC cats will ingest cat litter.   Obviously ingesting cat litter can cause a partial or total obstruction in the intestines.    I'm assuming if your cat's white blood cell count was done, that a full CBC (Complete Blood Cell Count) was done which would have included Red Blood Cell Count, Hematocrit (also known as Packed Cell Volume) and Hemoglobin?   I'd be wondering if any of these 3 were low, to indicate possible anemia.  I'd be asking Vet specifically about these and ensuring Vet aware of vomit containing litter.

How many times has your cat vomiting up cat litter?   Have you ever seen her eating it?    Do you use clumping litter?    If so I would seriously consider switching to a NON clumping litter.

If you google "cat eating litter anemia" you will find info about how cats often do this if they're anemic (sometimes too if they have feline leukemia).   Has your kitty ever been tested for Feline Leukemia?

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/36231/eating-litter-is-often-a-sign-of-anemia

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/anaemia/info1.html
 

Do you clean the ear before applying the gel?  Do you alternate ears?  Suggest you hope over to the Google Hyperthyroid group for more specific information.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-hyperT/

She's only vomited kitty litter once and it was a couple pebbles. While she's gotten some of her energy back, she still needs me to carry her to her litter box. I just have to watch her because when she's done peeing, sometimes she'll start nibbling on the litter. And considering she was tested for renal failure (which I know can cause anemia or worsen it), I have to imagine she was also tested for anemia. She got a CBC and I didn't hear anything about anemia, but this is how it was found that her thyroid is a little bit overactive.

As far as the vomiting, on Sunday, she threw up some mucous and foam about 5 times in the span of 20 minutes, and that along with her lethargy prompted me to take her to the vet. Ever since she's been on all her meds, she hasn't thrown up plain mucous....she only vomits when she eats.  With the exception of today when she threw up her Cerenia tablet and two litter pebbles and nothing else. An elevated white blood cell count and a small fever (I think it was 102 when normal is 101) is what got her the antibiotics - the vet didn't know what exactly was infected, but hey, throw some antibiotics down her throat and see what happens. And it's definitely not an issue of her losing her appetite - on the contrary, she wants food and she's been following me around wanting to eat, and even when I let her have a nibble of watered-down food and proceed to wait a few minutes, she still throws it all back up about a minute or two later. Today it took me about 10 minutes to feed her one spoonful of food and while she did good at first, by the time she finished it, it came right back up. Even right after she vomits, she goes and looks for more food. I know the vet looked in her mouth and she didn't say anything was wrong there, but I have no idea if a urine sample was taken. I cheeked Kitty's gums and they're still a nice shade of pink - they're not white.

Unfortunately I can't stop the Baytril because she's still got another week of it. My cat's going on 15 in a few months. Also, she was at one point tested for Feline Leukemia because her mother died from it, but she doesn't have it. Considering how small my cat is (about 9.5 pounds, but very long and slender), I would put my money on anemia. Or at least a general vitamin deficiency from the last few days of her not being able to keep food down. Usually she eats like a garbage disposal and the only time she'd vomit her food is if she swallowed her kibbles whole. So I know this serial vomiting is absolute torture for her.

She seems to be getting more energy, which I imagine is her medications starting to take a positive effect. She also, believe it or not, feels like she might have gained a tiny bit of weight. I'm guessing from her thyroid medications. I'm seeing improvement in every area except the vomiting. In any case, I will be calling the vet tomorrow to figure out what to do. Taking her to another vet is kind of going to be difficult because the local office only has two vets and the one I've been going to is by far the more compassionate of the two (the other one has zero bedside manner and likes to argue with people about their pets' treatments), and I have no reliable transportation to take her to an office out of town.

Might I ask, what were her symptoms of "full blown hyperthyroidism"?

What lab tests were done?

Did they test for anemia? How about kidney disease?

How old is she?

I would not wait 12 hours to feed her something. Perhaps smaller amounts more frequently? I would feed her grain-free canned food if possible with extra water in it to help with dehydration. You might even try meat baby food (withOUT garlic or onion in it), as that is pretty bland.

One thing I'd be requesting..........is an xray of her abdomen, namely her intestines, to see if she's got any blockage/partial blockage or maybe even constipation.   From my experience with cats, sometimes when they seem hungry but throw up almost immediately after eating, that can be a sign of a blockage or something going on in the intestines.

If she does have HyperT for sure, generally prior to being diagnosed with it they exhibit symptoms such as frequent drinking, frequent peeing.   They often end up on the dehydrated side.....and with dehydration comes constipation.   If things are blocked up inside, it's tough for the gastrointestinal tract to accept/hold onto newly ingested food......therefore they throw it up.

I would definitely double check on the RBC (red blood cell), Hct (hematocrit, aka PCV/packed cell volume) and Hgb (hemoglobin).  If there's one thing I've learned in my 25  years of having cats, and being a human nurse, always confirm results.  I can't tell you how many times I've had Vets (and human docs!) tell me something was normal when something actually was elevated or very low and due to an oversight on their part it wasn't picked up..............which is actually why I learned long ago to always get them to fax me my cats' lab results so I can see things for myself.

I would also confirm that her renal function was checked for sure....BUN and Creatinine.   Cats with untreated/undiagnosed HyperT often end up with some impact to the kidneys because the HyperT causes pretty much all of their organs to work much harder and this puts more wear on them.........and it's not uncommon for newly diagnosed HyperT cats to also show signs of kidney disease (and as you know, cats with kidney disease can experience anemia......as their impaired functioning kidneys eventually lose the ability to produce a hormone (erythropoetin) that's responsible for production of red blood cells.

Of course there are other causes of anemia in cats......FIA (feline infectious anemia AKA Hemobartonellosis).   A major flea infestation can cause it, too.

What symptoms was she exhibiting that caused your Vet to conclude that in addition to her "pre-hyperT" bloodwork that she was showing full blown HyperT?

Just to further complicate things (LOL), it would be interesting to know which thyroid test your Vet ran.....was it the basic T4 or the Free T4?   I used to have a Vet who was one of the top Vets in southern Alberta for treating cats with endocrine/thyroid issues..and she taught me that in elderly cats, particularly those that may have other health issues going on, a Free T4 is more accurate than just a basic T4.   I guess what I'm saying is.....I'd really want to be 100% sure my cat was truly HyperT before starting on Methimazole.

Common symptoms of HyperT in a cat are:  increased drinking, increased peeing, voracious appetite but losing weight .....as it progresses, cats often lose appetite, become weak, get ratty looking fur.   Of course these same symptoms are also key symptoms for cats w/ Kidney Disease (and diabetes, too!).    So just wondering, how does your Vet know for sure your kitty's symptoms were HyperT and not something else?   (kidney disease, diabetes - both of which can cause vomiting)

I wasn't give a copy of the test results, but the vet that saw her Sunday for a emergency visit said she would be tested to rule out renal failure and anemia. The vet that performed the tests the following day was not the same vet, but tests were also done, I believe for diabetes and hyperthyroidism along with the white blood cell count, kidney failure, and anemia. I don't know what specific tests were done, but I was told that the thyroid blood test showed slightly elevated thyroid function, a slightly elevated BUN (which I think has to do with the kidneys), but the creatinine and whatever other tests done on kidney function came back normal. Vet said the slightly high BUN was due to the hyperthyroidism.  She also said whatever was infected was possibly messing up the hyper-t results.

The symptoms that the vet said pointed to hyper-t were vomiting, lethargy, and also her increased drinking. Plus her huge appetite and no weight gain unless she was fed kitten food, but the appetite is the only symptom she's had basically her entire life. I thought she was just a pig and had high metabolism. Anyway, when I asked the vet today what was going on with the continued vomiting, she never mentioned anemia. I was told the eating cat litter could be pica, a mental imbalance (I don't think this one counts because all my cats are nuts), or just my cat desperate to get something in her stomach. I was also told that Baytril would not cause vomiting since it's a "mild" antibiotic, but to stop it for a day or two and see if there's any improvement. So far, nothing - Kitty threw up about 3 times within an hour, and she vomited up her Cerenia again. It's still the same sticky clear mucous and white foam as before. She also threw up after lapping a little bit of water, so I worry she may be reaching a point where she can't keep that down either.

I don't know if this makes a difference, but before when she would vomit (like a hairball or she ate too fast), she'd cough and dry heave for a while, make a little gagging noise and vomit. Now, though, there's no coughing. She starts twitching her head a little and sticks her tongue out and then spews up mucous. She makes a loud gurgling noise when she does it too. If she has absolutely nothing in her stomach, what is this stuff she's throwing up? I wonder if maybe she has some kind of acid reflux issue and it's making her gag on anything that goes down her throat. She never vomited her antibiotics, but she vomits the Cerenia even though she gets 1/2 a Baytril tablet twice a day and only 1/4 Cerenia tablet once a day. Her food doesn't even get time to reach her stomach before it comes up - it literally is vomited up a minute or two after she eats.

She doesn't seem to be in any pain and her stomach isn't hard or distended, so I don't know if she's blocked up or not, but the vet said if quitting the Baytril doesn't work, the next step would be an ultrasound of her belly to see if there's a tumor or a blockage. She also recommended chicken baby food since it would be easier on the stomach, or some thing called Viyo, which I think is a liquid diet for cats who are having issues keeping food down. Obviously not a permanent solution, but just something to keep her nourished until such a time when she can eat normally.

The thing that confuses me the most is that my cat is going back to normal in every other way. Despite not eating, she's up and moving around and generally doing more normal cat stuff than she was on Monday. I would think she'd feel absolutely out of it, but she's getting better in every sense but the vomiting. I don't understand it at all. The worst part is she never eats anything she shouldn't (with the exception of the litter recently). In fact, it's one of my other cats that's an idiot that likes to try and eat rubber bands and string, but my girl cat only ever eats food. Even though she has the finest and shortest hair of all my cats, my female kitty is most prone to hairballs. I wonder if it's possible she's blocked up with a particularly stubborn hairball?

I'd just like to add that vets don't automatically offer copies of blood work results. The client has to ask for a copy every time blood work is done. I would urge you to get a copy and take a good, close look at it. Normal ranges are included in the results, but you'll also want to see high-normals and low-normals in order to spot potential problem areas.

Also

https://animalhealth.pfizer.com/sites/pahweb/US/EN/News/Pages/FDAExpandsTheUseOfCERENIA%C2%AEToIncludeCatsAndYoungerPuppies.aspx

The most common side effects seen in dogs and cats administered CERENIA are pain/vocalization (injectable), depression/lethargy, anorexia, anaphylaxis, ataxia, convulsions, hypersalivation, and vomiting.

Click to expand...

Anyway.....I have to agree with a previous poster, it doesn't sound like your vet is really taking this too seriously. You need to do a lot of work and it might be a good idea to look for someone else (another vet with a very good reputation) to check test results, recommend additional tests and give a second opinion.

Sheesh, an anti-emetic that can cause vomiting. Sounds to be along the same lines of logic as anti-depressants that cause suicidal tendencies. I don't know if this makes a difference, but when I've given her Cerenia tablets, she does seem to start drooling a lot. But I've also read Cerenia tastes godawful and maybe that has something to do with it. I doubt it would take effect THAT soon.Kitty managed to keep the tiniest bit of food down. I crushed up some kitty treats and mixed them with warm water and...basically made a soup. Not much. Maybe like a couple spoonfuls. Kitty ate about half of it and made her sour faces like she was about to vomit, but she managed to keep it down. I don't think she liked the taste very much, but this is the first of anything edible she hasn't thrown up 60 seconds later since Wednesday.Unfortunately, I also never learned what she ate at the vet's because I was told the techs usually lay out a few options for the animals and there's no telling what she ate. Though when I got her back later that day, she had food on her face that looked like regular old canned food. I'll give baby food a try - I don't know, maybe she can't keep the wet food down because it's too rich? She never had that issue before, but maybe her thyroid meds and/or the antibiotics are messing with her stomach temporarily. I have read that sometimes Methimazole will make cats feel nauseous and make them vomit until the cat gets used to the medication, but that seemed to be a concern only with the oral form. Not the ear drops. I suppose it's possible she could still suffer GI side effects from ear drops, but I really doubt it.I think there is only one other vet at the local office, so I could try her. As mentioned, the other vet I've seen and spoken to really is in no way compassionate toward his patients and seems more interested in just getting you out of the office as fast as he can. I feel kind of bad because the current vet is very nice and seems compassionate toward animals, but she didn't seem too worried when she said, "If the Baytril doesn't work, then she'll need an X-ray to rule out intestinal blockage." I thought that kind of thing was more urgent than that, especially if the cat's been blocked up for a week without a bowel movement, but then again, I'm not a vet, so I have no idea.

The absolute best thing I can recommend when it comes to pilling is this. Get some empty gel caps from a local health food store or pharmacy. Depending on the size of the tablets you have to give you can use size #4 (very tiny) or #2 or #0. (Health food stores usually carry the #0 size and that's perfectly all right.)

Coat the gel cap with a little butter to make it go down easy. It hides the bad taste of meds, which is very, very important. Give a food treat or a water chaser after pilling to make sure the capsule with the med in it goes all the way down.

When you use gel caps, the bad taste of meds is never, ever a problem

Well, another thing to add to the ever-growing list of things my cat can't eat is baby food. I tried giving her chicken baby food two separate times and both times it came back up.

As far as a possible blockage, I looked for some info about them and I think the only symptoms my cat has are the vomiting immediately after eating and not having bowel movements (well she can't do that if food doesn't stay down long enough to reach her stomach). She's not in any pain - I know, I lift her and hold her and feel her belly all the time and she never makes a peep. Her abdomen isn't distended or swollen or stiff, and the vet didn't say she felt any lumps in her abdomen during her exam on Monday (nor did the on-call vet on Sunday), so hopefully no tumors. Her appetite has also improved rather than gotten worse (I know I said that a bunch of times already).

I know other things can cause intestinal blockages in cats, such as hernias and hairballs, but I'd think she'd have more than one symptom that fits either an upper or lower GI blockage. And if she's been backed up for over a week, I can't imagine she wouldn't be hurting or bloated. Her symptoms are just so non-specific that it's hard to even know where to begin in terms of testing. In any case, I need to see if I can get her back there really soon. I can't have her going this long without eating.

Just me, but before I would give hyper-T medication, I would wait 2-4 weeks and have the T4 run again and also have a fT4 (free T-4) test (or full thyroid panel of tests) run since she is "pre-hyperthyroid." To me "pre-hyperthyroid" means that the value of the T4 test wasn't giving a clear picture as to if she is actually hyper-T. Most vets do this as a normal practice when a T4 isn't a clear indication of hyper-T before starting any medications (I find it odd that your vet jumped right to the med). A combination of a still upper range or higher T4 and FT4 is more definitive. BUN can also be elevated due to dehydration (she's been vomiting), so just me again, I would NOT use that as an indication that she is hyperthyroid yet.

I fear that giving hyper-T medication without a real answer at this point is going to cause more problems and perhaps send her into being hypOthyroid--another whole can of worms, so to speak.

Also, if you decide to keep giving her the gel hyper-T med, you should wear surgical gloves (or at least something on the finger you use) when putting this on her ear. Otherwise, you are going to be absorbing it too, and kitty may not be getting the full dose needed.

Questions: What wet food are you feeding her? Dry food is Meow Mix? How long had she been vomiting (before you took her to the vet the first time)?

Aw...sending lots of feel better vibes and prayers for your sweet kitty!

I take her back to the vet on Monday and from there, I'll find out what kinds of tests they have in mind since the antibiotics didn't do anything. While I was told that my cat's infection was messing up the thyroid test results, I don't know exactly in what way (like it was making them higher or lower). I was also never told, "We'll redo the bloodwork once the antibiotics are done."And no worries, I wear finger protectors when I apply the ear drops. I don't want to scratch her ear with my fingernails along with not wanting to get the medication on my skin.I was feeding her Meow Mix and Fancy Feast, both wet/soft food (the Meow Mix was soft, but not wet). As far as I know, she's been vomiting since Sunday. That's when I got home, and according to my mother (whom I left the cat with), she started acting a little off on Saturday. Sunday she vomited a bunch of times in a row, but no food came up. Since then, she's only vomited when she's eaten or I've given her a Cerenia tablet.Vomiting in general is not a cause for concern because she used to eat her kibbles as fast as she could and then she'd throw them back up because she didn't even chew them. But this was different - I'd never seen her vomit up clear fluid and foam before. Had she just heaved up some kibbles, I'd have thought little of it because that just means she wasn't fed exactly when she wanted to and thus made a hog of herself when she finally did eat.I'm still just so confused as to why she's getting slowly better in every aspect but the throwing up. Her symptoms don't seem to fit anything - she has no other symptoms of a blockage besides the vomiting. This is just such a non-specific symptom. I wonder if the vet could give her some kind of vitamin shot or something so she has some kind of nutrition going into her system.She woke me up this morning around 5am - she came in my bedroom and patted me on the nose, which is how she lets me know she wants food. And I heard her poor belly growling, so I know she's hungry. I knew she'd just throw her food back up (baby food), but I tried. She got baby food three times today and while she's able to keep it down a tiny bit longer now (maybe 5 minutes as opposed to 1 minute), she struggles to keep it down even for that long. She still drinks water and her gums are wet (not sticky or dry), which I think is a way to tell if she's hydrated or not.I do wonder if her problem is acute rather than chronic because when I went out of town on the 6th, she was perfectly fine. I come back five days later and she's sick. She's not an outdoor cat, so I don't have to worry about an illness she could get from another cat, a wild animal or being exposed to the elements. So what could cause a cat to start vomiting like that, with no pain, and with all other aspects of health slowly improving? It makes absolutely no sense why just one symptom is staying steady while the others get better.Thank you so much for all your help and support, everyone. I will keep you all updated on my kitty's health as soon as I find out more.

Last I heard, she's basically gone 6 days with very little food intake. Make SURE you get an ultrasound and xray on Monday when you take her in. Don't leave without them. Get new white blood count, thyroid and anemia tests, so we can know where she's at now. I would also have her set up with an IV of fluids and nutrients. If she doesn't get Some kind of nutrition in her system, you may only find out what was wrong afterwards.

RuneKeeper said:

As far as I know, she's been vomiting since Sunday. That's when I got home, and according to my mother (whom I left the cat with), she started acting a little off on Saturday. Sunday she vomited a bunch of times in a row, but no food came up. Since then, she's only vomited when she's eaten or I've given her a Cerenia tablet. Vomiting in general is not a cause for concern because she used to eat her kibbles as fast as she could and then she'd throw them back up because she didn't even chew them. But this was different - I'd never seen her vomit up clear fluid and foam before.

Click to expand...

Hmmm...could she ingested something at your mom's? A plant, string, small toy, or other non-edible, foreign substance? I definitely would have the vet check for an obstruction along with the other tests.

Has she stayed with your mom before? Sometimes stress can be a cause of vomiting and GI distress.