What should I do next

My cat vomits once every 3 or 4 days. Vet suggested not letting her out, which I have done for 3 weeks. I bought a furminator which I have been using. She eats 80 percent high quality rotated canned food. My other male cat is 4 and has never once thrown up.

When and what does she throw up? Immediately after eating? Two hours later? Digested/undigested food? Is she hungry right after she throws up? Is this a new problem or has she always thrown up?
Could be an allergy to an ingredient in the food. Or she could be eating cat grass or a similar substance outdoors, which causes her to throw up.
Ritz throw up sometimes right after she eats. It's usually because she hasn't eaten for 11 hours (due to my work schedule) or because she's eaten some cat grass that I have indoors. She always wants to eat again right after she throws up.
As opposed to: a cat who throws up two hours later, bile, doesn't want to eat again for a while. Is in a 'meatloaf' position with her head down, looking miserable.
Two different situations, possibly two different diagnosis.
Hence: more information please.

The vet reminded me I came in before for the same thing so she has done it before. She seems to throw up in middle of night, not after eating. It usually is hairball. I do not let her out anymore so it is nothing outside. I give her vets best hairball relief in am and pm this made it better. It was daily before that.

bonepicker said:

The vet reminded me I came in before for the same thing so she has done it before. She seems to throw up in middle of night, not after eating. It usually is hairball. I do not let her out anymore so it is nothing outside. I give her vets best hairball relief in am and pm this made it better. It was daily before that.

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Her last meal is 6 in evening. I find pee and poo in her box. She seems normal. She sleeps all day and is up at night, she grooms a lot.

What foods is she eating?  Since it's every few days, I'm wondering if it's one of the foods that she can't tolerate.  I had a cat who did this and by process of elimination, we figured out she couldn't tolerate any food with any kind of fish in it.  Also, you can try adding canned pumpkin to help her pass he stool and all that hair easier.

I know I tried the vet limited ingredient food she would not eat it. Maybe I will try natural balance Lid since she likes the ultra. Thanks for the idea

Try her on a totally canned food diet.  It could be she can't tolerate the grains and fillers in dry.

stephanietx said:

Try her on a totally canned food diet.  It could be she can't tolerate the grains and fillers in dry. I think orijen is grain free anyway.

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I tried it for a week no difference

Just throwing this out for you, but it may very well be a hairball issue.

Cats can all digest a certain amt of hair, but if it's more than they can digest, it will build up and be barfed back out.

Some more than others.

Tell me, is she longer haired? Is she always grooming herself?

Is she flea treated?

Do you brush her regularly?

I have a very furry, all white long haired cat who has left me special 'gifts' about once a month during the winter, and up to weekly in the summer. However, sometimes she will barf maybe 3 times in one week to get the entire amt of hair build up out.

It would be even more if I didn't brush her, and should brush her even more.

It's obviously a hairball, no mistaking that. Sometimes it's just a wet, white half hot dog size, sometimes it's what she just ate along with it. Nice, I know.

Just saying since you mentioned hairballs in it.

It looks like 98 percent hair, I bought a furminator, she has short hair but is OCD with regard to grooming (all the time). I am now giving another 1/2 vets best hairball tab at night. So now she gets 1/2. 3 times a day, I will see if it makes a difference and yes she gets frontline plus all year long.

Several of our members have had success with egg lecithin (egg whites) for treating hairballs.  Here's a good one to reference.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/250653/egg-lecithin-for-hairballs

bonepicker said:

It looks like 98 percent hair, I bought a furminator, she has short hair but is OCD with regard to grooming (all the time). I am now giving another 1/2 vets best hairball tab at night. So now she gets 1/2. 3 times a day, I will see if it makes a difference and yes she gets frontline plus all year long.

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There-in lies the answer to her vomiting. Hairball buildup.

Have you ever tried petromalt? It's got cod liver oil in it, goes on her front leg like a strip of toothpaste, she will clean it off herself and it really does work for lubing her hairballs up and helping them be digested.

I would recommend getting a baseline blood/urine screen and save a copy of the results. My cat started vomiting hairballs and then lots of clear fluid as it progressively got worse. The panel may uncover a problem that is better when caught early. By having the screen done now when she is 'normal' you will be able to compare values if things change.

zoneout said:

I would recommend getting a baseline blood/urine screen and save a copy of the results. My cat started vomiting hairballs and then lots of clear fluid as it progressively got worse. The panel may uncover a problem that is better when caught early. By having the screen done now when she is 'normal' you will be able to compare values if things change.

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how do you check cats urine??

You'll need to take the cat to the vets to get a base line urine test.

zoneout said:

I would recommend getting a baseline blood/urine screen and save a copy of the results. My cat started vomiting hairballs and then lots of clear fluid as it progressively got worse. The panel may uncover a problem that is better when caught early. By having the screen done now when she is 'normal' you will be able to compare values if things change.

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how do you check cats urine??

How does the vet get the urine to check?

bonepicker said:

How does the vet get the urine to check?

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you may be able to get a urine sample from your cat at home, but it would need to be still pretty fresh when it gets to the vets. the usual method is to use nosorb (looks like little black colored beads) or hydrophobic sand (which the urine will simply lay on top of in a little puddle or even an empty (no cat litter in it) clean litter box, and you then use a dropper to suck up the urine and place it in a cup or container with a lid -- you can usually get a container for collecting a urine sample from your vet. or, like with my snick (who simply won't use the nosorb or the hydrophobic sand), you can hold a cup under kitty's bottom when in the litter box and collect a urine sample -- but you have to catch kitty in the litter box and just beginning to urinate to be able to get the sample. also, if your cat is uncomfortable with or stressed by you collecting the sample by holding the cup under them, this could possibly create litter box avoidance.

the other method is collecting a urine sample by needle aspiration, and is done by a veterinarian.

if i'm not mistaken, there are some situations/when cats are having some symptoms that the vet will want to do a needle aspiration. needle aspirations don't require sedation/anesthesia.

Thanks for the info I know she would bolt if I tried to get it while she was in box, she won't use box if I am in room even.

I have a female tortoiseshell with miliary dermatitis.

She has OCD grooming,on occasion vomiting,sometimes brings one up.

Of coarse I hate to endorse products in case it doesnt work out.

But...she started Blue Buffalo Indoor Health and some hairballs have actually been expelled,

instead of just liquid or partly digested food.Its a kibble(gasp!!)and Im mixing it with another dry

formula so she doesnt get blocked.Also both my cats drink water.