Cat "air chewing"

My cat constantly sticks out her tongue & after eating her dry food diet that vet switched her to Hills z/d she stopped vomiting but still does the tongue thing.
My cat REFUSES to eat wet food & after she eats for a good 5 mintues she licks her mouth & seems like she has trouble getting her food completely down.
She also shakes her head & the vet checked ears & all was fine accept for a tiny bit of wax or gook in the canal. He put her on ear antibiotics for 10 days.
Well she still shakes her head (not as much now) but still does. Her teeth were done in March of this year & had 2 bottom teeth extracted.
Vet seems to think because of the extractions of front teeth she can't chew good enough ( I'm not convinced this is problem).
She never vomits up hairballs so I am thinking may be hairball problem or polyps in throat area.

Cat Hunter said:

Hi all, 

....

She's just been seen by the vet who suspects GI issues and that the chewing is a sign of nausea. ...

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In my experience, this is a sign of nausea, yes. I agree with your vet.

mylynx said:

My cat constantly sticks out her tongue & after eating her dry food diet that vet switched her to Hills z/d she stopped vomiting but still does the tongue thing.
My cat REFUSES to eat wet food & after she eats for a good 5 mintues she licks her mouth & seems like she has trouble getting her food completely down.
She also shakes her head & the vet checked ears & all was fine accept for a tiny bit of wax or gook in the canal. He put her on ear antibiotics for 10 days.
Well she still shakes her head (not as much now) but still does. Her teeth were done in March of this year & had 2 bottom teeth extracted.
Vet seems to think because of the extractions of front teeth she can't chew good enough ( I'm not convinced this is problem).
She never vomits up hairballs so I am thinking may be hairball problem or polyps in throat area.

Click to expand...

i've requested that a moderator move your reply to it's own thread.  this thread is older, so your post may not be noticed as easily in it. this will help it be noticed by more members and receive more replies. i'll wait and watch for your thread to be started, then pop on over there to reply. welcome to TCS!

Can a cat be nausea & still be eating & not vomiting?
My vet started her on Pepcid ac for 2 wks & no change then put her on 2 wks of zantac compounded again no help.
She was also shaking her head & I was thinking maybe polyps. Back to vet & he checked her ears ( REALLY GOOD) & found quote a little wax or gook. He put her on Tresaderm for 10 days. She doesn't shake as much but still does once in a while & still licks lips.
I asked him could this be Polyps & he said no her ears look ok. Could polyps be in the throat & not start in the ear & travel to throat?

Thankyou!

i don't have experience with polyps, but i'm sure someone will be along shortly who does have experience in this area.

okay, now i noticed that your vet has switched your girl to the hill's z/d prescription food. the z/d is formulated specifically for food sensitivities and intolerance. do you know -- does your vet suspect food allergies or sensitivities? or possibly IBD?

i believe that a cat can be experiencing some nausea, but still be eating and not vomiting.  i think it can be a matter of the level of nausea the cat is experiencing.

what i did find when doing a quick internet search for cat throat polyps, or Naso-Pharyngeal polyps (as they're called), is that they're considered tumors and that they can block the Eustachian tube at the back of the throat. that Eustachian tube is what connects the middle ear and the back of the throat. the symptoms can vary depending on where the polyp is located, but difficulty swallowing is very common no matter where the polyp is located. my understanding is that polyps don't travel, but they can grow in different areas or directions (like towards the back of the throat or towards the middle ear, in the Eustachian tube). here's a link to an article on naso-pharyngeal polyps i found -- http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2548& . something to note is that if the polyp is located in the back of the throat, there are two ways to have it removed (if i'm not mistaken) and the polyps can many times grow back. also, note that there can be temporary or even permanent side effects from having the polyp removed. these would be things to be aware of and could effect your decision on how to proceed, if a naso-pharyngeal polyp is diagnosed.

you might consider getting a second opinion, from a vet at a different practice. it's just like with doctors for humans, it's very common to get a second opinion and there is no insult or 'slight' to your vet. you're just wanting to make sure your cat's diagnosis is correct or that there isn't some other possible cause for the symptoms.