Vomiting after defecation?

We have an ongoing problem with our 15 year old domestic tabby: defecating causes her to vomit.

She'll be fine for a few weeks, then it will start again for a few days.Her appetite is healthy, we have her on natural foods, no meat-by-products. Good health otherwise. Appreciate any feedback.

Jeff

Have you discussed this with your Vet? If not due to your kitty being a senior I strongly suggest a thorough check -up with a senior blood panel

I agree with the above and just wanted to share that when Patrick(RB) was constipated, he'd throw-up after passing stool.

My cat who died last month from cancer did this. Please take your cat to the vet!

How is your baby doing - what did the Vet say?

Catherine is doing much better. I really appreciate your conern and input.

The Vet said that Catherine was vomiting due to straining. At age 16 there is considerable loss of muscle mass in her hind leg area, muscles that, at a younger age, handle the "load" if you will, while defecating. Now, she needs to engage her entire body in order to accomplish what used to be a localized activity. Doing so she engages all her abdominal muscles, and this in turn can cause her to vomit. Depending on how firm or loose her stool is, is the reason for periods of no vomiting, and then the returning of it.

Again, thank you to all.

Did your vet give you some advice on how to prevent your kitty from being constipated? It can be treated, extra fluids in the diet will help for one.

Honestly, the kind of hind end muscle wasting you describe, can go along with chronic renal failure - quite common in older kitties and while not curable, treatable.

Please take the time to go to this site - www.felinecrf.org
read the description and symptoms, look up the section on dealing with constipation. I think if nothing else, you'll find that section helpful.

I would really like to encourage your having a senior panel drawn on this kitty, and to get a specific gravity done to determine how dilute her urine is (one sign of chronic renal failure is dilute urine).

I think to just settle for this explanation that older kitties end up straining, is to potentially miss a treatable condition, that without treatment, will get worse

Just my 25 cents worth

Thank you, Pat and Alix. Your detailed advice is certainly appreciated.

Catherine is under very good care. Her Vet has done yearly senior panels on her, for the past three years, as she did with this last round. Renal failure was examined, along with a number of other things, including pancreatitis. Her test results came back with good numbers, none showing any area of specific concern. It was only after the test results came in did the Vet offer this explaination.

We have been stewards of these lovely and marvelous creatures for over 25 years. We take our responsibility to them very seriously, and would never leave any avenue unexplored, no matter the cost to us. We the same for all our kids, whether human, or feline.

I posted this question to the forum while we were waiting on Catherine's results, wondering if others were experiencing the same issue. As this case has shown, different cats may exhibit similar symptoms, though the root cause varies.

We will continue, as always to monitor Catherine very closely. We have resumed our force feeding water every four to six hours to assist in hydration, and test her for dehydration regularly with the skin test. Her appetite remains hearty, she is sociable, tolerating the younger kittens with good humor, and is in good spirits.

I see she is in excellent hands. I wish her all the best.

Missing my angel Patrick, who I lost just recently, who dealt with crf for almost 4 years and had constipation issues. It's a bit hard for me to read of senior catizens and not think of him, I hope you'll understand, and forgive me if I came off as other than someone wishing to be helpful.

dont mean to hi jack a thread, but i am so sorry to hear about your Patrick,
Pat

my girl Mickie who is 19 now is in CRF and has been for several years (officically diagnosed last Sept but the symptoms were there much longer and her twice a year blood work was showing declines but still in the normal ranges)

anyway, she is now for the first time having constipation issues and i was wondering if you had any suggestions?

i can tell you what i have tried-
pumpkin- wont touch the stuff
benefiber (guar gum) not sure if i am using enough to make a difference? could not get dosing info from vet, as they recommend Lactulose which i will not/cannot use)

flax seed ground or the oil spoils too quickly.

she is on LRS about every other day now, and i give her extra water in her food, and put out lots and lots of containers of water (she likes to steal my water, so now i get a glass pretending it is for me, but really its for her LOL)

OH! forget to mention, she has IBD and food and other allergies, she is on transdermal prednisolone and transdermal antihistamine and i have a compounded chicken flavor pepcid for her...

the IBD makes treating constipation tricky as she will get the opposite problem, loose stools

her vet said he had given me all the ideas he had...but i know some of us find ideas that vets dont always know about

she vomits too, when she is constipated, and sometimes even if she is not.
she is quite thin from the muscle wasting of CRF and old age.
she is now sleeping most of the time so i imagine that slows down her bowels as well?

anyway, she is my 3rd CRF cat and each time i learn new and better things to do to help them.

so sorry about your boy! its so hard to lose to them!

How about trying slippery elm bark? (can be given as a syrup via syringe or you can package the powder into a small gel cap).

If you go to www.felinecrf.org - oh here is the link to their section on slippery elm bark use and it's cautions (though also check with your vet re a cat with ibd using this. http://www.felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#SEB

In general, the above sites section on treating crf related constipation is a good one, perhaps you'll find some additional tips there.

I wish you all the best with her, Patrick almost made it to 19. The years with them are sweet, but just too few.