Gagging But No Throwing Up?

[abbyemma]

I have had Emma for two months, she has never thrown up. I have noticed for the past few days she gags a few times like she is trying to get something up, but then just like shakes her head and goes on with normal activity. No changes in activity, eating or drinking. I try not to pay a huge amount of attention when she is doing this, just keep a close eye and say “it’s okay” in a soothing voice. I don’t want to freak her out.

Is this normal? My boyfriend thinks that it is probably hairball related, he previously had cats and is shocked that we have not seen her throw up yet. I just want her to get it up! I know when I was a kid throwing up was petrifying, but once you do it, you feel much better.

Any advice? Thanks in advance

 

[maggiedemi]

Did you try hairball treats?

 

[abbyemma]

No, I didn’t know those existed! She has every other treat but I will have to look into those!

 

[duckpond]

If it continues i would take her in for a check. cats should not gag and barf often, there will be a reason, you just have to figure out why.

 

[EmmiTemmi]

I had a cat who would constantly bend over and gag/cough without vomiting or producing a hairball. I brought him to the vet and they gave some sort of anti-parasite thing (they thought it was something he caught from fleas he had just had), but that didn't work. I began to give him some hairball gel (Tomlyn tuna flavor was the only one he'd eat), and brushed him regularly, and his symptoms relaxed a little. Around the same time I also put his feeding bowl a little higher up so he wasn't leaning down to eat, and switched his diet to all wet. Those things could have helped too, but I think the hairball gel was a big part of it. Now he's only gagged/coughed once in the past couple months (that I'm aware of), and I've only seen 2 hairballs around my apartment (at least one of which belonged to my other cat).

 

[stephanietx]

Hairballs are actually not a normal part of cat life. This sounds a little bit like asthma, especially if you live in an area where the weather is changing. You might want to talk with your vet about an antihistamine to help keep allergies in check.

 

[dustydiamond1]

How's she doing?

 

[abbyemma]

She is actually doing okay. Once I wrote about it stopped, but if it happens again I’ll call the vet. We are in Massachusetts, so definitely could be allergy related.

 

[dustydiamond1]

So glad to hear! Hope she continues doing well. Thanks for the update, let us know if anything changes.

 

[duncansmommy]

Could it be coughing? Look up some videos of cats coughing it looks similar to what they do before they throw up. My cat did this and finally I took the video to the vet and they diagnosed asthma.

 

[epona]

Could it be coughing? Look up some videos of cats coughing it looks similar to what they do before they throw up. My cat did this and finally I took the video to the vet and they diagnosed asthma.

Yes, I was just about to suggest this, many years ago I took Radar to the vet because he seemed to be "gagging" regularly, turned out it was a bad cough/inflamed throat - it cleared up ok with treatment (although he was really really ill for a few days, it wasn't any long-term condition), he did permanently and pretty much entirely lose his miaow though.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Yes, I was just about to suggest this, many years ago I took Radar to the vet because he seemed to be "gagging" regularly, turned out it was a bad cough/inflamed throat - it cleared up ok with treatment (although he was really really ill for a few days, it wasn't any long-term condition), he did permanently and pretty much entirely lose his miaow though.

Poor baby!