"Healthy" cat keeps vomiting

[kilgore_trout]

Hello and thank you for reading. I have a 16 year old cat, Coco, who despite his age is very lively and energetic! He's an indoor cat, and according to his previous owner has never been sick, I've had him since february. About a week ago he started vomiting, pretty much daily, sometimes even twice a day. Sometimes its only liquid and sometimes its right after he's eaten and he throws up his food. I have not changed his diet or my household cleaning products. I've moved the plants so I know he's not eating them. He shows now other signs of sickness....eats and uses his litter box regularly, just as much crazy energy as before. What could be the problem? Is it time for a change in diet, visit to the vet? I'm a student and don't have a job, does a "check up" usually cost a lot?

Thanks!
Kilgore

 

[hissy]

Coco needs to go in and have blood work drawn- a senior panel. That is the best thing to do.

 

[pat]

Love your user name

Thank you for adopting a senior catizen! I agree, a vet visit specially with a request for a senior panel is in order. The senior panel will give you a baseline for comparison at every yearly exam, re thyroid and kidney status, two things that many senior cats end up having issues with.

See if you can get a referral to a good local vet, and then ask about setting up a payment plan. Office visits can truly vary widely depending on where you live in the us as well as rural versus city. My vet is $36 for an office visit, a senior panel is somewhere between $80-$100 BUT I truly have heard other tcs members mentioning much lower prices for both their office visit, and a senior panel...so find a vet that comes recommended, and then get a quote and take it from there.

Please keep us posted?

 

[kilgore_trout]

Wow thanks for the swift replies! Yeah, I guess I'll be making a call to the vet today. I live in Berlin, Germany...we'll see how the prices compare, but a payment plan sounds like a good idea. I'll keep you updated!

And about the senior catizen, I love having an old cat! The funny thing is, he has just as much energy if not more as a kitten...didn't expect that when I got him!

 

[booktigger]

I had a cat that kept throwing up, and it turned out she had raised liver enzymes - she was either 12 or 14 (depended on who you asked). Am glad you like having an oldie, I love mine. My cats get a yearly blood test (more if it shows anything) as I like to be able to pick up on things quickly.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I agree with the others. You are doing the right thing to take him in for a check. I wish you the best with your dear old cat friend.

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Please keep us posted?

my Mouse did this last fall, & i don't think i noticed it soon enough. take him in & let us know!

 

[jcat]

Here's a site (in German) that will give you an idea of the prices charged in Germany. They're still listed in DM, so you pretty much have to halve them. Germany has "fixed" prices for the entire country, but a vet can charge two to three times the amount listed, depending on the severity of the case.
http://www.vetdomain.de/Sites/gebuehrenordnung1999.htm

 

[cloud_shade]

Is there any hair in the vomit? It's possible Coco is trying to expel hairballs without success. How soon after eating does Coco normally try to throw-up? If it is close to meal time, you might try raising the food bowl or spreading out the food to slow him down. Let us know what the blood test shows, too!

 

[kilgore_trout]

Well heres an update for all who were interested....
I was planning to call the Vet, but woke up early the next morning to find Coco munching the flowers that I thought were out of his reach. I had put them away to rule out the possibility of him throwing up from eating them. Well sure enough I got rid of the flowers completely and he hasn't thrown up since. False alarm! This also explains why he threw up only in the morning, sneaky little devil! I guess there really is no place in my apartment that Coco can't reach if he puts his mind to it! Thanks for the help though!

 

[gardenandcats]

Glad you found out the problem. Flowers would make a cat vomit.

 

[beckiboo]

Great detective work!

Just an idea, to help with vet bills. Do call and find the cost of a vet visit, and start saving a little money each week. This is how my daughter was able to save to have her cat neutered. Over time, the "kitty fund" adds up to the point that if you have a health crisis, you can take kitty to the vet.

Best of luck to you and Coco!