Kitty is throwing up food

[Allyy_caat]

Hi everyone. Gizmo has been throwing up his dry food for sometime now. I’ve been to three different vets and no one has given me a proper diagnoses or even knows what’s going on. They referred me to a cat specialist but that specialist has never gotten back to me on making an appointment and yes I have called. Anyways so Gizmo throws up his fry food, I’ve tried all sorts of different food. This started within the past two years. However, he won’t throw up his dry food if it is mixed with wet food. I’m not sure why this happens. Has anyone had something similar happen? I’m worried for my little baby because when he does puke he pukes multiple times and the last parts of him puking it’s flim with blood in it. The dr said it’s because his stomach lining is irritated. I’m just super worried about him.

Gizmo is a male 3 year old orange cat. Idk why it says kitten on there. Sorry I’m new to this site.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Can you just feed him dry only when it is mixed with wet food if he doesn't throw up with the combination? Or better yet, get him to eat nothing but wet food. If his stomach lining is irritated, continually throwing up just keeps the irritation going. If you stop him throwing up by giving him the dry/wet combo, it will help to allow his stomach to heal. That is a start anyway. It could be that he eats the dry too fast, upsetting his stomach and causing him to vomit. The wet mixed with it might actually slow him down. There are also ways to slow down a cat who eats dry food, such as adding a golf, or similar, ball to the food dish so he has to take time to eat around it. But I would try the wet/dry combo first, as all cats benefit from the extra moisture in wet food.

The 'kittten' label under your name is related to you being a new member on this site. This link will help explain a little bit about the labels and related activities. Promotions and Benefits | TheCatSite

 

[lisahe]

I agree with FeebysOwner about trying to feed Gizmo only wet food. It sounds as if there might be an ingredient in the dry food that's bothering him. What foods (wet and dry) are you feeding him?

If his vomiting has gotten to the point where there's blood in it, that's definitely very concerning. Did your vet suggest anything after saying that Gizmo's stomach lining is irritated? Did they give him any medication(s)? Ideally, he'd have something to bring down the inflammation/irritation in his stomach lining.

 

[Allyy_caat]

HI, thanks for the response. Gizmo can only eat dry food when it is mixed with wet food. That's what I'm doing rn. Vet #1 said he needs grains in his food, so I got Purina one cat food (which my other cats love), vet #2 said he seems fine and is just dramatic, vet #3 gave him a steroid shot I believe and then has given me throw up meds where he won't puke for 24 hours. this helps but Gizmo is scared of puking so he wouldn't eat so I started mixing his dry food with some wet food and chicken broth. He will eat most of the plate but leave some dry pieces that arent wet enough on the plate. It is just super hard for me to feed him wet food every single day because it is so expensive and I'm currently not working right now. Vet #3 said the blood in the vomit is just from irritation and nothing to be super concerned about. His blood work came back normal as well. I want to do x-rays but I have to go to the cat specialist for that since I live in a small town, but all the specialists are so busy they barely answer calls or call the people with referrals.

I hope this makes sense. I just feel like no one really knows what is happening and no one really cares anymore about Gizmo.

 

[cmshap]

I hope this makes sense. I just feel like no one really knows what is happening and no one really cares anymore about Gizmo.

It sounds like you've done the best you can to get an answer, and unfortunately, sometimes vets have no answers. I have a lot of experience with this.

My cat, Willy, is a 10-year-old DSH I took in around age 1, and he's been a frequent vomiter his whole life. Especially when eating dry food.

(I have to give him both wet food and dry food for his digestive health, or he gets constipated. The ratio is currently about 3:1 wet:dry. I do not mix them together, I serve wet and dry meals separately.)

When he vomits after eating dry, it is usually very shortly after eating. He eats the dry food too fast, which makes him vomit, but even if I feed him very slowly (like a small handful of pieces of kibble at a time) he sometimes still vomits it up. And the pieces of kibble in the vomit usually looks mostly whole, as if he is not chewing them properly.

He has also just been very food-sensitive, and also has been unable to tolerate certain wet foods. I've been dealing with this for the better part of a decade, and I have his foods pretty well-established at this point, but he still vomits a few times a week. Almost always after a dry meal... but it's just once, then I give him time and make him wait. He begs and whines, and after a while, I give him a little bit of kibble again and he keeps it down.

I've been to lots of vets over the years, and currently go to a cat specialist vet that I trust. He's always been healthy. Just labeled a "frequent puker." I know that's not an answer, and may not apply to your cat (you may be able to get a better answer, yet). But in my cat's case, I've learned it is just how he is.

I've tried so many different dietary changes, additives, probiotics, etc. and the only effects were to make things worse, not better. So I believe I have him on the best diet currently, and just monitor that it doesn't get worse.

I don't know if any of that is helpful. But I understand the frustration. It's hard when you can't get to the bottom of a problem and you just keep worrying about it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Not sure what grains are supposed to do for a cat, unless Gizmo sometimes experiences constipation, and the vet thinks the grains will add fiber. The vet that says he is just being dramatic is not even remotely close to being on target, and the third vet who gave him a steroid shot is just hoping that it will settle things for him, help heal his gut, and that by the time it does, he will go back to eating normally.

If you can't afford some wet food every day, you could try to moisten his dry food with either the chicken broth and/or water and see what happens. Or you could reduce the wet food to a level that would allow you to buy enough to get him through all of his meals, and still stop him from vomiting. You could also try different combination of these ideas too. If buying larger cans of the wet food are cheaper overall than individual small cans, you could separate a can into 'xx' portions, freeze them, and then thaw a portion as needed.

 

[lisahe]

HI, thanks for the response. Gizmo can only eat dry food when it is mixed with wet food. That's what I'm doing rn. Vet #1 said he needs grains in his food, so I got Purina one cat food (which my other cats love), vet #2 said he seems fine and is just dramatic, vet #3 gave him a steroid shot I believe and then has given me throw up meds where he won't puke for 24 hours. this helps but Gizmo is scared of puking so he wouldn't eat so I started mixing his dry food with some wet food and chicken broth. He will eat most of the plate but leave some dry pieces that arent wet enough on the plate. It is just super hard for me to feed him wet food every single day because it is so expensive and I'm currently not working right now. Vet #3 said the blood in the vomit is just from irritation and nothing to be super concerned about. His blood work came back normal as well. I want to do x-rays but I have to go to the cat specialist for that since I live in a small town, but all the specialists are so busy they barely answer calls or call the people with referrals.

I hope this makes sense. I just feel like no one really knows what is happening and no one really cares anymore about Gizmo.

How frustrating that you're in this situation! I totally agree with FeebysOwner 's summary of Vets 1, 2, and 3.

I'm suspecting that maybe the throw up meds are Cerenia, is that right? Those work very well for our barfing cat. Or maybe Zofran? If nothing else, maybe one of the vets will give you more anti-barf pills so he won't barf while you're waiting to get him diagnosed. Pretty much anything -- food or a good med -- you can do to reduce the barfing will be helpful. (Zofran is apparently much, much cheaper, though it needs to be given more frequently.)

What you write about wanting to get more tests (imaging) makes total sense to me. You are absolutely correct to want to do x-rays -- or even better, an ultrasound, maybe, if you can get one at a reasonable price? -- and try to get a sense of what's happening. Vomiting blood is not a minor problem. Consistent vomiting without blood isn't a minor problem either! Keep pushing to have him diagnosed better.

Stomach inflammation can be very difficult to diagnose: one of our cats had major inflammation last summer and had to have patches taken out of her stomach. She also ruptured her spleen. Even with biopsies we have no specific idea of what caused the problem. She's always had digestive issues (sensitivities, stomach acid, I could go on and on) but then she got much worse very quickly. She's doing much better now, with an anti-inflammatory probiotic and herb blend; she's also getting Cerenia, which we need to decrease.

One other thing, if Gizmo gets stressed (noise, hot weather, anything), stress reduction can help a ton. We had a lot of construction noise in the area when it was very hot and that caused lots of problems.

I hope you're able to get Gizmo seen soon for some imaging.

 

[stephanietx]

Is this a case of scarf & barf? Does he inhale his crunchies quickly and then vomit right after eating them all? He may need to slow down a little bit and that's why mixing with wet food helps. You can try a slow feeder bowl and see if that helps him slow down and not throw up his food.

 

[cmshap]

Is this a case of scarf & barf? Does he inhale his crunchies quickly and then vomit right after eating them all?

That's part of what I was suggesting as a possible cause in my post above. Another sign of this is if the kibble in the vomit looks whole or not chewed enough. When my cat "scarfs & barfs" you can see mostly whole pieces of kibble in it.

This is of course the simplest explanation, and may not explain Gizmo's issue, but it's worth considering.

 

[justinweed]

Hi everyone. Gizmo has been throwing up his dry food for sometime now. I’ve been to three different vets and no one has given me a proper diagnoses or even knows what’s going on. They referred me to a cat specialist but that specialist has never gotten back to me on making an appointment and yes I have called. Anyways so Gizmo throws up his fry food, I’ve tried all sorts of different food. This started within the past two years. However, he won’t throw up his dry food if it is mixed with wet food. I’m not sure why this happens. Has anyone had something similar happen? I’m worried for my little baby because when he does puke he pukes multiple times and the last parts of him puking it’s flim with blood in it. The dr said it’s because his stomach lining is irritated. I’m just super worried about him.

Gizmo is a male 3 year old orange cat. Idk why it says kitten on there. Sorry I’m new to this site.

My cat roast was doing the same thing until I started feeding him small amounts and I started cooking him chicken. I get it Costco. and loves it I cook it with the tiny bit of soy sauce. He Rarely throws up now unless he gets into the kittens food and eats too much. I think he's just an overeater...

 

[Purrfect Meow]

It sounds like you've done the best you can to get an answer, and unfortunately, sometimes vets have no answers. I have a lot of experience with this.

My cat, Willy, is a 10-year-old DSH I took in around age 1, and he's been a frequent vomiter his whole life. Especially when eating dry food.

(I have to give him both wet food and dry food for his digestive health, or he gets constipated. The ratio is currently about 3:1 wet:dry. I do not mix them together, I serve wet and dry meals separately.)

When he vomits after eating dry, it is usually very shortly after eating. He eats the dry food too fast, which makes him vomit, but even if I feed him very slowly (like a small handful of pieces of kibble at a time) he sometimes still vomits it up. And the pieces of kibble in the vomit usually looks mostly whole, as if he is not chewing them properly.

He has also just been very food-sensitive, and also has been unable to tolerate certain wet foods. I've been dealing with this for the better part of a decade, and I have his foods pretty well-established at this point, but he still vomits a few times a week. Almost always after a dry meal... but it's just once, then I give him time and make him wait. He begs and whines, and after a while, I give him a little bit of kibble again and he keeps it down.

I've been to lots of vets over the years, and currently go to a cat specialist vet that I trust. He's always been healthy. Just labeled a "frequent puker." I know that's not an answer, and may not apply to your cat (you may be able to get a better answer, yet). But in my cat's case, I've learned it is just how he is.

I've tried so many different dietary changes, additives, probiotics, etc. and the only effects were to make things worse, not better. So I believe I have him on the best diet currently, and just monitor that it doesn't get worse.

I don't know if any of that is helpful. But I understand the frustration. It's hard when you can't get to the bottom of a problem and you just keep worrying about it.

I know we are not suppose to thank people for their posts but I just want to say I appreciate your reply. Somewhere in the forum here I explained how my cat for 2 years now throws-up every 7 days. No vet finds anything wrong with her and no vet said to me she could just be one that does. They want more tests, more blood work, change her food again. Just learning that other cats have this issue is wonderful, if you know what I mean.

 

[cmshap]

Somewhere in the forum here I explained how my cat for 2 years now throws-up every 7 days. No vet finds anything wrong with her and no vet said to me she could just be one that does.

Yeah, I understand. I came to accept that conclusion after chasing the problem for years and never finding anything that really helped. I can totally understand, however, that other cat owners may not accept such a conclusion.

My cat also came to me around 1 year old as a stray who had various health problems due to being outside and unable to care for himself. He experienced starvation before being rescued, and my vet said that he could have developed a sensitive digestive system due to damage done at a young age. It's impossible to know for sure, but that's part of his health history that we know about.

Regardless, he has always been a frequent vomiter, and I came to the conclusion that as long as I don't make it worse, and I do what I can to minimize it (like, for example, feeding him slowly so he doesn't scarf as much; and figuring out the best ratio of wet/dry that keeps him at his best), I am doing the best I can. I can't afford to pay for more and more tests that reveal nothing is wrong.

He's still doing well at age 10, so at this point I am not worrying about it anymore. As long as it doesn't get worse or starts to negatively impact his quality of life.

I should note that this is my first cat ever, so I don't have any other frame of reference. I also don't intend for this post to explain what is happening to the OP's cat Gizmo. I just wanted to provide another story about my frequently vomiting cat.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Yeah, I understand. I came to accept that conclusion after chasing the problem for years and never finding anything that really helped. I can totally understand, however, that other cat owners may not accept such a conclusion.

My cat also came to me around 1 year old as a stray who had various health problems due to being outside and unable to care for himself. He experienced starvation before being rescued, and my vet said that he could have developed a sensitive digestive system due to damage done at a young age. It's impossible to know for sure, but that's part of his health history that we know about.

Regardless, he has always been a frequent vomiter, and I came to the conclusion that as long as I don't make it worse, and I do what I can to minimize it (like, for example, feeding him slowly so he doesn't scarf as much; and figuring out the best ratio of wet/dry that keeps him at his best), I am doing the best I can. I can't afford to pay for more and more tests that reveal nothing is wrong.

He's still doing well at age 10, so at this point I am not worrying about it anymore. As long as it doesn't get worse or starts to negatively impact his quality of life.

I should note that this is my first cat ever, so I don't have any other frame of reference. I also don't intend for this post to explain what is happening to the OP's cat Gizmo. I just wanted to provide another story about my frequently vomiting cat.

For your specific case with Willy I wonder if it is because he is swallowing it whole?? If so could you mix just a little wet or like a gravy pouch or even just a little water with his dry but with his dry can you crush it up?? So he isn't having whole pieces traveling through his digestive tract?

Now for the ops cat since he doesn't throw it up when it is mixed can you mix it for him every time just for now until you get him to the specialist? I am just thinking of a quick solution where he won't be throwing up until you can get him to a specialist. This way his little digestive system can have a break and not aggravate it further..??

 

[cmshap]

For your specific case with Willy I wonder if it is because he is swallowing it whole?? If so could you mix just a little wet or like a gravy pouch or even just a little water with his dry but with his dry can you crush it up?? So he isn't having whole pieces traveling through his digestive tract?

I don't want to get too far off-topic by talking about my cat, but it's related to the mixing of dry and wet, which Allyy_caat said they do for Gizmo. For some reason, my cat, Willy, won't eat dry food when it's soggy like that. Just refuses to touch it. Believe me, I've tried mixing foods every way imaginable.

To tie this back into the original topic, Allyy_caat , you may need to do more of your own experimentation, like I had to do over the course of Willy's life. I had to adjust the ratio of wet/dry food over time until finding the best solution for his digestive health. I also had to cycle through various different wet foods until finding the kinds he tolerated the best. Etc. etc. It's been a painstaking process, but I tried to do it as scientifically as possible; i.e., don't change everything all at once... adjust one thing at a time, and do it gradually. And yes, I also did record how many times he threw up each day to have data.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Hi everyone. Gizmo has been throwing up his dry food for sometime now. I’ve been to three different vets and no one has given me a proper diagnoses or even knows what’s going on. They referred me to a cat specialist but that specialist has never gotten back to me on making an appointment and yes I have called. Anyways so Gizmo throws up his fry food, I’ve tried all sorts of different food. This started within the past two years. However, he won’t throw up his dry food if it is mixed with wet food. I’m not sure why this happens. Has anyone had something similar happen? I’m worried for my little baby because when he does puke he pukes multiple times and the last parts of him puking it’s flim with blood in it. The dr said it’s because his stomach lining is irritated. I’m just super worried about him.

Gizmo is a male 3 year old orange cat. Idk why it says kitten on there. Sorry I’m new to this site.

How often does he have his dry food by itself? For example once a day, or once every few days, etc..

Also is there another specialist in/around your area? Even if it is about an hour away I think it would be worth trying to get ahold of them this way you can get Gizmo seen since the one specialist won't return your phone calls.