Pukey Cat

[ShelleyandSatin]

I have been with the board for some time, but haven't posted in a while....finally got things down and Satin has been doing good, but lately she has been puking more than usual, could it be a sign of something? Is there anything I can give her for an upset stomach? Her BG hasn't been bad and she is eating good. Satin is going to be 13 next month and has been diabetic since she was three.

Thanks
Shelley and Satin

 

[dmartini4]

Hi Sheila
Could they be hairballs?
Have you been checking for ketones at all?
What kind up throw up...is it just bile?

 

[Pumbaa]

I know a lot of people have mentioned giving their cats Pepcid...and my mom's vet recommended that for her pukey cat. I think the dose recommended is 1/4 of a tablet, but someone else can confirm this.

Suze

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

If this is a new and on going problem, I think a vet visit is in order. It could be an obstruction, in which case home treatment could make it worse. It could also be constipation - ditto on any home treatment. Unless he is a hairball/puke kind of cat, I would go to the vet. Better safe than sorry?

My kitty, Niko, is giving me daily pukey presents on my white carpet. But I know that it is the miller moths that he is constantly stalking. He is in heaven being the great hunter, but throws them up repeatedly. :mrgreen:

Congrats on 12 years with a healthy diabetic. Wonderful job - hard job!

 

[Pumbaa]

Cats barf, regularly, for various reasons, and so do dogs. It doesn't always take a vet visit and the added expense to deal with cats barfing more than usual.

Satin's puking more regularly could be due something dire...if the other signs were there. But it could also be something simple which could be easily addressed at home by giving her Pepcid, or some form of fiber or probiotics or olive oil to help her pass the furballs or deal with the stomach acid or whatever.

My civilian cat, Larry, used to binge on dry food and puke his guts out on the feeding table, right after binging, pretending like the feeding table was an ancient Roman vomitorium. He just puked about 15 minutes ago, but again, it was because he gorged himself on canned food I put out ahead of going to bed. Larry knows that FD Pumbaa will hoover up all food in sight if Larry isn't quick enough to eat.

Am I worried about Larry barfing like this? Not in the least.

I also take care of my Mom's 2 cats at her house, and they are both barfers. But their tests from the vet come back clean. So we figure their barfing just has to do with getting up furballs and the food they are eating.

I hope Satin is just puking because she's trying to get up a furball!

Suze

 

[ShelleyandSatin]

Thanks for all the replys! Satin always pukes up what she ate last and the vet was just out a week ago for her checkup, didn't do a blood panel though. I did bring it up to the vet and she did say it could be kidneys and the signs for that are puking, peeing and drinking a lot as with diabetes, so it would be hard to tell. Satin has been doing pretty good with the peeing and drinking, but she does have her days. I guess the kidney thing just got me worried. She is older now and has been living with diabetes for ten years and the diabetes has got to be taken a toll on her body. It's just when she has these puking times she does it three or four times and it seems to take a lot out of her and she don't seem to feel good the whole rest of the day. But then I think to myself, well, when I puke it makes me feel pretty crummy as well. So, I don't know to just write it off as she is a cat and they do puke a lot or for some reason something is upsetting her stomach. Is it possible that the insulin could be upsetting her stomach? I don't think it's hairballs, she never seems to be hacking. She has been eating the same food for years, mostly can, and some EVO.

Thanks so much for all your comments!

 

[Pumbaa]

Shelley: Since you just brought it up to the vet a week ago, you might want to call the vet and bring up the concern again and ask for a blood panel to be run. That would set your mind at ease.

One of my vets in the past explained to me that, sometimes when a cat barfs, it starts some sort of reflex spasm that causes them to barf a couple of times. The vet recommended I remove food and water for a little bit (an hour or so?) to let the cat settle down and have the spasms stop.

Suze