Why is my geriatric cat vomiting?
Question:Why is my geriatric cat vomiting so much? Despite using daily hair-ball remedy, he is vomiting at least two to three times a week. If I miss one day of this routine, he is guaranteed to vomit. I don't know what else to do. He has had a 4 lb. weight loss over the last couple of years. His geriatric feline profile is normal. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Answer: I'm not sure what was included in his "geriatric feline profile." How long ago was it done? I assume it was a blood panel, testing kidney function, pancreatic values, hemoglobin, etc.
IMO, a cat should not need hairball remedy on a daily basis. Is he vomiting hairballs every time, or is it food or liquid with some hair mixed in? Many hairball remedies are based on petroleum products, which leach vitamins from the body (most notably, Vitamin A). For this reason, if he is getting the hairball remedy more than once or twice a week, he probably should have some kind of supplement.
Related Reading:
CRF (Feline Chronic Renal Failure)
Hyperthyroidism in Cats
Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
Pictured is Raleigh, in her third year of CRF Photo Credit: © Pat Wolesky
Comments
The weight loss is a concern, since CRF, Hyperthyroid, Diabetes, Cancer, etc. can all cause that. I also want encourage you to get a complete blood count, blood chemistry profile, and thyroid test if you haven’t had them done in the past 4 months or so. As Franny said, things can change very fast. My Raleigh, the cat pictured with this question, tested fine at one checkup and was definitely in kidney failure less than 6 months later. That’s why blood testing twice a year is recommended for older cats.
Good luck to you!