Help, my boy's barfing too much

[engsohere]

Ok, my cat has been barfing for the past couple of days. Previously he would barf about once every 10-15 days, sometimes he will go as long as 20+ days without barfing. Just a little history...

May 1st he barfed once

May 9th he barfed twice

Today he barfed again

I'm worried because he has never barfed twice in one day and as you can see he's already barfed 4 times this month.

I feed him Soild Gold Katz n' Flockin', which I think is a very high quality food, and he's been on it for 6-7 months so I doubt that's the problem. I've been free feeding him as well, he eats about 4-5 times a day, little amounts throughout the day. He's drinking lots of water and elimination habits are unchanged. So I really don't know what could be wrong?

Could it the the warmer weather? Right now it's about high 80's during the day and I'm not running AC, just the windows open and the overhead fans. One thing I've noticed is that he's shedding a lot of hair, which I guess is normal since summer is approaching.

I would like to hear from anyone who has had similar problems, and what suggestions can you offer me. Thanks.

[kb2yjx]

How old is your cat?? Is there fur in the vomit? When you say he drinks "lots", how much is " lots?" Does he only eat dry food??

[Grace]

Take him to the Vet.

I've only had one cat who vomited that much and he had cancer.

[engsohere]

Thanks for the reply...

I'm not sure of his age, maybe two no older than three. I took him in as a stray about a year ago. He drinks about 8-10 times a day, and not just little sips, sometimes he drinks up to a minute. Yes, I only feed him the Soild Gold dry food. Just for reference...

Jan 08, barfed 1st, 15th, 18th, 21st
Feb 08, barfed 7th, 29th
Mar 08, barfed 3rd, 10th, 29th
Apr 08, barfed 2nd, 25th

Sometimes there's very little hair in his vomit, but he's a DSH so I doubt that's an issue. On the other hand, he's really been shedding alot so that could make sense. Right now I'm leaning toward the warmer weather as the cause, but this is a first for me so I can't say for sure. Here are a few pics...

[Medusa]

If he's vomiting food, it could be that he's eating too much too fast. My little Creamsicle does that and sometimes she doesn't even leave the food dish and she's throwing it up. I have to put a large stone in the center of the food dish so that she's forced to eat around it slowly, thereby causing less vomiting. If it's a lot of liquid vomit, especially dark liquid, it could be bile and that isn't good. It could indicate a liver problem. Take him to your vet and then you'll know for sure. Whatever the reason, frequent vomiting isn't normal and should be checked out. Since he's drinking so much, sometimes for as long as up to a minute, he could also be dehydrated from the vomiting or he could have early indications of a kidney problem. I haven another cat, Puddy, who drinks like that but she's in chronic renal failure. The hair loss could be because he's shedding his winter coat or it could be due to illness. Do your cat and yourself a favor and take him to your vet w/out delay. And please let us know what your vet says and how he's doing.

[engsohere]

Thanks for the suggestion Medusa. I don't have a vet so what should I look for in an establishment? What types of test will they do and when will I know the results?

I hope it's not serious but it just worries me since he's never barfed twice in one day before. Yes, he vomits soild food, not liquids, and he usually does it within 5 minutes after the meal. I also notice he's drinking more water now than during colder weather. I did some research on the net and some people say it's okay for a cat to barf once or twice a week, is this true?

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that your cat is barfing so much. I have a few cats that if they eat too fast then they will also barf. I don't free feed any more and I also feed them small amounts of wet and dry food. Sometimes if they drink a lot of water after eating then this will also cause them to barf. Sometimes it's also just due to hairballs so I try to give them some Petromalt hairball remedy at least once a week. I'd also get your cat checked out by a vet. It's also very important to take your cat in every year for an annual exam. I hope it's nothing serious. Good luck.

[Jessika]

Please, please please please take him to the vet...

Vomiting is nothing to take lightly if it is persistent...

[Catty1]

Has your boy seen a vet? Did you talk to a friend who has a good one?

If you don't trust vets, that is fine...but I would hate to see your furbaby die because of that mistrust.

Please get him looked at - if it becomes an emergency, you won't be able to choose the right vet. Now you can.

Please update!

[jazzcat]

I have a cat who is a chronic barfer, Ripley. Since my vet recommended I feed him only Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach he rarely barfs.

I also have cats who barf if they eat too fast so that could be it.

One other thought, Rumor went through a barfing stage when she was about a year old and then I noticed she was also a little constipated. I took her to the vet who said it was really bad hairballs and put her on Lax'Aire (a hairball rememdy). It did the trick.