cat vomiting, holding stomach weird, acting weird (eating, safe, puking) - - City-Data Forum

doglover29 · 04-23-2008, 09:34 AM

I have a 7-year old, exclusively indoor cat. Sunday night he began vomiting (which isn't unusual) but also holding his stomach in weird and when he sat down, he held his legs in a weird way, leading me to believe that he was having stomach pain. He was meowing and acting differently, but this all started up suddenly. Our other cat was freaked out by his behavior and started hissing at him.

Anyhow, the next day he seemed better and was no longer holding his stomach in the weird way, and was sitting normally, but was still throwing up (mostly liquid). He wasn't eating normally and was behaving differently, but was still using the litter box normally.

Since going to the vet is such a traumatic experience for him, we decided to wait a few more days. He's much better than the first day, and the only remaining symptoms are vomiting and odd behavior (more withdrawn than normal, more listless). He also isn't eating much dry food, though when we offered his favorite wet food treat, he enthusiastically ate that.

I'm wondering if we should take him to the vet. This started Sunday night, and now it's Wednesday. His symptoms have improved, but the vomiting and odd behavior is still there (for instance, he's hiding under the bed, when he normally never does that.)

He's never exposed to any other animals and is solely an indoor cat. He doesn't have any other health issues.

Any ideas on what this could be?

Keeper · 04-23-2008, 09:47 AM

Check his teeth. It could be he has missing back teeth and if he isn't eating dry food, his stomach pains could be caused because he is hungry. I had a similiar incident with one of my cats (although she was older than yours) one time. Come to find out she had lost all her back teeth and couldn't eat the dry food. I didn't realize she wasn't eating as the food was being eaten, just not by her.

I would still consider taking him to the vet.

doglover29 · 04-23-2008, 09:49 AM

I just took him for an expensive dental cleaning under general anesthesia a few months ago, so his teeth should be fine. This started suddenly, so I'm wondering if it some kind of stomach obstruction.

The biggest change is the vomiting and no interest in playing, which is unusual. The other cat is fine.

Fat Freddy · 04-23-2008, 09:58 AM

If he were my cat I wouldn't wait so long to take him to the doctor.

Going to the vet might be traumatic for him, but not as traumatic as dying from an ailment that might have been curable if treated earlier.

LAPalms · 04-23-2008, 10:02 AM

Make sure the cat is not in front of the TV while "American Idol" is on.
Seriously, don't wait take to Vet ASAP.

doglover29 · 04-23-2008, 10:26 AM

Well, it's just that this same thing happened with the same cat 2 years ago, and we took him to the vet and he got a full work-up, including multiple bowel x-rays, and the vet could never figure out what the problem was. I believe he even saw an internal medicine specialist. He had all the tests and they couldn't tell us what it was, with all the same symptoms this time around.

So since it's the same symptoms, we're hesitant to take him to the vet unless it gets worse. This cat just got a full annual exam in the fall, complete with full bloodwork.

Azkadellia · 04-23-2008, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Freddy

If he were my cat I wouldn't wait so long to take him to the doctor.

Going to the vet might be traumatic for him, but not as traumatic as dying from an ailment that might have been curable if treated earlier.

What Freddy said. Don't wait. Just trust me on that.

jessiegirl_98 · 04-23-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doglover29

Well, it's just that this same thing happened with the same cat 2 years ago, and we took him to the vet and he got a full work-up, including multiple bowel x-rays, and the vet could never figure out what the problem was. I believe he even saw an internal medicine specialist. He had all the tests and they couldn't tell us what it was, with all the same symptoms this time around.

So since it's the same symptoms, we're hesitant to take him to the vet unless it gets worse. This cat just got a full annual exam in the fall, complete with full bloodwork.

Just like people, things come up. He got a full annual in the fall, which was minimum 5 months ago then? If my cat had these symptoms and was at the vet for the checkup even the day before, I would still bring him back in. You really need to get him to the vet. No cat likes the vet, but it is necessary and, as they said, it's better than dying. If you had a stomach upstruction or were vomiting for days wouldn't you go to the doctor? I'm not trying to be harsh, but am just trying to put things in perspective. Again, just like people, we sometimes go to the doctor and they say "it's a virus" and it appears worthless....but how bad will you feel if there really is something going on! Better safe than sorry.

Lastly, you say you want to wait for it to get "worse." He appears in pain, is acting funny, is lethargic (which is a BIG BAD clue something is wrong!) and has been puking for 4 days! If it gets much worse, he could die! What are you waiting for?

Fat Freddy · 04-24-2008, 08:30 AM

It doesn't take very long for a cat who is vomiting to get dehydrated which depresses his general immune system leaving him more vulnerable to secondary infections.

The vet will probably just put him on Clavimox anyway, but at least it will put your mind at ease and you will know you did what you could to help him get better.

turtlewalk · 04-24-2008, 02:37 PM

Please take your cat to your vet ASAP. You can give 1/4 of a normal pepcid (famotidine) table to control vomiting, but it only masks a symptom.