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He eats canned wet food fine. Throws up both wet food and the dry bagged pellets. Been that way since we got him.
It is possible he doesn't need any further water after the canned. However, imho if you don't want your cat to get kidney disease eventually you should add extra water (just a bit).
In the wild cats get most of their water in their food.
He's been to the best. Had a battery of tests performed at Cornell Veterinary, blood, x-rays, everything.
Grady is athletic, fun, purrs. But has been vomiting and not drinking water since we got him, at the age of two, 11 years ago.
It is only recently that my wife suggested a connection between not drinking his vomiting.
Thanks!
That's from a life time of eating kibble. He isn't "eating it just fine" his digestion and body are permanently affected by eating kibble all his life. Get rid of the kibble.
He eats canned wet food fine. Throws up both wet food and the dry bagged pellets. Been that way since we got him.
Both our primary vet and Cornell are up in arms. Grady displays all the behaviors of a normal feline, no lethargy, no symptoms of experiencing pain, etc.
Thanks for the concern!
Chronic vomiting is not normal or healthy. It is often caused by poor diet.
I would recommend you transition your cats to a raw diet. But even if you don't want to do that, you need to get rid of the kibble. And feed good quality wet foods that are high in meat content, low in carbs. Avoid grains, and other cheap fillers and sugars.
I'd definitely wean them ALL off the kibble and shift toward grain-free wet. Try that for a week. If you see a reduction in the vomiting for ALL your cats, then shift once more to a higher-quality, high meat content, low starch wet, and supplement with raw. That will be the most "affordable" option for most people. If you can afford it and have the time and patience to prepare it, raw all the way but it's not a very practical option for most cat owners.
Also be sure to brush all of your cats every single day. That will reduce the chance of them getting a lot of fur in their digestive systems when they groom themselves, thus reducing or even preventing hairballs.
I'd definitely wean them ALL off the kibble and shift toward grain-free wet. Try that for a week. If you see a reduction in the vomiting for ALL your cats, then shift once more to a higher-quality, high meat content, low starch wet, and supplement with raw. That will be the most "affordable" option for most people. If you can afford it and have the time and patience to prepare it, raw all the way but it's not a very practical option for most cat owners.
Also be sure to brush all of your cats every single day. That will reduce the chance of them getting a lot of fur in their digestive systems when they groom themselves, thus reducing or even preventing hairballs.
Grain free wet food with 1 tablespoon water at the bottom of the bowl. Do not use plastic bowls as they hold smells and can harbor germs leading to feline acne.
Get them on high quality food today.
Also my Norwegian Forest Cat will take coconut oil as a treat. Get organic virgin. It's great for their teeth, coat and tummy.
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Some insights from all of your suggs:
1. All three eat from glazed ceramic dedicated canine/feline bowls.
2. Grady has breath that could KILL, literally. Has been so since we adopted him. If he hisses in your face, it's like socks you've worn for a full week straight, lmao!
The other cats have slight breath only after meals, and both know where the water ceramic is.
3. I don't know if Graidy had ultrasound, but both the vet and Cornell x-rayed him.
4. The advice to brush daily and add water to wet food, plus less dry pellets, are much appreciated, and we will implement some of those steps.
We have a household of three cats: A 14year old female, 11 year old male, and a 3.5yr old male.
It is the middle one who we see in the water bowl only one time per day, 1-2 days per week.
He vomits Swiss time, every day, and his turds are round 10-14mm in diameter, dark brown or black, and hard as kids marbles!
Our other two drink healthy amounts, vomit only a fraction as often, and have normal soft turds, medium brown, 1-2 inches long. And pee a lot compared to the 11 year old.
Grady also has sneezing fits several days per week, in addition to his vomiting.
What I have found that has worked for me and is I would add a little milk to the water and gradually add less milk the more I see them drinking it.
Coming in late to this party and will echo for emphasis what others have said or implied, that you cannot force a cat to drink, but you can entice. Cats don't have the same "I'm thirsty" thoughts like dogs do and we do because they are wired to derive their required moisture from food eaten. Key words ... from food eaten.
Some cats have iron stomachs and can digest/process just about anything, but other cats, like Grady and my Speedy obviously don't. For Grady and Speedy a good wet food, and wet food (can or raw) only no dry kibble, is a must. Seasonally my Speedy goes through spans of days of upchucking hairballs - she just cannot digest her fur like my other cats can. During these times I increase the amount of wet food so that she gets more moisture and more nutrients since portions of her meals come up with the hairballs.
Bad breath can be a symptom of a host of things from dental infections to kidney disease to upset stomach. Because Grady has been throwing up for a long time, I tend to think it isn't dental nor kidney and all about what foods he eats.
Grady's weight ... have the vets said if he's over, under, or just fine?
What's found in a litterbox is evidence of the digestive system. In an otherwise healthy cat, what the body does not need or cannot use is deposited in the box. Cats who eat dry food leave more poo than cats who eat wet only - there's a lot of stuff in dry foods that the cat's body cannot use (veggies and grains and other fillers) even if the bag says "vet approved" or for "indoor cats" or "hairball relief". The moisture content in dry food is negligible giving stomach acids nothing to work with (hence smelly breath from concentrated acids). Hard stools - an indicator of lack of moisture.
If Grady's weight is below or within normal limits for his size, perhaps increase the amount of wet food.
What wet food does he get? How often do you brush him? Do you offer cat grass? How much do you exercise/play with him?
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