4-year old cat keeps throwing up

Question
I have a 4 year old cat who has always had a problem with vomiting.  I have tried everything - changing foods from indoor formulas to hairball formulas, organic foods without any preservatives, wet food, dry food, hairball foods...the list goes on.  If it's out there, it seems like I've tried it.  I've tried giving her Petromalt and hairball treats to make sure there wasn't any hairball blockage, as well as brushing her frequently since she is a longer-haired cat.  Recently, after throwing up, she lost consciousness and fell down a few stairs.  Nothing broken, took her to the vet and they told me to just keep an eye on her and make sure it didn't happen again in the next 24 hours.  She seemed fine for a while, but for the past three days she has been throwing up two to three times a day.  I'm going to try to take her food away from her for the next 24 hours at least, but this hasn't really worked in the past, either.  She has plenty of constantly running filtered water which I know she drinks regularly, so she's not dehydrated.  I'm not sure if this is just a behavioral or psychological issue, but it is reaching a breaking point in my household - she wakes us up at night, vomits in "secret" places so that I don't find it until weeks later, sometimes ruining carpet or wood in our house.  It just seems like nothing works and the vet can't find anything wrong with her.  Any suggestions that I haven't tried yet?

Answer
Elena,

The fact that you mention that your kitty has lost consciousness is quite concerning. Obviously there is something more than meets the eye going on. I am not sure if your vet has done a complete series of blood work, but my first recommendation would be to get a second opinion and some blood work. Failing that I am wondering if it is possible that your kitty may have eaten something that is lodged somewhere in the digestive tract or if there or even if there may be some other form of blockage within her system. An exam of the digestive tract through endoscope where possible and surgery where necessary might yield some answers because not every foreign body will show up on x-rays. I have to wonder if the repeated vomiting might be due to an electrolyte imbalance, I know from personal experience that such an imbalance can aggravate nausea and vomiting. I would also recommend that you have this kitty professionally shaved to see if this makes a difference, your vet may be able to do this under light sedation which would be less traumatic than doing it at home. I have never seen an issue like this turn out to be behavioral or psychological. It sounds to me like there is some sort of health issue that just hasn't been found yet. In this case I think that a visit to a holistic vet may be beneficial as holistic vets tend to look at the whole animal and they have training in complementary forms of medicine. It is possible that there is an issue in this kitty's environment that you aren't aware of, cats can suffer from the same types of allergies or sensitivities that humans can. I am left to wonder if something wonky is going on like an environmental or chemical sensitivity. You could try switching over to all natural and non toxic materials and cleaning supplies, but that is a fairly extensive and expensive project. I would like to reassure you that the fact that your cat has vomited in places that aren't immediately apparent isn't about her hiding or keeping secrets from you in order to upset you. Cats often hide the fact that they are sick and when you notice that they are sick they are often much more seriously ill than you would guess. I don't suggest that you completely withhold food for anymore than 12 hours as withholding food for longer than that should be supervised by a qualified vet and in most cases the cat is required to be on an IV drip. For now, my recommendation is that you try feeding small amounts of pureed meat, preferably something simple to digest and allergy friendly. I recommend that you try things like duck, rabbit, venison, bison...You can find these meats at a well stocked butcher shop in most major cities. The reason that I am suggesting that the meats be pureed is so that they are simpler to eat and easier to digest. I wouldn't suggest that you allow this kitty large amounts of food at a time at least until the cause of this vomiting is diagnosed and treated. About a tablespoon every 4-5 hours given in teaspoon sized portions a few minutes apart may make things stay down a bit easier. I don't recommend that you use salt or tap water to cook the meat, I suggest that you use distilled water to poach the meat until it is fully cooked. I would also recommend that at least for the first few days to a week that you only allow this kitty to drink distilled water. If you find that the vomiting is becoming less frequent there may be an issue with food tolerance or allergies. Please keep me updated on this situation as I would be interested in hearing what the holistic vet and/or a second vet has to say about this situation. In the meantime my suggestion is that you keep kitty in a room that is easily cleaned to minimize the risk of damage to your flooring or furniture. A bathroom is usually a good place as most of the surfaces are tiled. I would also like to let you know that this kitty isn't trying to upset you, she is sick and I am sure that she doesn't enjoy vomiting any more than you enjoy cleaning it up. Hopefully the second opinion(s) will diagnose and treat this problem. The fact that you are finding that the kitty vomits frequently and seems unable to keep anything down is not a good sign, cats don't like for anyone to see that they aren't feeling well because although they are a predator they also have predators in nature. I do hope that this information helps. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again.