My 13-year-old cat has chronic diarrhea and vomiting. What's wrong?

Causes of diarrhea and vomiting at this age include pancreatitis, IBD, Lymphoma and other types of cancer. it is not easy to diagnose those conditions, she will need some specific blood tests and a specialist ultrasound to start with.

Please have her assessed by a vet as soon as possible, the abdominal enlargement in the face or persistent vomiting and diarrhea is a huge concern. Fluid build up , liver disease and tumors are all possibilities, early diagnosis is required in order to fully assess all options for her care

Vomiting and diarrhea can be a sign of a number diseases including food sensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid disease, kidney and liver disease, or intestinal parasites. If you have access to his previous vet records I'd recommend making an appointment with a veterinarian to discuss the previous results and where to go next. Even though he's maintaining his weight daily vomiting and diarrhea is still concerning. While cats can lose teeth secondary to dental disease this is probably not related to the vomiting and diarrhea.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor kitty! In a 13 year old cat, I strongly suspect that she has a medical problem causing these issues. Some common possible causes would include hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to - he/she can do blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

Diarrhea can be a sign of a number of different diseases ranging from hyperthyroidism to infections to inflammatory bowel disease or even intestinal cancer. Some of these diseases can be fatal if left untreated, and regardless of the cause of the diarrhea if it goes on it could lead to dehydration and nutritional deficiencies. I think you need to see a veterinarian - you could look into Care Credit as a payment option, or you could ask your local shelter if there is any subsidized veterinary care near you. www.carecredit.com

It is not normal for a cat to vomit that frequently, so your cat may have inflammatory bowel disease or another type of chronic gastrointestinal disease. Since it has been going on for so, a diet change may not be enough at this point. The ideal situation would be to have your veterinarian do some testing to determine what is causing the vomiting. If that is not an option, then I would discuss treatment options with your veterinarian. There are a number of medications that may be able to resolve the vomiting. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.