My cat has chronic vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. Why?

It sounds as though you and Schumacher have been through a lot over the past 2 years! Given his weight loss, chronic diarrhea, normal blood work and initial response to depomedrol, chronic pancreatitis or primary intestinal issues, such as inflammatory bowel disease or lymphoma would be my main concerns. In this situation, further diagnostic testing is often needed to try to get to the bottom of this issue. Some tests include vitamin absorption and pancreatic blood tests (B12, folate, TLI, fPL) and an abdominal ultrasound to look at his internal organs, intestinal thickness, lymph nodes, etc. In some cases, biopsies are needed to differentiate between different conditions so that the most appropriate treatment can be started. Cats with inflammatory bowel disease or lymphoma often benefit from long-term steroids, antibiotics and prescription diets to control their clinical signs. I hope that all goes well for Schumacher!

I would talk to you veterinarian next week about gastrointestinal disease. With a continuously vomiting and diarrhea cat my concerns are Irritable bowel disease or even lymphoma. I would be less inclined it be intestinal parasites if Opie has been an indoor cat. I would not give the drontal today. I would recommend seeing a different veterinarian for a second opinion but Opie may need an abdominal ultrasound. If he is really have bad diarrhea and is still vomiting a lot a specialty hospital may be worth going to because the internist can perform the ultrasound. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Food allergies could be one of the reason for the persistent diarrhoea and weight loss, but these conditions must be differentiated from IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases) and unfortunately from more sinister conditions like tumors. Weight loss in old cats can have different causes as well, and endocrine diseases (hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus) are frequently associated with intestinal diseases as well. Considering all these possible clinical scenarios, I would recommend a check up and more tests (blood test+urine analysis including thyroid hormone and feline pancreatic lipase and possibly an ultrasound of the abdomen) to determine underlying cause and treat appropriately. 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.

There are three very common diseases that older cats get and I am guessing she has one of these that are causing her symptoms. Hyperthyroidism Diabetes Kidney disease These can all be easily tested with some simple bloodwork at your vets. It is not likely parasites so spend your money on the blood testing and not the fecal test. Only do the fecal test if the blood work all comes back normal. My best guess as to what is going on based on your description would be hyperthyroidism which can be easily treated. So please get Ebony to your vet for an exam and testing. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hyperthyroidism-in-cats )

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.

Kitty should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. He could have hyperthyroidism and your vet can run blood-work to test his thyroid level. Once your vet determines the exact cause, he/she can recommend a treatment. Hope he feels better soon.

That is a very difficult situation. You may talk to your vet about treating for giardia (even if the test was negative), IBD, food allergies, an aggressive dewormer, running a GI panel, or referral to a specialist in internal medicine. The next step may be biopsies through exploratory surgery or endoscopy. Many cats with diarrhea of unknown cause will respond to a prescription hypoallergenic diet.