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My cat won't eat or drink after vet visit for vomiting. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Siamese | Male | neutered | 13 years and 6 months old | 10 lbs

My cat appears/acts mostly normal (heart rate normal but occasionally fast respiratory rate). However, he hasn't eaten/drank in about 24 hours. I gave him pedialyte and some wet food via a syringe just in case. Should I continue to monitor or take him to a vet immediately? He has stress-related IBS so I don't want to make anything worse. He last saw his vet 48 hours ago for vomiting and got some calafate.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 20th, 2017

If he was recently at the vet for vomiting, and now is not eating or drinking anything, he should be seen again as this would make me concerned about the possibility of a foreign body, or pancreatitis, which would require additional therapy. If your vet didn't do x-rays or bloodwork at the previous appointment it's time to make sure there's nothing more serious going on. However, since your vet just saw Iron I would start by giving them a call with an update, in case they have other input based on their exam findings. Hope this helps and he feels better soon!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM
Veterinarian
Good job trying to keep him hydrated, however it isn't good for a cat to go without eating. I definitely wouldn't want to make him worse. Since he was just seen, I recommend calling your veterinarian. They may be able to help you over the phone or they may want you to bring him back in to do blood work and make sure there isn't something else going on inside.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. B. DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Veterinarian
Published on May 30th, 2019
That degree of vomiting is very concerning. Were any tests performed? It sounds like you were provided with supportive care but that treatment may or may not resolve the symptoms, dependent on the cause. Typically with acute vomiting bloodwork to rule out any organ issues and xrays of the abdomen are the first steps. The main concern would be a foreign body ingestion. This may or may not be able to be diagnosed with an xray. If your kitty is not back to normal tomorrow (or sooner if his condition declines further, additional vomiting noted) a follow up with your vet is advised for diagnostics and additional treatment. If the initial tests are normal then the next steps may include (dependent on your kittys exam and age) an abdominal ultrasound and pancreatitis testing, etc. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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