My cat is very sick with diarrhea & vomiting. No vet. What to do?

Acute vomiting and diarrhea, especially with poor appetite and lethargy, are certainly cause for concern. This could be caused by an infection, something stuck in Max's intestines, or a metabolic problem. At the veterinarian, they will examine him and probably take x-rays and run some lab work to look for the underlying cause of Max's issues. I wouldn't wait very long to go to the vet since Max is so young and small and so can become dehydrated quickly. See if you can get in for an exam today.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If he is otherwise normal and still eating / drinking, I would withhold food for at least 8 hours and initiate a bland diet as outlined below. If he continues to vomit even on the bland diet or he worsens, I would get him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He is so handsome! Vomiting and diarrhea can occur secondary to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, dietary indiscretion, parasites, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have Kalvin evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. At the very least they can start him on medications to make him feel better and check his hydration status. In the meantime, keep water available at all times to try to prevent dehydration. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend switching to a different food such as a hydrolyzed protein diet and feed this for the next 4 weeks to see if this makes a difference. I would also add in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora, which can be found online or at your local pet store. If the vomiting persists or worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. For this reason, I highly recommend that you have Maxey evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as I am afraid he is likely becoming dehydrated which could be why he is not as energetic. They would be able to check for these possibilities and also check his hydration status and give him medications to make him feel better. Good luck!

It definitely sounds like BoBo has an upset tummy. I am concerned about the amount of vomiting and diarrhea that you have described. Possible causes for this to happen acutely include bacterial or viral gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, toxic exposure, intestinal obstruction, dietary intolerance or food allergy (this would happen if he ate human food he shouldn't have or if you recently changed food or treats), irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal lymphoma, or other internal medicine issues. I think that BoBo should see a vet as soon as possible to start with bloodwork and maybe x-rays depending on the findings of the physical exam. Before you go, check around the house for anything that BoBo may have chewed on, like hair ties, string, carpet, or chemicals. You are right in not feeding BoBo anything, but encourage him to drink water, chicken broth, or pedialyte to try to maintain hydration. Cats can also get electrolyte imbalances soon after having voluminous vomiting or diarrhea. Depending on test results, your vet may prescribe medications for nausea, diarrhea, or even antibiotics and gastroprotectants. If the bloodwork shows severe abnormalities or the symptoms persist despite medications, BoBo may need IV fluids to rehydrate him and correct electrolyte abnormalities. If you have additional questions I can answer, feel free to choose a consult so we can answer them.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Miu reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as she has not improved in the treatments they have recommended so far. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!