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Diabetic cat vomiting: Is it depression after his friend died?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 14 years and 5 months old | 9 lbs

Our diabetic cat has been going through bouts of cyclical vomiting. He is diet controlled and h His fructosamine levels have been good. The vet has done lots of blood wor most recently a full thyroid panel to try to determine the cause. (Thyroid is moderately enlarged). But it was all normal. His best friend died this past summer from a stomach cancer. Is it possible that this could be depression?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on January 12th, 2018

I'm so sorry that Lukey is not doing well. I think depression can cause a lot of clinical signs, but cyclical vomiting that lasts for months is certainly not very common. If you think that depression is playing a factor, then I would consider trying Rescue Remedy or a custom Bach Flower combination. They are homeopathically prepared flower essences that are intended to help regulate emotions. I have had quite good luck using them for depression in dogs and cats and they will not interact with any medications or affect blood sugar levels.
http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/
If you think Lukey is anxious, then I would recommend trying a Feliway Diffuser.
https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected
If those options do not seem to help the vomiting, then the next step might be to have an abdominal ultrasound performed to evaluate the pancreas, stomach and intestines to evaluate for any abnormalities that may be contributing to the vomiting.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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