Why is my old cat lip smacking, throwing up, and walking sideways?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If maximus has not had a full blood panel run in a while, I would first get this checked. Also, if his glucose or fructosamine levels are not controlled, this can lead to abnormal walking or neuropathies. Weight loss is to be expected with diabetes to a certain degree but he may have other systemic problems going on at the same time. I would also check his urine for a UTI as diabetics tend to be prone to these. Your vet can perform these additional diagnostics to determine what the problem is, if there are any besides the diabetes. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concerns. I am sorry to hear that Patches is not feeling well. With these symptoms, it is possible she is dealing with something neurological, a heart condition, systemic disease, etc. It would be best to have her examined by a veterinarian and have her blood tested to help determine what the cause may be. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. The sooner she is seen the better. Please let me know if you have any further questions. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed.

It's not possible to say exactly what is causing this, but what you are describing is typical for a cat that is nauseous. One possibility is that he ate something he was not supposed to like medication, a chemical (i.e. antifreeze), or a plant (i.e. lilies). Vomiting is often the first signs of an exposure to a toxin, so I recommend checking if it's possible for him to have eaten anything other than his normal diet. Vomiting and nausea can also be due to an infectious disease, organ failure, or imbalance in the blood. In order to narrow down the possibilities, you would have to take Tobias to the vet for an evaluation. This doesn't appear to be an emergency, but if Tobias is acting very depressed and is vomiting continuously, then it would be best to take him to the vet sooner rather than later. If he is otherwise acting normal, then it's important to not give him any food for the next eight hours, but make sure he has plenty of clean water available. If he's not vomiting in eight hours, then only feed him a small amount of food (about 1Tbsp.). If he keeps that down, then you can feed a little more in two hours. If the vomiting is continuing tomorrow, then it's best to take him to the vet for an evaluation. I hope that helps and Tobias gets better soon.

Vague behavior changes like you are describing can be the first sign of illness in an older cat, so if you feel something is wrong I would encourage you to see your veterinarian again. Blood work might be recommended to rule out kidney or liver disease. The vomiting could be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease or even an intestinal mass and if the blood work is normal an abdominal ultrasound might be recommended. Finally, the vocalizing and hissing could be a sign of pain from something like arthritis and there are some supplements and now pain medications that can be used in cats.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Coco is nauseated from something, it is difficult to say for sure the cause just based on the symptoms. Coco may have a systemic disease or infection going on that needs antibiotic therapy. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Coco so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend having his blood tested to be on the safe side as well. 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.

Wally is showing signs of potential distress and may be in need of medical intervention. Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian to gather information about what is happening internally with him. [Lab work](https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-bloodwork-what-to-expect) (CBC, chemistry panel, urinalysis, fecal exam) may be recommended after the exam to diagnose or rule out systemic infection and to assess major organ function.. The lip smacking could indicate either nausea (dogs will salivate a lot and become nauseous due to illness), severe [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/article/a-comprehensive-dental-care-program-for-your-cat) (infected teeth are painful and can make it hard to eat) or increased [stress/anxiety](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-surprising-ways-stress-can-impact-your-pet). Without an exam, we don't know how to best help Wally until we know what we are treating, which is why getting him seen at this time is the next best step towards his care. Until you can get him in to the vet you can offer Wally some slightly warmed baby food (or force feed him a little) and small amounts of unflavored Pedialyte to help keep him hydrated. Hopefully, this will tide him over until he is seen by your vet.

Morris needs to be examined by the veterinarian. It sounds like he has multiple issues and these can only be addressed by the veterinarian. He needs bloodwork to look for kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or cancer. It's possible he has a heart condition and dental disease as well. The drooling likely indicates tooth problems and this can indicate pain. Have him examined soon. Just like humans, if these conditions are diagnosed and treated earlier, they have a better prognosis. I hope this helps.