My older cat is falling, gagging, head tilting, and not eating. Help!

Your kitty needs to be seen by a vet. These are concerning symptoms in an older cat. They can become dehydrated very easily. Not eating can be caused by numerous things including things with the gi tract itself and diseases of any other organ system (kidneys, liver, etc). Your vet can perform an exam and then likely will recommend starting with bloodwork +/- xrays. This is the best plan to figure out what is going on and to get your kitty feeling better. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Lilly sounds extremely ill, and I would have her seen by a vet immediately. When a cat doesn't eat for at least three days, they develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. She could have a number of serious problems wrong with her causing her anorexia, such as kidney failure, liver failure, severe dental problems, or even cancer. I would have her seen by a vet now for a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to diagnose what may be causing her symptoms. Once a cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The signs you are describing are definitely cause for concern. These can be related to organ failure, infections. and certain cancers. I recommend having your cat seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine what is going on and begin treatment. I hope all is well!

Head tilt could be caused by deep inner ear infection (or polyp), stroke, infection such as toxoplasmosis, stroke, or even tumor although that would be rare at her age. If the toxo test comes back normal then I would consider requesting a referral to a neurologist where an MRI of the brain can be done. If that is not possible then I would trial treat with antibiotics and steroids. I am so sorry that she is going through this. I am sure you are very worried. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Cats often posture like that if they are having breathing difficulties. She could also just be generally weak. It sounds like a visit to your vet is needed for a hands-on exam to determine what exactly the problem is. Without actually examining your cat, I'm afraid we cannot make an accurate diagnosis.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Willow did not have her blood tested when she was in for her exam I would highly recommend having the vet pull a blood sample and check to see if she has any abnormal values. Kidney disease is something we quite commonly see in older cats and this certainly could be the cause of the vomiting / decreased appetite. The sooner her blood is tested the better and the faster you will know what is going on with her. 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.

I am very sorry to hear about Skylee. Unfortunately in an older cat there are a large number of conditions which could cause lethargy, nausea, and anorexia. I would strongly recommend taking him in to see the veterinarian as soon as possible. A good physical examination may help them get a better idea of possible causes. Most likely they will want to do bloodwork to check for signs of kidney disease, liver disease, infection, or anemia. They may recommend x-rays depending on his examination and history. It is best to have older pets acting ill in this way checked out soon so that if there is a serious disease we can start treatment as quickly as possible.