Why is my senior cat vomiting bile, refusing food, and losing weight?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking Tully Mars to a vet for blood work. He could be diabetic or have thyroid disease. Both of these illnesses can cause increases in appetite and weight loss. The blood work helps to rule in and rule out multiple diseases. Good luck and kisses to Tully Mars!

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this with Laundry. There are a number of anti-nausea medications that can be helpful for Laundry. And if your veterinarian has not recently checked his blood work (including a thyroid level) and blood pressure, I would certainly recheck those values to make sure that they are normal. Then, you can discuss the best anti-nausea medication with your veterinarian to help Laundry feel better. They will not want to do a teeth cleaning on him if he is not feeling well, so be sure to have them evaluate Laundry and solve this problem first. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Persistent vomiting and refusal to eat is concerning, especially in an elderly pet where they may be weight loss or dehydration. Given the clear blood work i would be concerned about a possible obstruction, hairballs, tumours or a twisted bowel are all possible. Xrays may be recommended as well as tube feeding to maintain calorie intake until a diagnosis has been reached

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Toots! I would bring a stool sample and have Toots examined by your Vet. I would recommend full blood work including Feline Leukemia and FIV. If that is normal then I would consider maldigeetion and malabsorption blood work (tests B12, folate and 2 pancreatic enzymes and consider an ultrasound of his belly to rule in or out underlying intestinal disease like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or small cell lymphoma. Most IBD cats are treated with a prescription diet and anti-inflammatories. Since he is getting worse I recommend starting a work up. I wish you and Toots the best!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. It sounds like your kitty is very ill. I would recommend taking him to an emergency clinic (or his regular clinic tomorrow if an emergency clinic is not possible) for an exam and labwork. This could be something treatable (or at least manageable, if not curable) or it may not be. I would be worried about kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, cancer, and liver disease - it could definitely be other things too, but these are at the top of my list. Good luck with your kitty. Let me know if this was helpful advice or setup a consultation if you need further help.

If all his bloodwork was normal that rules out kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, etc. If your vet did not test for hyperthyroidism than a test should be done. An x-ray and/or ultrasound is defintely needed and will, hopefully, provide more information. He could have an infection, cancer, or obstruction/foreign body to name a few other possibilities. If he is not able to keep food down, I am not sure waiting until Friday is a good idea. He may continue to weaken and may become dehydrated. If your vet can't take an x-ray then you could consider taking him to an emergency clinic or another vet that can. An anti-vomiting injection may be helpfull if your vet didn't give him one. I hope that his problem is diagnosed and treated soon!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Mel is having chronic vomiting, increased thirst, but decreased appetite. Unfortunately, these signs are rather vague, and can be caused by a number of conditions including hair balls, intestinal parasites, inappropriate diet, and other more serious conditions such as certain cancers. I recommend having Mel seen by his vet to determine exactly what is going on. You can try feeding a bland diet at home, making sure he gets plenty of water, and grooming Mel to limit hair balls. I hope all is well!