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Question
I have a 12 year old cat who for the past 4 days has not been eating. He is still drinking. He has been using the litter box more and has been vomiting more, recently. The vomit is either clear or yellow. He normally does not act like this and you would think he was 4 years old and not 12 because he would still run around and play. Now, since he stopped eating he has just been laying around, but not hiding and only gets up to drink, throw up, and go to the litter box. He did walk out into the living room today for a minute and then went back in the bedroom to lay on the bed. We have been feeding him the same food now for awhile and he would always eat it. He has not been sick before. We have never had to take him to the vet for anything before. I don't think this is just because he's getting old. I think there is more to it, but I don't know what. Can you help me?
You need to get your cat to the vet Kaylee. He is like an 87 yr old man that has never been to the doctor. He is old, very old, and it sounds like his kidneys are starting to fail.
Vomiting, excessive water consumption, using the litter box a lot and not eating are all signs of renal (kidney) failure.
You need to call the vet and get him in soon. DO not wait to see if he will get better, he won't without seeing the vet. So call tomorrow and get him down there.
Your vet will pull some blood and hopefully feel his kidneys and look him over good. The blood work will be for to see how his kidneys, liver and other things are working in his body.
If his kidneys aren't too bad a change in diet could help prolong his life. He would need to be on a lower protein diet and usually the only one that works is Hill's Prescription diet K/D.
But since we don't know yet what is wrong, we won't talk about food yet. Call tomorrow and get him in. He is very sick right now.
Please let me know how he is and what the vet says. I will be looking for your reply.
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Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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