Expert: Jessica - 6/16/2010

Question
I have a 7 month old male Bengal. He often vomits after eating. About a table spoonful and the vomit is mostly fluid. He is a very slow eater and so I do not think it is because he has bolted his food.  I have also noted his gums are very pale and also the centre of his tongue.
He is lively enough when awake.
Do you think I am worrying unnecessarily or should I see my  Vet?
Many thanks
Jannette

Answer
Hi Jannette.  I don't think you are worrying unnecessarily, and it would be a good idea to have him checked out by your vet.  Cats are more prone to vomiting than other animals, but frequent vomiting, more often than a couple of times a month, usually indicates a problem.  The concern about pale gums is also a very valid one.  This could possibly indicate anemia.

Some reasons for vomiting include food intolerances, parasitic infections, viral illnesses, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), pancreatitis, and, although rare in kittens, kidney and liver disease.  

Your vet may recommend trying a prescription food for sensitive stomachs and will almost certainly treat the kitty for common parasites such as intestinal roundworms, hookworms and possibly tapeworms.  An antibiotic such as metronidazole may also be prescribed.  This helps control certain protozoan parasites and bacterial infections, and it also has anti-inflammatory properties.  

If none of these treatments seem to help, there may be reason to suspect your kitten has IBD.  Cats with this condition will vomit or have diarrhea chronically due to inflammatory cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract.  It's not well understood why such inflammation is present, but stress appears to be a major factor.  Food allergies and sensitivity to bacteria also seem to be part of the problem.  Feeding a special diet and giving a medication to reduce inflammation, typically prednisone, usually controls the condition.

Your vet may want to run some blood work or check a stool sample, especially if they agree that the kitten's gums appear pale.  Kidney disease and hookworms can lead to serious anemia, and these can be diagnosed with these tests.  Other causes can be flea-borne illnesses, auto immune disease, or some type of blood loss through a mass or broken blood vessel.  But malnutrition due to chronic vomiting can also cause anemia.  Blood tests can help sort out exactly what the cause may be.  A feline leukemia and feline AIDS test would probably be a very good idea if he has never been tested or goes outdoors at all, since these can be major causes of anemia.    

Best of luck!

Jessica