Question:
I have an 11-year-old cat named Molly. She's active and likes to bat her toys, chase a feather on a string, "stalk" birds outside the window, and play with the younger cat. She has a hearty appetite, maintains her coat, and has regular bowel movements and constant access to fresh water.
The problem is that in the past six months, she has vomited her meal in its entirety, with little of it seemingly digested. She has been given dry IAMS cat food since I first adopted her more than six years ago. She does not go outside at all and doesn't get table scraps.
When this first occurred last July, I took her to the vet. She gave her a complete checkup and found nothing wrong. She also said that because the vomiting could be a response to the unusually warm summer, I should provide extra bowls of water.
The vomiting stopped for a while, and I thought it was over. But the problem has returned, and I cannot think of what's causing it. The contents of the upheavals are dry cat food and quasi-clear fluid. I don't see hairballs or any foreign objects.
A.C., Washington, DC Jan 23, 2011
Answer:
If Molly's blood tests for kidney and liver function and other profiles are within normal range, you should first do the elimination diet test to rule out a food allergy or hypersensitivity.
It is quite likely that she has developed a bad reaction to one or more ingredients of her extremely mixed diet -- mixed in terms of an unnatural diversity of ingredients. Molly should not be on a dry-food-only diet that's high in grains/cereals. There are dry cat foods like Evo and Wellness that are grain-free, a trend that I applaud and our two cats enjoy! In my opinion, the high-corn and grain diets being fed to far too many cats are abnormal for any carnivore and may play a leading role in feline urologic syndrome, which includes painful cystitis and frequent urination all over the house. They also contribute to obesity and diabetes.
Discuss the elimination and hypoallergenic diet approach with your veterinarian, who should be well versed on this subject because food allergies cause a lot of serious, chronic health problems in cats and dogs.
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