my poor baby

[Darklus]

I am not sure where to turn to and seeing a vet is nearly impossible seeing as i have no money. I am doing my best to save up but in the mean time well, i will just explain. My cat's name is Crescent, she is a 10 year old tabby and for the most part she seamed in fine health until a day or so ago. after eating her dry food she would simply throw it up, her throw up basically just looked like undigested, finely chewed up food. Now, she has been on a dry food diet her whole life with no episodes of actually throwing up.

A friend suggested that maybe due to her getting to be older she just needs wet food. now, this appeared to be working, she would actually eat and be fine, but then all of a sudden in the middle of the night hours after eating, she would just throw up what looked like better digested food, with a small clump of hair in it.

[pattymac]

sounds like a hairball. I have 4 cats, two are long haired so around here hairballs are pretty common. Lots of brushing since it's spring and they're shedding, I use a flea comb to get the fine undercoat out. Get yourself some hairball goop, laxatone is a good one and most cats will take it. I use the hairball temptations as none of mine will even look at the hairball stuff in the tube. If she's on crunchies, you can get it for hairballs. You can even get wet food for hairballs. Natural Balance makes an indoor kitty food and it's pretty decent food. It's easy to tell if it's working, if you look you should be able to see hair in their poop or they'll throw up a big hairball. I don't care which way they come out, better out than in with hairballs!! I would start with the actual hairball goop, you don't want it staying in their intestines as it can cause a blockage and it is expensive to have it removed.

[Darklus]

Thank you, I will give that a try.

[RUSTYcat]

Hi Darklus and welcome to the forum!

Pets.ca was the first online forum I joined - that was six years ago when there was a huge petfood recall going on all over North America.

I learned a lot right from my first post here - I thought I had been doing all the right things for my kitties.....what I immediately discovered was that, where nutrition was concerned, my knowledge had come from the petfood industry and, gawwwwwwwwwd....was it ever completely wrong**!

I'm hoping that you're open to a little discussion/conversation about "cat stuff" ...all of our circumstances are different, but there are still commonalities possible within the boundaries/restrictions we face individually....would you be up for that?

**among a long list of things was to learn/understand was what a cat needs to eat to stay healthy....and that, what I had been feeding was taking kitties and me down a doomsday road!

[Darklus]

More info is always a plus, besides as with most nutrition is when it comes to food (be it cat or people food) things are not always so straight forward.

I did take her to the vet though, said that she is healthy for the most part, intestines appear irritated but beyond that all is fine. gave me some stomach medication to see if that helps. On a side note this whole trip cost me $103, which is a bit sad because I actually went to the wrong place. I did not really care though, at the time I told myself that I have about $120, so what ever it took to figure this out.

None the less I am very grateful for any help or knowledge I can gain.

[RUSTYcat]

Well, it's reassuring to hear that she did get to see a Vet....I think, that is...but

what's this all about:

I actually went to the wrong place

Next,

Originally Posted by Darklus

...(Vet) gave me some stomach medication to see if that helps...

Exactly what was she given? The drug name is usually printed on the label if you don't have the original container.

Now, you also said

intestines appear irritated

Do you remember exactly what you were told about this? Exactly how do you understand that this medicine will help her?

I probably sound like I'm nit-picking.....but, where it comes to health issues, attention to details can count for everything.

Oh, and...

...as with most nutrition is when it comes to food (be it cat or people food) things are not always so straight forward.

Hmmmmm. I'd say, OK....IF you are willing to insert the word "SOME" in there, as in "some things..."