LoveToKnow Cats:AllComments

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Hi Eli,

It sounds like she has a diaphragmatic hernia. This can be a birth defect or can be caused by trauma (typically being kicked or hit by a car). You may notice your cat has trouble breathing and is coughing.

Typically the vet will diagnose with an X-ray or chest sonogram. The surgery is likely necessary to save your cat's life. Vin.com offers an article about how the hernia is repaired.

I hope your cat is better soon.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

my cat, aprox 1.5 yrs old wasnt eating, drinking etc for about 5 days, no energy. vet said it seemed like she ate easter basket plastic grass. they went in to get in out, as it was supposedly blocking her system. They said they went in and can not find her stomach. it took a long time to find the liver and they can not find the stomach. they think it is behind the diaphram and will require more intensive surgery to access. Has anyone heard of this? anyone in buffalo, ny want to do some free research/cat saving?

-- Contributed by: Eli

Hi Susan,

This is an excellent point. Cats can have food allergies just like people do. Every cat is different and what bothers one may not bother another, so it's important to be sensitive to the needs of your feline and act accordingly.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I had a cat once that only threw up after eating canned food that contained liver or kidney (byproducts)or anything containing milk products. By eliminating and carefully reading all cat food labels she lived to be over 19 years old. Those 3 products were all I had to keep away from her. Just thought someone should know it may be what's in the food that can cause problems too.

-- Contributed by: Susan

Hi Kirstin,

As long as she is defecating and urinating and she seems otherwise healthy, it's probably okay to wait to take her to the vet. If you have other cats, then it is more urgent you get her there quickly to rule out any communicable diseases that might be passed on to other pets.

Likely, her body is just using all the nutrients she's receiving right now to try to put on some weight and get her healthy again.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My daughter brought in a little stray cat yesterday. The poor little thing is just skin and bones. While we're feeding her small amounts of kitten food at a time, she doesn't seem to be putting out as much as she's taking in. The local vet can't see us for almost two weeks and I'm worried that this is a serious problem. She's eating and drinking very good and she's in great spirits, so she isn't acting like anything is bothering her. She does seem to be a little constipated, but she has went twice in the last day. Do I need to get her to another vet faster, or is this something that can wait until her appointment?

-- Contributed by: kirstin

Hi Sonja,

The bloody stool may or may not be of great concern. It depends on how much and if she continues to exhibit these symptoms. A cat's heart does sometimes race quickly, especially if she has been running around. I would keep a close eye out for these symptoms and if they appear I would find a way to take her to a vet, even if you have to find one at a clinic or who works on a sliding scale or payment plan. Watch out for:

Continued or increased bloody stools
Loose, runny stools for more than a couple of days
Loss of appetite
Increased thirst or lack of thirst
Wheezing and coughing
Lethargy.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I recently got two kittens and one of them was a runt. Besides being smaller than her brother, she also appears to have a hole at the bottom of where her ribs should be like her ribcage isnt fully developed. Also her little heart beats so fast and I was wondering what health conditions I should be aware of in runts. She is the sweetest thing but today she had blood in her stool and managed to leave several bloody spots on the carpet. She also started throwing up, wont purr and looks to be very tired or in pain. I dont have money to take her to the vet and I was wondering if you might be able to give me a best and worse case senario;( Her and her brother play rough do you think that maybe something could have gotten damaged where she is missing her ribcage?

-- Contributed by: sonja

Hi Robin,

I would definitely take her back to the vet. She may have some sort of blockage, which can be dangerous. Explain to them what you've tried, how long she's gone without defecating and how much she strains. They may need to run a few more tests. I hope she feels better soon.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I found a kitten that appeared to be b/w 8 to 10 weeks, it was really tiny, unable to walk and had deformed front legs. I took him to the Vet. and I found out that the kitten was 5 months old and severely malnourished. They ran some test on her and blood work was good, she just needed time to heal. Now, she is walking and eating. However, she is having a hard time deficating. she strains and strains and nothing. at times, she will vomit. Any ideas. She has been eating the perscription w/d diet. Any ideas about her diet or should she have more test. The Vet game me an enema to give her. it worked, but it didn't correct her problem. she has a hard time deficating.

-- Contributed by: robin

Hi Amy,

I'm sorry to hear your cat isn't feeling well. I have a few questions.

How often is she throwing up? Once or twice a week, or several time a day?
What does the vomit look like? Does it look like chunks of food, digested food or a wet glob of food and hair?

If she's throwing up every day or several times each day, then she needs to see a vet right away. Chunks of food might mean she's developed a regurgitation problem. Digested food is real vomit. A wet glob of fur is merely a hairball, but if she's tossing those up often then you need to start brushing her to cut down on the amount of loose hair she's consuming when she grooms herself.

It's probably a good idea to save a sample of the vomit in a zip-loc bag and let the vet take a look. Be sure to tell him/her how often she's throwing up, as that will help with a diagnosis.

I hope your cat feels better soon. Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hello; my cat keeps vomiting; what could be the cause?

-- Contributed by: Amy
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