Unpleasant question but...

[Specialneedsnightmare]

What was the vomit from a cat with CKD generally look like? Is it undigested food, bile, white foam, brown, or something else?

I'm trying to work out if this is from the kidney disease or not. My cat has always had a sensitive stomach and is prone to vomiting.

Thanks

With Boycat it was just clear, and slightly foamy. But he didn't start throwing up until after the other symptoms showed like drinking loads, losing weight.

If you have any doubts at all, take the cat to the vet for a blood and/or urine test. Most cases of CKD can be managed well for years with the right food etc.

Thanks. My cat has CKD stage 2 and recent tests have confirmed it. She started vomiting last night and hasn't for a long while so I was wondering if it was kidney related or her usual over indulgence that she's been prone to all her life. This was mainly undigested food.

You can’t tell why an animal is vomiting from the appearance of the vomit, though the pattern/frequency/timing after eating may give you a hint. If your cat is already prone to a delicate stomach, she will still have this as well as the renal disease.

What normally happens when she gets a tummy upset - do you do bland food and it settles on its own or do you normally take her in to the vets? Is she a cat who bolts her food, vomits, then gets on with a normal day? (Chances are this won’t change now she has renal issues).

Just be aware that having underlying kidney disease can make her more at risk of complications from dehydration, so I would say if the vomiting lasts more that a few hours, or she seems quiet in herself or not wanting to eat/drink, I would take her to the vets sooner. They may give anti sickness medication to stop the vomiting if a tummy upset is suspected, but she may need bloods/fluids if they think it’s more serious.

Thanks. Yes my cat has a sensitive stomach at the best of times. She has thrown up a lot over the years and will normally pick up again soon afterwards. I do take food away or give her something bland. She is allergic to chicken but hasn't had any recently. She is quiet since last night but has eaten some very bland food as she was hungry. I will see how she goes. I had wondered if kidney related vomiting has a certain 'type' but seems not.

Stage 2, you shouldn't have much vomiting cause by the kidneys as it's fairly early stage. Vomiting tends to come when the urea has built up badly in their bloods because of the kidneys not working well, making them feel really sick. When this happens, they tend not to want to eat and on the rare chance they do, it will come back up quite quickly.

Kidney disease is horrible. Not eating makes them worse, but the food makes their kidneys worse. Not eating though is not an option. If you get a time when she's not eaten for a couple of days, at least an anti-sickness injection, lasts about 24hrs but can be enough to get them eating again. Also, anti-acid medicine can help too, as urea in the blood can cause ulcers in the tummy too.

If you can transition now to kidney food (not many cats like it) or use ipakitine powder mixed with their normal foods, you can slow down the progression of the disease a little, and in some cases will help a cat for a few years and can keep some the symptoms under control.

Really helpful thanks. I definitely think my cat was vomiting because she gulped her food down, plus it might have been too rich for her now. She seems on the mend and has been out. I will definitely keep an eye on the dehydration side of things and try that powder. I know ckd can get really awful.

Our cat is stage 4 now and it’s white and foamy. It’s been like that for a while (had stage 3 for nearly 4 years and just progressed).