Cat is Vomiting Light Brown Liquid

[Sarah2112]

What can cause my cat to vomit light brown liquid; I am under the assumption that it is stomach bile. Neither blood nor odor are present. She is nursing five kittens that will be three weeks old tomorrow. Their last check up was a week ago and all were deemed healthy; including Chelsea (mom cat). She has never vomitted before. The local pet store did not carry the kitten formula of the brand we feed her (she eats a combination of dry kitten formula science diet and portions of canned chicken soup for the kitten lover's soul) so we purchased a can of the adult cat formula. Could this be the potential cause of her nausea? I know it is impossible to diagnose an animal's condition via a web post, but I would like to know if it could be a sign of somthing more severe than food nausea. Thanks!

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

You might consider repeating the bloodwork...the symptoms you are describing (weight loss, aggresiveness, diarrhea) are consistent with feline hyperthyroidism.  This is a very common finding in older cats.  

Did they test his T4 levels?

[Kristin2010]

My kitty just turned 12.  He had extreme hair loss on the shoulder blade quarter panel of his body over the holidays.  We brought him to the emergency room - had a shot and soft collar on.  More came off that week and we brought him into our normal vets for his yearly check up also scheduled.  His blood tests and check up came back normal.  White blood cells slightly high but they said it was most likely due to his hair loss issue.  We did a culture on the hair and skin connected to a chunk of hair - this came back with no results (no ring worm found as they suspected this as well.)  We quaranteened him for an entire month in the guest bathroom while waiting for these results and gave him antibiotics 2x a day for this entire time.  His hair is now back - appetite great.  However; he also experienced extreme weight loss from a little over 12pds down to 8 pds.  A little diarrhea is still present (antibiotic side effect??) he seems to be getting SLIGHTLY heavier (very slight) - could weight gain just take a while?  What could this have been - is there something they're missing??  He does get a little moody now - hissing @ our other kitty, growls now & then when you're visiting with him.  Not consistently - could this just be old age??

[PrettyKitty1]

I am almost sure the change in diet is causing this. Did you do the transition slowly? When changing a cat's diet completely, you need to first mix a bit of the old food with the new food. Slowly....or they'll do what she is doing.
They usually relax after a while, when their systems have fully adapted to the change, unless the food gives them food allergies (vomiting is part of food allergies), in which case you  would have to change the diet.

Good Luck!

[Sarah2112]

Thanks for your response! She vomitted twice earlier today; approximately 20/30 minutes elapsed prior to her second bout of nausea. She did not drink any water yet but 'nibbled' on her dry science diet and consumed about half a can of chicken soup etc. for kittens; I was able to find a store that carried the canned kitten formula. This was @ 5pm east coast time and no nausea yet...though she does have a touch of gas. She seems to want some 'alone' time, but I have been checking on her periodically. I am concerned about her not drinking water. I know the canned food consists of a fair amount of liquid, but she needs to drink water nonetheless.

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Hi there and congratulations on your new litter!!

Certainly, the change of diet could cause this type of vomiting behavior, but it would be best not to take any chances.  How many times has she vomited and in what time frame?

How is her activity level and is she still continuing to eat and drink normally?

This is a great question to post for one of our experts in the Ask a Vet forum.   We have a whole section devoted to Pregnancy and Pediatrics...