Chronic vomiting is one of the most frequent abnormalities we hear about when assessing history during our routine feline semi-annual examinations. It’s easy to accept excuses… like “he eats too fast”, “she has a sensitive stomach”, “they’re just hairballs”, “that’s just the way he is”. A recent study by the leading feline internal medicine researcher, Dr. Gary Norsworthy, assessing around 300 of these kitties, found that only 1 in 100 chronic vomiting cats had a normal intestinal biopsy result. The most common diagnosis (49%) was chronic inflammation (usually Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD), but in close second place was lymphoma (46% of cases). Mast cell disease and adenocarcinomas were less common diagnoses.

For more information, check out this handout on chronic intestinal disease in cats: http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/data/articlestandard//vetmed/012014/831963/article.pdf

Remember, don’t just accept chronic vomiting in your feline friend–make sure to let us know, so we can start looking for the underlying cause!