Can a cat have acid reflux?

At 16, I don’t think acid reflux is the problem. You need to ask your vet about kidney disease, hyperthyroid disease, diabetes, as well as other issues that geriatrics deal with.

While some cats will vomit with an “acid stomach” (i.e. empty stomach), that’s easily managed with more small meals.

@syz – Thank you for your answers!

He had bloodwork done in January, and everything was fine. However, cats can get sick pretty quickly, which is why we’ll have it done again. I’m not sure how to give him smaller meals. Their food is out in their bowl all day and they can eat when they want. He’s not a chowhound like the other cat.

Has his weight changed recently? Up or down? Is he normally heavy or thin? Is he prone to hairballs?

If he’s not a chowhound, that makes me less likely to think hyperthyroid.

Dogs and cats are susceptible to most of the diseases that afflict humans. Your vet will be able to diagnose your cat’s problem and I hope kitty is soon back to good health.

@syz – No weight change that we’ve noticed. He has been the same weight for at least 5 years. He is a couple of pounds overweight, but not too bad. He has only had a hairball issue in the last two or three years. That’s when he and the other cat started to get along better and he started to groom her. She’s very furry.

@ItsAHabit – Thank you! We hope so too.

I am not a vet, but cats could certainly have acid reflux… or what we commonly know as ¨heartburn¨... At least in us, heartburn results from a weak cardiac sphincter… this sphincter opens up from the esophagus down to the stomach… if this is weak,,, stomach chyme—- undigested food—- can regurgitate… and believe me,, this is pretty pretty acidic… HCl makes sure of that.. so,, I would venture this time and say Yes, they would have acid reflux… given that they have our same anatomy…

Ok, the no weight change is encouraging. (As a disclaimer, I work in an emergence clinic. We see animals that are very ill, and so I tend to think of worst case scenarios because that’s what we see all day, every day). I think you’re on the right track with a physical exam and bloodwork. Good luck with him.

There’s some very basic information here about gastric reflux, but it doesn’t seem to fit your kitty’s description.

Yet again, Fluther rocks! Thank you everyone. Along with the bloodwork, I’m going to ask the vet about changing food and if there’s a cat antacid.

@tedibear: Good luck.. @syz has indulged my paranoid cat-mama behavior on more than one occasion and given me some good questions to ask the vet. And I shudder to think what I’d have to do to get the poof to eat a Tums… LOL. A pill-shooter is a cat-mama’s best friend :x

Some cats (mine, at least) will spew up a white frothy saliva. Milo gets car-sick and after he has left his last solid meal in the carrier, will heave up the saliva if we are in the car for too long.

It happens also after he has eaten some grass, which I think he uses as an emetic.

Occasionally, inside, I hear him making a huffing and puffing noise, I see his sides heaving in and out, and I know what’s coming. But it occurs only two or three times a month, and I can usually get a newspaper under him.

Awww, poor kitty, and poor you for having to wait and wonder. Please keep us updated.

Yes, cats can, and I suggest just keep him comfortable and make sure water is available for him, perhaps give him an eyedropper full once in awhile, or ask your vet what you can do until you get there.

The vet seems to think it’s a bad case of hairballs. He was somewhat dehydrated, so they gave him subcutaneous fluids. As well, they gave him a shot of an anti-nausea medication. I now have a hairball goo to give him that has vitamins & minerals in it. He gets 15 ml of this a day – which is a lot – but we have to be pretty aggressive at this point. Then there’s the antibiotic, because sometimes there’s a bacterial component, and some anti-nausea med to give him. Poor cat!

On the good side, his bloodwork is “boringly normal.” The vet’s words! The only thing that they couldn’t test for is pancreatitis. If after a few days of these meds he isn’t any better they’ll draw blood for that test.

Many thanks, Flutherites, for your care and concern.

AH-HA! Our regular vet was back and I took kitty in because he wasn’t getting any better. After a steroid shot and something else to stimulate his appetite, he is back to his old self. It is not a giant hairball (per the x-ray) and blood work for pancreatitis came back negative. At this point, the vet believes irritable bowel and we’re going to try switching his diet to something lower in fat and easier to digest. We’re at a “wait and see” point right now. If his symptoms come back, we’ll look further.

I’ve started giving him Innova reduced fat food. If anyone has a better recommendation, I’m happy to listen. And again, many thanks for the advice and concern. I’m so glad to have my normal cat back!