My Pet World: When a vet recommends surgery, what do you do?

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Apr 26, 2023

— Susan, Highland, Indiana

Dear Susan,

There is some truth to what you’re saying. Too much liver in a cat's diet can cause vitamin A toxicity, impacting your cat's bones and causing symptoms, like vomiting, weight loss, and pain.

But liver can be good for your feline too in small amounts. It's generally recommended that liver be no more than five percent of a cat's diet and you have to factor in the pet's breed, size, and medical history. Liver could interact negatively with medications, other foods, or chronic conditions. Before anyone feeds liver to their cats or dogs, they should talk to a vet first. If your cat stopped vomiting after removing it from the diet, perhaps she was getting too much of it.

Dear Cathy,

I read about the cat that frequently vomits in my Post Tribune newspaper on February 15, and the writer was Jean Seaford from New York. I wanted to suggest that the cat may have chronic pancreatitis. The condition does not always appear in blood test results. My male cat had the disorder, and when I started feeding him a wet-only food diet, he improved significantly, from vomiting nearly every day to every couple of weeks. I hope this helps if the other things you suggested for her kitty don't work.

— Catherine, Porter, Indiana

Dear Catherine,

I've received many letters about vomiting cats since printing Jean's letter. Whether caused by food or illness, vomiting is one of the primary ways cats (and dogs) tell us something is wrong. The reason for vomiting can run the gamut, from hairballs to serious illnesses like pancreatitis. Determining the cause requires patience and a fair amount of detective work. I am glad you found the cause. Your experience may help someone else get to the bottom of their cat's health problem.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)