> vet here. worked ER for 2 years, now doing relief locus work in ER and General Practice hospitals.
Is that your cat in the picture?
Even if it isn't, a 17 year old cat, with vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss/muscle wasting, has:
1) Chronic Kidney Disease or
2) Hyperthyroidism or
3) Inflammatory Bowel Disease or GI Lymphoma.
4) or a combination of 2 or all 3 of those.

hyperthyroidism? will have all those signs, w/ an OK appetite or voracious appetite w/ weight loss. Easy to check for- run a TT4. Easy to treat- gold standard is Radioactive Iodine, but most owners don't go for it, so Methimazole is next easy step (w/things to support vomiting, hydration, etc). Life long med.

Chronic Kidney Disease- unfortunately, no definitive tx. Based off which Stage they are in, depends on what you treat them w/. Most of these cats live on anti-emetics, appetite stimulants, subcutaneous fluids at home, +/- renal diets (very debated topic in vet med right now), plus a number of other things.

Inflammatory Bowel disease- technically can't diagnose w/out GI biopsies- sometimes an ultrasound is less invasive & can at least confirm changes to GI tract supportive of this. Sometimes changing them to hydrolyzed protein diet helps. Sometimes they need probiotics. A lot of them need immunosuppressives- steroids, more higher levels of immunosuppressives, appetite stimulants/anti-vomiting meds, etc. tricky thing is that IBD can turn into GI lymphoma, or you can think IBD is present but it's GI lymphoma. Or you have a distinct mass of lymphoma that literally in a sense causes a GI obstruction.
there is fucking safe sedatives for older cats to obtain bloodwork & rule out hyperthyroidism & CKD. & if it isn't 1 or both of those, then that leaves you w/ IBD or GI lymphoma. Again, could be a thousand other dz's- but I would bet a million $$ your cat has 1 of these/all of them. Get a new fucking vet.

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Cat has been vomiting and having diarrhea since the weekend :(Took her to vet yesterday. They were able to do a basic exam but she didn't…

Cat has been vomiting and having diarrhea since the weekend :(
Took her to vet yesterday. They were able to do a basic exam but she didn't…