Sometimes our pets get sick. And then it becomes uneasy, because the owner does not know what’s wrong with the pet, and, most importantly, how to help him? Not all symptoms are specific and “tell” why exactly the purr is unwell.
But based on general symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting or constipation), you will not be able to independently determine the cause of your pet’s illness.
So why does the cat vomit? Natural cleansing of the stomach from licked fur or a symptom of a disease?
What should you do if your cat is constantly vomiting, mixed with blood or bile? More details about everything.
Causes of vomiting
- Irritation of the stomach/throat mucosa by something hard (a hairball in the stomach or a fish bone stuck in the throat). Often cats accidentally swallow something small and inedible, starting to chew out of interest. Then in the vomit you can see what led to intestinal antiperistalsis.
- Overfeeding your pet. If the owners try to put more purr in the bowl, thinking that it’s better this way, that their four-legged friend will be full longer, then the fluffy will overeat. And then there is no doubt why exactly the cat started vomiting. Vomit is undigested pieces of food, and the cat vomits only after overfeeding; if the portion is reduced, then such attacks will not occur again.
- Vomiting in a cat can also occur due to poor quality food. The pet will probably be poisoned. Then the toxins act on the brain receptors (more precisely, on the vomiting center), hence the reverse peristalsis.
- Do not forget that a purr can be poisoned not only by food, but also by chemicals, medications (especially if the owner is self-medicating), indoor plants. There are a great many poisons and toxins, they affect the vomiting center in the brain.
- Why else might a cat start vomiting? Due to strong helminthic infestation. In the process of living inside the host, intestinal helminths release toxins, which again poison the cat.
- Inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract. They are not always of non-contagious etiology. Much more often these inflammations are a consequence infectious diseases. And if you do not contact a veterinarian for help in as soon as possible, then the pet will die.
- However, diseases of the digestive system that lead to vomiting may not be of an inflammatory nature. For example, intestinal obstruction, torsion of its loop. Without timely surgical intervention It will not be possible to save the cat. No amount of herbs or pills will help here, which is why it is so important to go to the veterinarian when your cat vomits.
- Brain damage. These are injuries (concussion or bruise), swelling, increased intracranial pressure - all this can cause a cat to vomit.
Symptoms of vomiting
It would seem, what are the symptoms if everyone’s vomiting is the same? But many owners confuse it with a cough. They believe that the pet vomited precisely because of a coughing attack and confuse cause and effect.
The cat does not immediately begin to vomit. At first he coughs lightly, saliva is released in large volumes. The purr licks its lips, rushes about (if it is not exhausted), constantly swallows and breathes frequently.
Only then he bends down and stretches his neck - vomiting begins.
Diagnostics
If reverse intestinal peristalsis occurred once and did not recur, and the cat herself feels great and behaves normally, then there are probably no serious illnesses.
Often you don't need to do anything. Perhaps the reasons were overfeeding or a hairball.
If vomiting recurs (at least three times during the day), then entrust the diagnosis to a veterinarian; it is not necessary to go to the clinic, you can call him at home (many clinics provide this service).
You will be required to tell the veterinarian as much as possible about the purring.
The first thing you need to remember is what the pet was fed or given (medicines, treats, or maybe the cat reached for a flower or a bottle of household chemicals), mention vaccinations, dewormings (latest dates), remember if there were any injuries.
You need to take a closer look at the vomit. What do they mainly consist of? If from undigested food residues, then problems may be associated with overfeeding, intestinal blockage, a foreign body in the stomach, and the quality of the food (for example, food that is too fatty or of poor quality).
If a cat's vomiting is accompanied by fever, diarrhea, or any other symptoms, then most likely the cause is an infection.
And without specific treatment(immunoglobulins or antibiotics) chances for rapid and full recovery, alas, practically none.
It is necessary to tell the veterinarian about the color of the vomit (white, yellow, with blood, with foam, etc.). This will help to more accurately determine the possible cause of your beloved cat’s illness.
And only after diagnosis can you begin to treat your pet. 
Cat treatment
What should an owner do when his four-legged family member vomits? The first step is to call a veterinarian or go to the clinic with the animal yourself.
The veterinarian will examine the patient, provide first aid: if necessary, rinse the stomach and put in an IV. If necessary, prescribe a course of antibiotics.
There is no need to self-administer antiemetic drugs. Firstly, vomiting is a protective reaction of the body, perhaps this is how it tries to cleanse gastrointestinal tract from toxins.
And by prescribing antiemetic drugs yourself, you will ensure that toxins and poisons penetrate into the blood, thereby only worsening the animal’s well-being.
Secondly, self-medication is always a risk. You can make a mistake with the dosage. And thirdly, such actions by the owners significantly complicate the veterinarian’s work. It is much more difficult to make a diagnosis when many symptoms disappear before examination.
Only veterinarian makes a decision: what and in what dosage can be given to a cat with vomiting. All you can do is not feed the cat more, but provide him with access to clean water. Dehydration is very dangerous.
Your veterinarian will probably advise you to give your pet a teaspoon (teaspoon) of a special saline solution every 10-15 minutes at home.
There is no need to pour in the entire glass, this will only provoke a new attack of vomiting. Similar powders (they are then dissolved in chilled boiled water according to the instructions) it is better to keep it in your first aid kit, and they are sold in any “human” pharmacy.
If the cause of vomiting is a volvulus or intestinal obstruction, then surgery will be required. But again, you can only find out about this after you show your pet to the veterinarian.
If you decide to do without qualified assistance and do everything yourself (give enemas, inject antibiotics, give antiemetics), then you risk losing your pet.
Contact your veterinarian as soon as you notice that your pet is unwell.
Preventing vomiting in cats
- Monitor the quality of the feed. It should always be fresh and suitable for the animal (food for the cat should not come from your table). Always remove leftover food from the bowl to prevent it from spoiling during the day. And don't overfeed!
- Never self-medicate or give pills to an animal without consulting a veterinarian. Keep the first aid kit and any medications (even vitamins, dietary supplements) in a place where pets and children cannot reach.
Vomiting in a cat is a protective reaction of the body to external and internal irritants. Usually, such an animal’s reaction is quite normal: the cat can simply clear its stomach of accumulated hairballs. But sometimes nausea and vomiting pet indicate a serious illness. If timely assistance is provided, the painful condition will pass without consequences for the pet.
What types of vomiting do cats have?
By carefully observing your cat, you can notice signs of distress even before she starts vomiting. The cat begins to behave strangely, sits in an unusual tense position, or makes strange noises. At this moment, it is necessary to trace exactly how the pet vomited. There are several types of vomiting, signaling completely different problems in the animal’s body.
Types of vomiting in cats:
- Vomiting with foam. If a cat vomits foam without any impurities in the form of fur or food debris, this indicates the presence of some kind of disease.
- Vomiting of undigested food. It happens that the cat eats food too quickly or starts playing active games immediately after eating: this type of vomiting should not cause serious concern.
- Vomiting bile - vomiting yellow color without any inclusions.
- Vomiting hair. Since cats constantly groom themselves and groom themselves, hair accumulates in their stomach. To prevent the stomach from becoming clogged, animals regurgitate fur.
- Vomiting blood. Light Blood in vomit indicates injury to the larynx or esophagus. The cat could have been injured by swallowing a sharp object. If the animal belches only blood and it is dark in color, this indicates deeper damage: perhaps to the stomach or intestines. In this case, urgent consultation with a veterinarian is required.
Causes of nausea and vomiting in cats
With the exception of physiological factors, such as burping fur, there are several reasons why a cat burps:
Vomiting that continues for several days is a serious reason to consult a veterinarian.
Yellow vomit
If the cat vomits yellow liquid, this suggests that bile is present in the vomit. This is not typical for this type of ailment, since bile should not enter the stomach. The presence of this component in vomit indicates liver or gallbladder disease.
If the illness lasts for several days, the stomach begins to fill with bile. In this case, the walls of the stomach become inflamed, since bile is a hostile environment for the digestive organs.
The pet owner must accurately determine the color of the masses before contacting a doctor. Vomiting of bile is usually a very bright, rich yellow color. If the masses are colored with dyes contained in feed, they are of a dull gray-yellow color.
The cat is sick: he doesn’t eat or drink, constant vomiting - possible reasons
Vomiting with foam
If foam pours out of a cat's mouth, this is a sign of feline distemper. A clear sign The reason for a cat to vomit foam are frequent reflex movements, reaching up to 8-10 times. Together with frequent vomiting There are also other signs of distemper - the cat does not lick itself, hides in dark corners, and ceases to be interested in the world around it.
Vomiting in a cat is a consequence of a reflexive release of contents from the stomach cavity through the mouth or nose. At the same time, the animal makes involuntary sharp swallowing movements, breathes rapidly, and has a copious department saliva.
More often, a cat vomits after eating a large amount of grass. The animal specifically swallows it to trigger gag reflexes. Thus, she clears the stomach of hairballs that accumulate in it due to constant licking.
Vomiting in a cat can be caused by fear, stress or excitement.
Many nerve endings that lead to the vomiting center are located in the area abdominal cavity. Some changes in pressure on the walls of the stomach may occur in an animal that has eaten a lot of food. Also, pressure is often provoked by the presence of a foreign body accidentally swallowed by the cat during play. Irritation of the nerve endings on the walls of the stomach provokes the transmission of signals to the vomiting center and the cat vomits because of this.
The most common causes of vomiting in cats are overeating and serious infectious diseases.
If the cat only vomited 1-2 times, and the animal does not show any other suspicious symptoms or changes in behavior, then this is not a big deal.
Often a cat gets sick while traveling by car. The use of tranquilizers helps relieve the animal's suffering and reduce anxiety when traveling by car, ship, or plane.
Some, quite healthy cats may have a tendency to vomit due to the nature of physiological nature in the structure of the stomach.
Often a cat vomits during pregnancy due to toxicosis.
Sometimes it's so frustrating vestibular apparatus may be caused by ear diseases. In a sick cat, changes occur in the semicircular canals, which stimulate irritation of the vomiting center in the brain.
Such symptoms can occur in half of cats with liver disease or lipidosis. Vomiting in cats with pancreatitis is observed in 20% of cases. This disorder can also be caused by kidney disease or infectious diseases.
The disorder may be caused by kidney disease. Often a cat vomits due to inflammation of the uterus.
In cases where a cat vomits frequently and for a long time, and this has nothing to do with food intake, it is necessary to urgently contact a specialist.
Types of vomiting
Vomiting in cats can be acute or chronic. At acute forms animals require simple symptomatic supportive treatment. At chronic manifestations Such reflexes in cats require specific diagnosis and specialized therapy after receiving the results.
There are three stages of vomiting.
Nausea
Nausea is characterized by frequent licking of the lips, and frequent reflex swallowing and is accompanied by profuse salivation.
Belching
The characteristic release of gases is only an attempt and a precursor to vomiting. It often becomes a clear harbinger of the imminent onset of the vomiting process itself.
Actually vomiting
As soon as the contents rise to a certain level of the stomach, the animal’s reflex center is triggered and vomit occurs.
Different types of vomiting
Detection of various types of impurities and inclusions in the vomit in the form of: blood, bile, lumps or clots requires immediate contact with a specialist.
There are several characteristic types of vomit:
White foam
Such “hungry vomiting” indicates an empty stomach of the animal, and at the same time no aggravating factors are detected in it
Bile
Normally, there should be no bile in the stomach. Its presence in vomit may indicate gallbladder disease and liver disease. Yellow bile can also appear after the cat vomits repeatedly and his stomach is completely empty. Even if such vomiting occurs only a couple of times, this cannot be left without due attention - you need to visit a doctor.
Bile has a very aggressive effect on the gastric mucosa and provokes inflammation.
Blood
Blood in vomit can be of two types: scarlet and dark (the color of coffee grounds). The presence of scarlet blood indicates damage to the esophagus or pharynx; it can also appear due to wounds in oral cavity. You should carefully examine the animal's mouth and throat for damage or foreign objects (bone fragments, splinters, etc.).
If the vomit is a rich red (to brown) color, this indicates bleeding in the stomach itself, where the blood is under the influence of of hydrochloric acid changes color. This type of bleeding can be caused by gastritis, tumors, or sharp objects.
If a cat is vomiting blood, both of these cases require immediate attention to a specialist.
Green
This coloring of the vomit indicates that the contents from the intestines are flowing back into the stomach cavity, or that abundant excessive formation of bile is occurring. This type of staining indicates problems with the liver, gallbladder, or intestinal obstruction. Moreover, the latter is very dangerous for pet, he urgently needs to consult a veterinarian.
Vomiting in pregnant cats
Typically, reflex regurgitation occurs in cats in the morning, or immediately after eating. Its cause is toxic conditions accompanying pregnancy. If this happens a couple of times, and there are no impurities in the vomit, then there is no particular reason for concern.
In cases where the process is repeated more often, or the cat’s vomiting has impurities, the animal should be urgently shown to a specialist.
If a cat vomits repeatedly, it loses a lot of fluid, which leads to dehydration. When diarrhea is added to the symptoms, dehydration occurs even faster, and this is very dangerous for the animal.
Vomiting in kittens
If the kitten is constantly sick or has very frequent belching mixed with vomiting, then this may be caused by dysfunction of the pylorus in the stomach (sphincter). This is a special muscle located between the small intestine and the stomach cavity. If it is not properly developed, the stomach does not empty properly, which provokes gag reflexes.
Such a diagnosis can be made to an animal only after an X-ray examination.
Sometimes a kitten vomits due to a disorder in the muscle that separates the stomach and esophagus. In this case, the food does not penetrate the stomach and is regurgitated by the animal. If kittens are susceptible to such diseases, it is better to feed them very small portions of pureed food, holding them upright. This helps food enter the stomach more easily. An underdeveloped muscle inside an animal can return to normal with age.
In cases where a kitten vomits once (or a couple of times) after eating, the composition of the food should be changed or the dose reduced so that it does not overeat.
Treatment of vomiting
For successful treatment First of all, you should clarify the frequency of vomiting, as well as the presence of various types of impurities in the excreted masses. It is also necessary to remove water and food from the animal, since they can only cause additional irritation.
It must be remembered that vomiting is only a symptom, not the disease itself.
If a cat or kitten vomits once, and there is a suspicion of overeating, then it is only necessary to pause feeding for a few hours. In this case, you can give water a little at a time, but you should not force the cat to drink.
To treat vomiting in cats, you must follow a diet. In this case, they feed boiled rice or low-fat boiled chicken meat.
The appearance of appetite in this case is good sign. You shouldn’t give your animal a lot of food, so as not to harm the stomach. It is better to feed him in small portions.
To treat prolonged vomiting, it is advisable for the cat to follow a gentle diet. She is fed boiled rice or lean boiled chicken meat, or special medicinal species feed
If the food is digestible, then you can gradually introduce pressed cottage cheese or a soft-boiled egg. The cat’s body digests and assimilates such foods well. You can switch to your usual diet gradually and a few days after the symptoms disappear.
A folk remedy for vomiting is a decoction of flax seeds or chamomile tincture, which is given to sick animals a spoonful several times a day (depending on the size of the cat).
Drug treatment for vomiting
For severe and repeated vomiting, you can intramuscular injection Cerucal or No-Shpa at the rate of: per 1 kg of animal weight, a dose of 0.1 ml of medication is required. Sorbents also work well: Atoxil or Enterosgel. For severe vomiting, the use of electrolyte solutions (for example, Regidron) is ineffective.
Very important for profuse and prolonged vomiting various types impurities, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Self-medication in such cases can end in failure. If your kitten vomits for a long time, it can be very dangerous and should be taken to a specialist immediately. The doctor will help determine the cause of such reflexes, the level of dehydration in the body, and even prescribe an IV.
Prevention
It is necessary to ensure that toys for the animal do not have small and sharp parts that could come off and get into the esophagus.
If a cat or kitten vomits a couple of times after eating food, you should either change the food or reduce the dose. You need to monitor your pets and not let them overeat, especially new “tasty” foods.
By observing your pets and noting these symptoms, you can prevent serious illnesses and even save their lives.
One of the symptoms that accompanies the disease various organs in cats, is vomiting. This defense mechanism, protecting the animal’s body from various toxic substances entering it. Vomiting is preceded by nausea, which causes the cat to become restless and fearful.
Causes of vomiting
Vomiting is the involuntary expulsion of stomach contents, which is caused by any irritant - a foreign solid object, a large volume of food or toxic substances. In addition, vomiting can be caused by:
- Wool.
- Worms.
- Various infectious diseases.
- Pressure or swelling, encephalitis.
- Food poisoning.
- Pregnancy.
- “Hungry” vomiting that occurs when your pet rarely feeds.
- During transportation - from stress or motion sickness.
- Diabetes.
- Abundance of food.
- Stomach ulcer.
- Kidney or liver disease.
- Gallbladder diseases, etc.
Vomiting in cats can be acute or chronic. Acute vomiting that lasts no more than 2-3 days can be eliminated simple methods treatment. When does it continue? long time- for one day or repeats 2-3 times in 12 hours, then we are talking about its chronic form.
This form is dangerous because the animal’s body becomes dehydrated and the water-electrolyte balance is disturbed. The content of ions that are responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses decreases, as a result the functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous and other organ systems is disrupted.
The body becomes dehydrated very quickly, since the cat does not drink and loses a significant amount of water. You can determine how significant the loss of water is in the following way: the skin on the withers must be lifted, held between two fingers and released. If, after releasing, the skin does not tend to return to its original position, “sticks”, and the wool has ceased to shine, has become dull and dry, then the body has lost a lot of water. Continuous vomiting for a long time can lead to the death of a cat.
For correct diagnosis You must first exclude physiological processes that have symptoms reminiscent of vomiting. This is belching when food comes out completely undigested in the form of cords that follow the shape of the esophagus.
Only a veterinarian can carry out professional diagnostics, who, in addition to examining the animal, must also conduct necessary tests. One of them is the analysis of vomit. There are several types of vomit that are characteristic of certain diseases:
Hairballs in vomit
This type is a physiologically normal process and occurs 1-2 times a month. Thus, the cat’s body is freed from villi, which enter the stomach when licking. Several reflex contractions occur and the oval hairball moves away. Hairballs may be removed from the animal's stomach through feces.
However, hair in the stomach can lead to obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, which can only be eliminated through surgical intervention using a medical tube. To prevent this from happening, cats eat grass, which irritates the walls of the stomach and causes a gag reflex. For pets, this herb can be grown in a flower pot.
Fountain
In addition to underdevelopment of the pylorus, vomiting in kittens can be caused by obstruction of the digestive tract if there are foreign objects or neoplasms of various etiologies in it. There may also be an increase intracranial pressure with thrombosis of cerebral vessels, meningoencephalitis, brain tumors. With these disorders, in addition to vomiting, other disturbances in activity will be observed. nervous system. They can only be diagnosed by a veterinarian.
Cat vomits whole, almost undigested food
Occurs 15-30 minutes after eating. This can happen when, after fasting, the animal eats a large amount of excess food. Sometimes this happens if after eating the animal begins to run and play. Food is not digested. It is necessary to determine the optimal amounts of food and not to overfeed the animal.
Vomit with bile
Bile is in gallbladder and it should not be in the vomit from the stomach. Its appearance indicates diseases of the gallbladder and liver. With prolonged vomiting, the stomach is completely emptied and its contents are replaced by bile. When the walls of the stomach come into contact with bile, they can become inflamed, since bile is a very aggressive environment.
It is necessary to very accurately determine the color of the vomit. If they contain bile, the color is bright yellow, if the color is given by feed components, the color is grayish-yellow. If the vomit is stained with bile, it is necessary to show the cat to a veterinarian.
Cat vomits liquid or foam
This is a sign of feline distemper. The process of vomiting is preceded by 5-8 reflex contractions, the animal tenses and experiences discomfort. This disease is also characterized by other signs: the cat stops licking itself, constantly strives to hide in a secluded dark corner, and does not pay attention to its surroundings.
Sometimes, with a very intense urge to vomit, it does not happen. It causes painful sensations. The cat refuses food and water, the sight of them causes her to constantly vomit, she constantly licks her lips.
Vomit with blood
Scarlet inclusions indicate mechanical damage digestive organs in the space between the oral cavity and the upper part small intestine. Perhaps these are wounds in the oral cavity, damage to the pharynx or esophagus. They can occur when foreign objects with sharp edges are swallowed or become stuck in the walls of organs. Bone, wood chips, or other sharp particles can get in with the food or if the cat chews on objects not intended for food.
A rich red color is a signal of damage to the lower organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding may occur in the stomach, where the blood becomes dark (sometimes the color of coffee grounds) as it enters chemical reaction with hydrochloric acid.
Caused by gastritis, swallowed sharp objects, malignant neoplasms. Sometimes the cause can be damage to the esophagus when blood is swallowed, enters the stomach and is excreted in vomit. This condition can lead to decreased vitality, complete dehydration and fatal outcome. In case of such vomiting, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Vomit is green
This is typical for liver and gallbladder diseases or intestinal obstruction. With these pathologies, too much happens copious discharge bile, or the contents from the intestines are thrown back into the stomach. Green color may occur when consuming even small amounts of fresh or dried herbs. If the staining is caused by this, then there is no reason to worry.
Vomit contains feces
This is called very dangerous pathologies- peritonitis or intestinal blockage, or abdominal trauma. Surgery is almost always inevitable; the cat must be taken to the vet immediately.
To prevent vomiting in cats, you must follow some basic rules:
- Feedings should be frequent and not too abundant;
- The diet should be balanced - healthy food, fortified supplements and lack of food from a person’s table;
- Prevention of worms should be carried out 2 times a year;
- Refrain from feeding during transport;
- Do not allow your cat to play with small objects that it might swallow. If they enter the digestive organs, they can cause injury to the membranes;
- Brush regularly and, if necessary, give the cat a paste to dissolve the hair and remove it from the digestive tract.
The following symptoms are reasons to contact a veterinarian:
- Fever;
- The cat constantly vomits (she sticks out her tongue);
- The animal is lethargic and inactive. The condition causes discomfort and worries the pet;
- Repeated and profuse vomiting, repeated up to 3 times in 12 hours.
You should not try to treat the animal yourself; only a doctor can correctly assess its condition and prescribe adequate treatment.
For diagnosis, the veterinarian will conduct a number of tests:
- Examination of the animal;
- Grade general condition body and wool;
- Measures weight, pulse, temperature. Listen to breathing;
- Palpation of the abdomen to determine muscle tone and the presence of possible hardening;
- General and biochemical analysis blood;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
First aid for a cat
Heavy clinical cases Only a veterinarian can diagnose, and he will also prescribe a treatment regimen. You can only alleviate the condition of your pet on your own. To do this, you need to resort to the following tips:
- Pay attention to his vomiting and the frequency of food rejection. If the gag reflex is triggered 1-2 times, and the vomit does not contain blood or foam, then, most likely, wool, grass or an abundance of food has entered the stomach. It is enough not to give the cat food, but leave only a bowl of water. This must be done, this is how the animal’s body becomes dehydrated;
- Put your furry friend on a strict diet. Put away fatty foods, do not give dry food or canned food. You can give an egg, cottage cheese or broth. Give food in small portions and often, be sure to monitor the cat’s condition. If vomiting does not recur, then you can introduce a small piece of boiled chicken into your diet.
- With more severe symptoms- vomiting with blood, foam, bile with unpleasant smell, seek professional help immediately. You are not a doctor, you don’t know how to seriously treat animals. And it’s easy to cause harm through inaction or experiments.
Medications
Before visiting a veterinarian, you can relieve your cat’s suffering on your own. If in home medicine cabinet There are medications - sorbents (Atoxyl, Rehydron), dilute them with water and give the cat water up to 4 times a day. You can also give an injection of No-shpa at the rate of 0.1 mg per 1 kg of cat. Further actions only consult a professional; you should not delay visiting the veterinary hospital. A dehydrated body needs IV drips and injections.
If you don’t have the necessary medications in your home medicine cabinet, you can give your cat a tincture of flax or chamomile. Three to four times a day, one tablespoon. Provided that the cause of vomiting is not a serious stomach or kidney disease.
Prevention
To prevent your cat from getting sick, you must adhere to the following rules:
- food must be fresh;
- raw fish and meat should not be present in the diet;
- limit access to the trash can and places where threads, needles and other small items are stored as much as possible;
- Be sure to visit a veterinarian and examine the animal once a year.
The cat, the favorite of the whole family, fell ill. Lethargy, vomiting, refusal to eat. The owner of the animal is at a loss and does not know what to do. The first thing you need to find out is the reason that caused your pet to vomit. It is not always possible to understand on your own what happened to the animal. Perhaps these are symptoms of some disease. Therefore, timely contact veterinary clinic will save your pet from suffering and possible illness.
The health of the animal is the concern of all family members. Carefully selected nutrition, fresh water, fighting fleas and worms, combing the animal’s fur are important points for caring for a pet. Compliance with simple rules and advice is the key to the health and life of your pet.
Emptying the stomach through the mouth or nose is quite common in cats. With the help of this complex physiological process, the animal is freed from substances hazardous to health or foreign objects that have entered the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the reasons causing vomiting, it can be either a normal manifestation of the normal functioning of the digestive organs or alarming symptom developing pathological conditions.
Causes of vomiting in cats
With mechanical irritation of the mucous membranes of the palate or pharynx, vomiting has a reflex origin. Vomiting of nervous, or central, origin develops when toxins entering the bloodstream due to certain diseases, helminthic infestations, as a result of poisoning, affect the body in medulla oblongata vomiting center
Which in turn causes antiperistaltic movements of the esophagus. Thus, vomiting promotes excretion from the gastrointestinal tract foreign bodies, excess food, toxic substances and is a protective reaction of the body.
Fasting or overeating
The most harmless is nutritional vomiting associated with wrong mode cat nutrition and is not a symptom serious pathology. Hunger vomiting occurs in cats that receive food once or twice a day. This frequency of food intake is not suitable for small predators, who are prescribed by nature to eat little by little, but often not experience prolonged starvation.
This is interesting! Vomit in case of malnutrition is scanty, consisting mainly of mucous gastric secretion and foam. The urge goes away almost immediately after the cat manages to eat.
Vomiting also occurs due to overeating, when the animal seeks to get rid of excess food masses pressing on the diaphragm. In this case, the vomit contains undigested large pieces of food. This problem can be solved quite simply: the owner should reduce the frequency of feeding the pet and/or the amount of food in one serving.
Vomiting fur
An unappetizing “sausage” of matted wool and remnants of stomach contents, rejected by vomiting, is considered a normal physiological act if it occurs from time to time. Well-known clean cats, while grooming themselves, swallow dead hairs, which then bunch up into a lump, irritating the gastric mucosa. Therefore, animals independently get rid of such “ballast” by causing themselves to vomit.
Unsuccessful vomiting indicates that the bezoar - a hairball - is so large that the cat cannot vomit it on its own. This phenomenon can often be observed during the molting period, especially among representatives long-haired breeds. To help the animal, you need to give it Vaseline oil or a special zoo paste designed to remove hair from the gastrointestinal tract. In the future, you should groom your pet more carefully, combing out its coat.
Frequent vomiting of fur is observed in the following cases.
In domestic cats, which are often capricious during taste preferences, poisoning from spoiled food is very rare. The main causes of serious intoxication are harmful and toxic substances that are stored in the public domain and inadvertently got into the food or onto the animal’s fur:
- hygiene and household chemicals;
- medicines;
- pesticides;
- antifreeze;
- poisoned rodent baits.
Important! Vomiting in case of poisoning is a response of the body that allows at least part of the toxic substance to be removed from the stomach. Therefore apply antiemetics it is forbidden!
Sometimes the cause of poisoning is cats eating leaves and stems of domestic plants that are toxic to them. The nature of the vomit depends on which particular toxin caused the poisoning.
Pregnancy
Although official veterinary medicine considers the issue of toxicosis during pregnancy in animals controversial, many breeders and cat owners claim that the expectation of offspring in their furry pets often occurs with symptoms of intoxication. There can be many reasons for this - from the quality of the diet to the genetic characteristics of the breed.
In general, toxicosis is normal physiological phenomenon when hormonal levels change and does not have a negative prognosis for the health of the mother and offspring. Typically, symptoms of toxicosis are observed in the first trimester of pregnancy (second to fourth weeks), are short-term (last no more than 10 days) and do not require treatment. One such sign is morning vomiting.
In a mild, calm form of the disease, the vomit is light, without inclusions of bile or blood, consists of undigested food and contains a small amount of foam. The owner should be concerned clinical picture when vomiting and nausea are constant, last more than two weeks and are accompanied by diarrhea, a significant decrease in body temperature, and dehydration.
Important! This may be signs of an acutely developing pathological condition with fatal consequences for mother and offspring.
Having noticed profuse vomiting in combination with other symptoms of intoxication, the pet owner should provide immediate veterinary care without resorting to independent drug treatment. The first steps in in this case There will be detoxification measures that can only be carried out in a veterinary clinic.
Diseases
Vomiting is part of the symptomatic complex of the most life-threatening infectious and systemic diseases of the animal.
- Panleukopenia() - a severe and acute infection requiring immediate veterinary care. An animal suffering from distemper vomits greenish liquid.
- Coronavirus enteritis - dangerous disease, characterized by inflammation of the epithelium of the small intestine. Uncontrollable vomiting, often mixed with blood or bile, is one of the main signs of the disease.
- Calcivirosis(cat flu) - especially dangerous for kittens that have not been vaccinated. Vomiting is observed in initial stage diseases.
- Hyperthyroidism- pathology endocrine system associated with impaired synthesis of the hormone thyroxine. When the disease occurs, cats experience noticeable emaciation along with increased appetite. After almost every meal, the animal begins to vomit with further rejection of undigested food.
- Hypocorticism- a disease of the adrenal glands in which these glands do not produce the hormone cortisone in sufficient quantities. A cat suffering from this disease usually vomits in masses with the inclusion of white foam.
Types of vomiting in cats
Often, vomiting in a cat is a direct signal to the owner that veterinary care is needed. You need to be able to determine the nature of the vomit so that the doctor, when examining the animal, can draw up the most complete symptomatic picture.
Cat vomiting bile
During a cat's gag reflex, the sphincter of the stomach through which pancreatic and other fluids enter it digestive enzymes, should normally be closed. Therefore, the bile produced by the liver does not enter the rejected stomach contents. However, there are reasons that cause yellowing of vomit:
- animals eating artificial casings from meat products, chicken and fish bones, fragments of which remain in the stomach for a long time;
- poisoning;
- extensive helminthic infestations;
- long fasting.
In all these cases, a powerful release of bile occurs, irritating the gastric mucosa and causing profuse vomiting. Vomiting is a cause for concern thick mucus with extensive inclusions of bile, even in cases where the pet has not eaten or drunk anything before, has undergone deworming, and the entry of toxic substances into the gastrointestinal tract is excluded.
This is interesting! The danger of such a pathology is as follows. Bile is a powerful, aggressive chemical.
Getting into an empty stomach, it literally eats away unprotected mucous membranes, which leads to the development peptic ulcer and gastritis. The signal is especially alarming if concentrated bile vomiting contains abundant blood clots. Such symptoms may be signs of intestinal volvulus, gastric perforation due to an ulcer, or a tumor process in the intestinal tract.
Vomiting food
Vomiting, which is the rejection of undigested pieces of food mixed with gastric juice, is most often due to too rapid absorption of food. An animal that has been starving for a long time strives to eat as much food as possible, greedily swallowing large pieces.
The solution to the problem will be standardized portions of food, the components of which are cut into medium-sized pieces. Cats living in the same house behave similarly when eating if there is competition between them. In this case, the animals need to be fed separately so that they do not feel threatened by other brothers and eat without rushing.
This is interesting! In nursing cats, like many carnivores, the gag reflex has another unique use. With its help, the mother regurgitates undigested food to feed her suckling kittens.
In this way, the gastrointestinal tract of babies gradually adapts to the consumption of meat, their future permanent food. Another cause of food vomiting can be poor quality food with low protein content. For normal food fermentation, and therefore good digestion, a cat’s diet must contain large quantities of protein.
With a lack of this nutrient, complete digestion of food does not occur, therefore, through vomiting, the animal seeks to free the gastrointestinal tract from undigested food. Rejection of recently eaten, undigested food is often an individual reaction to individual food ingredients or additives. The cause of regurgitation is determined and eliminated by carefully reviewing the animal’s diet.
Whole milk can cause vomiting after eating. The body of adult cats produces a limited amount of an enzyme that breaks down lactose contained in cow's milk. When milk sugar is not digested properly, your cat will experience digestive problems, including vomiting.
Vomiting foam
Vomiting of this nature is most often observed in kittens that have recently switched to solid food.. During the period of rapid growth, they constantly need to absorb large amounts of food. The gag reflex is self-activated full stomach. In this case, attacks of vomiting can be severe and prolonged - until the secretion of the mucous membrane (foam) mixed with gastric juice begins to come out.
The same picture is observed in cats that have abruptly switched to a new diet: changes in the feeding system often themselves cause vomiting, but can also stimulate overeating with corresponding consequences. Therefore, the transition to another food, for example, from dry to wet, must be done gradually, in small portions.
Vomiting blood
There are two types of vomiting blood (hematemesis) in cats. Brownish mass resembling coffee grounds, is a symptom of bleeding, the source of which is in the stomach or duodenum. This is evidenced by dark brown clots - red blood cells destroyed as a result of exposure to gastric juice.
Important! If the vomit contains scarlet inclusions, bleeding is suspected, the source of which is in the mouth or esophagus. Common reasons such a phenomenon is injury to tissues or birds.
Vomit that is uniformly brown in color may indicate tumor process in the stomach, exacerbation of gastritis, peptic ulcer. The range of reasons that cause a cat to vomit with blood clots also includes taking medications that corrode the gastric mucosa.
