Cats and Vomiting: Causes and Treatment
If a cat vomits every now and then, there is generally no need to worry. However, frequent vomiting can also have serious causes.
Possible causes of cat vomiting
There are numerous possible reasons for vomiting. They range from relatively harmless causes such as the consumption of spoiled food to serious illnesses and life-threatening poisoning.
If your cat vomits, the cause can usually be assigned to one of the following three areas:
- Coat Care
- Diseases
- Nutrition
1. Coat care as a reason for vomiting in cats
If your cat vomits from time to time, in many cases this is simply due to her coat care. Because when cleaning their fur, cats inevitably swallow any hair that falls out. These then collect in the stomach to a hairball, which the quadruped chokes up.
This is perfectly normal and is quite common especially in pure domestic cats, which are more likely to groom their fur than outdoor cats. As long as your cat vomits only occasionally and a hairball appears, you usually don't have to worry.
2. Sick cats vomit frequently
Unfortunately, the cause from which a cat vomits is not always so harmless. Because it is quite possible that the stomach problems are due to health problems and your four-legged friend may even need urgent veterinary care.
Some of the health causes of vomiting in cats include the following complaints:
- Gastro-intestinal infections
- Metabolic diseases like diabetes
- Kidney problems
- Allergies
- Worm infections
- Various infectious diseases
- Hyperthyroidism
- Gastritis
- Poisoning
3. Nutrition as a cause of vomiting in cats
Besides coat care and health problems, nutrition is the main cause of vomiting in cats. The cat may even suffer from a food allergy.
It’s also possible that your cat has eaten spoiled food. It’s always best not to leave wet food in the bowl for too long as it will go bad very quickly, especially in the summer when temperatures are high.
A cat can vomit to get rid of a foreign object, such as a bone, that has been swallowed.
Sometimes a cat also vomits because it has swallowed too much food in a very short time. Usually happens very rarely.
When does a cat need to go to the vet
Depending on how often the vomiting happens and whether other symptoms occur, a visit to the vet may be advisable. Some of the causes require prompt medical attention.
As a general rule you should always visit a vet with your cat if they vomit frequently and there are other symptoms such as fatigue, diarrhoea, for ever.
A look at the vomit can also provide information about possible risks. White foam is a sign of worm infestation while the smell of faeces can indicate a dangerous intestinal obstruction.
If your cat vomits blood, you should see a vet immediately as this may indicate poisoning or a stomach ulcer.
Search for causes at the veterinarian
When in doubt, it is always better to go to the vet. Only a veterinarian can say with certainty whether your four-legged friend is ill and needs treatment.
Depending on the symptoms that occur, the vet will carry out various examinations to get to the bottom of the exact cause of your cat's vomiting. These may include abdominal palpation, x-rays and ultrasound scans, or blood tests. However, the vet may also need to perform a gastroscopy or fecal analysis to make a reliable diagnosis.
The better you support the veterinarian, the faster he or she can determine the trigger. Information on the time and frequency of vomiting, other symptoms of the disease, and the smell and colour of the vomit are particularly helpful in this context.
Treating vomiting in cats
Of course, it is not possible to say in general terms how a cat that vomits must be treated. While an infestation with worms, for example, should be eliminated with a worming treatment that is as well tolerated as possible, an infectious disease may require the administration of antibiotics or other medication.
Regardless of this, you should put your cat on a temporary diet. This will give the digestive tract a chance to calm down and will also help prevent vomiting.
By the way, if your cat is vomiting and otherwise appears largely stable, it can often be enough to stop feeding completely for around 24 hours and just provide your pet with enough fresh water to drink.
Preventing vomiting in cats
Of course it is not possible to completely prevent your cat from vomiting. However, there are some things you can do to at least significantly reduce the likelihood of digestive problems.
The following measures will help you reduce the risk of vomiting in your cat considerably:
- Be careful not to have any poisonous plants in your home.
- Dispose of leftover wet food promptly after the meal.
- Make sure that your four-legged friend cannot absorb any toxic substances such as cleaning agents.
- Make your trash cans cat-safe.
- If you have several cats, feeding them separately will help to avoid hasty snares.
- Help your cat groom his fur by combing to reduce the risk of swallowing hair.
With high-quality cat food from I Love My Cat you can provide your cat with all the nutrients it needs for a functioning digestive system.
The carefully selected ingredients ensure that the food is particularly easy to digest and noticeably reduces the likelihood of your cat vomiting.
Our tip against vomiting in cats
If your cat vomits and you can rule out acute dangers such as poisoning, we recommend using our Shiimun Gastro.
This natural food supplement based on shiitake contains a selected combination of proven medicinal herbs known for their positive effect on digestion.
Thus Shiimun Gastro can counteract digestive problems such as vomiting in cats in a natural way and reliably support the recovery of your four-legged friend.
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