What to do if your cat vomits food? We find out the reasons and correct the diet

Although many cat caregivers believe that frequent vomiting is normal, the fact remains that acute episodes of vomiting or intermittent vomiting over time are always a reason to consult a veterinarian and can have many different causes. In this article, we will focus on describing the most common ones when explaining why our cat is vomiting white foam.

It is good that we observe whether the vomiting is acute (multiple vomiting in a short time) or chronic (vomiting 1-2 times a day or almost never goes into remission), and if, in addition, there are other symptoms such as diarrhea, report this to your veterinarian.

Gastrointestinal causes of foam vomiting

The simplest reason for vomiting is irritation of the digestive system, which can have various causes. During diagnosis, it is important to take into account, in addition to whether the vomiting is sporadic or constant and whether there are other symptoms, as we have already said, the contents of the vomit, since it could be foam, food, blood or even parasites. This article will talk about why a cat vomits white foam.

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Some of the gastrointestinal causes are as follows:

1. Gastritis : Gastritis in cats can be either acute or chronic, and both will require veterinary attention. With gastritis, irritation of the stomach wall occurs, for example, when substances such as grass, certain foods, drugs or toxic substances are ingested, so intoxication in cats is another cause of gastritis. When this is a chronic disease, we can see that our cat's skin loses quality. If left untreated, we will also see weight loss. Young cats with gastritis may have food allergies. This should be monitored by a veterinarian who will determine the specific cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.
2. Foreign bodies : In cats, hairballs are a common example, especially during shedding season. Sometimes in the digestive system, these hairs form hard balls known as trichobezoars, which can become so large that they cannot come out on their own. Thus, the presence of foreign bodies can cause irritation of the digestive system (white foam vomiting) as well as obstruction or even intussusception, in which case surgical intervention will be required.
3. Inflammatory bowel disease : This is one of the most common causes of white foam vomiting in cats and should be differentiated from other pathologies such as lymphoma. Our veterinarian will be responsible for conducting the appropriate tests. In these cases, we can see that the cat is vomiting white foam and has diarrhea, or at least decomposition that is chronic, meaning it does not improve over time.

Finally, note that one of the most common infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal system, feline panleukopenia, causes vomiting and profuse diarrhea, but in this case it is usually bloody. In addition, the cat usually develops a fever and does not eat or eat. This condition is a veterinary emergency.

How to treat a cat

Treatment depends on the type of disease:

• Infectious diseases - treatment at home; if necessary, infusion therapy (droppers) in a hospital setting: antibacterial drugs: Sinulox;
• Tsiprovet.

Vomiting is always a symptom; treatment begins only after its cause has been established by a veterinarian.

Photo gallery: medications for vomiting in cats

Milbemax is prescribed for helminthiasis

Bisacodyl is a laxative that stimulates intestinal motility.

Sinulox helps with bacterial infections

Creon improves digestion

Smecta is prescribed for poisoning as a sorbent

Other causes of foamy vomiting

Sometimes the reason that explains why a cat is vomiting white foam may not be in the stomach or intestines, but in several diseases that affect organs such as the liver, pancreas or kidneys. Here are some of these conditions:

1. Pancreatitis : Pancreatitis in cats can occur for a variety of reasons, all of which require veterinary treatment. It occurs acutely or more often chronically and can be combined with other diseases such as gastrointestinal tract, liver, diabetes, etc. It consists of inflammation or swelling of the pancreas, the organ responsible for producing enzymes for digestion and insulin for sugar metabolism. Symptoms include vomiting, as well as diarrhea, thinning skin and poor coat condition.
2. Liver failure : The liver performs important functions such as waste removal or metabolism. When it malfunctions, it causes symptoms, many of which are nonspecific, such as vomiting white foam, lack of appetite, or weight loss.
3. Diabetes : a common disease in cats over 6 years of age, characterized by insufficient production of insulin, which is the substance responsible for delivering glucose into cells. Without insulin, glucose accumulates in the blood and symptoms develop. Most often, we see that our cat drinks, eats and urinates more, although it does not gain weight, but vomiting, hair changes, bad breath, etc. may also occur.
4. Kidney failure : A very common condition in older cats. Kidney damage can also occur acutely or chronically. Chronic kidney failure cannot be cured, but it can be treated to give your cat the best quality of life possible. Therefore, it is important to contact a veterinarian as soon as we notice symptoms such as a significant increase in water intake, change in urine output, loss of appetite, dehydration, poor condition of the mantle, lethargic mood, weakness, sores on the body, strange-smelling breath or vomiting. In acute cases, urgent veterinary attention is required.
5. Hyperthyroidism : The thyroid gland is located in the neck and is responsible for producing thyroxine. Exceeding this suggests the development of a clinical picture, especially in cats over 10 years of age, which will consist of weight loss, a significant increase in activity, increased food and water consumption, vomiting, diarrhea, more urine production and, in addition, more vocalizations, that is, the cat will be more "talkative" As always, the disease is diagnosed by a veterinarian after appropriate tests.
6. Parasites : If our kitten is vomiting white foam and we haven't dewormed it internally, he may be infected with internal parasites. In these cases, we can also observe that the kitten is vomiting white foam, does not eat or has diarrhea - all these inconveniences are caused by the action of parasites.

If we look, most of these diseases have similar symptoms, so just contact your veterinarian without delay, because as we said, frequent vomiting in cats is not normal and we must identify the disease that is causing them as soon as possible to start treatment.

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"Normal" vomiting in cats

Conventionally, there are two types of vomiting in animals - physiological and pathological. Physiological (“normal”) is not a symptom of the disease and does not threaten the cat’s health. It can occur for the following reasons:

• Overeating or too rapid absorption of food - in this case, the cat vomits undigested food. To avoid this unpleasant moment, the cat should be fed in small portions, but often, large pieces and cold food should not be given to the animal.
• “Cleansing” vomiting – helps the cat get rid of hairballs in the stomach.
• A cat may vomit in the third week of pregnancy - this is due to hormonal changes and stretching of the uterus. Such vomiting does not last long, since the pet’s body quickly adapts to the new condition.
• Vomiting due to irritation of the vestibular apparatus - the cat simply gets seasick during transportation.

Avoid and treat vomiting with white foam

After identifying the most common reasons why a cat vomits white foam, we will see some recommendations on what we can do to prevent this situation and how to deal with this situation. These are the following:

• Vomiting is a symptom that should not be left untreated by contacting our veterinarian.
• It is recommended that you write down the symptoms we observe. In case of vomiting, you should look at its composition and frequency. This will help the veterinarian make a diagnosis.
• We must provide our cat with an adequate diet to meet her nutritional needs, avoiding foods that may make her feel unwell or trigger an allergic reaction.
• We must also store it in a safe environment to prevent it from being ingested by a potentially dangerous item.
• Regarding hairballs, brush your cat, especially during shedding season, as this will help get rid of all the dead hair that is about to fall out.
• It is important to keep a calendar of internal and external deworming, even if the cat does not have access to the outside. Our veterinarian will give us the most appropriate recommendations based on our circumstances.
• If a cat has vomited once and is in good spirits, we can wait and watch before contacting the vet. On the contrary, if the vomiting recurs, we see other symptoms, or our cat is decomposed, we should go straight to the vet without trying to treat it ourselves.
• Finally, from the age of 6-7 years, it is convenient that at least once a year we take our cat to the veterinary clinic for a full examination, including analytics. This is justified because with such control, some of the diseases we have talked about can be diagnosed at an early stage, which allows us to begin treatment before the first symptoms appear.

What to do if your cat vomits after eating undigested food

If a cat vomits after eating food, and the process occurs almost every day for 2-3 days, the owner should take the animal to the veterinarian. If it is not possible to see a doctor in the near future, you can provide first aid to your pet yourself.

The first thing to do is limit your cat's access to food and water. Even a very small amount of food will again provoke vomiting.

It is forbidden to force a cat to drink water and eat, otherwise the attack will return, and this will deprive the body even more. If your pet is constantly burping and its condition is getting worse, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor.

You should not self-medicate, especially if a kitten or an elderly cat has vomited. At this age, the animal’s immunity is reduced, so it is most susceptible to various diseases.

If the owner constantly feeds the animal with dry diets, then the cat’s digestion malfunctions. The pet vomits from dry food due to lack of fluid and lack of soft meat food.

Feed your cat more often, but less

If the cat feels sick and then vomits food, then it is necessary to resort to therapeutic fasting. Food is removed for 12-24 hours, and after a day they are fed often, but in very small portions.

If health improves and there are no urges, the pet is transferred to a gentle diet. Portions of the usual food are reduced by half, but fed no more than 4 times a day.

What to feed your cat

For a cat to feel good, it is necessary to feed it high-quality food. At the same time, the owner can boil meat and vegetables for the animal. The diet should also include fish.

If the pet eats foods that the owner himself eats, then there is no need to wean him off them. Don't forget to place a bowl of fresh water next to the food bowl.

In order not to provoke another urge, raw foods are removed from the diet.

Treatment

It is advisable to avoid overfeeding your cat. The animal needs to be fed regularly, in small portions. It is necessary to ensure that the pet does not have access to food that it should not eat.

Cat food should be fresh, not cold or hot. You should not give your cat too large pieces of meat if he eats regular food and not specialized food. There is no need to give your cat baked goods, cakes and other confectionery products.

If burping constantly bothers your cat, you should contact your veterinarian to find out the cause of your pet’s condition and prescribe proper treatment.

Hello. Maine Coon cat, 2 years old, neutered, dewormed. It started with the fact that he had some kind of infection similar to calcevirosis. There was no temperature, refusal to eat and ulcers on the tongue. Recovered. The air started belching. I hear it 5-7 times a day, very loud. He sits down, lowers his head and burps. We went to the doctor for an ultrasound and they said it was chronic pancreatitis. I ran it over his stomach and it began to growl. She says that the food is not suitable, she advised me to change it to grain-free. Fed Monge. We changed it to wild monge, removed the spiders, and the belching became less. But it still exists. According to the stool analysis, they said it was basically normal, there was a little starch and soap. We bought grain-free farmina, and as soon as I started eating it, I started burping again. Again we settled on wild monge. He is not gaining weight, he weighs 6.7 kg. We bought eukanuba spiders and it seemed that he began to burp more often. Please tell me what dry food I should try switching to? Which spiders should I try? (I would like to give one sachet in the morning). How to cure belching? Are there such symptoms with pancreatitis? I'm afraid the cat might get worse. And it feels good. Thank you in advance!