Some of the more common causes are listed below: Toxins: Lilies, antifreeze Drugs: Chemotherapy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories Diet: Dietary intolerance to something in food, sudden change in diet, eating a dead thing Gastric: Foreign bodies, ulcers, inflammation of the stomach Intestinal: Foreign bodies, acute inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease more typically chronic , cancer, constipation Organ dysfunction: Liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatitis Endocrine: Hyperthyroidism overactive thyroid gland , elevated calcium, diabetes ketoacidosis Neurologic: Vestibular disease can be associated with inner ear disease , encephalitis inflammation of the lining of the brain , cancers Infectious: Feline infectious peritonitis, feline panleukopenia, heartworm Cancer: Can be a direct cause, such as intestinal cancer, or an indirect cause, such as mast cell tumors in the skin Diagnosing the cause of vomiting It can be difficult to diagnose the cause of vomiting in a cat.
Here are some questions your vet might have: Was the cat exposed to plants and other toxins? When did the vomiting start? Does the cat go outside and if so, does the cat hunt? What is in the vomit? Is the cat on medication? Is there also diarrhea? Is the cat eating? When does the vomiting occur in relation to eating or other activities? Is the cat losing weight? Is the cat drinking a lot or urinating a lot? Does the cat play with string?
Though by no means a perfect correlation, the following vomit characteristics can offer some clues: Yellow vomit: This is bile and can be a sign of liver disease, but it often occurs with an empty stomach. It can also mean the cat ate something yellow. Clear vomit: This can be regurgitation from the esophagus or from an empty stomach. White, foamy vomit: Again, this is typically regurgitation from the esophagus or from an empty stomach. Blood in the vomit: The blood is from the mouth, esophagus or stomach.
Coffee-ground appearance to the vomit: This type is from bleeding from the stomach, most commonly seen with ulcers. Brown, smelly vomit: This can be from bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, or from having eaten something brown and smelly. Undigested food in the vomit: This means that the food never left the stomach. It can happen with food intolerances or allergies, obstructions, or pretty much anything that causes upper gastrointestinal tract irritation.
It is important to know when the cat last ate. For instance, if the cat has not eaten for a day and is vomiting undigested food, that would point to an obstruction or a motility disorder.
Veterinarian examination and testing The next step is a thorough physical exam by your veterinarian. Abdominal X-rays and blood work If warranted, the initial tests are usually abdominal radiographs aka X-rays and blood work with a urinalysis. Barium study, ultrasound and endoscopy Often, X-rays do not diagnose the problem other than the presence of foreign bodies and a few other conditions , but they help determine if further abdominal studies are needed.
Exploratory surgery In a cat with persistent vomiting that is not being controlled by symptomatic therapy, exploratory surgery may be needed. Anti-vomiting medication Another common therapy for most kinds of vomiting is giving an anti-emetic anti-vomiting medication, which can help stop the vomiting and thus decrease fluid loss.
Diet changes For both chronic and acutely vomiting cats, one of the most important treatments is dietary change. Don't give up if you've got a food allergy or food intolerance, Ward says.
But you're not powerless. Ward encourages cat owners to be methodical and strategic in trying solutions for chronic vomiting that's not tied to another disease. Adjustments could include:. A cat's vomiting can be caused by something totally normal—like those pesky hairballs—or extremely abnormal and more serious. Your cat and your cat's doctor are both counting on you to notice when it happens and to reach out for help.
By Brendan Howard. Pin FB More. Acute vomiting is a day or two of vomiting, usually without any other signs of illness. Chronic vomiting is vomiting once or twice a day, usually with weakness, non-stop vomiting, abdominal pain, blood in vomit or stool, weight loss, or lethargy. Changes in diet or frequency in feeding Allergic reactions to food Eating something the cat wasn't supposed to people food, plants, etc.
Eating too fast or too much at a sitting Adrenal gland disease Dislocation of the stomach Hairballs Heatstroke Inflammation of the intestines gastroenteritis Inflammation of the pancreas pancreatitis Inflammatory bowel disease Intestinal parasites Liver disease Metabolic disorders kidney disease, etc.
Neurological disorders Obstructions in the intestines or the throat Toxins or chemicals. Consultation fees may apply. Antibiotics for infections Changes in diet Surgery to remove a tumor or foreign body from the throat or intestines Various treatments for underlying diseases.
Changes in diet or frequency in feeding. A few of the more serious causes of vomiting in cat include:. If your cat is vomiting periodically or infrequently, avoid giving your cat any food for about 12 hours.
Provide kitty with a couple of tablespoons of water every 30 minutes or provide them with ice cubes during this brief fasting period. After 12 hours begin providing your cat with small amounts of bland food and gradually return to normal feeding if vomiting has stopped. If your cat is experiencing repeated bouts of vomiting, you should contact your vet immediately.
Continuous or severe vomiting could be a sign that your cat is seriously ill and requires immediate treatment. Contact your vet if your cat displays any of the symptoms below:. When taking your cat to the vet due to vomiting, it may sound 'icky' but it's a good idea to take a sample of your cat's vomit with you.
But if the otherwise fastidious little animal frequently gags and throws up whatever it has recently ingested, there is reason for concern, and a visit to the veterinarian is certainly in order.
Many cats vomit on occasion, but cats that vomit more frequently than once per week or that show signs of lethargy, weakness, decreased appetite, blood in the vomitus, increased thirst, increased or decreased urination, or simultaneous diarrhea should be evaluated by a veterinarian promptly.
A common complaint—and in most cases a relatively benign cause of feline vomiting—is the disgorging of a hairball , a damp, cylindrical wad of undigested hair, moistened by bile and other digestive fluids. It is not uncommon for a cat to expel a hairball once every week or two without any enduring problems.
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