

It can be difficult to diagnose the cause of vomiting in a cat.
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Infectious: Feline infectious peritonitis, feline panleukopenia, heartworm.Neurologic: Vestibular disease (can be associated with inner ear disease), encephalitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain), cancers.Endocrine: Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), elevated calcium, diabetes ketoacidosis.Organ dysfunction: Liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatitis.Intestinal: Foreign bodies, acute inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease (more typically chronic), cancer, constipation.Gastric: Foreign bodies, ulcers, inflammation of the stomach.Diet: Dietary intolerance to something in food, sudden change in diet, eating a dead thing.Drugs: Chemotherapy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories.Some of the more common causes are listed below: In each of these categories are dozens of specific diseases and syndromes. In general, the causes of vomiting can be placed in one of these categories: toxins, drugs, diet (including eating inappropriate things), gastric (stomach), intestinal, organ dysfunction, endocrine, neurologic (typically brain-related), infectious and cancer. In fact, almost any feline illness can result in vomiting. Unfortunately, vomiting is a very vague symptom, and the causes are extremely varied. Ingesting a foreign body (typically string) is not normally a cause of chronic vomiting, although if the foreign object remains in the stomach, it can be a cause of chronic vomiting. Toxins are generally not a cause of chronic vomiting (unless a cat is chronically exposed to the same toxin, such as eating a toxic plant). The causes of acute or chronic vomiting can be the same, but there are exceptions. Keeping your cat healthy Causes of vomiting in cats A treatment may not be implemented for a chronically vomiting cat, but an exam and a workup should be done to ensure that the cat is comfortable and does not need any intervention at that time. There is even some thought that a cat who frequently vomits hairballs may have some gastrointestinal disease that does not allow the hairballs to pass normally. In the past, a cat who vomited a few times a month was considered normal, but that idea is changing. If these things are not true, a chronically vomiting cat is either an acutely vomiting cat or is having an acute crisis of whatever is causing his chronic vomiting. Cats who are continuously vomiting and not keeping food down are prone to many secondary changes, most notably liver disease, so waiting to get treatment can be dangerous for them.Ī chronically vomiting cat should still be seen by a veterinarian, but it’s not urgent if the cat is still eating and keeping food down, is not showing signs of weakness and seems comfortable.

But if she seems to deteriorate quickly through the night, then an emergency visit is recommended. Unless the cat is in severe discomfort or does not want to move, she normally won’t have to go to an emergency clinic. She may just be experiencing some passing nausea, but if it’s something more serious, treatment should be implemented as soon as possible. If your cat vomits more than three times, cannot keep food down and seems tired, she should be seen by a vet as soon as possible. If the cat still wants to eat and does so without continuing to vomit, is acting normal and seems comfortable, she does not need to be brought to a veterinary hospital unless you know that she ate something toxic. The exception to this is a cat who has only vomited one to three times and is otherwise normal. More urgent care is usually required for a cat with acute vomiting. The diagnostic workup and treatments for acute and chronic vomiting can differ, as does the urgency of when to bring the cat to the veterinarian. This is generally a concern for you and your veterinarian only if the cat vomits multiple times. When a cat who usually doesn’t vomit starts vomiting, that’s the acute type. The cat usually only vomits once or twice with each occurrence. Chronic vomiting means throwing up with some regularity (at least monthly, but it can be daily) for a long period of time. Throwing up can be separated into two broad categories: chronic and acute vomiting. In this resource, you’ll get the scoop on when to take a vomiting cat to the vet, why cats vomit and what treatments are available to help felines feel better. With that said, it is also not always something that has to be treated, nor does the cat need to be rushed to a veterinarian every time she vomits. It is common for cats to vomit, but it’s never normal for them to do so. If you have cats, you’ve probably seen one of them throw up at one time or another.
