Cat vomits yellow fluid what is it

If a cat is observed vomiting yellow and feces with blood for a long time, you should be alert, because this may indicate a dangerous disease.

Nasal discharge: what does the color of the snot mean?

The runny nose for each of us is a fairly familiar phenomenon. Some people mistakenly consider it an independent disease, although it is a symptom that signals pathological processes taking place in the body. And before cope with nasal discharge, it is necessary to eliminate the main cause that provoked them. Depending on the disease, the color of the discharge will vary. What does the color of the snot indicate? The answer to this question will give the doctor – otorhinolaryngologist highest category, candidate of medical sciences – Vladimir Mikhailovich Zaitsev.

Mucous nasal discharge is always there. Even when a person is healthy, the nasal mucosa produces a small amount of secretions – this is normal. The person does not even notice the mucus – it is enough to moisten the nasal cavity and not enough to leak and cause discomfort. As soon as the nasal mucosa becomes infected or exposed to another pathogen, the mucus receptors become irritated, the volume of secretions increases dramatically, and the color of the snot changes. In medicine, this condition is called rhinitis, but in everyday life we call it a runny nose or snot. If you look at it chemically, snot is a compound consisting of water, a special protein – mucin, salt, enzymes, dust particles and dead cells.

There are many causes that can cause a runny nose. It can be:

– Medicinal runny nose (a reaction to the use of medications);

Each of the above conditions manifested nasal discharge of different color and density. The nature of the discharge allows an experienced physician to determine exactly what pathological condition we are dealing with, and what caused rhinitis.

What does the color of the snot tell us?

Clear snot. The discharge in the absence of inflammation should be exactly transparent, not thick and not abundant. That is, the presence of such mucus is almost imperceptible to a person and does not cause discomfort. Transparent snot can also be a sign of allergies. As a rule, in this case, a person is constantly sneezing, complaining of itching and burning in the eyes. There are no symptoms of infectious diseases (fever, cough, etc.). Transparent snot may appear in the early stages of acute respiratory viral diseases. At the same time, the snot is very abundant. Usually we say so: "snot like water", "from the nose flows". With such profuse transparent secretions, the body is trying to wash away pathogens and allergens from the mucous membrane. In this situation, it is important to promptly take action and see an ENT doctor to prevent the disease from developing.

White snot. This is a sign that the secret secreted has become thicker, and there is an infection in the nasopharynx. This condition is observed in the development of acute respiratory diseases. In addition to the runny nose, the patient may have other symptoms: cough, scratchy throat, increased body temperature. Also white discharge can indicate drying of the mucosa or the growth of adenoid vegetation.

Yellow snot . This is a sign that in the nasopharynx pathogens have become significantly more active, and at an early stage, the inflammatory process could not be stopped.

Green snot. The green color of the discharge indicates the accession of a bacterial infection. Very often, the green color of the mucus accompanies sinusitis, such as maxillary sinusitis, when bacteria penetrate the sinuses and start an inflammatory process in them. Also green discharge may indicate a purulent process in the nose. In this case, the mucous masses have a characteristic unpleasant smell. "Green" runny nose runs in parallel with other symptoms: headache, cough, aching joints, etc.

Brown snot. . Such secretions indicate that the discharge is mixed with blood: this may be due to capillary damage, damage to the nasal mucosa, high blood pressure, the presence of neoplasms in the nasal cavity, abuse of vasoconstrictor drops.

What does each discharge tell me when vomiting occurs?

If the pet vomited a couple of times at most, while feeling quite normal, you should not panic. It could be due to irritation of the gut, which is caused by swallowing hair or a large lump of grass. In this case, it is recommended to monitor the pet's condition for one day and then look for the causes of his deterioration.

The cat may vomit bile, as evidenced by the yellow color, as well as suffer from other excretions. Regular vomiting of a rich yellow or green hue is primarily indicative of liver or kidney disorders. There may also be abnormalities on the stomach side.

Blood that is present in the vomit may indicate that the esophagus or pharynx has been damaged by some sharp object, such as a fish bone.

Causes of nausea and vomiting in the cat

Burping up of hair is a physiological process of getting rid of external irritants and should not be a cause for concern. But if it occurs regularly, it is worth contacting a specialist who will determine the cause of this condition.

1. In Siamese cats, underdevelopment of the back wall of the stomach (pylorus) is common. This causes vomiting "in a fountain". In this case, only surgery can help.
2. Pregnancy can also be the cause of nausea and vomiting due to the restructuring of the body and a failure of the hormonal background.
3. Vomiting often accompanies ear diseases in cats.
4. Disorders of the liver (pancreatitis, lipidosis) or abnormalities associated with the kidneys can cause a cat to vomit yellow.
5. Nausea is also accompanied by pathology such as stomach or pancreatic cancer.
6. Intestinal obstruction.
7. Parasites poisoning the pet's body from the inside.
8. Stress (moving, a long trip in transport can provoke the cat to motion sickness and, accordingly, vomiting).

Treatment

Yellow vomiting in a cat is a dangerous and alarming sign that requires immediate treatment. More often than not, yellow vomit is caused by problems with liver structures. The most common are – cirrhosis, hepatitis, hepatosis, cholelithiasis, liver failure.

Depending on the main cause diagnosed, therapy will be aimed specifically at eliminating it.

With hepatitis of a toxic nature (resulting from poisoning by poisonous plants, intoxication by zoocoumarins, medications or poor quality food) treatment includes taking the following drugs:

Hepatitis of an infectious nature, provoked by viral infections, parasitic infestations are treated with a special diet and immunostimulants. Also treatment includes the administration of vitamin preparations, antispasmodics, and in some cases antibiotics.

Hepatoses (fat deposits on the organ itself) are treated with a special diet and medications. Restricting the cat's diet to fats of animal origin, as well as a diet based on increased protein components, usually stabilizes the cat's condition. If the pet's hepatosis has developed on the background of diabetes mellitus, treatment is prescribed taking into account the underlying disease.

The development of cholelithiasis is also accompanied by vomiting yellow fluid. Treatment is based on the use of heat procedures to relieve spasms, drugs that have a choleretic effect. In the case of a large formation of concrements clogging the bile passages, surgical treatment is used, which involves crushing the stones with ultrasound waves.

Liver failure is a dangerous condition that requires immediate hospitalization of the furry pet. The therapy consists of some basic points:

• Controlling the underlying causes of the disease with antimicrobials or hormonal medications;
• excretion of poisonous substances from the body;
• regulation of mineral metabolic processes;
• control of the work of the heart muscle;
• special dietary nutrition.

What causes yellow vomiting?

You may have noticed that your cat's vomit is sometimes yellow in color. You may have even guessed that it is related to bile. But what is bile and why does vomit turn yellow?

Bile is a digestive fluid produced in the liver and goes into the intestines to help break down food for digestion.

The yellow color of bile is caused by the pigment bilirubin. Bilirubin and the green pigment biliverdin give the poop its "famous" brown color.

This biological characteristic is also common to us humans: when you vomit, you can see streaks of yellow bile.

Vomiting is a natural reaction to gastrointestinal irritation, and when the contents of the stomach are emptied, it naturally takes some bile with it.

7 reasons why your cat is vomiting yellow fluid

1. Empty stomach

Many things can cause your cat to vomit yellow bile, but the most common cause is simply an empty stomach.

When there is no food in the stomach to break down, the bile becomes concentrated and irritates the stomach mucosa, causing nausea and vomiting.

This is usually observed in the morning because the cat has not eaten since the evening. If your cat only occasionally vomits yellow bile and has no other symptoms, this is probably the cause.

2. Hairballs.

Cats spend much of their time licking their hair. While this keeps them clean, it also means that they may ingest a lot of hair.

Hair is poorly digested and can form balls, or trichobezoars, in the stomach. These balls can cause vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite.

You will usually see hairs in the vomit in this case. If your cat is vomiting yellow fluid and has a long coat, a hairball is most likely the cause.

Brush your cat regularly, as this will help reduce the amount of hair she ingests during grooming.

Make sure the cat always has fresh, clean water to drink.

3. Gastritis

Another common cause of yellow bile vomiting is gastrointestinal problems such as gastritis or inflammatory bowel disease. These diseases can cause the stomach to produce too much acid, which irritates the gastric mucosa and prevents proper absorption of nutrients.

Acute gastritis in cats usually presents with vomiting and/or diarrhea. In most cases, this condition goes away within 24 hours without any medical intervention. However, if your cat's signs of gastritis persist for longer than 24 hours, it is important to see your veterinarian as soon as possible to determine if medical attention is needed.

Chronic gastritis, on the other hand, can last much longer, if it goes away at all. Cats with chronic gastritis may experience vomiting and/or diarrhea for weeks or even months.

Common causes of vomiting in cats

Nausea and vomiting in cats can be associated with gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, duodenitis, enteritis and others), can be a sign of surgical pathology (such as intestinal obstruction) Infectious disease (panleukopenia), severe systemic disease (chronic kidney disease), or it may be normal, physiological in nature (e.g., vomiting when eating food too quickly, reflex vomiting when eating grass).

So, there are many causes of nausea and vomiting in cats. Let's try to understand this variety.

Physiological (normal) vomiting

Vomiting can be a normal phenomenon, as strange as it may sound. For example, the owner of the pet was at work all day, did not leave food for his pet, and when he came in the evening, he heartily poured a whole bowl of food. In this case, the cat may greedily and quickly begin to eat the food and the body's normal response will be immediate vomiting of the undigested food that has just been swallowed. If this happens sporadically, not often, there is nothing to worry about. You should try to put the cat on a more physiological type of feeding, the "buffet" type, in which the cat goes to his bowl during the day and eats little by little when he feels the need to eat. It is important to remember to keep track of the amount of food you put in the bowl and not to exceed the daily amount indicated on the package.

However, some cats are not ready for this type of feeding. If the cat eats the daily quota right away and stays hungry for the whole day, you should feed him in portions. In order to avoid vomiting from eating too much food too quickly, try to give food in several portions: 2 times in the morning and 2-3 times in the evening in small portions. This approach to feeding the cat will avoid physiological vomiting immediately after a meal.

Symptoms of vomiting in cats

The main sign of nausea in cats is salivation, drooling, the cat "chomping", licking, often swallowing saliva. Nausea may be accompanied by a gag reflex or be unproductive.

It is normal to salivate a lot while riding in the car (cats also get carsick), or to spit up a little saliva when a cat purrs, pats you, and shows great satisfaction. "Chomping" and constant tongue movements can be a symptom of dental disease. And inability to swallow and salivation can be a symptom of a dangerous infection – rabies.

Vomiting in cats can be confused with belching (regurgitation) and with coughing. If in doubt, videotape the process and show it to your doctor at your appointment. In true vomiting, the cat assumes a characteristic posture, it archs, its abdominal wall muscles contract, vomiting may be accompanied by specific guttural sounds, owners describe it with the words "cat vomits".

When it is necessary to see a doctor urgently

Sometimes the cat exhibits symptoms that signal that the animal needs immediate help from a specialist:

1. Frequent vomiting that lasts more than 5 to 10 hours. If the cat has vomited more than once and is constantly thirsty, it is likely to have kidney problems.
2. Temperature rise.
3. Weakness and apathy.
4. Very unpleasant smell of vomit and the same smell from the mouth.
5. Diarrhea.
6. Seizures or fainting.
7. Blood or mucus in vomit.
8. Refusal of water and food. If the cat is vomiting, but also refuses to eat and loses weight, it can be argued that it has lipidosis. In this pathology, too much fat accumulates in the liver area. As a result, the functioning of most organs is impaired, and toxins accumulate in the body itself. A cat with signs of lipidosis must be hospitalized as soon as possible, otherwise it will die.
9. Vomiting "fountain."
10. Darkening of the urine.
11. Jaundice of mucous membranes.
12. Problems with passing urine. Sometimes with vomiting and an increased sense of thirst, cats hardly go to the bathroom. Most often this happens when the urinary ducts of the animal are blocked by stones or helminths. In such a situation, urgent surgical intervention will save the cat from death.

Diagnostic measures

At the veterinary clinic when vomiting yellow fluid, the doctor will carefully examine the cat, feel its abdomen, check its mucous membranes and measure its body temperature. Then he will need detailed information about the cat's condition, as well as documents with records of vaccinations, dehelminthization and past diseases.

These manipulations are usually done to make the correct diagnosis:

Owners should not refuse diagnostic measures, because they are all aimed at saving the cat's life. Unfortunately, even modern diagnostic methods do not always know the causes of yellow fluid vomiting, so they often complement each other. For example, ultrasound and radiography will not help to determine poisoning, and do not always show acute inflammatory processes in the gallbladder and liver. This is why doctors prescribe additional tests.

When it is necessary to see a doctor urgently

• The kitten has been vomiting for two or more days;
• gagging several times a day;
• there is blood or bile in the secreted contents;
• The cat does not eat anything, but only drinks water and sleeps;
• other symptoms in the form of fever, lethargy, nasal or eye discharges, stomach upsets appear;
• The cat vomits regardless of food intake.

To make a diagnosis, the doctor examines the cat, examining the symptoms from the owner's words. If necessary, an ultrasound, blood tests, gastroscopy are additionally appointed.

Prevention

No one is immune from vomiting in a cat. But it is possible to reduce the likelihood of its appearance. There are a few simple recommendations:

• Give the cat only fresh food;
• Do regular preventive vaccinations;
• comb out long-haired cats regularly;
• Feed small portions 3-4 times a day;
• remove all household chemicals from the cat's reach;
• give anthelmintics every three months;
• remove all small objects in the house;
• Do preventive examinations at the veterinarian.

If the cat doesn't eat anything, only drinks water and sleeps, don't panic or self-medicate. Learning the symptoms and going to the vet in time can fix the situation for the better.

💡 A side note. You can always ask a veterinary nutritionist for help in creating a balanced diet for your pet. You do not need to go anywhere for that. You can consult a veterinarian online at any time without leaving your home.