What to do if a cat vomits hair

Cats are also adapted to eat raw food, that is, mice, birds, lizards and so on along with hair, bones, feathers and so on. In order to cleanse his body, the cat regurgitates hair and lumps, which are called bezoars. Normally, if a cat vomits hair and it does not give him any discomfort, it should not cause concern.

Chronic vomiting in cats and cats: causes and treatment

Persistent vomiting in a cat or cat can be caused by various reasons, such as poisoning or ingestion of an inedible object. Sometimes cats vomit because of hairballs accumulating in the stomach. Such a phenomenon, if it is rare, can be considered a variant of the norm. However, if vomiting has become a regular guest in your home, you need to find out its cause, and not leave everything as it is. The famous American veterinarian Karen Becker explains why a cat periodically vomits. This article is part of the information block Vomiting in cats.

Before starting a narrative about such a controversial topic as vomiting in a domestic cat or cat, let us note that the causes do not depend on the breed, since the physiology of all cats is the same. If a British cat constantly vomits often, or a Scottish cat and a cat do it, the reasons will differ only depending on the individual characteristics of the body. So, why can a cat vomit?

Vomiting in domestic cats has become such a common occurrence these days that many owners and even veterinarians believe it is the norm. However, chronic vomiting in cats and cats (more than 2 times a month, even if only lumps of hair come out) is a signal that something is wrong in the body. That is, situations where a cat vomits are not normal:

Common causes of chronic vomiting in cats are:

• Diseases of internal organs;
• improper nutrition;
• Food intolerance;
• enzyme deficiency;
• swallowing too much food too quickly;
• long intervals between meals;
• Lumps of hair in the stomach and intestines;
• constipation;
• toxins.

Reason No. 1: Organ pathology

A 2013 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association revealed some important points about chronic cat vomiting. Why a cat vomits very often is usually due to one of the following causes.

1. Chronic vomiting is more often due to disease of the small intestine rather than the stomach.
2. Chronic small bowel disease causes not only frequent vomiting, but also weight loss, chronic diarrhea, and thickening of the intestinal wall.
3. Thickening of the intestinal wall leads to a decrease in the ability of the small intestine wall muscles to contract properly – and the lump of food passes through the intestine more slowly.
4. As a result of this intestinal condition, when the cat eats, the small intestine is often still full of food left over from the previous feeding, so vomiting occurs. This is when owners notice that the cat has begun to vomit frequently.
5. As the thickness of the intestinal wall increases, the cat loses its ability to absorb nutrients. This leads to weight loss and an increase in appetite as the cat tries to make up for nutritional deficiencies.

VETERINARIAN GARY NORSWORTHY: There are two diseases that account for more than 95% of chronic cat vomiting. One is inflammatory bowel disease. This disease is much like irritable bowel syndrome in humans. The second disease is lymphoma (cancer). In addition to lymphoma, other gastrointestinal cancers and metabolic disorders such as hyperthyroidism can also cause vomiting. Organ disease and detoxification organ disorders, including the liver and kidneys, also cause vomiting.

What to do. Knowing that the cat periodically vomits, the veterinarian should first rule out all possible medical causes of vomiting associated with this kind of pathology, and then consider food intolerance and other causes described below as the cause of the problem.

Which cats are more likely to vomit fur

• Long-haired breeds of cats (although short-haired breeds are far from being an exception, it just happens less often with them).
• Cats with an individual characteristic called "severe molting."
• Cats with an improperly formulated diet (especially when vitamins are deficient).
• Cats with allergies.
• Tailed cats who stress a lot (stress sometimes leads to active and long licking).
• Cats with gastrointestinal diseases.
• Pets who have worming/flea infestations.

Your pet should normally vomit fur once, but there should be no change in his condition.

If your cat suddenly started to play and eat less (or stopped eating altogether), lie down more often and moan piteously, stop going to the toilet, react aggressively to attempts to touch the stomach (if he allowed it initially) or his stomach is swollen, and you can observe repeated vomiting of fur – you should take immediate measures.

The culprit may be bezoar. It is a foreign body localized in the stomach and consists of balled-up hair. It may also contain pieces of meat, food and bones (everything that was in the stomach at the time the hairball formed). It can make it difficult to evacuate food from the stomach to the intestines. If a bezoar does enter the intestine, it either comes out naturally or gets stuck and causes inflammation of the intestinal walls and blockage.

This is a very dangerous pathology, without the help of a veterinarian the animal may die because the body's natural processes are disrupted.

Preventing the formation of hairballs in the cat's stomach

To reduce the formation of hairballs, proper excretion through the gastrointestinal tract is recommended:

1. Timely pet grooming.. It is necessary to comb out the cat's hair regularly. There are special combs for this purpose. It is best to use a furminator, it is good for freeing the undercoat from excess hair. Or you can take your pet to the groomer for the procedure of "express hair removal," this option is suitable for those who do not have time to comb out the pet regularly.
2. Proper nutrition. To remove hair from the gastrointestinal tract and prevent the formation of bezoars, there are special lines of food:
   • Royal Canin Hairball Care (dry and wet food pouches) is a complete food for adult cats. It contains many kinds of fiber, which naturally stimulates the intestines to excrete hair. The effect is usually noticeable after 14 days of use.
   • Royal Canin Fit 32 for Adult Outdoor Cats. Suitable for tabby cats who like to go for a walk and then eat a lot of good food. It is a complete and balanced diet for your pet, which also contributes to the normal excretion of hair.
   • Monge Cat Hairball is a special full-food for cats who suffer from a build-up of hair in their stomachs. It is high in natural fiber, vitamins, fatty acids, and xylooligosaccharide (a new generation prebiotic).
   • Hill's Science Plan Hairball is a complete, low-protein diet that is high in fiber and vitamins. It prevents the formation of hairballs.
   • Cat Chow Adult 3in1 is a complete food for adult cats that not only promotes hair removal, but also supports dental health (reduces tartar formation by 40%) and prevents urolithiasis.

Which cats are more likely to suffer from this problem

• In long-haired breeds.
• When vitamins are deficient and their diets are poorly formulated.
• In animals with increased molting.
• In the presence of allergies.
• During stress caused by various reasons.
• When the animal has problems with the digestive system.
• In animals with worms and/or fleas.

If the cat vomits fur, but it does not give him a lot of discomfort, he does not look unhealthy, and the process itself occurs once, you should not worry. However, when the symptoms of hair in the cat's stomach inspire concern, it is necessary to urgently seek the help of a veterinarian. And to get the necessary medicine as prescribed by him will help Veterinary pharmacy in Istra.

Reasons for concern

• The cat often vomits hair, much more often than usual.
• The animal does not eat or drink water.
• Apathy, indifference, sleepiness.
• The cat screams, meows, behaves restlessly.
• The pet's stomach is bloated and painful, the cat may even bite when you try to touch it.
• Absent stools.

These conditions can be caused by a bezoar, which acts as a foreign body blocking the intestines. Requires an urgent call to the veterinarian at home in Istra. An experienced specialist will examine the animal and tell you what to do if the cat vomits fur. Attempts to self-medicate can do more harm than good.

Diagnosis of pathology

The help of a specialist is required on a mandatory basis if the nausea is observed in the pet for more than a day or every day.

The veterinarian will diagnose the state of health, as well as monitor the condition. First of all, he will perform palpation – palpation of the abdomen. This will detect lumps, congestion, or tumors. At the same time the doctor will ask the owner about the cat's behavior in recent days, its diet and pastime.

In case of suspicion of illness, urine and blood tests will be prescribed, and in more complicated cases an ultrasound or X-ray will be required. After the results are ready, the veterinarian will tell you what to do if the cat vomits after eating, how and how to treat it. In rare cases (blockage of the intestines, a tumor) may require surgery.

Self-diagnosis is possible only if the cat vomited once and feels well. In all other cases, you need to take your pet to the hospital or call the doctor at home.

Therapeutic measures

The help of a veterinarian is needed if the vomiting continues for more than a day, the cat vomits several times a day after every meal or even without food. If in the vomit, besides food, there is an admixture of blood or bile, no appetite and the animal refuses to drink water – the help of a specialist is needed immediately.

After the examination, the veterinarian will suggest further examinations, if necessary, make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Medication therapy

Treatment of vomiting is chosen depending on the causes that caused the condition. When poisoning, enterosorbents are used to prevent the absorption of toxins into the bloodstream, and a sparing diet with plenty of water is prescribed.

If the animal is infested with parasites, anthelmintics are used. They are given per body weight twice at intervals of 7-14 days (details are given in the instructions of each specific drug).

In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, antibacterial, enzyme, anti-inflammatory drugs are used, and drips are prescribed. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian. Unauthorized use of medications can harm the cat, worsen its condition and lead to death.

If vomiting is a secondary symptom of viral infection, the root cause is eliminated. To do this, the cat is prescribed a number of drugs: antiviral and antibacterial, immunomodulatory, nutritional, probiotic and others.

It is necessary to follow all the veterinarian's prescriptions and complete the course according to his recommendations, not when the animal feels better. An untreated ailment can return with double the force.

Diet

In case of repeated vomiting, food should be removed: the cat should be on a starvation diet until the nausea and diarrhea cease. Then, for two days, you should give the cat light food in small portions 5-7 times a day.

Prevention

Although hair vomiting is almost a physiological inevitability for cats, loving owners should do everything possible to avoid it.

The first thing to do regularly (especially for medium- and long-haired breeds) is to thoroughly comb out your pet. Brushing the "coat" helps to get rid of most of the dead hair, and the cat will not have to pull it out with its tongue and swallow it on its own. The less such "garbage" gets into the cat's stomach, the less often he will have the urge to vomit with trichobezoars.

You should not forget about the availability of fresh grass for the cat, it is best to put a pot of sprouts right next to the bowl with food.

A protective reaction of the cat's body is regurgitation of clumps of hair, which she has to pull out and swallow while licking. The situation may frighten inexperienced owners, but it is absolutely physiological. It should not be forgotten that repeated vomiting of wool can be a symptom of a serious health problem that should be addressed with a veterinarian. One-time hair vomiting can be dealt with by combing the cat regularly, giving it "anti-hair" pastes, and also by feeding it a good diet of fresh grass.

Circumstances under which vomiting occurs

It's also important to pay attention to what preceded the problem situation and how your cat feels overall. Often it also gets worse, but even more often it does not change – and at other times the cat is cheerful and upbeat.

Cat has diarrhea and vomiting.

This situation is similar to an infectious disease, as well as poisoning by chemicals, poisonous plants or bad quality products. In addition, it may also be a reaction to certain foods or to an improper diet in general.

Cat constipated and vomiting

If a cat hasn't gone to the toilet for a long time and is vomiting, it's a sure sign of an intestinal blockage. It could be a foreign object or hair stuck in there. Worms could also be blocking the passage. If this happens, acting on your own is dangerous. Run to the vet!

Cat won't eat or vomit

The refusal to eat accompanied by vomiting may also be due to intestinal obstruction, but it is not uncommon for this condition to occur against the background of intoxication, after vaccinations and anesthesia. Depending on what the background is, you either need to calm down and wait, or go to the vet.

Cat vomiting and lethargic

A similar case to the previous one. Can be seen against the background of an obstruction, infection or poisoning. Often it happens with insecticide poisoning after bathing in anti-flea shampoo.

Vomiting after a meal

Vomiting after eating can be caused by a variety of reasons, from overeating to internal organ disease.

Cat vomiting on an empty stomach

Vomiting on an empty stomach, when the break between meals is significant, is not a terrible phenomenon, but it can be corrected. It is caused by the fact that the gastric juice irritates the mucosa – and the body takes the aggressive substance out.

Chronic intermittent vomiting

Chronic vomiting has many causes. You need to take nuances into account to understand the problem and in some cases, you need to examine the animal in depth.

What to do.

When an inexperienced owner sees his cat vomiting, he begins to panic. And many want to stop the process. But not in all cases it is necessary to do so, because vomiting is a defense mechanism designed to help the body. Another issue is that sometimes this mechanism can lead to dehydration, and it is already a life-threatening condition.

How to treat vomiting in a cat?

If the cat is vomiting and you have not sorted out the cause, it will be difficult to treat this condition. In most cases it goes away on its own, but sometimes vomiting does not stop or occurs regularly. To treat it, you need to examine the animal.

How do I stop vomiting in my cat?

It is not always advisable to stop the cat from vomiting, because if it has an infection or poisoning, it must be removed from the body, and vomiting is designed to do just that. But in the case of uncontrollable vomiting, the pet must be taken to the vet clinic immediately, putting a diaper in the carrier. And already at the clinic the doctor will decide whether to give the patient medication against vomiting.

How to induce vomiting in a cat?

In some cases, such as when eating poison, the cat, on the contrary, needs to vomit. If she does not do it herself, but you know that the pet has eaten something wrong, you can induce vomiting artificially. There are several methods for this.

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Hairballs.

Trying to remove hairballs from the stomach, the pet makes "coughing" noises, as if choking. Before the hair comes out, the cat vomits a clear liquid – vomiting up stomach juice that looks like water.

Wool clumps accumulate in the cat's stomach because of grooming, licking up her hair clumps. Her tongue contains many abrasive taste buds that collect a lot of hair, which the cat then swallows. The hairs mix with the contents of the stomach and can form a dense ball of hair that cannot be digested, eventually the cat begins to vomit.

If the cat often vomits water (clear liquid) and the hair does not come out, you need to visit the vet immediately and determine the cause of vomiting.

Thyroid problems

Thyroid problems cause a condition where cats may vomit liquid after water. Hyperthyroidism is a hormonal condition caused by excessive thyroid secretion. This clinical syndrome is difficult to detect. The cat may also exhibit other symptoms such as oily skin and coat, muzzle acne, or excessive salivation. Thyroid problems can be controlled with special medications and a veterinarian prescribed diet.

Prevention and Treatment

It is difficult to completely prevent hairball vomiting in cats, but it is possible to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. There are several known options for combating them:

• Daily brushing.
• Special nutrition.
• Fresh grass in the diet.
• Cosmetic products.
• Cat grooming is one of the best things you can do to make sure your pet develops fewer of these lumps. Regular brushing and combing once a day removes most of the cat's dead hairs before the pet swallows them. The amount of hair that can potentially enter the stomach is limited. Fewer ingested lint means not regurgitated hair very often.

Hairballs can appear in the stomach in short-haired cats as well, but long-haired breeds are especially prone to them. This makes regular care of a long-haired cat more important. Some animals may require daily brushing and combing. Regular grooming will help keep the cat's coat free of tangles, as well as keep the skin healthy.

Other preventive measures and treatments include a variety of dry cat foods designed to keep the digestive system healthy. These products, contain a variety of soft fibers to help increase normal elimination. They may be effective for some individuals, but not in all cases.

More recently, many veterinarians and cat owners have come to believe that a cereal-free diet is more suitable for cats that are often prone to vomiting. The theory behind this feeding strategy is that cats have not evolved to eat grains. They are carnivorous animals and their "natural" diet consists of high protein and low carbohydrates. Cereal-based foods are high in carbohydrates, which leads to changes in the cat's intestinal flora. These changes can affect the motility of the digestive tract and provoke difficult passage of hair.

Symptoms of blockages in the intestines

If attempts to regurgitate are fruitless and vomiting becomes more frequent, see your veterinarian. This condition develops when the intestinal lumen is obstructed by too dense and large trichobezoars. If there is a danger, the following associated symptoms are noted:

• refusal to eat while maintaining appetite (the cat looks hungry and goes to the bowl, but because of the discomfort inside the stomach does not take food in the mouth);
• lethargy, apathy, increased duration of sleep, refusal to play and avoid communication;
• dullness of the coat;
• frequent coughing;
• bloating and pain in the abdomen;
• presence of hair stuck to the gums or ingrowth into the soft tissues;
• Prolonged constipation or a change in the shape of the feces to small balls;
• Increased body temperature;
• appearance of blood particles in the vomit.

Short-haired cats make more vomiting movements than long-haired cats. Their hairs are less likely to clump together, stick to the walls of the stomach more often, and are harder to get out when regurgitated.

Waiting for these symptoms should not be delayed. The problem is solved strictly surgically, so in no case waste time on self-treatment.

After diagnosis, the trichobezoar is extracted either during endoscopy or with an abdominal operation. Vaseline oil is used to facilitate emptying. It is not absorbed and is completely eliminated from the body with the feces, which rules out overdose.

Prevention and help for the cat

It is impossible to prevent the appearance of trichobezoars in cats, because it is a completely normal physiological process. The main thing is to prevent their overgrowth and excessive thickening. Proper prophylaxis aimed at reducing the amount of hair getting into the stomach and facilitating its natural elimination will help in this.

Regular combing

The first recommendation concerns combing out the hair. Not all owners perform this important procedure correctly. In order to remove hair fallen out in time, it is recommended to comb short-haired cats once a week, and long-haired – 3-4 times a week. During shedding, the above frequency is increased to 2-3 times a week and 1 time a day, respectively.

If your pet has a short coat, use combs with frequent and fine teeth, and if long – with rare and long ones. If you have luxurious "pants", "collar" and "plumage" on the tail, be sure to buy a fluffer. It helps to get rid of residual fluff. Also take care to have a silicone or rubberized mitt for a pleasant massage effect and a furminator to prevent tangles.

When performing the procedure, refer to the following steps:

1. Comb the entire body with a comb, moving from the head to the tail in the direction of hair growth.
2. If the cat is short-haired, repeat the previous action, but change the direction. Combing against the growth of the hair will help remove the hairs stuck inside. For long-haired breeds, this action is traumatic, so just replace the comb with a furminator and brush the cat in the direction of hair growth again. During the moulting season, also use a blow dryer.
3. Go over the coat with a mitt and be sure to give your pet a treat when you're done.