Important: Heartworm infestation can also be the reason why a cat vomits bile.
- If a cat is vomiting white foam
- Other common causes
- Symptoms
- First aid
- What to pay attention to if the cat is pregnant
- Treating the pet
- Symptomatics
- Yellow vomiting
- Vomiting in kittens
- First aid
- Yellow vomiting in a cat.
- What to do if the cat vomits yellow foam
- Types of vomiting in cats by appearance
- Vomiting white foam
- Cat vomits transparent mucus
- Vomiting in a cat with a gray mass
- Cat vomiting green liquid
- What to do if a cat starts vomiting
- Implementing Prevention
- Diagnostic measures
- Methods of treatment
If a cat is vomiting white foam
I've written a lot about vomiting in cats (and digestive problems in general), and read even more. Still, my claim to the title of felinologist is binding, and there are two furry treasures in the house.
Vomiting can look oh-so-very different, and therefore the causes are different, but most often I wondered what it meant. "white foam vomiting" ? I see cat vomit regularly (my cat gets rid of lumps of hair in his stomach this way after licking), but. I would never call what came out of his stomach backwards white foam.
And recently my cat, who is not at all prone to vomiting, threw up. That's when I realized what "white foam" meant.
You will never confuse it with anything else: it is a frothy white foamy mass, very similar to whipped egg white (anyone who has ever made eggnog, will understand). The foam is formed from saliva with an admixture of gastric juice, when, during gagging, the cat coughs and coughs convulsively. The process is very similar to the culinary technique of whipping with a whisk.
The latter, of course, is educational, but much more importantly, why is the cat vomiting white foam? By the way, there can be a lot of foam. That time my sufferer spit up everything she could: she must have been frightened and was running around the house. And how scared I was.
There were a lot of reasons for that. So white foam vomiting is a symptom of a painful condition, but it's not specific. Only a veterinarian can get to the bottom of this, but you need to help the poor thing? Yes, he does! Especially since not all causes require only veterinary attention.
For clarity we'll divide causes of white foam vomiting into three groups: Harmless (well, conventionally), alarming (the cat is developing a disease and needs to be examined quickly), and dangerous (urgent veterinary care required). But there's one problem: you look at the foamy cat spit, and you'll see if it's harmless, or if you need to rush to the vet. But we'll try to find out.
Other common causes
The cat's digestive process works non-stop. Gastric juice is secreted even if the body has not received any food for many hours, and this can provoke white foam vomiting. The cause is physiological and relatively safe, but you should still feed the cat according to a suitable schedule, and at least twice a day.
Vomiting white foam from eating too much food is also physiological and harmless, but again, keep an eye on how much the cat eats per meal. Because every other cat is a branch of the black hole, it can continually devour food simply because food is available.
Is the portion size normal and correct? Perhaps the food is too cold – Vomiting white foam might be very irritating to the stomach and, as a consequence, is causing white foam vomiting.
In general, if white foam vomiting is a one-time occurrence or very rare, you do not need to worry. But if it happens often, you need to show the veterinarian, even if your cat behaves normally, has good appetite and poops regularly.
Symptoms
The appearance of foam at the mouth of the cat is a cause for concern to the owner of the pet. The cause can be both a normal physiological condition (when regurgitating lumps of fur), or the development of serious dangerous diseases (rabies). Especially if the saliva foams at the mouth. In such cases, it is recommended that the cat be isolated immediately and taken to a veterinary clinic.
The appearance of foam from the cat's mouth when vomiting as a result of prolonged starvation, intoxication, stressful experiences, as a rule, does not differ in other characteristic signs except nausea. Vomited gastric contents have no extraneous odors or impurities.
If the vomit does not contain any foreign substances, its color is not yellow or green and it has a foul odor, you should go to the veterinarian and have your pet seen by a doctor. The occurrence of the following characteristic symptoms requires immediate intervention by a specialist:
- The cat is vomiting too often, vomiting virtually nonstop;
- The body temperature rises or falls;
- Coughing, discharge from the eyes and nasal cavity;
- loss of appetite;
- The general condition of the animal is depressed;
- there is profuse diarrhea.
When a cat vomits pink liquid with foam – do not hesitate. This vomiting can be caused by a stomach ulcer or a perforation of the esophagus. A pink color indicates an admixture of blood and indicates damage to the mucosa of one part of the digestive tract.
The color and presence of particles in the vomit mass can characterize the degree of neglect of the pathological condition:
- Vomit with white foam is most often a sign of prolonged starvation of the pet;
- the presence of mucous white flecks in the liquid spewed by the stomach, indicates that the cat is infected with helminths;
- if the cat vomits yellow foam, the cause may be a dangerous disease – plague of flesh eaters or panleukopenia;
- the gray color of the vomit indicates a violation of the diet and the presence of pelleted food residues;
- The dark green, almost black color of the vomit can be a sign of cancer in the digestive tract;
- yellow vomiting occurs when the functional features of the gallbladder and liver structures are disturbed;
- green fountain vomiting – intestinal obstruction;
- Vomiting with feces is a sign of lower intestinal trauma.
First aid
Noticing that the cat is vomiting foam, and there are no other dangerous signs, you can do with your own resources. It is especially important to know how to help the pet if it is not possible to get to the vet quickly.
First of all, it is necessary to put the pet on a starvation diet. For 12 to 20 hours after the pet has vomited, nothing food should be given to the cat. But water must be freely available. When the condition of the pet stabilizes, without repeated vomiting, you can try to give the cat some boiled rice.
The appearance of foam at the cat's mouth should alert the owner, as there may be several reasons for this phenomenon. If intoxication is suspected, an enterosorbent (Enterosgel, Atoxil, Activated charcoal, Smecta) should be given to remove the toxins as quickly as possible. Anti-emetics such as Phenothiazine or Paspertine can be given.
If it is not possible to go or call the veterinarian at home, it is recommended to call the clinic and ask for the dosage of medication for your pet over the phone, stating the weight and age of the pet, as well as the presence of accompanying symptoms.
If a cat does not eat and vomits all day after a starvation diet, the cause of this phenomenon may be liver lipidosis and if no medical intervention is given, the animal is very likely to die.
What to pay attention to if the cat is pregnant
Burping in a pregnant cat should not cause concern. During this period, it is acceptable that she will vomit systematically. If a pet that is pregnant suffers from vomiting mixed with bile, it should be seen by a doctor. Often such symptoms are indicative of severe intoxication of the body of the pet.
It is important in the period when the furry friend is disturbed by the urge to vomit, to take even more care of his health. Water should be poured into the cat's mouth as often as possible. The cat's menu should be changed. It is best to offer dietary wet food. Food should be served in small portions every 4 hrs, which will avoid irritation of the inflamed stomach.
If a pregnant cat suffers from vomiting every 30-60 minutes, it is better to limit her food. Water in such a case is poured into the oral cavity frequently, but in minimal portions. A particularly dangerous situation is when, in addition to vomiting, the cat begins to have diarrhea. The animal's body loses a large percentage of moisture in this case.
Important! In addition to drinking water, the cat can be given small portions of decoction of chamomile, which has a soothing effect on the stomach.
Treating the pet
When a cat vomits bile, it is necessary to visit the veterinarian as soon as possible, who after an examination will identify the cause of the unpleasant condition and prescribe a suitable treatment. It is not uncommon for cats who vomit yellow to suffer from:
Depending on what diagnosis the veterinarian makes, treatment will be formulated to address the cause of the ailment.
For toxic hepatitis, which can be triggered by poor quality food or poisoning by a poisonous plant, medication, veterinarians prescribe:
To treat hepatitis of an infectious type, which occurs against a background of viral infections, parasitic infestations, a special diet and taking immunostimulants are prescribed. In addition, the veterinarian prescribes:
When hepatosis is diagnosed, it is advisable to use medication in combination with compliance with a special diet. Fats of animal origin in the cat's menu are reduced to a minimum. A diet containing a high percentage of protein contributes to the stabilization of the fluffy patient.
Note! If, in addition to hepatosis, the veterinarian found diabetes mellitus, the therapy is prescribed to a cat who burps bile, on an individual basis, taking into account the characteristics of the body.
Yellow vomiting in a cat can signal the development of biliary stone disease. Therapeutic goals in this case are based on the use of heat treatments that help relieve spasms. In addition, it is advisable to give the pet medications that have a choleretic effect. If there is a large formation of concrements that block the bile passages, surgical intervention is necessary as a matter of urgency. In this case, ultrasound waves are used to crush the stones.
Diagnosis of liver failure requires immediate treatment. Cats that vomit both water and bile need:
- to stop the cause of the pathological condition (to this end, antimicrobial and hormonal agents are used);
- removal of toxins from the body;
- regulation of the process of mineral metabolism;
- control of the functioning of the heart;
- Special dietary treatment.
Symptomatics
The appearance of vomiting in a cat yellow with foam can be accompanied by other symptoms, indicating a disturbance in the orgasm. Often there is refusal to eat, there is an increase in body temperature, a dark color of urine, diarrhea and yellowing of the mucous membranes.
Vomiting with a sharp unpleasant odor may indicate acute or chronic liver failure. In such pathology, yellowing of the sclerae, fainting and foul odor from the mouth may be observed.
If toxic elements accumulate in the liver for a long time, it eventually leads to inflammation (lipidosis). There is also such a disease as feline plague, which is accompanied by a sudden jump in temperature up to 41 degrees, apathy, frequent diarrhea and vomiting. The cat walks hunched over all the time.
Yellow vomiting
The cause of yellow vomiting in a cat is the ingestion of bile in the stomach. In normal functioning organs, it should be excreted by other channels. The appearance of yellow vomit indicates a malfunction in the gallbladder or liver. Bile is a hostile environment for the GI organs. If it does seep into the stomach, the walls of the organ become inflamed after a certain time, and this causes yellowish vomiting.
A cat whose vomit is colored bright and rich yellow may have eaten food of this shade. And it did not suit her. This factor should also be taken into account.
Vomiting in kittens
Kittens can vomit for several reasons. A congenital abnormality of the sphincter in the stomach, which prevents food from flowing into the intestines and returning it back through vomiting, may be a reason to see the vet. If such a disorder is observed, it is imperative to reduce the portion at feeding time. Sometimes the kitten may vomit or regurgitate after active play. Other causes of vomiting in kittens should be singled out such as:
- Switching from one diet to another;
- unhealthy or poor quality food;
- overeating;
- ingestion of hair;
- ingestion of foreign objects;
- Chemical poisoning;
- liver problems, infectious diseases, pancreatitis;
- possible consequence of vaccinations.
If the kitten vomits, you should try to find out the cause and show the animal to the veterinarian.
First aid
Causes of white foam vomiting in cats can vary, but it is important to provide timely first aid to the pet. If there is confidence that the pet is not suffering from a serious illness, you can try to deal with the problem yourself.
Initially, you should put the cat on a starvation diet for one day so that the digestive system is relieved and the body begins to work normally. After this time, all the unpleasant symptoms should go away. It is possible to feed the pet little by little, but not often, rice boiled in chicken broth. It is better to start with small portions, which should be given to the pet every 2-3 hours. Later portions can be increased, but the number of meals – to reduce.
Vomiting can be helped by mint tea. The decoction should be cooled and given to the animal to drink immediately after vomiting or several hours later. If the cat often swallows hair, it is necessary to give the cat 3 times a week 1 tsp. vegetable oil. If repeated vomiting of white foam in a cat is observed, you should immediately contact your veterinarian, as this may be a sign of poisoning.
Yellow vomiting in a cat.
Nausea with mucus is often a natural process to clear the digestive tract. It is also one of the signs of pregnancy – the fetus squeezes the mother's internal organs, especially the stomach and intestines, as it grows. But if the kitty regurgitates foam, it indicates the presence of gastrointestinal tract, biliary tract disease. The nature of yellow foam vomiting in a cat with CKD (chronic kidney failure) helps to understand what is wrong with the pet. By the color, the owner can determine why it started, what to do about it.
Yellow fluid nausea is a common occurrence, meaning bile has entered the stomach. It is worth noting that healthy pets should not have such a condition, so if this is detected when the cat does not eat anything, you should observe him. Masses can become yellowish when there is minimal bile ingestion, where it is normally absent. It gets through because of sphincter weakness or because of reflux, indicating problems with the liver, gallbladder or small intestine, which causes yellow vomiting.
When after the yellowish vomit, the cat vomits foam with green impurities, the pathology has progressed. This color causes increased levels of bile mixed with intestinal contents, saliva. The condition when the cat vomits water with foam of this color indicates the presence of peritonitis or intestinal obstruction, and they require immediate hospitalization. If green bile is detected once, it is necessary to urgently contact the veterinarian.
The yellowish color is due to dyes in the food you eat. But it is an isolated phenomenon that allows you to distinguish it from the symptoms of disease. When a cat vomits yellow foam after eating, it means that there is an inflammatory process in the digestive tract. Sometimes it indicates the presence of ulcerous lesions. The cause of such diseases is the wrong food, which negatively affects the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract of the animal, causing inflammation and the appearance of ulcers.
What to do if the cat vomits yellow foam
When vomiting, it is important to assess additional symptoms to help understand if hospitalization is needed. These should be described during the examination at the clinic.
If the pet is vomiting saliva with yellow foam, special attention should be paid to:
- Duration. Nausea with foamy water for two hours is a sign of pathology.
- Impurities. In pathological vomiting in a cat yellow liquid can be clearly visible admixtures of blood, bile, mucus.
- Temperature rise. If the cat burps, has a fever, refuses food and food, he should be seen by a veterinarian.
- Continuity. If a cat vomits yellow liquid regardless of the amount of food he eats, he should be taken to the clinic.
If a pathological cause of yellow fluid is confirmed, the pet should be taken to a doctor. Only a specialist can understand where the fibers in the vomit with foam come from, prescribe adequate therapy to help avoid serious health problems.
On the first day, it is necessary to completely limit food and try to reduce the amount of water consumed. This is due to the fact that vomiting in a cat yellow mass is associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system. Therefore, first you need to change the diet, remove harmful products from it (for example, fatty and fried food, sausage and smoked foods, and so on).
You can reduce the pain syndrome with an antispasmodic drug. If the cat vomits, it is possible to reduce the level of nausea with antiemetics of central action. Since the mucosa is highly irritated, it is advisable to prescribe gastroprotectors.
Types of vomiting in cats by appearance
Vomiting in any manifestation is a serious reason to consult a veterinarian, please do not delay. The causes of the gag reflex can be judged by the appearance and hue of the vomit. Consider the various options. The first thing to determine is the appearance, composition and color of the vomit mass.
Vomiting white foam
This phenomenon is common in small kittens who have recently been switched to solid food. The cause of the gag reflex is overfilling of the stomach. The vomiting attack is strong and prolonged. The white foam is a mixture of gastric juice and mucous membrane secretion. Similar vomiting occurs in adult animals when the feed is changed. For example, if you continue canned food instead of dry food, he will gladly eat it.
The appearance of foamy vomiting is a symptom of the initial stage of gastritis. If the foam has taken on a yellowish hue, this indicates worm infestation. Intoxication of the body increases, and the process involves the liver. Hence, the coloring of the vomit in the color of bile.
If the cat vomits white foam, it may be a symptom of poisoning, such as detergents. In this case, you must always consult a specialist.
Cat vomits transparent mucus
The mucous impurity in cat vomit is gastric juice. This phenomenon is typical for worm infestations, chronic gastritis or gastric erosion. Vomiting with mucus also occurs in infectious diseases. It is important to watch for impurities and additional inclusions, such as helminth fragments.
Vomiting in a cat with a gray mass
This is the appearance of partially digested food. Causes vary: overeating, early pregnancy in cats, or regurgitation of hair ingested during licking. The latter case is a variant of the norm. The gag reflex is a protective reaction of the body, a quick withdrawal of everything foreign.
Cat vomiting green liquid
- Food poisoning. The cause of the greenish hue is a bile impurity. It is a reaction of the liver to intoxication;
- Infectious disease;
- Gastrointestinal problems (intestinal contents being swollen into the stomach). This is a serious symptom, and delaying a visit to the vet should not be delayed, or the animal will die;
- Diseases of the liver and gallbladder, including cancer.
What to do if a cat starts vomiting
Sometimes nausea and vomiting in a cat is not dangerous and there is no reason to go to the doctor. It is one or two times vomiting during the day. The pet's appetite is not disturbed, he goes to the toilet normally, there are no behavioral abnormalities.
This applies, for example, to occasional overeating or regurgitation of hair. Vomiting in pregnant cats is not dangerous either.
- Weakness and signs of dehydration.
- Frequency of vomiting more than 2 times a day, duration more than 3 days.
- An admixture of bile or blood in the vomit.
- Fecal odor of vomit.
- "Home remedies" proved ineffective.
- Vomiting persisted after correction of the pet's diet and eating habits.
Analyze the cat's condition, be prepared to answer such questions from the doctor:
- Is there a connection between vomiting and diet?
- Does the reflex occur after a heavy meal.
- Has the cat ever eaten stale food?
- What is the time interval between feeding and the gag reflex?
- Has the animal been stressed or anxious?
- Has the cat had any head trauma in the recent past?
- Approximate time of vomiting onset.
Implementing Prevention
Prevention of sudden attacks of the gag reflex is carried out with:
- Regular anthelmintic therapy. For walking cats outside every 3 months;
- annual vaccinations, preventive examinations at the veterinary clinic for timely detection of hidden diseases;
- Proper nutrition. Balanced ready-made food in sufficient quantities will help to avoid pathological conditions;
- Pet grooming. Combing out the hair will prevent the accumulation of hair clumps in the stomach;
- Keeping hygiene in the home. A clean room and no small objects that the cat can swallow.
White foam along with stomach contents can have both physiological and pathological origins. The appearance of concomitant clinical signs requires seeking professional help and undergoing a complete diagnostic examination. Timely treatment will avoid complications and keep the pet alive.
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.
Methods of treatment
After receiving the results of all the tests, the veterinarian will individually choose a method of treatment.
First of all, it will be necessary to restore the water-salt supply in the cat's body. For this purpose, drips with Ringer-Locke's solution are used. In addition, the pet will have to be put on a diet: include nutritious, but light food in its diet.
- Sorbents and antitoxins. They are prescribed if the cat is poisoned by any poisonous substances.
- Antispasmodics and antiemetics.
- Medications to protect the stomach and maintain liver function.
- Vitamins and immunomodulators.
- Antibiotics. Prescribed if the cause of yellow fluid vomiting is any infectious disease
- Anthelmintics.
When vomiting yellow liquid, which was caused by improper feeding, the pet can be treated at home with Smekta or activated charcoal. Dosage: 1 tablet or 1 ml per 1 kg of weight. You can also give the cat a strong decoction of peppermint to drink.
If vomiting yellow liquid once, it is recommended to postpone feeding for 8 hours. Instead of water, it is better to give the cat an ice cube to lick, so as not to cause another attack of vomiting. At the end of the break, the pet should be given a drink and closely monitor its reaction. If there is no nausea, you can feed the cat with thin porridge, cooked lean fish or meat. From the next day stick to its usual diet.
If the cat vomits bile, the owner should closely monitor the condition of his pet to keep it from unpleasant health consequences and death. The best way to deal with vomiting is to prevent its occurrence. The cat should be provided with competent care: selection of diet, vaccinations, deworming, combing and other mandatory manipulations.