Vomiting in Cats

Cats make wonderful pets. They have a mind of their own, for they won't run behind you like a dog, but will surely occupy place on your lap when you come home everyday. They consider themselves as one of the main parts of the family,. They might be a little choosy when it comes to eating, but that is what makes them more adorable and unique! So when you hear the 'huk huk' sound from the choosy cat, you get alarmed. But there is nothing much to worry about, as vomiting is a common problem seen in cats.

Causative Factors for Why Cats Vomit
The main cause of vomiting in cats is hairballs, better known as trichobezoar in medical terms. As we already very well know, cats have very soft fur and they also love grooming themselves. In fact, they spend most of their time doing just that. Due to these two reasons, their loose fur or hair gets ingested. The digestive (gastrointestinal tract) system is designed to tolerate this fur, as other waste materials are pushed out of the body through stool. But sometimes, the fur does not get completely ingested due some reasons like, some cat breeds have a long coat and the long hair cannot be ingested by the digestive system. Hair loss in cats can also be a reason for vomiting as the digestive system fails to ingest the excessive hair, which results in vomiting. Some cats having no long fur or hair loss, also suffer from vomiting because of hairballs, and the only reason for them is their delicate stomachs.

Other Reasons for Vomiting
Below are some other causative factors why cats vomit, apart from swallowing hairballs.

• After hairballs, eating improperly is the most common cause of vomiting in a cat. Eating too fast, frequent diet changes, overeating, eating plants, rodents or lizards, or consuming rotten food makes the cat throw up.
• Disease of the inner ear is one of the reasons of vomiting cat. Tilting the head and incoordination of movements is also seen along with vomiting.
• Diseases like heartworms in can cause vomiting. Such a vomiting will be accompanied by weight loss, coughing and depression.
• Elevated thyroid function or hyperthyroidism in cats, also causes vomiting.
• Poisonous substances like toxic plants, cleaning agents, human medicines, anti-freeze, fertilizers, lead paints etc. can induce vomiting in cats.
• Kidney failure is one of the common cause. Severe dehydration or anti-freeze can cause kidney failure. One of the symptoms of kidney failure in cats is vomiting.
• Gastric and intestinal diseases like enteritis, ulcers, gastritis, constipation, fungal disease, cancer and irritable bowel syndrome can also cause vomiting.
• One more reason for feline vomiting is metabolic diseases such as hormone imbalances, sepsis, feline pancreatitis, acidosis, feline hyperthyroidism, etc.
• Even infections like abscess, pyometra and salmonella can be responsible for vomiting cats.

When to Worry?
Vomiting once in a while is not a thing to be worried about, but if the cat keeps vomiting, and along with vomiting there are other problems like dehydration, or if the abdomen is bloated, then it is advisable to contact the vet immediately. Along with frequent vomiting, finding blood or worms in cat vomit is also a serious issue. Blood in the vomit can be a sign of internal bleeding and worms can be a sign of roundworms in cats and so should be reported to the vet. Sporadic vomiting is a thing to worry about. If the cat is throwing up every other day on and off, along with loss of appetite and restlessness, it can be a serious problem.

Treatment for Vomiting in Cats
Treatment depends on the cause of vomiting. The vet will usually give anti-emetic injections, and if the cause is not detected, he may suggest a lood test. For general vomiting treatments you should take care of things like feeding the cat with easily digestible, small quantities of food and providing lots of water to prevent dehydration. The best food to be fed to the cat if it is suffering from vomiting, is plain skinless chicken along with mashed rice or potatoes. It is very important to make sure that the cat does not eat any other food, as it can worsen the vomiting.

This was all about vomiting in cats. It is not possible to keep a constant eye on the cat, but you can make sure that it is given the right diet, as it is very important for the cat's health. You can consult with your vet to make sure what the right diet is.