Vomiting in cats is a recurring fact, but we should not downplay it because of this, since if your kitten vomits, it means that something is wrong with his body. Its causes can be very varied, ranging from a food allergy to a behavioral disorder, such as stress or an underlying disease. We show you the main causes why is my cat throwing up so that you can apply the best solution and take care of its health.
Why is my cat throwing up?
In general terms, we can say that if vomiting is a common occurrence in your kitten, it is very likely that the cause comes from its diet. The proteins he receives are of low quality (from slaughterhouse leftovers) and, consequently, difficult to digest. He is allergic to any of its compounds or his diet is far from varied.
On other occasions, the origin lies in the components of the prizes or snacks that you offer them. Look at their label. You will likely find ethoxyquin, propylene glycol, emulsifiers, or surfactants, among other unhealthy additives and preservatives. Cow’s milk is not suitable for felines as their pancreas lacks lactase to break down lactose.
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Digestive causes that lead to vomiting
In this section, we find the following factors as triggers for vomiting:
Hypersensitivity food. Your cat is allergic or intolerant to any ingredient in its diet. You should apply an exclusion diet with a hypoallergenic hydrolyzed protein feed for 2 months, always under the supervision of the veterinarian.
Intestinal inflammation. Gastritis, enteritis, colitis or irritable bowel syndrome are part of this group for which diagnosis, an ultrasound and a biopsy are necessary. If it becomes chronic, it can lead to lymphoma that also causes vomiting.
Intestinal lymphoma. It is classified into the large cell (more aggressive and lethal) and small cell (better diagnosis).
Infections. Viruses, parasites, and bacteria can cause cat vomiting, which is usually accompanied by pasty, foul-smelling stools.
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Pancreatitis. The feline pancreas may secrete less lipase, protease, and amylase than necessary, leading to low-profile acute or chronic pancreatitis. The recommendation is to add digestive enzymes to your food. In a short time, you will appreciate the improvement.
Cholangitis. It is about inflammation of the bile ducts with liver involvement. Since the esophagus in felines is horizontal rather than vertical, it is possible to have several of these causes at the same time. In the so-called traditions, your cat can suffer intestinal inflammation, pancreatitis and cholangitis, simultaneously complicating its medical approach.
Non-digestive causes that cause vomiting
For its part, we can consider as a non-digestive cause the concurrence of any of these situations:
Kidney disease chronic. Do you know that 1 in 3 cats over 10 years old, and 1 in 12 over 15 years old suffer from it? The kidney is unable to clear urine and causes gastric irritation, nausea, and vomiting.
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Hyperthyroidism. This metabolic alteration is usual in cats over 7 years old. Excess thyroid hormone causes vomiting, as well as weight loss despite a good appetite.
Diabetes. Intermittent vomiting is a known symptom of diabetes along with the increased frequency of urination and appetite and anorexia, among others.
Poisoning. If the vomiting is acute (sudden), it is most likely due to the ingestion of plants, herbicides, cleaning products, foreign bodies such as ropes or pesticides. When a cat eats plants, it denotes a certain need to eat raw food. Therefore, we recommend that you always have a catnip or catnip at home.
Trichobezoars. The cats’ continuous grooming and their rough tongue favor the daily intake of hair. However, their digestive system is adapted to this situation and they usually get rid of them through the stool normally. If you notice hairs in their vomit, take note of what we explain below.
Hairballs also cause vomiting
If you detect hairs in their vomit, it could be due to:
Your pet ingests more hair than his body can tolerate. Its intestinal motility is unable to rid itself of all the ingested hair. You should help her do this by providing her with more fiber in her diet, cat malt or catnip.
Your pet ingests more hair than it should. A behavioral disorder such as stress, allergies, itching or pain in a part of your anatomy can explain it. Consulting with the vet is the most successful.
Regurgitation
Although it may seem the same to you, regurgitation is distinguished from vomiting in that the feed is whole and is expelled without gagging. It is usually due to anxiety or ingestion without chewing due to competition between cats. In fear of running out of her food, she devours it without chewing.
To avoid this, make sure that each kitten is in a different room, close the door while they are eating, give them a minimum of 20 minutes to eat and use the pheromone diffusers to reduce stress between them. Successful, frugal meals throughout the day help control vomiting.
At other times, the regurgitation may take on the texture of a kind of white foam. It is the hydrochloric acid that your cat secretes before an already established feeding routine. Delaying the time to eat, already learned, makes your body go to work, not having ingested any food should vomit it to avoid irritation.
Bet on appetizers
To keep these situations at bay, the ideal thing is to offer them something to nibble on before eating. If you have to delay eating time, with that snack, your cat can trick her stomach without vomiting, making an appearance. Similarly, small and frequent meals are a smart tactic to mitigate them.
