why is my cat vomiting?

What is Vomiting?

•    Cats vomit just like people!
•    They often look sick and may lick their lips and drool.
•    Then they will retch.
•    Finally they will vomit which may be liquid, food or frothy looking.

Differentials (what could be causing my cat to vomit?)

Vomiting can be a sign for many different diseases in cats.

Below are a few of the more common reasons cats can vomit:

•    Gastritis – this literally means an irritation in the tummy - so a tummy upset – sometimes we never find the cause of this if it is just a one off upset.
•    Worms
•    Foreign body – this means having eaten something they shouldn't have and it getting stuck! (like a toy or string!)
•    Toxin ingestion – eating something poisonous
•    Inflammatory bowel disease – just like people cats can get IBD and sometimes this can cause them to vomit.
•    Pancreatitis – a disease of their pancreas that can also cause a very painful tummy.
•    Kidney disease
•    Thyroid disease
•    Cancer – although less common we have to consider cancers, especially in older cats that vomit a lot.

Diagnosis of vomiting

•    It is essential that your cat has a full check over at the vets if they are vomiting.
•    The vet will take a thorough history – this means they will ask a lot of questions to find out as much as possible about what could be causing the vomiting.
•    Tests that we may choose to perform include:
•    Blood tests
•    Tummy x-rays
•    Tummy ultrasound
•    Biopsies (taking a little portion of the stomach or intestines for the laboratory to see if there are any abnormal cells present)

Treatment of vomiting

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•    Obviously the treatment given depends on what the cause is!
•    We may give drugs to stop them feeling sick.
•    We may also give medication to settle their tummy (similar to antacids in humans).
•    Staying hydrated is vital! So we may recommend a stay in our hospital and a drip.

Prognosis for vomiting (how likely is a cat to do it afterwards)?

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•    Vomiting cats often recover fully with quick and appropriate treatment.
•    Obviously some of the conditions are more serious and may require long term medication.