Vomiting in Cats

Cats

Overview of Feline Vomiting

Vomiting in cats is the most common symptom for which cats present to veterinarians and veterinary emergency clinics. At one time or another your cat may have a bout of vomiting. Usually he'll have eaten something disagreeable, eaten too much or too fast, played too soon after eating or any number of non-serious conditions. Vomiting may be a sign of a very minor problem. Or it may be a sign of something very serious.

Vomiting (emesis) is the act of expelling contents from the stomach through the mouth. It's a reflex act, involving a triggering stimulus (such as inflammation of the stomach), the central nervous system and abdominal muscles that work together to expel the contents from the stomach. There are multiple causes of vomiting. An occasional, infrequent isolated episode of vomiting is usually normal.

Vomiting is a symptom that can be caused by disorders of the gastrointestinal system (stomach and/or intestines) or it can be secondary to a disease from a different system (such as from cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, or infectious diseases). This can make the diagnosis of the cause of the vomiting a challenge.

Vomiting can be defined as acute (sudden onset) or chronic (longer duration of one to two weeks). The severity or concurrence of other signs will determine the recommendation of specific diagnostic tests. Important considerations include monitoring the duration and frequency of the vomiting. If your pet vomits once then eats normally with no further vomiting, has a normal bowel movement and is acting playful, then the problem may resolve on its own. If the vomiting continues after your pet eats or if your pet acts lethargic, or doesn't want to eat, then medical attention is warranted.

What To Watch For with Vomiting in Cats

Dehydration – persistent vomiting can lead to dehydration.

Abnormal behavior or physical abnormalities associated with prolonged vomiting – the presence of lethargy (reluctance to move), abdominal pain, lack of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, blood in the vomit, or other physical abnormalities.

NOTE: Please note that vomiting differs from regurgitation. Regurgitation comes from the esophagus and often looks like undigested food. This is not comiting. Vomiting comes from the stomach and is most often accompanied by nausea and involves forceful abdominal contractions. Regurgitation is requires less effort and contains fluid, mucus, or undigested food from the esophagus (often tubular in shape). Unlike vomiting, regurgitation is not accompanied by nausea and does not involve forceful abdominal contractions. It is a symptom of esophageal disease.

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  Strings can be dangerous toys for cats. The string can get caught in the intestines creating a "foreign body" obstruction.

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  Laparotomy - This is an exploratory surgery that involves opening the abdomen to look for abnormalities such as foreign bodies, tumors, intestinal obstruction or to obtain biopsies of abnormal tissues. A section of small intestine is shown here.