Why cat pukes

All cells need energy to carry out their functions. In general, the quickest energy comes in the form of glucose, or sugar. For the sugar to be used as fuel, it must be obtained from the bloodstream after being digested in the food the animal eats.

The hormone insulin facilitates this process. Most cats develop hyperthyroidism due to benign growths in the thyroid gland that increase the size of the gland. CatHealth explains that this can result in an increase in the concentration of thyroid gland hormones.

Signs of hyperthyroidism include vomiting, weight loss, excessive thirst and urination. Common symptoms include a loss of appetite and vomiting. In fact, as Dr. Hairballs are well known to cause vomiting. If your cat suffers from an excessive amount of hairballs, you may want to evaluate their hydration levels. Generally, if a cat vomits from eating too fast or because a meal disagreed with them, the color and consistency will include undigested or lightly digested food.

If the vomit includes stomach bile a brown or yellowish slightly opaque fluid , a problem may be occurring in the functioning of internal organs. You should take your cat to the vet if the color of their vomit is out of the ordinary or becomes a concern. Vomiting from eating too fast or because of hairballs is unpleasant but not uncommon. In the case of eating too fast, breaking food into frequent, smaller meals or even using a food maze feeding-bowl can help your kitty slow down. Additionally, frequent brushing or grooming can remove loose fur and help reduce hairballs.

However, as the conditions outlined in this post indicate, vomiting may be a symptom of a serious health concern. Proper diagnosis of the cause of vomiting is paramount to finding proper treatment and may require veterinary consultation.

Hairballs and eating too fast may not be immediate causes for concern, but if these issues occur frequently, your cat may benefit from a vet visit. The internet can be a great resource for learning, but be sure to use reputable sources. They can help you determine whether it really is vomiting, and if so, why your cat is throwing up. Your veterinarian will ask a variety of questions to determine why your cat is vomiting. These include:. There are several possible causes of cat vomiting, and these questions will help guide your veterinarian in the right direction.

Possible reasons why cats throw up can be broken into two categories—gastrointestinal causes and non-gastrointestinal causes. Foreign bodies. Inflammatory bowel disease. Toxin ingestion ethylene glycol, chocolate , pesticides , etc. Kidney disease. Diabetes mellitus. Feline infectious peritonitis. Cats will vomit bile when they have an empty stomach. This can happen if you are only feeding your cat in the morning and they go 24 hours without food, or it can happen when cats are anorexic.

Food stimulates the gall bladder to contract, but when the gall bladder does not contract, the bile can back up into the small intestines and stomach. Blood can be seen with ulcerations, or if your cat vomits several times in a row, this can cause an irritation of the stomach lining and esophagus because of the increased acid.

Blood can also be present if there is a clotting abnormality, which can be seen with certain diseases and some toxins rat poisoning, for example. If your cat is vomiting clear liquid, it can be the fluid contents of the stomach, or your cat might have drunk too much water.

There are many possible diseases that can cause cats to drink too much water, including diabetes mellitus and kidney disease. The most common type of worm seen in cat vomit is roundworms. If your cat vomits a worm, it is important to bring this to your veterinarian so they can treat the issue appropriately.

Cats who eat too much or too fast can vomit food, and it typically it appears in a tubular shape. They can also vomit food if they become nauseous shortly after eating, if there is a foreign body obstructing the food from moving into the small intestines, or if they have a food allergy.

Cats can occasionally vomit hairballs , especially cats who overgroom or cats with long hair. This is usually indicative of digested blood further down the intestinal tract and can be seen with ulcerations, foreign bodies, or even hairballs in the intestines.

If your cat is throwing up green vomit, this usually indicates that the food or substance was brought up from the small intestines. The mixture of the vomitus with bile can turn the color green. Mucus is typically seen if your cat is regurgitating and not vomiting.

If you see mucus, it is very important to determine if your cat is actually vomiting or if they are regurgitating. Oftentimes when cats do vomit, they have other symptoms, too. It is very common for cats to not want to eat if they are nauseous. You can see this with a variety of conditions, including foreign bodies, kidney and liver disease, severe diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

This can cause a backup of contents in the small intestines and stomach, causing cats to vomit. If your cat has acute vomiting and sneezing , they could have contracted a virus such as coronavirus. It is not uncommon for cats who become sick vomiting to also develop an upper respiratory tract infection.

This is because a large portion of cats contract certain viruses, such as herpesvirus , as kittens, and can be acting normal until they are immunocompromised. Cats can vomit after they drink a large amount of water. They can also have disease that cause them to drink a lot and have vomiting, such as kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.

Diagnosing the cause of frequent vomiting in cats begins with a thorough history from the owner, a physical examination of the cat, and then bloodwork and fecal examination to rule out possible toxicities, parasites, and metabolic diseases.

If everything seems normal, x-rays and ultrasound, which can be helpful in finding masses, foreign objects, and other gastrointestinal tract problems, may be recommended. If these are not fruitful, a biopsy of the intestinal tract to rule out cancer or inflammatory bowel disease may be pursued. Regardless of the cause, cases of protracted feline vomiting will need supportive care, often involving intravenous or subcutaneous fluid therapy, and feeding a bland, easily digested diet once the vomiting has stopped.

An anti-emetic drug may be prescribed to stop the vomiting in cases of dietary indiscretion or certain metabolic diseases. Specific treatment, of course, will depend upon the diagnosis.