Vomiting in cats

Overview

Vomiting in cats is common and may be caused by a variety of factors. Often, a cat will vomit because of eating something indigestible, such as grass or hair from grooming (hairballs). Overeating, especially if followed by exercise, can cause vomiting. A change in diet, a physical obstruction in the stomach, an allergic reaction, poisoning, a serious illness, food allergy, heatstroke, car sickness, hyperthyroidism, heartworm disease, and stress are all possible causes of vomiting. If your cat vomits more than once a week, pay attention to when it happens and what your cat is throwing up, to help your veterinarian determine the cause.

Symptoms

If you suspect that your cat may have swallowed yarn or thread, do not try to pull it out!  You can cause physical damage if the other end is already in the stomach or intestines. Take your cat to the veterinary immediately.

The following usually indicate a more serious problem and should not be ignored:

• Repeated vomiting
• Persistent vomiting
• Projectile vomiting
• Blood in the vomit
• Vomiting accompanied by fever or diarrhea

Any of these situations should be reported immediately to your veterinarian. If your cat is vomiting persistently and unable to keep even water down, wait no longer than 24 hours before going to your veterinarian because peristent vomiting can result in serious dehydration.

Prevention

Hairballs are one of the most common causes of vomiting in cats. Regular brushing or combing will help minimize shedding and reduce ingestion of hair.  Hairball remedies (a tasty flavored petroleum jelly) should be used as a preventative measure, not as a treatment after vomiting is a problem. The jelly will coat the hairs ingested during routine grooming and prevent them from tangling and forming a hairball.  If you have a cat that is especially prone to hairballs, special hairball foods are available to help prevent hairball formation.  These foods can be bought at major pet stores and from your veterinarian. 

Also, to prevent your cat from ingesting dangerous material like yarn or strings, be sure to keep those items in a secure location.

Treatment

The first step in treatment at home for an otherwise healthy adult cat is to withhold food and water from your cat for a full 24 hours to give the stomach and gastrointestinal tract a chance to rest.  If the vomiting stops, offer a small amount of water every two to three hours - ice cubes in a bowl usually melt slowly enough to be left available for your cat. After 24 hours without vomiting, a bland diet, such as boiled hamburger or chicken mixed with cooked rice, or strained meat baby food, can be offered in small amounts.  Make sure that the baby food you feed your cat does not contain onion powder, as this is toxic to cats.  After reintoducing food, the amount of food you offer your cat can be increased over a few days as long as vomiting does not reoccur.  Do this by gradually adding more of your cat's regular food to the bland diet, until your cat is completely back on his regular diet.

Vomiting can lead to dehydration, especially kittens and old cats. Your veterinarian will advise you on any treatment for dehydration. Do not give your cat any medication unless you have been specifically advised to do so by a veterinary medical professional.

Resources:

Carlson, Lisa D, D.V.M., and Giffin, James M., MD. Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook. New York:  Howell Book House, 2000.

Whitman, Sue A., D.V.M. Vomiting In The Cat - More Than A Hairball? http://www.suevet.com/petEd/VomitingCats.html  (5 March 2008).