Why Does My Cat Vomit After Eating Dry Food
We must first distinguish whether your cat is vomiting up food or hair. Due to a cats daily grooming routine, it is normal that it will ingest a lot of hair which will sometimes be expelled through vomiting. A diet rich in fiber, regular brushing and the occasional consumption of malt can prevent hairballs in cats from posing a problem. If your cat is excessively vomiting up hairballs, this could be caused by excessive grooming which is a symptom of stress in cats. For more, we recommend taking a look over our article: my cat is overgrooming- causes.
Is your cat vomiting undigested food? If this is the case, you should analyze whether this occurs immediately after eating or some time after eating:
A cat vomiting immediately after eating or within half an hour after eating may indicate both acute and chronic gastritis. A cat vomiting up its food hours after eating could be due to obstruction, slow functioning of the digestive system and/or pancreatitis.
For more, we recommend reading: intestinal blockage in cats.
One Way To Ensure Your C
Cats are not only fur babie. You love your cat like it’s one of your own children. This can make it harder for their humans to make sure they get the nutrients they need. Cats can vomit for a multitude of reasons and what they vomit can be just as varied. Instead of expensive concoctions, make your own cat repellent to get the job done.
Cat Vomit Looks Like Poop Heres What It Means
Vomiting is quite common in cats and is not generally considered a problem. However, some medical conditions can lead a cat to vomit and it should receive attention. If your cat vomit looks like poop, it could indicate an underlying issue. But what does it exactly mean? In this post, we discuss this problem including its causes, treatment and prevention.
This information should help you understand what is normal and when you should take your cat to a veterinarian.
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The Two Types Of Vomiting
In general, vomiting can be divided into two subcategories, which are acute and chronic. When a cat chronically vomits, the cat throws up regularly, which means that there is a specific period of time in each month or week that the cat will eventually vomit once or two times.
On the contrary, acute vomiting happens in many cats who didnt throw up before but just started to do so recently. You and your cats vet should be in great concern if you find your cat vomiting several times in a short duration.
So, how many times is considered to be alarming? Well, if your cat pukes no more than three times a day, it is something really normal and not worth worrying about. However, if it exceeds this number, you are strongly advised to meet the vet as soon as possible.
Some of the symptoms you should look for when your cat begins to vomit too frequently are:
- Your cat is continuously tired and does not have the energy to walk around the house.
- Your cat constantly consumes food but fails at completely digesting it.
Leave your cat at home for one day to see how it is progressing. If your cats condition starts to deteriorate considerably over the night, bring it to the nearest vet for an emergency. Any delay in getting treatments will lead to severe harm for your beloved cat since it may have a serious illness, most commonly is liver disease.
In the following section, we will look into the five primary reasons that account for your cat regurgitating undigested food.
Cat Vomiting: Gastritis In Cats
Gastritis incats, characterized by an inflammation of the gastric mucosa, can occur in cats of all ages. A cat suffering from this disease will cause your cat to vomit after eating, although vomiting due to gastritis in cats is not always related to the time of ingestion. A cat suffering from gastritis may even vomit digested food. There are numerous causes behind gastritis in cats. A diagnosis by a veterinarian is required in order to treat the specific case correctly. We recommend reading our article where we discuss all you need to know about gastritis in cats.Gastritis in cats can occur both acutely or chronically. Once a c at begins to recover, veterinarians suggest feeding the cat smaller portions, which are easier to digest.
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Best Cat Food For Older Cats That Vomit
You will notice that most food aimed at older cats tends to be wet food and patés. This is because cat food companies recognize that older cats tend to suffer from dental issues such as tooth loss. Wet food also provides added moisture which is especially good for older cats with diseases like diabetes.
Do You Need A Prescription Food Or Veterinary Diet
Not necessarily.
Veterinary diets do exist for sensitive stomach and dietary intolerances, but they arent necessarily the best solution. Many of these products use hydrolyzed protein to minimize the risk of triggering food allergies but they may also contain higher concentrations of carbohydrates than is optimal.
Rather than spending a small fortune on a veterinary formula from Purina One, Hills Science Diet, or Royal Canin, look for a premium cat food made with a single source of high-quality animal protein that is low in carbohydrates and highly digestible.
You may also want to consider fresh or wet food versus dry food.
Though many pet parents prefer dry food for its convenience and affordability, wet food may be a better option to help stop vomiting. Wet food is generally higher in protein, lower in carbohydrates, and richer in moisture than dry food which makes it both more palatable and more digestible for many cats.
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Hills Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food
Cats with tummy trouble will be delighted by this food. Its highly digestible and gentle on the stomach, allowing for optimal nutrient absorption.
Its also formulated with tasty ingredients to ensure a healthy heart. All in all, this food offers a complete and balanced diet for mature cats who vomit.
Your cats skin and coat will benefit from the added vitamin E and Omega-6 fatty acids. The recipe is made from natural, high-quality ingredients without any artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors.
Plus the vitamins and antioxidant blend work together to ensure a healthy immune system.
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Eating Something They Shouldnt Have
Cats are curious and will sometimes eat things they shouldnt, like clumps of hair, cotton swabs, toys, or human food. In some cases, theyll just throw them up and be done with it. If your cat seems very ill though, and they havent passed any kind of object, make sure to get them to the vet as soon as possible. Its possible your cat could have eaten something poisonous, or your cat may have eaten a large object that has gotten stuck somewhere in their digestive tract.
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Food Allergies / Intollerance
Just like humans, cats can have food allergies or sensitivities. There might be an ingredient in their food that they are sensitive to, and that is causing them to throw up. This is something youll need to talk to your vet about so they can test for common allergens. Other symptoms of food allergies include:
- Gas/flatulence
- Red inflamed skin or ears
- Theyre itching a lot, sometimes causing hair loss or bleeding
Why Is Your Senior Cat Throwing Up
More often than not theyve just eaten too quickly or ingested too much grass. But other times throwing up can be a sign of something more sinister. Throwing up is a symptom of a variety of illnesses.
One of the most common causes of frequent puking is a chronic small intestinal disease. This can be caused by chronic inflammation or cancer.
If your cat is vomiting on a daily basis, its worth taking them to the vet to get them tested. Your vet will probably put your cat on a prescription diet and suggest other options.
If youre worried about your favourite feline but its late at night or you cant get to the vet then check out Vetster online licensed vet professionals that can do appointments online and get prescriptions delivered 24/7.
Another disease common in senior cats is hyperthyroidism. This is caused by a tumor in the thyroid gland which causes the metabolism to speed up, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and vomiting. This condition can be managed with the assistance of a vet and the right food.
Kidney failure can also cause vomiting as well as a number of other worrying symptoms. When your cat gets older the kidneys stop working so well. Cats are tough little creatures but kidney failure can knock even the strongest feline.
You should test your cats kidney and thyroid function once a year. Picking up kidney insufficiency early on can help manage potential kidney failure.
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My Cat Will Not Eat After Vomiting
Most cats will behave normally after vomiting. Exceptions can occur if the vomiting was painful or frightening. Your cat may associate food with these negative experiences. Ways to encourage a cat to eat include:
- Serving food with a strong scent, such as seafood
- Offer meat-based baby food
- Pour meaty broth or tuna juice over food
Encouraging a cat to eat can be a slow process. Your cat needs to build trust in its food again. Your cat needs to eat within 24 hours.
Cat Vomiting: Overeating In Cats
The final reason your cat is vomiting could be due to overeating or eating too fast. When a cat overeats too quickly their stomach becomes overloaded and is unable to function properly, resulting in a cat vomiting undigested food right after eating. If you are asking yourself Why does my cat keep vomiting after eating? and you believe that overeating may be the primary cause, there are some way in which you can fix this. Interactive feeders for cats, for example, forces a cat to eat more slowly. If your cat eats too much too quickly, this cannot be ignored. Overeating can result in obesity in cats.
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Why Is My Cat Throwing Up Its Food
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Vomiting is not normal in cats, and when your cat vomits undigested food, it can be a sign of a serious illness. Vomiting itself is what is considered to be a nonspecific symptom. It could be associated with an array of health concerns. Some of these can include things like hairballs, internal obstructions, pancreatitis, eating too quickly, constipation, indigestion, parasitic infections, poisoning, stress, depression, or even anxiety. But what could be causing your cat to vomit undigested food specifically?
Causes Of Chronic Cat Vomiting
We want to make sure our readers understand that no kind of vomiting is considered to be normal, despite what you may have heard. Some reasons behind the vomiting are less severe than others, but no vomiting should be overlooked entirely.
In cases of chronic vomiting, pet owners should be on high alert, as continued vomiting can signal an unresolved medical condition.
Dietary Causes
Food intolerance and food allergies can cause chronic vomiting. Pet owners may not realize that their beloved cats and dogs can develop allergies just like people.
In fact, food allergies are often the underlying cause of cat vomiting that occurs intermittently over a long period of time.
If your cat has normal energy levels, is a healthy weight, and doesnt appear ill but throws up from time to time, you may want to look into whether they have developed a food allergy.
Over time, a cats digestive system can become sensitive to an ingredient and actually mount an immune response against that ingredient. This response can inflame the digestive tract and possibly lead to the development of food allergies.
Removing the offending protein from the diet is the best way to prevent vomiting due to food allergies. A food elimination trial, which is a lengthy and sometimes expensive process, will help your veterinarian determine which protein is causing your cats food allergies.
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Kidney Failure In Older Cats
A senior cat throwing up can be a symptom of kidney failure. After working 24/7 for 12-plus years, the kidneys begin to wear out. For most cats who live 15 years or more, kidney failure writes the last chapter in the cats medical history.
The kidneys job is not to make urine it is to get rid of waste products that are in the blood. When the waste products exceed the high end of the accepted normal range, we say the cat is in kidney failure.
To measure kidney function, we often look at two waste products in the blood: creatinine and the blood urea nitrogen. When they become elevated, the cat has lost about 75 percent of kidney function. That is the bad news. The good news is that cats are not small dogs. When dogs lose 75 percent of kidney function, we use the term kidney failure. These poor creatures are in real trouble and usually do not live more than a few months. However, cats are tougher than dogs. They can live quite well when the kidney values are mildly elevated.
The key is to find out about kidney insufficiency early on, so measures can be taken to prolong kidney function. Kidney insufficiency is a stage of life in which normal kidney function has passed, but in which kidney failure does not exist. The cats annual physical examination should include blood tests for kidney function .
Why Is My Senior Cat Throwing Up Hairballs
Hairballs are normal in cats of all ages. When a cat spends time grooming, it makes sense theyll throw up a little hair now and then. The tiny barbs on your cats tongue bend backward, which means the cat is constantly swallowing its own fur as it grooms. Your cats digestive system is prepared for this, and most hair is safely passed through your cats stomach and into its poop. Occasionally the hair builds up though and cant pass through the bowels, so your cat will throw it up.
If your cat is throwing up hairballs occasionally, as long as their appetite and behavior are otherwise normal, and theres no blood or excessive mucus passing, its nothing to worry about.
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Food And Dietary Changes
When there is a change in your cats feeding schedule, if your cat misses a meal, or eats later than normal, your cat may regurgitate undigested food.
In addition, you may have switched your cats food too quickly. When changing your cat to a new diet, it is recommended to do it gradually over a one to two-week period gradually decreasing the amount of current cat food while increasing the amount of new cat food.
Your cat may eat too quickly, and this can cause regurgitation of undigested food. A cat vomiting due to eating too much is less likely but feeding your cat smaller and more frequent meals may help. You should also talk to your veterinarian about how much you feed to verify your cat is not being fed too much and is getting the nutrition they need.
Bacterial Infection Of The Gastrointestinal Tract
Another potential reason for acute vomiting is a bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal tract. Like people, cats have normal, healthy bacteria that live in their gut and help with digestion and nutrient absorption.
However, if theres an overgrowth of bad bacteria due to an infection, the normal intestinal functions are greatly affected, leading to diarrhea and vomiting.
While many bacterial gastrointestinal tract infections clear up in about a weeks time, we recommend seeking veterinary treatment for the underlying cause of the infection, as it may likely resurface if not handled appropriately.
Also, it is important to monitor your cats weight and hydration as the infection clears.
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Vomiting In The Elderly Cat: Typical Causes And Symptoms
Our elderly cat needs even more attention and checks to protect its health. Vomiting in older cats is a fairly common problem and can often cause you to worry a lot. Lets read what are the triggering causes and symptoms that must be noted in the animal.
Every owner of a pet cat will have seen, at least once, the furry one in the grip of pain and continuous bouts of vomiting. We are speaking, in fact, of a widespread disorder in the feline and which, although it may seem a temporary problem, should never be underestimated, especially if it is an elderly cat who suffers from it.
It is true that your cat can throw up after eating and get healthy again as if nothing had happened, simply from having ingested the food too quickly. But what does it mean if the hairy one who is not so young vomits often? Lets see what the probable causes of your disorder may be.
Vomiting in older cats is a chronic sign that should not be treated with indifference, as it can hide very serious pathologies due to the animals advanced age . The causes can also be linked to:
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Incorrect diet and harmful to the health of the feline
- Sudden changes in the cats diet
- Gastritis in cats
- Renal failure in the elderly cat
- Blood in the feline vomit.
When To Make A Vet Appointment
If you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, there are a few things you should consider.
How old is your cat? How is your cats overall health? Is there any chance they may have ingested something poisonous? How long has your cat been vomiting ?
We firmly believe that it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your beloved four-legged companion. Again, no vomiting should be considered normal.
If you have any reason to believe that your cats vomiting is a sign of something more severe, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
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