As cat lovers, we get used to a certain amount of feline vomiting. Who hasn’t gotten out of bed in the middle of the night and stepped, barefoot, into a lovely pile of hairball?
Cleaning up cat vomit is something that seems to be part of the territory when you have cats as friends.
This behavior can be as benign as eating too quickly, having something in her tummy that doesn’t agree with her or even just playing too quickly after supper. But what if it’s something more serious?
We’ve put together some information in this post to help you see if cat vomiting is no big deal or something you need to see your vet about.
Frequency
The first question you should ask yourself when trying to figure out whether your cat’s vomiting is a small deal or a big issue is how frequently it’s happening. If it’s every once in a while, that’s probably no cause for concern. Yet, however, if your cat is throwing up on a regular basis you need to get to the bottom of it.
There are a host of reasons why your cat may be throwing up chronically including:
- Kidney failure
- Parasites
- Toxicity
- An ulcer
- Intestinal tumors
What to be on the Alert For
It’s time to take your cat to the vet if any symptoms persist for longer than a day. Your cat’s age will play into this decision making and it may be that your doctor wants to run some tests on her to be sure.
Your vet will ask you about the circumstances surrounding the event. Part of this question includes frequency, that’s why it’s important to keep track.
Your vet will also ask if there’s been any dehydration, blood in the vomit or change in eating and drinking behaviors.
What to Do
Your vet may suggest withholding food and water from your cat until the vomiting has been curtailed for at least two hours. Following this, if your cat has not thrown up anything more, your vet will tell you to slowly introduce water and a bland diet. This is the perfect time to baby your cat.
If the vomiting starts again, go see your vet right away. He may be able to prescribe an anti-nausea drug that will help both of you get through this period of time.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
