Because Her Stomach Hurts and Other Reasons for Cat Vomiting
We hear a lot of questions when it comes to cats and vomiting. Questions like, “My cat vomits once every week, but seems ok otherwise. Is that normal?” Or “My kitten started throwing up yesterday, and now she won’t eat or play.”
Vomiting is almost never normal. Cats can vomit for many reasons and might have other signs as well, such as diarrhea, lethargy, or a decreased appetite. If your cat vomits, or shows any additional signs of illness, you should bring it up with your veterinarian.
Below are some common reasons for vomiting as well as tests and treatments your veterinarian might recommend.
Reasons for Cat Vomiting
Two main reasons that your cat would be vomiting are:
- Primary digestive tract issues:
- Intestinal parasites—round worms, hookworms, tapeworms, giardia
- Inflammation—inflammatory bowel disease, gastroenteritis
- Infectious—dysbosis, viral, bacterial (e.g., salmonella, E. coli)
- Cancer—intestinal lymphoma, gastric carcinoma
- Issues with other abdominal organs:
- Kidney disease—chronic kidney degeneration, kidney infection/pyelonephritis, kidney stones, cancer
- Liver disease—hepatitis, cholangitis,
- Pancreatitis
- Lower urinary tract disease—urinary blockage
As your veterinarian, we will want to know how long the vomiting has been going on for, how frequently it has been occurring, and if your cat is showing any other signs of illness, such as diarrhea, lethargy, decreased appetite, or any other abnormalities you have noticed.
Remember, you know your cat best. It can help to keep a log of the signs you are seeing, how often they happen, and what your cat is doing before and after.
We will perform a complete physical examination of your cat and recommend tests based on our findings. Oftentimes, a definite cause of vomiting is not clearly observable during the physical examination. The following tests will give your veterinarian more information about your cat’s health and function, to help determine the exact cause of your cat’s vomiting.
Bloodwork
Most likely, your veterinarian will recommend a comprehensive blood panel, urine testing, and fecal test, including:
- Complete blood counts—red cells, white cells, and platelets
- Serum biochemistry profile—liver and kidney function, protein level, electrolytes
- T4—thyroid level
- Urinalysis—urine concentration, pH, presence of bacteria, crystals
- Fecal flotation—identifies eggs and cysts from intestinal parasites
These tests provide a general picture of your cat’s overall body function. Sometimes, the cause for vomiting is apparent, or an abnormality is detected that warrants further investigation. Oftentimes, no clear abnormalities are found. This means your veterinarian can rule out many of the aforementioned causes. But if your cat is still vomiting despite normal bloodwork, urine, and fecal testing, your vet will likely recommend additional testing.
Next Steps
The next step in determining a cause for vomiting is to perform imaging studies of the abdomen. Imaging can be performed using several different modalities, including X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, and/or MRI.
Many primary care veterinary offices have an in-house X-ray machine and, therefore, can perform same-day X-ray studies. The X-ray images provide a snap shot of your cat’s insides and will show the outline of many of the major organs, such as liver, kidneys, and bladder. And although X-rays show the patterns of gas and fluid in the stomach and intestines, they do not give as much detail about the inner structure and contents of the organs, so they do not always provide a diagnosis. Your veterinarian will likely review the X-rays at the time they are taken and/or elect to have to have the X-rays reviewed by an imaging specialist.
Ultrasounds typically are performed by an imaging specialist. Some specialists can travel to your veterinarian’s office; others require referral to their facility. Ultrasound provides a real-time, moving image of your cat’s insides, including the inner structure of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and other organs. It also will show the inner contents of the stomach and intestines as well as the movements of these organs as they move digested food along.
Currently, CT scans and MRIs are available only at specialty referral hospitals. Your veterinarian will work with you and your cat to determine the most appropriate tests.
It is important to note that while performing tests to determine the cause of your cat’s vomiting, your veterinarian also will recommend treatments based on the information you provide and their physical examination findings, and will tailor those treatments further based on test results.
