Is your cat throwing up clear liquid? You are right to be worried. As a pet owner, one of your priorities is to ensure that your cat is healthy. But sometimes, you might not know what to do even if you are the best pet parent in the world.
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Is it normal for cats to throw up?
Most of the time, throwing up indicates that your pet is unwell.
However, the actual cause may not indicate any serious problems. Most cat owners will convey that they have seen their pets throw up at least once. But is it normal for cats to throw up? No! At least not frequently. Your pet might be fine if it throws up just about once a week. However, you should be concerned if vomiting is more frequent.
Sometimes, throwing up might be a sign of food poisoning or parasitic infection. According to Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the symptoms a cat infected with roundworm might exhibit is vomiting.
Other times, vomiting may signify more severe conditions like cancer. So, if your cat throws up clear liquid frequently, you should see a vet immediately.
What is clear vomit?
Clear vomit means the fluid your pet throws up is transparent, in contrast to thick vomit containing many food particles. This fluid usually looks slimy and has water inconsistency. Most of the content is water or gastric juice and sometimes a few food particles.
Why is my cat throwing up clear liquid?
There are several reasons why your cat’s vomit is clear. However, this mostly happens when your pet throws up on an empty stomach. And even when your pet’s stomach is not empty, it would begin to throw up clear liquid after throwing up several times. But wait, that is not all.
Another reason why your cat may be throwing up clear liquid is due to stomach irritation. Stomach irritation often occurs when there is an excess of gastric juice and hydrochloric acids in your pet’s stomach.
This can be caused by indigestion, late meals, dietary changes, etc. Other causes of stomach irritation in cats are food poisoning, hairball ingestion, and nausea.
why is my cat throwing up clear foamy liquid?
If your cat is vomiting foamy liquid, it probably has a blockage. It could be caused by an ulcer or an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract.
Your vet will need to take x-rays of your cat’s stomach, intestines, and intestines to find out what the problem is and how to fix it.
Cats are pretty resilient, but sometimes they can get sick and throw up. When your cat is vomiting clear foamy liquid, this could be a sign of illness or stress.
If your cat vomits more than once in 24 hours or more than a day, you should consider contacting the vet to see if there’s an infection that needs treatment.
What are the possible causes for throwing up?
Over drinking water
If your cat is puking a clear watery liquid then one reason is that your cat might have drank too much water.
A clear liquid cat vomit also means that your cat is bringing up the “gastric juices of stomach” from the bile or digestive tract.
Parasites
When cats are infected with gastrointestinal parasites like roundworms and tapeworms, they may have stomach irritation. This may consequently cause nausea and vomiting in cats.
Food intolerance
The stomach of felines is unable to digest certain foods e.g., dairy products. So, if your pet consumes any food it cannot digest, it might start to throw up after.
Constipation
Constipated felines usually try to pass out their feces forcefully. They may vomit during this process.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the digestive system as a whole or in part.
This disease can cause vomiting in affected cats.
Food poisoning
Certain foods, e.g., chocolate, onion, coffee, garlic, lemon, etc., are toxic to cats.
So, if your pet ingests any of these foods, one of the symptoms your pet might exhibit is vomiting.
Cancer
In case your cat vomits white foam, it might be suffering from intestinal cancer. Report this to the vet immediately.
Foreign Objects
Ingesting poisonous plants, insects, or inedible items can make your cat discharge a clear or foamy liquid vomit.
In case your cat has ingested some object and you are aware of it, then it may require an X-Ray and surgeon’s attention.
If you’re aware of the toxin or poisonous material your cat has eaten, go to a veterinarian right away.
Meanwhile, call and open a case at the Hotline no of ASPCA Poison Control Center, on your way to the clinic or hospital, and convey everything thing you know.
Hyperthyroidism
Clear vomit may also indicate your cat has hyperthyroidism. This is a common disease in cats due to the overproduction of thyroid hormone in thyroid glands. It occurs in cats around the age of 13 or older.
Nevertheless, it can also occur in younger cats. Besides vomiting, Hyperthyroidism is accompanied by weight loss, overeating, frequent thirst, diarrhea, increased urination, and Greasy or matted hair or simply hair loss. Treatment may involve surgery, radioactive iodine therapy, and thyroid control pills.
What can I do if my cat is throwing up?
Luckily, you don’t always have to see your vet before you stop frequent throwing up in your cat.
vomiting in cats when to worry?
- If your cat is vomiting frequently within 24 hours or shorter bouts, contact your vet immediately.
- If your cat is throwing up twice or more weekly, or consistently puking clear or food every few weeks, seek your vet.
- In case the Vomit is Clear/White its fine, AN Orange, Yellow, or brown texture indicates the presence of partially digested food and bile in the stomach.
- Red or pinkish puke indicates blood in vomit and something to worry about.
Give it some water and bland food
Initially, you should give them some water and, after 12 hours, feed them a little quantity of bland food. Do this until the vomiting stops completely; after that, they can continue with their usual diet.
When they feel unwell, some cats might also have time to drink, in this case, a water or drinking fountain might be useful to help them.
Use hairball formula
If your pet ingests hairballs from grooming, vomiting can be stopped by administering a hairball formula.
This dietary change will prevent intestinal blockage by breaking down the hairballs.
Also, you should balance your pet’s diet and feed them at the right time.
See a vet
However, if your pet doesn’t stop throwing up after 12 hours, take them to see a vet immediately! The vomiting might be induced by more severe health conditions that require medication.
Conclusion
Once you know why your cat is throwing up clear liquid, you should take the proper steps to stop this. Do not give your cat poisonous food or late meals. Besides, you should pay attention to other symptoms that may indicate that your pet is sick and report to the vet immediately. The earlier you start treating your cat, the better.