The majority of cat owners are all too familiar with the distinctive hacking sound made when a cat vomits. However, just because we’ve all heard it doesn’t mean it needs to be the standard. Don’t ignore this important change in your cat’s health; vomiting in pregnant cats is typically merely morning sickness or an early indicator of the disease. Why, then, is my pregnant cat throwing up?
There are many potential causes of vomiting in pregnant cats, including morning sickness and medical conditions. Because of this, you should call a veterinarian as soon as your pregnant cat starts vomiting. For more information on the causes of your cat’s vomiting and how to assist her, keep reading this article.
Is It Normal For A Pregnant Cat To Vomit?
It is true that morning sickness during the early stages of pregnancy is common for cats. Since cats cannot speak, they are unable to express their morning sickness or bloating. Unfortunately, that leaves you with no idea whether your queen cat is actually carrying a litter. Like their human counterparts, female cats can unpredictably experience morning sickness.
At the conclusion of the first month of her pregnancy, a cat may start to feel sick to her stomach. Vomiting, and lots of it, is the name of the game. Both uterine expansion and hormonal changes frequently result in nausea and vomiting. Your cat frequently vomits and loses all appetite at the same time. She may simply turn away from her dish of food, acting as if it were the most repulsive thing ever. Usually, the morning sickness phase only lasts a few days. If your female cat is vomiting and you’re not sure if she’s pregnant or not, don’t make any assumptions.
Our fluffy buddies puke for a variety of reasons, such as frequent abrupt and sudden food changes and eating too quickly. Vomiting can also be a symptom of various medical disorders, such as heartworm disease, diarrhea, and hairballs, among others. Time is of the essence when you’re unsure of what’s wrong with your child. Take her right away for a checkup at the vet. Cats who frequently vomit or experience morning sickness frequently have trouble eating. However, just like other cats, pregnant cats need to eat regularly, responsibly, and healthily. If you notice that your queen hasn’t touched her food in more than 48 hours, consult a vet immediately.
When your cat is nursing kittens, it is your obligation to monitor her wellbeing and security.
Pregnant Cat Vomiting White Foam
Your pregnant cat’s white foam vomiting could be caused by gastritis, indigestion, hairballs, or irritable bowel syndrome. If your pregnant cat is vomiting white foam, there may be a number of underlying causes, such as indigestion, hairballs, gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and more. Your vet can help you figure out what’s ailing your pregnant cat and how to make your pet feel better.
1. Indigestion
Cats produce hydrochloric acid and other gastric secretions in their stomachs to aid in the digestion of food, just like humans do. However, if they skip a meal or aren’t fed on time, the buildup of juice and acid may irritate the stomach and cause your pregnant cat to vomit. Cats with dyspepsia may also vomit yellow foam in addition to white foam.
Your veterinarian may suggest giving your pregnant cat small, frequent meals at the same time every day if you and your doctor agree that the vomiting is being brought on by indigestion. This will help prevent any buildup of stomach acid.
2. Hairballs
Every cat grooms itself by licking itself, which inevitably leads to their devouring fur. Occasionally, fur can pass through their stools, but it can also build up and make it challenging to pass. When this occurs, your pregnant cat will vomit up the hair because it needs to go somewhere. It could be the start of a hairball if your pregnant cat is passing white foam but hasn’t grown any fur yet.
To stop hairballs, there are dietary supplements sold over the counter in chewable or gel form. Developing a regular brushing practice can also help you get rid of any extra fur that your cat may ingest while self-grooming.
3. Gastritis
If your cat tends to get into things they shouldn’t, it’s possible that something they’ve eaten has irritated their stomach. When this happens, you might observe someone throw up white foam in addition to witnessing them throw up blood and/or bile. Your cat may also be exhibiting a decrease in appetite, a melancholy temperament, lethargy, or dehydration. Your veterinarian will know exactly what to do if your cat is pregnant and vomiting because of gastritis.
4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome, also referred to as inflammatory bowel disease, is one of the most frequently occurring causes of vomiting in cats. Cats with IBS may occasionally experience persistent decompensation or diarrhea. Before developing a plan to make your pregnant cat feel better, your veterinarian will want to conduct lab testing to confirm the diagnosis of IBS if they have a hunch that it affects your cat during pregnancy.
5. Pancreatitis
Just like it may afflict dogs and people, pancreatitis can harm pregnant cats. There might be both acute and chronic disorders. It may also co-exist with illnesses including diabetes, liver disease, and gastrointestinal or liver issues. Indicators of pancreatitis in cats may also include lethargy, loss of appetite, dehydration, weight loss, low body temperature, jaundice, fever, and gastrointestinal pain. If the vomiting is caused by pancreatitis, your veterinarian will likely start treating it with fluid therapy and medication.
6. Hepatic Insufficiency
Liver disease can manifest as both less severe symptoms like vomiting, anorexia, or weight loss in cats and more serious ones like jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and sclera (whites of the eyes). Although there is no treatment for liver disease, the symptoms can be managed. Your vet will create a treatment strategy to make your pregnant cat feel better.
7. Diabetes
The basic symptoms of diabetes in cats are similar to those in dogs and people: increased thirst and urination, as well as vomiting, weight loss, and dehydration. If they suddenly worsen, either alone or in combination with any of the other symptoms described, schedule a visit with your veterinarian straight once to have your cat examined. Depending on how severe your cat’s diabetes is, your veterinarian may advise starting insulin therapy or a simple diet change.
8. Hyperthyroidism
An overworked thyroid is another exceedingly common problem affecting elderly cats. In addition to vomiting, other symptoms could include loud vocalizations, excessive urination, and diarrhea. Even with increased eating and drinking, weight loss is still possible. If your senior cat demonstrates any of these symptoms, your veterinarian will request blood tests to check the thyroid hormone levels. If your cat indeed has hyperthyroidism, your veterinarian will discuss daily medication with you in order to treat the disease’s symptoms.
Pregnant Cat Vomiting Yellow Liquid
Your pregnant cat may be throwing up bile, which would explain why it appears yellow. Bile, a yellow or green liquid that aids in food digestion, is produced by a cat’s liver. Both the cat and its worried owner may find bile vomiting in cats to be a terrifying condition. Given that cats are likely to clean up after themselves, vomiting with bile may be particularly difficult for an owner to notice unless you manage to catch your cat in the process of doing so.
As a result, it could be difficult to determine the disease’s exact duration. Knowing the warning signs and symptoms of bile vomiting is essential for determining whether veterinarian assistance is needed. When a cat’s stomach is empty, bile vomiting most frequently occurs in the morning or early evening. However, it can occur at any time.
The key warning indicators to watch out for are as follows:
- Long-term occasional vomiting
- Vomiting that occurs with bile, which may be yellow, green, and/or foamy, normally contains a small amount of liquid.
- Weight Loss
- Disinterest in food; excessive drooling
There are many various types of vomiting, so understanding them is essential to figuring out when a serious situation necessitates a trip to the local vet.
- True vomiting: A cat might vomit, drool, and feel nauseous. They might also turn down food. Some people may lick their lips and go through a brief depressive episode. The abdomen tenses up substantially both before and during a puke. Your cat might choke on its own vomit.
- Regurgitation: Regurgitation is the process by which the stomach forces partially digested food back up. Cats do not experience nausea or stomach cramps. Eating too soon is one of many potential causes. You must not look at bile.
- Hairball: When your cat regurgitates or expels hairballs from its stomach, it could appear as though it is vomiting. The cat may heave for a brief period of time in an effort to expel the hairball as a result of the severe coughing, and it may also bring up some stomach fluid or regurgitated food.
- Frequently, the exact cause of bile vomiting is unknown. Any of the numerous illnesses that can be the source of the illness should be ruled out by your veterinarian.
Typical causes might include:
- Intestinal Inflammation
- Irritation of the Stomach Lining (Gastritis)
- Pancreatitis
- Cholangiohepatitis
- Improper Diet
- Parasites
- Infection
- An obstruction
- Liver Disease
- Kidney Disease
- Toxin ingestion
- Cancer
In order to identify the root of the problem, your doctor will first ask about your cat’s medical history. You must carefully note the frequency, number of episodes, and approximation of the start date of the vomiting. If at all possible, you should also collect samples of your cat’s stool and urine, as well as tell your physician the name of the manufacturer and the precise ingredients of any commercial cat food you feed your cat.
After reviewing your cat’s medical history, your veterinarian may decide to perform a number of diagnostic tests to rule out any serious, life-threatening conditions. These tests could include a urinalysis to evaluate the liver and kidneys, a full blood profile including white blood cell analysis, and a thorough physical examination. Additionally, to evaluate the movement of the stomach’s contents and for any potential obstructions, your veterinarian might use imaging tests like x-rays or ultrasounds.
What Should You Do If Your Pregnant Cat Is Vomiting?
If your pregnant cat starts throwing up, you need to get her to the doctor as quickly as you can so that any medical problems can be treated. If your cat needs veterinary care, your doctor may advise diagnostic tests to determine the cause of the vomiting. Radiography (X-rays), ultrasonography, urinalysis, electrolytes, thyroid levels, blood chemistry, complete blood counts, and other tests are examples of potential diagnostic methods. There are some basic supportive care alternatives for vomiting, however depending on the results of the tests, further treatment recommendations might be made.
Supportive veterinary care for vomiting in cats includes anti-nausea medications, subcutaneous or intravenous fluids to restore and maintain hydration, and bland diet to ease digestion. Some cats can be treated as outpatients, which means the veterinarian will carry out some procedures in the hospital before dispensing medications for your cat and sending you home. Other cats with more serious ailments might need to be hospitalized for round-the-clock care. Some cats heal more quickly than others. The underlying cause of the vomiting and the cat’s general health are usually taken into consideration while deciding this. The best person to ask for advice about your particular cat is your veterinarian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pregnant cats throw up before labor?
Yes, some cats do vomit prior to giving birth. Your cat may vomit and her rectal body temperature may fall below 99 degrees Fahrenheit. A few days prior to labor, the cat’s abdomen may “drop,” and its nipples may enlarge, darken, or change color.
Can a pregnant cat recover from vomiting yellow liquid?
It may take some time for stomach issues to go away, and your cat’s entire digestive tract may need to be reset in order to reestablish crucial balances of good bacteria. When using a prescription drug, it is essential to complete the entire course in order to fully treat the illness. For food-based treatments, following the recommended mealtime sequence and maintaining a consistent diet can help symptoms subside quickly. The results will stay a long time if the diet is modified. The majority of cats with this condition will benefit from continued treatment, whether nutritional or drug-based.
What are the behavioral changes in pregnant cats before going into labor?
Your cat may exhibit excessive vocalization, panting, excessive grooming (especially around her genitalia), and restless pacing. She’ll stop eating as well.
