Cat Throwing Up Foam (9 Interesting Facts)

In this article of “Cat throwing up foam” we will cover diseases and conditions in which cats are throwing up foam and possible treatment and prevention of vomiting in cats.

Cat throwing up foam

If your cat is throwing up foam it is probably the bile. Bile is a substance produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It helps in digestion. It is greenish or yellowish in color and is acidic in nature. If your cat has other clinical signs like diarrhea, weight loss, and anorexia along with vomiting then you should seek veterinary help.

The main cause of cat throwing up foam is bile leaking from the stomach. Bile primarily acts in the intestine to digest food.

Signs of a cat throwing up foam

Common signs of a cat throwing up foam are lip licking, excessive swallowing, drooling, and contractions of abdominal muscles and diaphragm.

Your cat will also lose interest in food and will like to be in quiet places.

Common causes of cat sickness

There are many causes of cat sickness but the most common include dangerous human food like chocolate and onions. Dangerous substances like plants, anti-freezing agents, and human medications. The causes also include ingestion of foreign bodies like fur, ribbon, rubber bands, and strings.

Your tabby cat is not like a dog that he shouldn’t eat what is not best for them. He will eat what he likes to eat.

Cat vomiting hairballs

Cats have the habit of licking themselves because they are clean animals. They keep themselves clean by removing the dirt by licking. Sometimes it happens that while licking they swallow their loose fur.

The loose fur gradually builds up in their stomach to become a furball that hinders digestion and sometimes causes blockage of the intestinal tract.

The main cause of cat swallowing hairballs is fastidious grooming practices. If you do not groom your cat regularly the cat may end up swallowing fur and throwing up foam.

What you should do if your cat is throwing up foam?

Following are some guidelines for the cat owners when their cat is throwing up foam:

Do not give food to your cat for two hours and give only water.
Offer one or two teaspoons of cat food or you can give them low fat cooked food like white fish and chicken
If they take this food give them a small amount of food every few hours for one day
Then slowly revert to your original routine of eating

If the above guidelines didn’t work visit your nearest vet.

What should you expect from the vet?

Your vet will perform a clinical examination and ask you questions about the behavior of your cat and your observation about the cat’s diet and physical activity. The vet may perform certain tests like urine analysis, X-ray, and ultrasonography.

The likely treatment is fluid therapy and if the infection is suspected he will give your cat antibiotics. He may also prescribe an anti-vomiting agent also called antiemetics so that your cat doesn’t vomit again. If he suspects a foreign body in the ultrasonography he may perform surgery to remove the foreign body from the stomach or the intestine.

How to prevent sickness?

You can prevent your cat from throwing up foam by removing harmful food and removing all the harmful objects from his environment.

You can also groom your cat regularly to minimize any kind of fur ball swallowing.

Diseases or conditions that cause vomiting

Several diseases cause a cat to throw up foam. Some of the common diseases or conditions are:

1-Pancreatitis

Cats can suffer from pancreatitis as it affects dogs and other species like that of human beings. It could be because of several other diseases like Gastrointestinal disturbances, diabetes, or liver disease. Other signs of pancreatitis are lethargy, low body temperature, and weight loss.

If your vet suspects pancreatitis he will give fluid therapy and in case of any infection, he will give antibiotics.

2-Diabetes

The common clinical signs of diabetes in cats are increased drinking of water and increased urination along with dehydration and weight loss. If you see these clinical signs do not delay visiting a vet.

Depending upon the severity of the disease the vet will either start insulin therapy or a diet change.

3-Hepatic insufficiency

The common clinical signs of hepatic insufficiency are weight loss, vomiting, and loss of appetite. If you see these signs then probably your cat is suffering from liver disease. Other signs are jaundice and yellowing of sclera( white part of the eye).

The clinical signs of liver disease are managed but the disease is not curable. Your vet will create a treatment plan that will bring peace to your cat.

4-Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is sometimes called inflammatory bowel disease and it is the most common cause of vomiting in cats.

The other clinical signs in the case of inflammatory bowel disease are diarrhea and chronic decompensation. If the veterinarian suspects the inflammatory bowel disease then he will recommend further lab tests to confirm the disease. After the results of the diagnosis, he will prescribe a treatment.

5-Hyperthyroidism

Another cause of vomiting is increased thyroid activity often called hyperthyroidism. Other clinical signs in the case of hyperthyroidism are weight loss despite eating and drinking properly, increased urination, diarrhea, and excessive vocalization.

If your vet sees these clinical signs he will run further hormonal tests to check the activity of the thyroid gland and if the diagnosis confirms hyperthyroidism then he will talk to you about the daily plan of medication to keep your cat healthy.

6-Renal insufficiency

Chronic kidney disease is also a cause of vomiting. Other signs include dehydration, change in urine output, urine color may change, loss of appetite, and dullness. Kidney disease is also not treatable like that of hepatic insufficiency.

If your vet suspects chronic kidney disease he will run further tests to confirm it like that of urine analysis and complete blood count(CBC). This will give him an idea about the severity of the disease.

You can also talk to your vet and he will suggest some daily practice to keep your pet healthy and decrease the severity of the disease.

7-Parasites

If you have a kitten showing signs of vomiting and diarrhea having no deworming history then probably the cause of vomiting is unchecked parasite infestation. In the case of a blood parasite, the possible sign is anemia, blood in the stool, and severe pain in the gastrointestinal tract.

A stool sample can give you an idea of the worms in your kitten’s gastrointestinal tract and a blood sample analysis will give you an idea of blood parasite infestation.

After diagnosis, your vet will prescribe a drug for a deworming schedule depending upon the results of the tests.

In gastrointestinal diseases, the cat will throw out undigested food covered in mucus.

Minor causes of a cat throwing up foam

Minor causes of vomiting are Kennel cough which is most common in dogs. Dogs throwing out are common in kennel coughing along with gagging and coughing. A puppy can be affected by kennel cough although it is a problem for adult dogs.

Minor causes also include skipped meals. When your cat prepares himself for eating a meal, the cat’s stomach releases bile and gastric acid to prepare the stomach for digestion. In case the meal did not arrive in time, the gastric acid irritates the stomach of the cat and causes digestion of the inner lining of the mucosa.

In many cases, it can cause ulcers in the stomach. Ulcers are very painful for cats and for other animals too. So you need to keep the schedule tight and try to deliver food on time.

Another minor cause of vomiting is excessive eating. Too much eating or greedy eating can also cause vomiting. The stomach has the capacity to digest only a fixed amount of food. In case the cat eats too much of his favorite food then possibly the stomach will throw out extra food from the stomach.

You need to provide him a fixed amount of food that his stomach can digest. It is better to create a diet plan and feed your pet according to this diet plan.

Conclusion

In this article of “Cat throwing up foam” we discussed the possible reasons for cat vomiting. We also discussed the type of vomit in different diseases like that of vomiting yellow foam in the case of bile.

Feel free to ask anything about “Cat throwing up foam” in the comment section below.

FAQ; Cat throwing up foam

Frequently asked questions of “Cat throwing up foam” are:

Why is my cat throwing up white foam and clear liquid?

Your cat is throwing up white foam because he may be suffering from gastritis. If your cat eats what he shouldn’t eat then you will probably see white foam coming out of his mouth. The cat may be vomiting blood or bile. You need to determine the cause of vomiting.

When should I be concerned about my cat vomiting?

You should be concerned about your cat throwing up foam when it is happening twice a day for two to three days. You should be concerned about it when your cat is not eating or is tired more often. You should be concerned about your cat’s health when you see blood in vomit.

How do you settle a cat’s upset stomach?

Following are some guidelines to keep settle your cat’ upset stomach:

Do not change the food of your cat
If you want to change food change it gradually
Always seek the recommendations of a veterinarian in this regard
Mix rice with the food for better digestion
Don’t feed your cat leftovers or table scraps
Always feed your cat a balanced diet

Why is my cat throwing up pink foam?

Your cat is throwing up pink foam because it is coming directly from the lungs and not from the stomach therefore you should look for respiratory diseases and not gastrointestinal diseases. The vomit from the lungs may be white, pink, or tinged with blood.

What does the color of cat vomit mean?

The color of vomit identifies the site of infection whether it is the stomach, lung, or intestine. This helps the veterinarian to identify the cause of the disease and help the veterinarian in prescribing drug therapy and offer other recommendations.

Is it normal for a cat to throw up every day?

No, it is not normal for your cat to throw up foam every day or even it is not normal for a cat to throw up several times in a month. There could be several causes of throwing from hairballs to ingesting a toxin or another foreign body. You should properly monitor your cat.