Your head may get clouded with various questions like why is my cat throwing up white form. Remember that cats’ behaviors can change quickly, and occasionally throwing up is quite common.
If you are wondering why your cat throws up white foam, it could also mean they are experiencing an illness.
Why Is My Cat Throwing Up White Foam?
You likely have nothing to fret about if your cat occasionally vomits white foam. If you catch your cat throwing up white foam multiple times, the reasons could be natural. Sometimes, they do not need immediate treatment or medical concerns.
According to Dr. Callie Harris, a cat throwing up foam may not always imply an illness. For instance, puking white foam may occur if they hack up hairballs from personal grooming, eat too quickly, or are active on an empty tummy.
There are various explanations for why they could be puking white foam, especially if it happens regularly. And as cat parents, paying attention to any symptoms that may be present along with your kitties throwing up is crucial.
Usually, a cat throwing up white foam indicates that its stomach is vacant. If the feline is not eating its food but appears to throw up white foam, it may be because of a blockage, food allergy, or something severe that considers a trip to the vet.
Diabetes
If you see your cat puke white foam often and they exhibit other symptoms like excessive thirst and frequent urination, they may have diabetes. It could also be a warning sign if your kitty drinks more than usual and urines less.
Depending on the severity of your kitten’s diabetes, their vet may recommend a simple diet change or start insulin therapy.
Gastroenteritis
Like humans, felines also experience gastroenteritis or upset stomachs. In less severe circumstances, mild food allergy causes this medical condition. In case you noticed your cat threw up white foam numerous times, it may have consumed contaminated food.
Gastroenteritis is a more prominent disease in outdoor kitties, especially those who hunt and consume prey. Cats get this when they eat rotten foods from a garbage can.
Hairballs
Seeing your kitten throwing up white foam without fur could be a precursor to hairballs or trichobezoars. Every cat breed grooms itself and can ingest fur while doing so. Cats pass the hair in their stool. In some cases, their coat builds up, and they vomit them up.
To prevent this, you can buy your cat over-the-counter dietary supplements they can chew. In addition, you can regularly brush their coat to reduce the amount of fur they can consume when grooming themselves.
Hepatic Insufficiency
A combination of a cat throwing up white foam and lethargic movements could be due to hepatic insufficiency. On top of that, more severe symptoms, such as yellowing skin and the whites of the eyes, can compromise the cat’s health.
This liver disease is not yet curable, but medical treatments can manage its manifestations. Your feline’s vet will prepare a treatment plan so they can start feeling better.
Hyperthyroidism
Active thyroid or hyperthyroidism is a common illness in aging cats. Aside from your cat vomiting foam, hyperthyroidism symptoms include diarrhea, excessive vocalizations, and weight loss.
If your senior feline is displaying any of the mentioned signs, the vet will run a bloodwork to verify their thyroid hormone levels. Your vet will tell you the daily medication treatment if the cat is positive for hyperthyroidism.
Illnesses
More severe illnesses, such as gastritis, can also be the reason for your cat throwing up white foam and not eating. This may be due to something they have eaten that irritated their tummies.
You may also check out other symptoms like depressive attitude and dehydration. Aside from that, if your cat has gastritis, it can puke blood and bile.
Indigestion
Does your cat throw up white foam and yellow bile? It may be due to indigestion. Cats’ bellies produce hydrochloric acid and various juices to digest their meals. For instance, if they skipped a feast or you did not feed them on time, the acid and fluid build-up can irritate their stomach.
When this happens, the vet will suggest feeding your kitten small but frequent meals at the same time daily. This lessens the build-up of stomach acids.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the primary reasons for vomiting in cats. Those who suffer from this specific syndrome can also experience chronic decompensation and diarrhea. If the vet confirms your cat has IBS, they will set up a remedy to alleviate the symptoms.
Obstructions
It is common for kitten owners to ask questions like why did my cat throw up white foam or why their cat keeps doing it. This may be due to foreign objects trapped in their bodies. Your cat may have swallowed small toys or other indigestible items.
Once these things get trapped in their gastrointestinal tract, it leads to throwing up. Furthermore, look for other symptoms like lethargy, weight loss, and blood in their pukes.
Pancreatitis
Like humans and dogs, kitties can also suffer acute or chronic pancreatitis. In addition to puking, symptoms of pancreatitis include low body temperature, fever, and abdominal discomfort. The best vet treatment here is fluid therapy and medications.
Parasites
If your young kitten has not yet been dewormed, has diarrhea, and is constantly throwing up, it may suffer from a parasitic infection. The quickest way to rectify this is to ask the vet to prescribe the appropriate dewormer and check their stool sample.
Renal Insufficiency
Like liver disease, vets cannot cure but can manage the signs of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in felines. The symptoms include increased drinking, loss of appetite, poor fur coat, and a dull mood. Supportive care at home and in the hospital is necessary if the vet diagnoses your kitty with CKD.
When Should You Be Concerned When Your Cat Is Throwing Up
You do not have to fret if your feline pet is vomiting once or twice a week or less. Cats do this occasionally, and it is normal. If your cat is vomiting more than that, visiting the vet is your best bet.
It is okay to be distressed. After all, vomiting can mean a lot of different things. A single episode of a cat vomiting white foam and not eating is not necessarily something you should worry about.
As a cat guardian, you should check your cat’s behavior and look for other clinical signs. The most significant thing to recall is that vomiting is a symptom of a disease, not the problem itself.
If they start throwing up more than usual, your little friend needs to be evaluated by the vet. Laboratory tests and physical examinations are crucial to know more about why your cat is vomiting white foam or feeling lethargic.
Aside from having your cat diagnosed, the vet will treat possible throwing-up complications. For instance, repeated puking can lead to dehydration. Your cat should undergo fluid therapy for rehydration. Vomiting felines can also develop fatty liver disease if they do not eat a fair amount of food.
Can You Treat a Vomiting Cat at Home?
Figuring out the cause of your cat’s vomiting, like asking why is my cat vomiting white foam online, may help a bit but not entirely. Home remedies may help ease the symptoms but will not treat the underlying cause.
On top of that, DIY medications at home can make things work by delaying medical treatment. Cat parents should resist the urge to use home remedies.
You cannot just buy medicines from the drugstore and hope for the best because some human pharmaceuticals are toxic to cats. Instead of curing them, it can result in medical issues even worse than the puking you hope to treat.
The best antidote here is to involve the vet and follow their professional recommendations. Identifying the cause of vomiting requires numerous rounds of testing. In some cases, cats throw up blood, which is a sign of a severe medical issue.
When to Take Your Cat to the Vet
As long as the cats are not vomiting regularly and are eating and acting normally, they are likely dealing with something minor that does not need to involve a medical professional. In some circumstances, they need only symptomatic care to get over an upset stomach.
To ensure, it is always a good idea to take your cat to the vet if they are experiencing health problems. If you are concerned about your feline’s fitness, you should call your veterinarian as soon as possible.
It is not rare for cats to throw up. You may need to take your little feline friend to the vet when they throw up white foam chronically. The vet will prescribe medication or a treatment plan to control your cat’s vomiting and contain the underlying disease. Remember that the sooner your cat gets checked, the better.
Repeated episodes of puking or throwing up accompanied by various signs of illness are your signal to call the vet. In addition, gastritis, intestinal blockage, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), pancreatitis, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, parasites, and hyperthyroidism, can be the root cause of your kitten’s throwing up white foam.
Cat owners must treat these scenarios lightly. Instead, they should see it as an emergency, as it can become life-threatening if not treated quickly.
Cats are adorable and incredible animals, but some things can cause them to vomit. While it can be benign, observing for signs of something more severe is essential. If you ask questions like why is my cat puking white foam, a trip to the vet may be necessary!=