How To Cure Cat Stomach Upset
Detecting whats behind your cats vomiting is crucial, and that means a trip to the vet. A cat who throws up multiple times in a day or who has not eaten in 48 hours needs to see a vet immediately.
Dr. Arguelles says, Veterinarians have anti-nausea medication that can be given as an injection or as an oral tablet as well as medications to help with diarrhea and poor appetite. A temporary switch to a bland diet may be recommended until the cats symptoms subside.
In some cases, a veterinarian will recommend heartworm medicine for cats or a prescription dewormer for cats. A cat that is vomiting more than once per month should be examined by a veterinarian, who will dewormor recommend your cat be on monthly prevention with Revolution, Advantage Multi or Heartgard, says Dr. Arguelles. Many heartworm medicines for cats also kill some of the intestinal parasites that can cause cat stomach upset.
She says a vet may also recommend abdominal radiographs to check for an obstruction, foreign body or other problem, or lab work to seek underlying metabolic causes of vomiting, such as kidney disease and hyperthyroidism.
Dr. Rondeau says if your cat has just started vomiting or is suddenly lethargic, wont eat or is hiding, definitely bring him to the vet. But we also see a lot of cats with chronic vomiting In those cases, maybe they arent lethargic, but the owners notice some vomiting and see the cat has lost weight for those, it is definitely time to check with the vet.
Why Does My Kitten Have An Upset Stomach
Intestinal parasites: are especially common in kittens. If your cat has a swollen belly, it is likely to be infested with parasites that, in more severe cases, can cause diarrhea, vomiting or anemia. For more, read about intestinal parasites in cats. Infectious diseases: such as panleucopenia, also more common in kittens.
What Causes Upset Stomach In Dogs
There are dozens of potential causes of your dogs upset stomach. The most common reasons are the same ones humans would have an upset stomach.
These include eating something he should not have eaten or eating too fast right before playing or exercising.
Stomach issues may also be due to parasites, viral or bacterial infections, or a range of other conditions.
Your dog may get an upset stomach if there are issues with his kidneys, liver, stomach, digestive system, or other organs.
A dogs upset stomach can also be from diabetes, cancer, or a range of other conditions.
As you can tell, some of the causes of a dogs upset stomach are minor and nothing to worry about. Others are much more serious.
That is why dog owners should always take their pup to the vet for upset stomachs that last more than a few days.
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Cat Diarrhea: When Is It Serious And How Do I Stop It
One of the most common problems we see in veterinary medicine is gastrointestinal upset/diarrhea. Depending on your cats lifestyle, you may or may not be readily aware of the details of her bathroom habits. In addition, cats are very fastidious about grooming so the tell-tale signs of diarrhea may be missedespecially in the early stages. For this reason, routine veterinary visits are important. If you do notice your cat has diarrhea between visits, what could be the cause? When should you worry and consult your veterinarian? What can you do at home? Ill discuss these answers here. What are the causes of cat diarrhea?This would be an exhaustively long list if we went into everything that can cause your cat to have loose stools, but here are some of the general categories:
How may you be able to help stop cat diarrhea?Because there are so many potential causes of diarrhea in cats, you should check with your veterinarian if your cat is having it regularly. Obviously some of these causes need specific therapy, but some of the others may resolve on their own with simple, supportive care. In those cases what might your veterinarian advise you can you do at home?
Generally, if your cat had one somewhat soft stool but is still happy, playful and eating normally, you can probably safely wait to see what the next bowel movement looks like before taking any major steps. Some of the red flags that should make you more concerned are:
- Loss of appetite
What Is The Symptomatic Treatment For Acute Vomiting
Non-specific symptomatic treatment is often prescribed initially in mild cases of acute vomiting. Your veterinarian will usually advise you to feed your cat an easily digested, bland diet in small quantities given frequently. A veterinary prescription diet specifically formulated to be easy to digest is often recommended. Alternatively, a specific home-cooked diet may be recommended. It is important that the cat does not receive any other foods other than what your veterinarian advises during this period.
“Water should be freely available and is important to prevent dehydration.”
Water should be freely available and is important to prevent dehydration. If the cat is improving, the quantity of food offered at any one time can gradually be increased back to a normal quantity and then the cat’s normal diet can be reintroduced gradually over several days.
In some cases, your veterinarian may prescribe medication to control vomiting or relieve inflammation, for example maropitant citrate famotidine or metronidazole . This approach allows the body’s healing mechanisms to correct the problem.
If your cat does not improve with symptomatic treatment, your veterinarian may make a change in medication or perform further tests to evaluate the problem more thoroughly.
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How Is Stomach Upset In Cats Treated And Managed
Treating your cats upset stomach will depend on the underlying cause. Most uncomplicated gastritis due to food intolerance can easily be controlled by immediately stopping the new diet or food ingredient that could have triggered it. Sometimes, shifting to a highly digestible gastrointestinal diet helps further control gastritis.
Administering anti-emetic medications are also an effective way of with gastritis symptoms. Traditional anti-emetic medications like metoclopramide can help improve the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and control vomiting and nausea in cats with upset stomachs. Newer medications like maropitant help control vomiting and nausea and manage abdominal pain in cats suffering from gastritis.
Gastritis brought about by excessive gastric acid production can be controlled with different antacid medications. Aluminum hydroxide and calcium carbonate oral medications help neutralize the acidity of the stomach and control the inflammation of its lining. Medications like famotidine and ranitidine act on the acid-producing cells of the stomach and control the amount of acid these cells produce.
For gastritis due to a more systemic underlying cause like kidney or liver disease, signs of upset stomach like nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting can be treated symptomatically with the medications mentioned above. But its important to address the underlying condition to completely manage the signs of gastritis.
What To Feed A Cat With An Upset Stomach
See files for Cats
As cat caregivers we must know that, sometimes, our feline may manifest some digestive tract problems. Causes of upset stomachs in cats vary. Treatment will always depend on the cause. If your cat is suffering from an upset stomach, diarrhea or vomiting, we recommend consulting a veterinarian as soon as possible.
If your cat does have an upset stomach, diet is one of the first things you can change to help. Are you looking for the perfect home remedies for stomach pain in cats? If so, youve come to the right place. For more about what to feed a cat with an upset stomach, keep reading here at AnimalWised for our best home remedies!
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Change Your Dogs Water More Frequently
Water that sits around in your dogs water bowl can get stale and even start growing bacteria from your dogs saliva.
Studies show that some pet bowls are also making our dogs sick, and its better to use a stainless steel bowl than plastic ones.
Also, ensure your dog always has fresh cold water to drink. Note that not all tap water is safe for dogs.
While it may not necessarily cause stomach issues, hard tap water can have health consequences like urinary health issues, according to a 2016 study.
If you have access only to hard water at home, youll need to switch to bottled water or distilled water kept in the fridge, so its always cool.
Distilled water is very inexpensive and is much better for dogs than hard water from the tap.
What Are The Main Causes Of A Cat Being Sick
While cats dont have the same reputation as dogs for scavenging, some do habitually eat things they shouldnt.
Common causes of cats being sick include swallowing foreign objects such as pieces of string, rubber bands and ribbons, dangerous human foods such as onions and chocolate, and poisonous substances such as antifreeze, plants and human medications.
Internal parasites and serious diseases such as cancer or diabetes are also reasons for cats throwing up. If your cat is being sick regularly, there may be an underlying problem that will need to be diagnosed by your veterinarian.
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How Do I Know If I Should Take My Cat To The Vet
If your cat is vomiting periodically or infrequently, avoid giving your cat any food for about 12 hours. Provide kitty with a couple of tablespoons of water every 30 minutes or provide them with ice cubes during this brief fasting period. After 12 hours begin providing your cat with small amounts of bland food and gradually return to normal feeding if vomiting has stopped.
If your cat is experiencing repeated bouts of vomiting, you should contact your vet immediately. Continuous or severe vomiting could be a sign that your cat is seriously ill and requires immediate treatment. Contact your vet if your cat displays any of the symptoms below:
- Repeated vomiting
How Do I Recognize Vomiting
Vomiting may begin with a stage of nausea, in which the cat appears restless, and possibly anxious. The cat may lick its lips, salivate, and repeatedly swallow. Vomiting itself involves forceful contractions of the abdominal muscles, leading to expulsion of fluid, froth, or food. The severe effort associated with vomiting may be distressing to the cat.
It is important to differentiate this from the abdominal contractions associated with coughing. Cats may cough up some froth or foamy material that they subsequently swallow. Cats usually crouch down on all four legs when coughing with the neck stretched out. It is helpful if you can show a video to your veterinarian of your cat exhibiting the behavior so they can help you distinguish coughing versus vomiting.
“It is also important to differentiate vomiting from regurgitation.”
It is also important to differentiate vomiting from regurgitation, which is usually associated with problems affecting the esophagus and is a more passive process. Features that help to differentiate vomiting from regurgitation include:
- vomiting typically involves abdominal contractions and effort
- regurgitation typically occurs quickly without abdominal contractions
- regurgitation often occurs right after eating or drinking
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Hairballs: How To Treat & Prevent
One of the most common causes for nausea and vomiting in cats can be linked to hairballs, a naturally-occurring phenomenon that most cats experience. Although an occasional hairball isnt reason for concern, excessive hairball production and sickness should be addressed promptly.
If your cat displays the following symptoms, contact your vet immediately, as a hairball may result in a life-threatening blockage:
- Ongoing vomiting, retching, gagging, or hacking without producing a hairball
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
Grooming: An easy way to prevent hairballs is to groom your cat frequently, which simply entails brushing your cat often. By removing excessive hair and dead skin, you can actually improve his digestive health because cats are self-cleaning animals, they lick dead fur, debris and any microorganisms that may be living on their skin and coat.
If you practice good grooming and notice hes still coughing up an abnormal amount of hairballs accompanied by vomiting, its best to consult your veterinarian for advice. For pet owners who find it difficult to groom their cat , you may want to consider the services of a professional groomer.
Hairball products: For acute cases of hairballs in your furry feline, you may want to consider a specially-formulated product designed for relief. The majority of these products contain gentle laxatives that allow hairballs to pass more easily through your cats digestive system.
Does Your Cat Have Tummy Troubles
An upset stomach is more common in cats than you might think. But how can you tell if it’s a serious problem?
Every cat owner recognizes the warning signs of an upset feline stomach: the mournful meow, gagging, and heaving retch. But in a flash, the cat seems to snap back to good health while you’re left scrubbing the carpet.
The scenario is a familiar one for Cynthia Bowen of Cleveland, Ohio. As the owner of four Maine Coons, Bowen has cleaned her share of messes. “It would happen every couple of months or so,” she says. “Otherwise, they were perfectly healthy.”
Although it’s not a pleasant subject, vomiting is something cats seem to do almost on cue. Many cat owners accept this as a natural part of owning a pet, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Knowing what triggers an upset stomach and what you can do about it will make for a better relationship with your cat.
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Fasting Or Eating Less
Food can make a cat feel worse when he has an upset stomach. Byremoving a cat’s food for 24 hour can help give his stomach time take abreak and eliminate the cause of the irritation. During the fast, a catshould have access to clean water so he doesn’t become dehydrated.Adult cats shouldn’t fast for more than 24 hours and kittens should notgo longer than 4 hours without food. If one is hesitant tomake their cat fast for a day, they can try feeding the cat smallerportions of food several times throughout the day instead of a few bigmeals. A cat may also benefit from just eating less. Cats may vomit orget upset stomachs when they eat too much or too fast.
Antacids For Cat Stomach Problems
Cat stomach problems may be mild due to food intolerance ormore severe as in the case of kidney failure. The medication variesaccording to the type of stomach problem present. Most cats exhibitgastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation andlack of appetite. Pet owners should seek medical help to determine thetype of stomach problem and its severity.
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Common Causes Of Upset Stomach In Dogs
There are many reasons your dog may have an upset stomach, though theres one common cause: they ate something they shouldnt have, says Kathy Backus, DVM, at Holistic Veterinary Services in Kaysville, Utah.
Dogs are curious like kids theyre always putting things in their mouth, she says. Vomiting and diarrhea are signs that a dogs body is trying to expel something that shouldnt be in their system. In a healthy dog, its a protective mechanism of the body thats totally normal.
These are a few things that can trigger an upset stomach in dogs:
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Ingesting something that they shouldnt
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Bacterial imbalances within the digestive tract
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Chronic conditions such as food sensitivities
What Other Treatment Or Diagnostic Testing May Be Required
If the vomiting is severe or if your veterinarian suspects a serious underlying problem, such as kidney or liver disease, more aggressive treatment may be required. It may be necessary to hospitalize your cat for intravenous fluid therapy to combat dehydration and correct any imbalances in the levels of electrolytes. In some cases, it may be necessary to administer injections to control the vomiting. In less severe cases, you may be able to treat your cat at home. You may be asked to administer fluids and special solutions at home, and if this is the case, you will be shown how to do this. You must be patient, giving only small quantities at frequent intervals. If your cat becomes distressed by home treatment, contact your veterinarian for further instructions.
“If the vomiting is severe, more aggressive treatment may be required.”
Additional diagnostic tests may be required in cases of chronic vomiting, or when the cat has been vomiting for more than two to three weeks, even though the vomiting may be intermittent and the cat may appear otherwise well. In these cases, the underlying cause must be determined in order to treat the problem appropriately. Some of the more commonly used tests are:
Blood tests may show evidence of infections, kidney and liver problems, thyroid disease, or diabetes, and may provide other clues leading to the diagnosis.
See handout “Testing for Vomitingâ for a more in-depth discussion of what other tests your veterinarian might perform.
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How Is Gastroenteritis Diagnosed
Gastroenteritis is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that your veterinarian needs to eliminate or rule out other possible causes. The first step toward finding the cause of the vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy is a good medical history.
Some key information in your cats medical history includes:
- Your cats current diet, how often you feed your cat, and how much he or she eats.
- Everything your cat ate or drank within the past 48 hours.
- Any new foods, treats, or rewards.
- Recent exposure to pesticides, medications, cleaning agents, or similar materials in your home environment.
- Recent exposure to a new animal or person.
- Previous episodes of vomiting and diarrhea .
- Any illness within the past month.
- Any chronic illnesses that your cat may have.
- Any medications, vitamins, or supplements given within the past month
Your veterinary health team may have you fill in a questionnaire prior to your visit. See handout Diarrhea Questionnaire and Checklist for Cats for an example.
After obtaining the medical history, your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical examination. Your veterinarian will look for evidence of dehydration, abdominal pain or tenderness, bloating or gas, swellings, and any other physical abnormality. Your cats temperature and other vital signs will also be checked.
At this stage, your veterinarian may recommend diagnostic testing, which could include: