Cats can be seen throwing up liquid all over the house, due to numerous reasons. This vomit can have various forms and reasons for coming out regularly. Also, the consistency and content of the vomit can vary depending on the underlying cause. One such type is seen with the cat throwing up brown liquid. This can be serious, indicting some grim health complaints requiring consultation with a vet.
At the same time vomit, is considered as a non-specific symptom, with a vague understanding of the foundation. Instead, quite a few maladies can be associated with it. This includes hypersensitivity reactions, hypothermia or hyperthermia, internal obstructions, infections of multiple types, pancreatitis, heatstroke. This can likewise find roots in psychological reasons like anxiety, stress, or depression in the cats.
What precisely causes your cat to throw up brown liquid?
If your pet has not been involved in regular vomit episodes yet comes with brown liquid, it indicates some essential issue. One needs to track down for some internal bleeding through-out the gastro tract. Some ingestion of foreign material, like a hairball, a toxin that could possibly irritate the tract, obstructing the intestine or inflaming it for such an outcome.
What are the reasons for cats throwing up?
A range of reasons might be defining basis of vomiting in your cat. Some of them could be gastric complications, while others could be non-gastric and psychological in some cases.
With Gastrointestinal grounds, the cat could be vomiting owing to the following complications:
- Ingestion of foreign particle
- Ingestion of toxins, ranging from chocolate or pesticide
- Carelessness with the diet
- Parasitic infection
- Hypersensitivity with food items
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Inflammation of the intestine or inflammatory bowel disease
- Ulceration of cancer of stomach or intestine
- Bleeding in the stomach or intestines.
- Eating something that the cat shouldn’t have eaten, such as a foreign object or a poisonous plant.
- An infection, such as pancreatitis or gastritis.
- A medication side effect.
Some other are non-Gastrointestinal origins of vomit like:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Pancreatitis
- Issues with kidney
- The peritonitis of the cat
- Neurological ailments
What are the possible causes of Cat Vomiting up Brown Liquid?
When seen with a sudden outburst of brown liquid, you might rush to the doctor. Especially if it’s not a regular thing and found with a thick-colored consistency. Under such context, the veterinarian investigates you for some questions to reach his diagnosis with the cat.
You need to think analytically and make a map in your mind. If possible track the past few months history in your mind and try to understand why your cat could be throwing up brown liquid.
When the cat is throwing up brown liquid, some of the probable inquiries shall be incorporated with either one or a blend of the following questions:
- What are recent changes brought to the cat routine?
- Any alterations made currently with the cat’s diet?
- What is the schedule and menu for the cat’s diet?
- How often the cat eats?
- Are there any special treats?
- Any utility with recent over-the-counter medications?
- What are the activities of the cat, both indoor and outdoor?
- Do you have any other pet or baby in the house?
- Any recent addition to pet or baby in the home?
- Is your cat vomiting instantly after having food?
- What is the frequency of vomiting?
- What is the consistency of the vomit?
- Declare any other symptoms along with vomiting?
- Are there any symptoms of diarrhea or weight loss?
Possible points of trigger and kinds of vomit that cats throw up?
It is imperative to have a clear identification of the type of vomit, cat throws up. The first thing that is conclusive in diagnosis is understanding the nature of vomit, consistency, color, and frequency. Below are some types of vomits along with probable cause:
- Yellow vomit
The vomit coloring from yellowish to brown hue is usually bile. With an empty stomach, the cat could be throwing up brown liquid. This is seen with the working parents, having to feed their cat in the morning, and keeping the empty stomach for many hours till they reach back home.
It could be 24 hours devoid of food, especially in cases where the cat is anorexic. In this event, food taken in encourages the gall bladder to make a contraction. Yet, with extended hours of fasting, it fails to contract and throws it away back to the small intestine and even stomach resulting in brown vomit.
- Bloody Vomits
Your cat could be vomiting blood, seen in case of ulcerations. In regular episodes, issues with stomach lining and increase in acidity could be associated with it. Clotting abnormalities or intake of toxins can also cause that. Referring vet is an optimal pick in this case.
- White Foamy Vomits
That cat can throw white foam due to gastric issues or taking the wrong stuff down the stomach. Inflammation of the intestine could also cause the same until a correct diagnosis is made by the vet.
- Clear Watery liquid
The intake of a high quantum of water leads to spilling out the entire stomach content by the cat. The issue with kidney, pancreatitis or diabetes mellitus are some core reasons for cats throwing watery liquid.
- Vomiting out with Worms
The cat could be vomiting and throwing out worms, especially roundworms. They could ingest it while playing in the dirt outdoors. Specific medications will be required in such an instance.
In this case, one needs to clean up the environment and deworm the cat using the proper treatment.
- Cats eating up swiftly
The cats that tend to ingest food at a fast pace than the normal tend to present such complications. They could turn nauseous right after gulping down lumps of food or having some agent blocking its way down the intestinal line.
- Ingesting the hairballs
Cats, during their grooming session, lick around and ingest hair. They tend to pick them all over the floor that could be in the form of a giant hairball, choking the tract. This, in turn, would be vomited out as a survival mechanism.
- Brown Colored Liquid
- Green Colored Vomit
In the case of the greenish vomit, it is a signpost for some food or content brought up by the small intestine. This is a mix of vomitus with the bile, giving it a greenish hue.
- Letting out Mucus
This happens in the case of regurgitating in the cats instead of throwing up the vomit. One thing that urges a check here is the very act of regurgitating.
- It could be just food:
Owing to intestinal sensitives to the food, food allergies, or not adjusting to commercial cat food could be the reason your cat throws up. When the vet rules out any medical complication, getting your cat under a strict hydrolyzed protein-rich diet is vital. The hydrolysis process confirms the breakage of large proteins into small digestible amino acids. In turn, it will keep the immune system from taking it as an allergen and shall keep it down for the cat’s body to absorb for energy generation instead of throwing out. Thus sometimes, a cat throwing up brown liquid is not severe at all.
How to deal with a cat throwing up brown liquid?
To cater to vomiting by your cat, you need to make series of steps to counter and resolve the matter. Below, they are explained for your understanding:
Prevention:
There are a few things you can do to help prevent your cat from throwing up brown liquid:
- Avoid giving your cat foods that they are not used to eating.
- Keep your cat’s food and water bowls clean.
- Take your cat to the veterinarian for regular checkups.
Frequency of vomiting:
Some cat owners may take this vomiting act casually, seeing cats as nauseous and pukey. But it is essential to know that vomiting twice a week is a sign of an unseen health challenge. As a matter of fact, cat puking brown vomit regularly or on daily basis needs to be checked for this abnormal activity.
Check for other symptoms:
Sometimes the cat will be not only throwing brown liquid but having other symptoms in combination with it. It could be having a lesser appetite, signs of diarrhea or constipation, laziness, or loss of vigor. Try to observe the symptoms and keep it noted to understand the patterns of the cat’s vomiting.
Below are some common combinations observed in cats throwing up brown liquid; attend the most likely model for your cat.
- Cat puking with additional symptoms:
Note and takedown for giving away the history and proper diagnosis from the vet.
- No eating and just spewing by the cat:
Commonly, cats are seen with no appetite when nauseating or retching. This could be the underlying cause of issues with some organs of the cats. The pancreas, and kidney need to be get checked under such symptoms.
- The cat vomits and is constipated:
If the cat faces difficulty defecating and stays irritated, it pushes the intestinal content out via vomiting.
- The cat vomits and has diarrhea:
This mix of symptoms reveals the signs of inflammation and soreness of either one or both small and large intestines.
- The cat vomits and is sneezing:
It is seen with the cats having both signs of vomiting and sneezing that could be a sign of infection with the upper respiratory tract. In case of acute episodes, it could be coronavirus, as prevalent in the current times, herpes, or any other virus.
- Cat vomits and dinks a lot:
Sometimes the cat can be seen with both vomiting and intense drinking routine. Usually, that is when the cat vomits after having a large slurp of water. One can get the cat checked for sugar, cancer, or issues with the kidney.
- The cat vomits and discharges poop:
The cat can have issues with the intestine attended by inflamed wall. Therefore, it may have difficulty with constipation and face urgency at times. This can result in sudden defecation of the cat with poops all over the floor.
Differentiate between vomiting and regurgitation
The vomiting by the cat could be benign and can follow, just eating at a fast pace or having stuck a hairball. Yet if the cat is seen vomiting twice a week or at regular intervals, it is essential to get it checked. This should be taken as an abnormal act by the pet owner and differentiated well between nausea, vomit regurgitation.
Animals typically are seen bringing up the ingested food up to the mouth. This can be seen by bringing back the food from the esophagus to digest it and even use to feed their young ones. However, vomiting is a whole different thing.
Understanding vomiting
Here, we shall cover vomit as an act of ejecting out the content from the stomach. Peristalsis that took the food down to the stomach goes the exact opposite, i.e., anti-peristalsis. Thus, the content of the cat’s stomach and intestine get out via the mouth. This is usually seen when food cannot be kept down or absorbed.
Refer a Vet
One needs to refer a vet to understand the problem in concern. At the laymen level, one should be aware of catering this as a serious matter. One thing that the pet owner can do is make a video and show it to the vet for a better diagnosis. Moreover, the vet shall gather history by questioning and shall refer tests to get to some conclusions.
The vet shall look into the details provided by the report and data gathered by the pet owner. Upon this, the cat shall be prescribed medicine, tools against suggested diagnosis, and a solution for a better prognosis.
Have a thorough Examination of the Cat
Once referred to the vet, one shall be referred for additional diagnostic tools to evaluate the seriousness of the problem. This may entail a series of images, including X-rays, of the internal organs of the cat. This may have the kidney, and pancreas checked, which may be involved with the vomiting episode. Some may also go for biopsy of the cat’s GIT or intestine to eliminate any doubts of bowel disease or gastrointestinal lymphoma.
Specimen of the fluid can be further evaluated, and an X-ray will magnify issues like fluid in the abdomen or blockade otherwise. A fecal test and complete blood count can be additionally made to be sure of the parasite or see the anatomy of the disease. This, in short, will give an insight into the underlying issue of the cat in concern.
Opting for hospitalization
As per the findings of the lab research, X-ray images, and the doctor’s conclusion, the cat’s fate shall be decided. One immediate action required will be to hydrate the cat via IV supply and make up for lost nutrients. If the vet suspects any obstruction or severe underlying condition, he may prescribe surgery to remove the troubling part.
Unfortunately, this needs careful supervision of a vet as very few options for the over-the-counter medications are available.
Conclusion
Brown vomit is a common problem in cats, but it is important to see a veterinarian to rule out any serious health problems. The veterinarian will be able to determine the cause of the vomiting and recommend the best course of treatment.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If you are concerned about your cat’s vomiting, you should talk to your veterinarian.