Surprising Secrets Behind Cat & Dog Vomiting: Unveiled!
Understanding the Causes of Vomiting in Cats and Dogs
1. Feeding Issues: This includes sudden changes in diet, ingestion of foreign objects, eating too quickly, food allergies, and intolerance to certain types of food.
2. Gastrointestinal Dysfunction: Chronic gastritis, parasitic infections (like large roundworms and tapeworms), impaired gastric emptying, vomiting syndrome, gastric ulcers, gastric polyps, gastric tumors, gastric dilatation, gastric dilatationvolvulus, esophageal diseases (such as esophageal tears), diaphragmatic pain, and esophagogastric intussusception.
3. Intestinal Dysfunction: Intestinal parasites, enteritis, intestinal obstruction, diffuse gastric wall tumors, fungal infections, intestinal volvulus, paralytic ileus, appendicitis, constipation, and intestinal allergies.
4. Metabolic Disorders: Diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, kidney disease, liver disease, sepsis, acidosis, hyperkalemia, hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and heatstroke.
5. Abdominal Diseases: Pancreatitis, peritonitis, inflammatory liver disease, bile duct obstruction, pancreatitis, pyelonephritis, pyometra, urethral obstruction, diaphragmatic hernia, and tumors.
6. Medications: Drug intolerance, such as antitumor drugs, cardiac glycosides, antimicrobial drugs (like erythromycin and tetracycline), and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs). Incorrect use of anticholinergic drugs and overdosing are also significant.
7. Neurological Disorders: Psychological factors (such as pain, fear, and excitement), motor disorders, inflammatory damage, edema, epilepsy, and tumors.
8. Toxins: Lead, ethylene glycol, zinc, and other toxins.
9. Other Factors: Heartworm disease in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats.
What to Consider When Your Cat or Dog Vomits
Understanding the timing of vomiting can help identify the cause:
Immediate vomiting after eating may indicate dietary issues, food intolerance, overeating, stress, or excitement, and gastritis.
Vomiting 6 to 7 hours after eating, with undigested or partially digested food, may suggest impaired gastric emptying or a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract.
It's essential to tailor treatment to the specific cause of vomiting. General treatments include removing the cause, controlling vomiting, and restoring fluid, electrolyte, and acidbase balance. In some cases, antiemetic drugs may be necessary to alleviate symptoms and reduce fluid and electrolyte loss. For conditions like impaired gastric emptying, a diagnosis may require biopsies of the gastric and intestinal mucosa.
