Possible Causes for Your Cat Vomiting Clear Liquid

Vomiting is not normal in cats, and when your cat vomits clear liquid, it can be a sign of a serious illness. Vomiting itself is what is considered to be a nonspecific symptom. It could be associated with an array of health concerns. Some of these can include things like hairballs, internal obstructions, pancreatitis, eating too quickly, constipation, indigestion, parasitic infections, poisoning, stress, depression, or even anxiety.

Possible Causes for Your Cat Vomiting Clear Liquid

Hairballs

Cats are naturally meticulously clean animals and groom themselves for a large part of their day. As your cat grooms themselves, tiny hook-like structures on their tongue catch loose and dead hair, which is then swallowed. The majority of the hair passes all the way through the digestive tract with no problems, but sometimes the hair stays in the stomach and forms a hairball.

Commonly, cats will vomit up clear liquid prior to a hairball. Although, a cat vomiting up clear liquid with a hairball occasionally can be normal and not a concern, it is important to note that hairballs should not be frequent, painful, or difficult for your cat to pass. Some commercial cat diets and treats are formulated to help prevent formation of hairballs. Adopting a regular brushing schedule and getting your cat comfortable with brushing can also help get rid of any loose fur in your cat's coat that they may otherwise ingest when grooming themselves.

Food and Dietary Changes

When there is a change in your cats feeding schedule, if your cat misses a meal or eats later than normal, your cat may vomit up clear liquid.

In addition, you may have switched your cat’s food too quickly. When changing your cat to a new diet, it is recommended to do it gradually over a one to two-week period gradually decreasing the amount of current cat food while increasing the amount of new cat food.

Your cat may eat too quickly, and this can cause clear vomit or clear vomit with food present. If you cat is a habitual 'scarf and barf' cat or if they have intestinal sensitivities, that may be causing them to vomit up partially digested or undigested food. If your vet has ruled out other medical issues and thinks that what your cat is vomiting up is actually food, they may want you to try a food for sensitive stomachs with your cat. If your cat is still struggling with vomiting food on this special diet, they may then want to put your cat on a strict, hydrolyzed protein diet.

Your vet may also suggest food puzzles for your cat. Food puzzles are a great source of both play and enrichment for your cat. There are more and more manufactured food puzzles available on the market that stimulate both of your cat's predatory and foraging instincts. The added benefit of food puzzles for a cat that chronically vomits their food, though, is that it slows down the chow time so that a cat cannot eat too quickly and then get sick from it.

Indigestion

Just like in people, a cat's stomach produces various gastric juices as well as hydrochloric acid to digest their food. If, however, a cat skips a meal for some reason, or if they are not fed on time, that buildup of juice and acid can irritate the stomach and cause your cat to vomit. Cats with indigestion may vomit yellow foam in addition to white foam. If you and your vet suspect your cat's vomiting is from indigestion, your vet may suggest feeding small, frequent meals at the same time throughout the day so as to alleviate any buildup of stomach acid.

Gastritis

If your cat is one to get into things they shouldn't, it is possible that they have irritated their stomach with something that they have eaten. When this happens, you may see vomiting clear liquid in addition to vomiting blood and/or bile. Your cat may also be exhibiting a decrease in appetite, a depressed attitude, lethargy, or dehydration. Your vet will know just what to do if your cat is vomiting because of gastritis.

Some other causes can include:

• Parasites

• Constipation

• An obstruction of foreign material in the intestinal tract

• Ingesting a toxin

• Metabolic disorders such as diabetes, kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism

What Should I Do if My Cat Is Vomiting Clear Liquid?

Some cat owners may describe their cat as 'puke-y' but it should be noted that frequent vomiting is never normal for a cat. Vomiting more than once a week is definitely a sign of issues. If your cat is vomiting clear liquid several times and/or in conjunction with other symptoms such as lack of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, or diarrhea, you should make an appointment with your vet right away. Your vet will want to start with a physical exam, checking your cat's vital signs and palpating your cat's abdomen. After a thorough examination, your vet may also want to run some tests, including blood work and x-rays. Blood work will check your cat's organ function, making sure that there are no signs of liver disease or kidney disease, as well as your cat's red blood cell and platelet levels. An x-ray study will check for any fluid in the abdomen that could potentially be blood and it may also show intestinal gas patterns that could be indicative of a blockage.

Depending on what your doctor finds, your cat may require hospitalization for fluid therapy and supportive care, or they may just need outpatient treatments and oral medications to go home on. If your vet suspects your cat has an intestinal blockage your cat may require surgery to remove whatever the blockage is.

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Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA) - A Complication of Diabetes in Cats and Dogs

Unfortunately, as veterinarians, we are seeing an increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats. This is likely due to the growing prevalence of obesity (secondary to inactive lifestyle, a high carbohydrate diet, lack of exercise, etc.). You're probably wondering if you just had a dog or cat diagnosed with diabetes mellitus—what do you do? First, we encourage you to take a look at these articles for an explanation of the disease:

• Diabetes in Cats

• Diabetes in Dogs

This article will teach you about life-threatening complications that can occur as a result of the disease; specifically, a life-threatening condition called diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) so that you know how to help prevent it.

What is DKA?

When diabetes goes undiagnosed or difficult to control or regulate, the complication of DKA can occur. DKA develops because the body is so lacking in insulin that the sugar can’t get into the cells — resulting in cell starvation. Cell starvation causes the body to start breaking down fat in an attempt to provide energy (or a fuel source) to the body. Unfortunately, these fat breakdown products, called “ketones,” are also poisonous to the body.

Symptoms of DKA

Clinical signs of DKA include the following:

• Weakness

• Not moving (in cats, hanging out by the water bowl)

• Not eating or complete anorexia

• Vomiting

• Excessive thirst and urination (clear, dilute urine)

• Large urinary clumps in the litter box (anything bigger than a tennis ball is abnormal)

• Weight loss (most commonly over the back), despite an overweight body condition

• Obesity

• Flaky skin coat

• Excessively dry or oily skin coat

• Abnormal breath (typically a sweet “ketotic” odor)

• Diarrhea
  

In severe cases DKA can also result in more significant signs:

• Abnormal breathing pattern

• Jaundice

• Abdominal pain (sometimes due to the secondary problem of pancreatitis)

• Tremors or seizures

• Coma

• Death

What can cause DKA?

When DKA occurs, it’s often triggered by an underlying medical problem such as an infection or metabolic (organ) problem. Some common problems that we see with DKA include the following:

• Pancreatitis

• Urinary tract infection

• Chronic kidney failure

• Endocrine diseases (e.g., hyperadrenocorticism [when the body makes too much steroid], or hyperthyroidism [an overactive thyroid gland])

• Lung disease (such as pneumonia)

• Heart disease (such as congestive heart failure)

• Liver disease (such as fatty changes to the liver)

• Cancer

Diagnosing DKA

While diagnosing DKA is simple, by looking at the blood sugar levels of dogs and cats and by measuring the presence of these fat breakdown products in the urine or blood, treatment can be costly (running between $3-5000). A battery of tests and diagnostics need to be performed, to look for underlying problems listed above, and treatment typically requires aggressive therapy and 24/7 hospitalization.

Treatment of DKA

Treatment, typically, is required for 3-7 days, and includes the following:

• A special intravenous catheter called a “central line” (placed to aid in frequent blood draws)

• Aggressive intravenous fluids

• Electrolyte supplementation and monitoring

• Blood sugar monitoring

• A fast acting or ultra fast acting insulin, regular or Lispro, typically given intravenously or in the muscle

• Blood pressure monitoring

• Nutritional support (often in the form of a temporary feeding tube)

• Anti-vomiting or anti-nausea medication

• Antibiotics

• Long-term blood sugar monitoring and a transition to a longer-acting insulin

Thankfully, with aggressive supportive care, many patients with DKA do well as long as pet parents are prepared for the long-term commitment (including twice-a-day insulin, frequent veterinary visits to monitor the blood sugar, and the ongoing costs of insulin, syringes, etc.).

Preventing DKA

By following your veterinarian’s guidelines and recommendations you can help regulate and control your pet’s diabetic state better and monitor your pet carefully for clinical signs. For example, if your pet is still excessively thirsty or urinating frequently despite insulin therapy, they are likely poorly controlled and need an adjustment of their insulin dose (of course, never adjust your pet’s insulin or medications without consulting your veterinarian).

When in doubt remember that the sooner you detect a problem in your dog or cat, the less expensive that problem is to treat. If you notice any clinical signs of diabetes mellitus or DKA, seek immediate veterinary attention. Most importantly, blood glucose curves (when a veterinarian measures your pet’s response to their insulin level) often need to be done multiple times per year (especially in the beginning stages of diabetes mellitus).

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian.

Related reading:

• Diabetes in Cats

• Diabetes in Dogs

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Can Cats Get Breast Cancer? Learn About Mammary Tumors in Cats

What is a mammary tumor (breast cancer)?

A mammary tumor develops as a result of abnormal replication of the cells that make up the breast tissue. Mammary tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). These two forms of the disease have different diagnostics, treatments, management, and prognosis. In cats, the vast majority of mammary tumors are malignant.

There are several different types of mammary tumors, with carcinomas being the most common. Carcinomas often arise from the tubules of the mammary glands, or other cells found in the mammary chain.

There are several other kinds of cancers that can affect the mammary glands, including osteosarcomas.

What causes this cancer?

The exact causes for the development of mammary tumors in cats are not fully understood. However, exposure to the female reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone, increases the risk for mammary cancers in cats. It is hypothesized that under the influence of hormones, the cells of the mammary gland enlarge, progress to a pre-cancerous state, and continue to grow until they transform into a carcinoma.

The incidence of these tumors is related to hormone status, specifically whether a cat is intact or has had an ovariohysterectomy (i.e., has been spayed). Sexually intact cats have a 7-fold increased risk for mammary tumors compared to spayed cats. Early spaying helps to prevent the development of these tumors. Cats that are spayed before 6 months of age have only a 9% percent risk of developing mammary tumors, whereas the risk increases to 14% in cats spayed between 7 and 12 months. Male cats rarely develop mammary tumors.

Age and breed also play a role in tumor development. Mammary cancers are seen mainly in middle-aged to older cats (around 10 years of age). Siamese cats appear to be predisposed and are typically younger when diagnosed. Obesity may play a role in tumor development as well.

What are the signs that my cat has this type of tumor?

The most common clinical sign of a mammary tumor is one (or more) palpable masses (nodules) underneath the skin of the abdomen. They may be next to or within the nipple and follow along the mammary chain. The size of the mass(es) and their appearance may vary, but they are usually firm and nodular. Occasionally the skin over the mass may ulcerate (open) and bleed, and the affected area may feel warm to the touch and become painful. Your cat may tend to lick and groom the area excessively, and a strong odor can result as the exposed tissue becomes infected.

If the tumor has metastasized (spread to other areas of the body), other signs may become evident. Your cat may generally feel unwell, eat less, become lethargic, and lose weight. If the lungs are involved, your cat may have problems breathing or develop a cough.

Multiple tumors are common at the time of diagnosis.

How is this type of tumor diagnosed?

These tumors are typically found as either singular or multiple nodules along your cat’s abdomen during a physical exam. Other procedures are then performed to determine the type of tumor and whether it is benign or malignant.

A common procedure to diagnose this tumor is a fine needle aspiration (FNA). FNA involves taking a small needle with a syringe and suctioning a sample of cells directly from the tumor and placing them on a microscope slide. A veterinary pathologist then examines the slide under a microscope.

In some cases, results from FNA may not be entirely clear and removal of the entire tumor may be necessary. Pieces of the tumor are then examined by a veterinary pathologist under a microscope. This is called histopathology. Histopathology is not only helpful to make a diagnosis but can indicate whether it is benign or malignant, and therefore how the tumor is likely to behave.

Given the risk of metastasis (spread to other areas of the body) with malignant mammary tumors, your veterinarian may also recommend staging (searching for potential spread to other locations in the body). This may include bloodwork, urinalysis, X-rays of the lungs, and possibly an abdominal ultrasound. Lymph nodes associated with the mammary glands may be sampled by FNA even if they seem normal.

How does this cancer typically progress?

The way this cancer progresses is entirely dependent on the type and size of the tumor(s), and whether metastasis has occurred. Larger tumors (greater than 2 cm) and those with evidence of spread have a poor prognosis. If the histopathology report shows tumor cells invading the local blood vessels, this also carries a poor prognosis. Detecting and treating these tumors when they are small and prior to metastasis provides your cat with the best chance of long-term control. Tumors smaller than 2 cm carry the best prognosis.

What are the treatments for this type of tumor?

Surgery is by far the best treatment for cats with mammary tumors. Depending on whether there is a single mass present, or several masses a single chain mastectomy (removal of one side of the breast tissue) or double chain mastectomy (removal of both sides, with each mastectomy performed at a different time) will be performed. Depending on the tumor size and other factors, chemotherapy is typically pursued afterward, especially given the high metastatic rate in these tumors.

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Road Safety and Traveling with Pets

A study provided by Volvo Car USA and The Harris Poll revealed that allowing pets to roam unrestrained on road trips led to significantly more unsafe driving behaviors, more time spent distracted, and increased stress on both the drivers and their pets.

Some of their findings include:

• 4 in 10 millennials choose a weekend getaway with their dog than their partner

• 32% of pet owners have left a dog at home because they felt their car was not safe enough

• 77% of Americans say people don't take vehicular dog safety seriously enough

It’s well established by now that our pets are essential members of the family, but many pet owners aren’t keeping their safety in mind when driving with them too. Volvo’s report followed 15 drivers and their dogs for more than 30 hours on the road to examine how driving with an unrestrained pet affected driving behavior vs. when an owner used a restraint (pet seat belts, harnesses, crates, carriers, etc).

What Happens With Pets Allowed to Roam Freely

Unsafe driving behaviors more than doubled. 649 instances while unrestrained vs. 274 while restrained. This includes climbing on a driver’s lap or hanging their head out of the window.

Time spent with drivers distracted more than doubled. 3hrs 39 mins spent unrestrained vs. 1hr 39 restrained. This includes dogs jumping from seat to seat or taking the drivers’ eyes off of the road.

Stress on both drivers and pets increased. Heart rates were likely increased for both people and pets. Unrestrained dogs measured a heart rate 7 beats per minute faster. Drivers felt calmer when dogs were buckled in, with heart rates dropping as much as 28 and 34 beats per minute.

The study further illustrates the dangers to all passengers, human and canine, when pets are not restrained. While pets roaming around the car can be cute and convenient, it poses serious risk for both drivers and their pets, both in terms of causing distractions and increasing the chances of serious injury in the event of an accident.

How to assure a safer road trip with pets

1. Don’t drive with your pet in the front seat. In the event of a collision, a dog or cat can be thrown from the seat into the windshield, even if restrained. Unless the passenger side airbag is disengaged, the airbag deployment can be dangerous to a small pet.

2. Never drive with your pet on your lap. It is not only a serious distraction to driving, bu the pet can get caught under the steering wheel and cause and accident or can be projected forward in the event of a collision.

3. Never drive with your pet unrestrained. In addition to being a distraction, an abrupt can cause the pet to fall quickly and cause soft tissue injury or worse. In the event of an accident, pets can jump from the vehicle and go into moving traffic and be hit by other vehicles or get lost in an unfamiliar area.

4. Never allow your pet to lean out of a car window. Debris can be forced into their eyes and cause abrasions or punctures to the cornea / eye, which can result in blindness.

5. Never leave your dog unattended in a vehicle. Depending on the breed, level of anxiety, and ambient temperature, some people may be tempted to keep their pet in the car while running a short errand. Even in cooler months, never leave your dog unattended in your vehicle, no matter how short of a period, to avoid extreme temperatures and heat stroke / hypothermia.

With these tips in mind, we wish everyone safe, future road trips with their pets!

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How can you tell when a cat is in pain?

Assessing pain is a complicated challenge, especially in cats. Pain has two primary components: the sensory aspect (intensity, location and duration) and the affective aspect (emotional toll).

Because pain assessment is somewhat subjective, veterinarians constantly try to create tools that make this process more objective. For validity, any pain measuring tool should take into consideration both characteristics: the sensory and the affective.

Signs of pain in cats

A British study was recently conducted in order to reach a consensus about criteria when evaluating pain in cats. Ultimately, 25 signs were considered to be reliable and sensitive for indicating pain in cats, across a range of different clinical conditions:

Top 5 Signs:

• Appetite decrease

• Avoiding bright areas

• Growling

• Groaning

• Eyes closed

Other signs included: Lameness, difficulty jumping, abnormal gait, reluctant to move, reaction to touch, withdrawing/hiding, absence of grooming, playing less, overall activity decrease, less rubbing toward people, general mood, temperament, hunched up posture, shifting of weight, licking a particular body region, lower head posture, eyelids tightly shut, change in form of feeding behavior, straining to urinate, tail flicking

The top 5 signs are indicative of severe pain. Behavioral changes, such as irritability, tend to be seen with more long-term pain. The other signs can be observed with less intense pain. All of these signs cover both the sensorial and the emotional aspects of pain.

What if you see these signs of pain in your cat?

Cat owners should be aware of these signs. It is easy to mistakenly attribute behavioral changes, such as absence of grooming or playing less, as signs of aging; they can actually be signs of pain.

Remember, the presence of any single one of these 25 signs means pain. If you see any of these signs in your cat, see your veterinarian right away. Also remember that the absence of a sign does not mean your cat is no pain.

These signs may help both vets and cat guardians better assess the pain status of cats in their care.

While it can be fairly easy to recognize severe pain, it is much more difficult to detect low grade pain. The criteria above are a great start. Hopefully, this research will spark more studies to help us assess mild pain in cats as well to ensure their well-being.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian— they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

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