What To Do In An Emergency
The most important thing to do when you see your cat gagging repeatedly is to check his airway, says Dr. Will Spanbock of Good Ground Animal Hospital in Hampton Bays, New York. Gently draw his tongue forward and check with a light to see anything foreign. If see something that looks long, like a string, do not pull it out get your cat to the vet immediately!
Whether or not you are able to identify anything, if your cat has been excessively gagging, a trip to the vet is required as soon as possible.
If your cat does a lot of gagging , there are a few preventives and remedies available. Brushing and bathing your cat regularly is a good start. A healthy diet, plenty of fresh water and supplements are helpful. And, your cat will like this one so is catnip!
The South Boston Animal Hospital recommends the following:
- Feed your cat oils and butters
- Give your cat hairball gel
- Give your cat anti-hairball treats
Since cats cant talk to you and tell you whats wrong, your cat gagging can be an indicator of something amiss with his health. Too frequently can be an issue get him checked out if it persists.
Ingestion Of Foreign Object
Cats are often prone to chewing on and swallowing items they should not. Because of this, they may sometimes ingest foreign objects such as pieces of string, fabric, plastic, and other items. In some cases, these pass normally in the cats stool, but in others, they may cause an obstruction that can lead to gagging.
If an item is stuck in your cats throat, he may gag without ever vomiting. If there is a blockage in his digestive system, he may gag and vomit frequently and may have a swollen abdomen as well. Take him to the vet immediately if this occurs.
Ingesting a foreign object also has the potential to cause a partial obstruction, or a linear foreign body, which can do extensive harm to your cat over time. When this happens, your cat may still be eating and drinking, but vomit or gag over time.
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:
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Why Is My Cat Dry Heaving A Helpful Guide
In this article, I am going to answer the question Why is my cat dry heaving?
Dry heaving in cats is a sign of many potential health issues. Heaving is a sign of your cat trying to eliminate a hairball.
This is common in cats and may occur once a week. The ball is not a ball, but a clump of hair that may be cylindrical in shape.
However, if the dry heaving results in vomiting and/or other symptoms then it could be a sign of a serious health problem. In this case, the answer is to go seek out veterinarian help to find the problem and treat it.
My name is Derrick and I am a writer for Simply Cat Care. This is a website dedicated to provided easy-to-read, helpful articles on all things related to cats. I have written this article based on research to give you advice for your cats problem so that you can seek the appropriate action.
A vet is the main resource needed to manage health problems in your pet. A vet is trained to diagnose and treat and is the best point of contact if you are unsure of what to do.
In this article I will cover the following:
Lets get into the article.
Dog Dry Heaving General Signs
Contents
While dry heaving itself is a general symptom, there are other signs to watch out for that can help determine its cause. These include changes in your dogs eating and drinking habits, as well as their bowel and urinary habits. A sick dog may also be more reluctant to play or move around, or seem depressed overall.
Serious signs that need an immediate visit to your vet or an emergency clinic include: struggling to breathe, the lips or gums turning pale or blue, vomiting or diarrhea leading to dehydration, blood in the stool or vomit, confusion, seizures, crying out in pain, or coma. These are all signs of a serious problem that requires immediate care.
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Go To The Vet If Your Cat Keeps Gagging
With this information, you should be more prepared to figure out whats causing your cat to gag. You can also talk more with your vet about the potential causes and treatments so you can work together with your vet to find the right solution too.
Remember that, most of the time, gagging every now and then isnt anything too concerning in cats. However, if gagging occurs often, or if your cat seems to be in a lot of distress when gagging, then this may be a sign that something more serious is going on and they need emergency care.
Speak with your vet or an emergency vet for more individual information about your specific cats needs.
Why Is My Cat Retching
Of course sometimes the cause of coughing and retching is actually a hairball. Hairballs, known to veterinarians as trichobezoars, occur as a result of cats grooming and swallowing the hair they remove. Many cats spend a good deal of their day grooming. Generally, hairballs are harmless but not always.
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Q Do Furballs Ever Need Veterinary Treatment
A Hairballs may need a prescribed medication if they cause a blockage in your cat’s intestine, but this is very rare. If your cat does seem vulnerable to developing blockages, your vet can recommend an anti-furball laxative. Its thick, sticky consistency ‘de-fluffs’ your cat’s gut by gathering up all the hair and passing it out safely in her poo. This will also remove the tickly feeling that irritates the gut and causes the cough-gag-retch reflex.
My Very Old Cat Is Dry Heaving A Lot
Hello, I am writing here because of all the overwhelming support and response that Chi got for her cat Kitty back in November of 2005 and I really need some advice/opinions from concerned fellow cat lovers.
My cat Jelika is 18.5 years old. I got her for my 12th birthday present from my parents and I just had my 30th birthday. Needless to say that this cat means the world to me. She is my beating heart.
That was just a long pre-amble to my real question because I just want you to know what a fighter she is. But for the past week or so she has started to dry heave a LOT, but oddly enough only when she starts to purrrr. My vet said she has never heard about this before and it is very strange. However the vet didn’t actually get to hear the dry heave because it is impossible to get my cat to start purring at the vet’s office! Basically she said it could be any number of things and that we should do a full blood panel and urinalysis to see if we could rule some things out. So I got the results and her blood work is actually quite good for a cat of her years except that her kidneys are in the process of failing . Her urine is quite dilute which is also a sign of kidney failure and she has lost quite a lot of weight She lost 1.5 pounds in the last 6 months. She also seems to be dehydrated, but as far as I can tell she is drinking as normal. Also her use of the litter box is normal.
Thank you from me and Jelika 🙂
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Cat Gagging: Causes And What To Do
Have you ever seen your cat gagging? Do you often wonder what causes cats to do this? Are you worried about your cat or wondering what you can do to help? If any of this sounds like you, dont worryyoure not alone, and many other cat owners have wondered the same things!
In this article, well explain some of the most common causes of gagging in cats and let you know what, if anything, you can do to help. Read through this information to learn more about this concerning cat behavior.
Reasons Your Cat May Be Dry Heaving
There are a wide variety of reasons your cat may be repeatedly dry heaving, some less serious than others. Here are two of the most common reasons and a list of other, more serious, potential causes for dry heaving in your cat.
Dry heaving, in particular, can be a relatively generic symptom. It is associated with a wide range of conditions and diseases.
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Heart And Lung Problems
As with bordetella, heart and lung issues are non-gastrointestinal-related problems that can cause dry heaving in dogs. Heart and lung issues can cause irritation, fluid build-up, or obstruction of the respiratory or circulatory tract. This can lead to symptoms such as dry heaving, coughing, exercise intolerance , lethargy, vomiting, and more. If your dog is having trouble to the point of not being able to breathe, or their lips or gums are turning blue or pale, this is a medical emergency that should be seen right away.
Diagnosis includes a complete exam, ruling out parasites such as heartworms, bloodwork, and X-ray or ultrasound of the heart and lungs. Depending on the cause, treatment can vary. It ranges from medications to help regulate heart and lung function, clear obstructions, removal of fluid build-up, or treatment to remove parasites. In more severe cases, your veterinarian may also refer you to a specialist for additional care.
Prevention can be hard if the underlying cause is a functional or inherited issue of the heart or lungs. However, parasites such as heartworms can be prevented with once-a-month oral or yearly injectable medications along with yearly heartworm testing to catch issues early.
Treatments For Cat Coughing
Treatment options vary depending on the condition associated with the coughing. In the case of a hairball, your cats coughing should subside once the hairball has passed.
Any recurring cough should be examined by a vet to address any underlying conditions. Always consult your vet before attempting to treat your cats cough. Treatment without a diagnosis can be harmful to your cat or worsen your cats condition.8
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Gagging Could Be A Pointer To Danger
While gagging and vomiting are somewhat common occurrences, if it happens too frequently, its a cause for alarm. Richard Goldstein, DVM, and a professor at Cornell Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, warns on the universitys website that lots of cats vomit from time to time, but he doesnt believe that cat parents should let it go more than once per week without a trip to the vet.
Many times, hairballs are the culprit for cat gagging. Hairballs form as cats groom themselves the tried- -and-true tongue bath. By licking themselves, cats are removing dander and debris, and often, a lot of hair. Most of the hair theyve ingested gets passed through the digestive system unnoticed. But there are times when the hair gets stuck in the stomach. This attracts more hair to it and a hairball forms. Remember cats are good at ejecting anything harmful and gagging begins. The hairball is usually vomited out, an unsavory clump of mostly hair, bile and mucus.
Sometimes gagging can occur due to other potentially dangerous objects:
- String
- Anything foreign
How Often Do Cats Have Hairballs
Some cat owners think that their pet brings up a hairball every day, but this isnt true. Cats should only get hairballs occasionally, usually less than once a month. Most hairs swallowed from grooming will pass through the digestive system and out into the litter box without a problem.
However, if your cat has hairballs frequently, its worth taking them to see a vet. Numerous cat hairballs could be a symptom of a problem in the gastrointestinal tract in this case, it is best to check this out as soon as possible.
Numerous hairballs in cats can also be a symptom that your cat is over-grooming. Cats tend to over-groom when they are stressed a bit like us biting our fingernails and thus will consume more hair, leading to more hairballs. If you think your cat may be stressed, take them to the vet.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Gastroenteritis
Most cats with gastroenteritis will have intermittent episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. The vomit may contain foamy, yellowish bile, especially after the stomach has been emptied. Many owners will observe dry heaving or gagging after their cat eats or drinks. Large volumes of diarrhea will usually be produced several times a day. The diarrhea may have the consistency of soft- serve ice cream.
“Gastroenteritis is most often characterized by vomiting and diarrhea.”
Many cats will exhibit tenderness when picked up around the abdomen or will resist handling of the stomach and hindquarters. Most cats affected with gastroenteritis will appear less active , have a decreased appetite and they may hide. A low-grade fever is also common. Dehydration can occur quickly if the vomiting and diarrhea persist for more than 24 hours.
Are Cat Hairballs Normal
Many cat owners find it very difficult and distressing to hear their cats gagging and retching, and they start to wonder if there is anything they should be worrying about. This self-grooming is completely normal and cats should be doing it to keep their fur in good condition.
Most individual hairs will pass through the cats digestive system as normal, but sometimes they can form clumps which begin to accumulate in the stomach. Cats try and vomit them up to prevent them going into the intestine and causing a blockage. Dont be worried if you see your cat stretch their neck, dry retch and expel a hairball before calmly walking away. It can be distressing to watch this, but dont worry its normal.
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Why Does My Cat Gag When She Has Hairball In Her Throat
Excessive heaving sounds can point to a variety of potentially harmful medication conditions in your wee one, including asthma. If your cat is persistently gagging because a hairball is coming up in her throat, the thing in question is sure to quickly pop out probably right onto your couch or carpet, yikes.
Foreign Body In Throat Or Stomach
If you have a toddler in the house, you will understand the fact better. Cats and toddlers are the same when it comes to trying to eat every single thing they get to contact with. Your cat will always eat things that it shouldnt eat. It can be foam, plastic, bugs, string, bags, and whatnot.
Cats put pretty much everything in the mouth to see what the thing actually is. Due to this, the intestinal tract, throat, and esophagus get blocked, which makes cats vomit and dry heave, followed by abdominal swelling and pain. If it happens, your cat will not eat or drink for a day or two.
You need to take the cat to your vet as soon as possible in this case. It must be checked to prevent complete blockage and dehydration.
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How Do You Know If Your Cat Has A Hairball Blockage
Symptoms of Hairballs in Cats If you notice the following hairball symptoms, be sure to contact your veterinarian, as they could indicate that a hairball has caused a potentially life-threatening blockage: Ongoing vomiting, gagging, retching, or hacking without producing a hairball. Lack of appetite. Lethargy.
Dog Dry Heaving: Causes Prevention And How To Stop Dry Heaves In Dogs
Dog dry heaving is an attempt your dog makes to vomit without actually producing any vomitus. Your dog may cough, choke, drool, or gag, and hunch their back or tuck their belly in an attempt to get something out. Watching your dog dry heave can be a frightening and concerning experience. Dry heaving is a general symptom, meaning it can be attributed to many different causes. These include underlying health issues, functional problems with the GI tract, ingestion of foreign bodies, and more. If you see your dog dry heaving regularly, or struggling with other symptoms, its always best to reach out to your veterinarian. Read on to learn more about the most common causes behind dry heaving in dogs, and how to address them.
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