Animals are sometimes very similar to children. They may swallow dangerous objects or toxic substances. That is why their owners are obliged to be able to provide their pet with urgent medical care. After all, sometimes life is counted simply in minutes, and slowing down is fraught with the death of the animal. When and how do cats vomit? Let's try to figure it out.
Why do cats vomit?
Most often, inducing vomiting in cats is required in order to limit the absorption of harmful substances that, for various reasons, are swallowed by animals. You just need to take into account that the method retains its effectiveness only for two hours after the pet has consumed (ingested) a toxic substance. After two hours, the substance is already absorbed into the walls of the stomach, is in the intestines and has already begun its harmful effects on the body. It is imperative to induce vomiting in cats in the following cases:
- If a rodenticide is ingested, it causes a blood clotting disorder in the animal.
- When the cat swallowed arsenic. It is often found in weed control products in gardens. Arsenic is a substance that can quickly cause the death of an animal even without symptoms of poisoning.
- If your pet has swallowed a drug or pain reliever. This could be Tylenol and aspirin.
- Animal consumption of antifreeze. In this case, vomiting must be induced immediately to avoid renal failure.
An attentive animal owner should recognize the poisoning of his pet by the following symptoms: lack of appetite and severe apathy, convulsions and increased salivation, diarrhea.
Methods of inducing vomiting
Vomiting in cats is usually induced using hydrogen peroxide. To do this, a three percent solution is taken in the amount of a teaspoon per five kilograms of the animal’s weight. Peroxide should be poured into the cat's mouth every 10-15 minutes. Vomiting may appear immediately after the first dose of peroxide, and maybe after the second.
Some veterinarians recommend inducing vomiting in cats using ipecac syrup or so-called vomiting root. It is given once in the amount of a teaspoon per five kilograms of the pet’s weight. No more! But the attitude towards this drug for inducing vomiting is ambiguous. Not all veterinarians approve of this method of cleansing the stomach of a poisoned animal. The reason is that the syrup can both cause vomiting and at the same time have a toxic effect on the cat’s heart.
Another way to induce vomiting is with saline. It involves dissolving table salt in boiled water and forcing it into the animal’s mouth. To do this, you need to hold the cat horizontally, tilting its head down. You can also simply sprinkle fine salt on the animal's tongue, but this is less effective. Sometimes the cat is simply poured clean warm water in large quantities, which provokes vomiting. In this case, you need to add about 200 grams of water, which is difficult in practice. Therefore, peroxide, according to veterinarians, is the most effective method of inducing vomiting in cats.
Pet owners should know that it is strictly forbidden to induce vomiting in an unconscious cat. It is also forbidden to do this if the animal has seizures or convulsions. Also, veterinarians do not advise inducing vomiting if an acid- or alkaline-based substance is ingested. We are talking about caustic bleach or cleaning agent. Then you need to urgently call a veterinarian and take more radical measures. This is the case when the effectiveness of saving a cat depends on the prompt action of the veterinarian.
Statistics show that poisoning is one of the main causes of death in pets. Toxic substances act quickly on cats because their weight is small and toxins are very quickly carried by the blood to all organs of the body. That is why you need to be able to induce vomiting in your pet, act quickly and competently.
Diagnosing cat diseases is not easy, because not a single pet can explain in human terms what is hurting him. Symptoms can be ambiguous, but if your cat has vomited, there is no doubt that her health is not in order. It remains to find out why the cat is vomiting and how to treat vomiting in cats - and this is the most difficult thing. Because there are several causes of vomiting in cats, and each of them can affect your pet. And before treating vomiting in a cat, it is necessary to find out the nature of the disease. Or, to your relief, make sure that the animal is healthy and simply cleanses the stomach.
Even if you find that your cat’s vomiting is caused by a harmless phenomenon: a ball of his own hair or banal overeating, do not forget to observe his behavior. And just in case, remember how to properly treat vomiting in cats at home, and under what circumstances it is time to stop self-medication and contact a veterinarian. You can hope that natural mechanisms will help your four-legged friend recover on his own, but you must be there to help him in time and cure the cat’s vomiting, or rather, the reason that caused it.
How to treat and cure vomiting in a cat at home?
The sooner your cat is in the veterinarian's office, the more likely it is that the vomiting will be treated quickly and without consequences. But until you see a doctor, you can alleviate your pet’s suffering at home. First aid for a cat vomiting consists of the following simple measures:
- Stop feeding your cat and make sure he doesn't steal food from the table. However, he most likely will not show interest in food himself.
- If the cat’s condition returns to normal within 24 hours, the urge to vomit goes away and appetite appears, start feeding him small portions of soft food, and observe his behavior in between meals.
- Leave water for your cat to drink in the public domain - vomiting dehydrates the body and the animal will want to drink. Except for those cases when drinking also provokes belching, which indicates the seriousness of the problem.
- In case of poisoning with chemicals such as acidic or alkaline nature, household chemicals or other toxic liquids, make the cat swallow 1-2 teaspoons of enterosgel, atoxil or other absorbent and try to get to the clinic before the next burp.
- If a cat has swallowed a hard and/or sharp object and is experiencing stomach pain and nausea, pour 1-2 tablespoons of Vaseline oil into its esophagus and show it to a veterinarian surgeon as quickly as possible.
How is vomiting in cats treated?
When contacting a veterinarian, be prepared to answer all his questions about the cat’s behavior and nutrition, try to remember in detail what and when the pet ate at the last meal, when the vomiting began, with what frequency and how many times the cat vomited, what the vomit looked like and whether vomiting was accompanied by other painful symptoms. Be sure to tell us what your cat was sick with before, whether he has chronic diseases, when and what vaccinations he received. The doctor needs all this to collect anamnesis and make a correct diagnosis. The following procedures may also be required for diagnosis and treatment:
- Ultrasound of internal organs;
- gastroscopy;
- X-ray, incl. contrasting;
- blood analysis;
- laparotomy (an incision in the peritoneum to access the internal organs).
In some rare cases, before treating vomiting in a cat, it is necessary to provoke it to cleanse the stomach of a foreign and/or toxic substance. This can be done in the same way that people use: press on the root of the tongue. Another option is to force the cat to drink a lot of water or an aqueous solution of table salt, but not hydrogen peroxide, which causes a burn to the mucous membranes in cats, although this method can often be found among folk recipes for vomiting in cats. After your cat recovers, continue to monitor his habits and feeding behavior. Only with such a careful approach can you cure vomiting in a cat and prevent it from recurring.
The situation when an animal vomits is unpleasant for both the pet and the owner. Vomiting in a cat occurs for various reasons: from inappropriate food to disruption of internal organs. An attack does not always require veterinary care; in some cases, the owner successfully copes with the problem at home.
But you need to pay attention to every situation when a cat is vomiting. Objects that enter the stomach and cause vomiting can cause internal injury. Nausea can be a symptom of various animal diseases.
Causes of illness
Every cat periodically burps its fur. The problem can also occur in hairless breeds adjacent to furry pets. When licking, hair accumulates in the cat's gastrointestinal tract and needs to be released. Do not be alarmed if your cat periodically (1-2 times a week) burps dense hair sausages or balls. Problems are indicated by more frequent vomiting, depression and bloating. Symptoms indicate that the stomach and intestines are full of wool.
The mentioned cases of obvious illness require immediate contact with a specialist.
To accurately determine the cause, you will need the help of a veterinarian. The doctor will be able to take initial measures to alleviate the patient’s condition and schedule further treatment in a hospital or at home. In less severe cases, the owner's independent help may be sufficient.
Treatment of vomiting in pets
In case of poisoning, it is important to block the action of the toxin, for which sorbents are used. It is most convenient to use suspensions like Phosphalugel - the dose is taken at the rate of 0.5-1 drug per kilogram of the cat’s weight. If the animal’s condition does not improve after using sorbents (after 2-3 hours), or there is a suspicion that a specific poison has been consumed, you should immediately take it to the veterinarian. Clinics have antidotes to some toxins that can save your pet or speed up its recovery.
All these remedies are selected and prescribed by the doctor. He also decides to administer an antiemetic. For cats, Cerucal or No-shpu is used - intramuscular injections in a volume of 0.1 ml per 1 kg of weight. You should not prescribe injections yourself.
The exception is the case if the pet is very sick (every day or several times a day), there is no opportunity to show it to a specialist, and gentle methods did not help. There are also folk remedies. So, it is suggested to treat a cat with a decoction of flaxseed: the liquid is given 1-4 tablespoons (depending on the size of the patient) 3-4 times a day.
What to do when the danger has passed
Help with vomiting includes depriving the pet of food and water (at least for 4-5 hours). Liquids need to be returned to the diet faster than food; It may be worth starting with an IV to replace the loss without irritating the stomach. Subsequently, the cat should always have access to water. For the first 2-3 days, the animal must be on a gentle diet: special food, rice water, lean boiled chicken or other light food. Raw foods, even if the pet has consumed them before, are excluded. Feed, due to its attractive smell, can be a more effective solution if the animal does not eat anything.
A cat's vomiting with foam, greenish or yellow color, undigested food or inedible swallowed objects does not necessarily mean there are serious problems with the body. The problem is often solved by adjusting the diet. But frequent attacks, general deterioration of the animal’s condition, the presence of blood or bile in the discharge require the involvement of a veterinarian.
The doctor will determine the root cause of the ailment and prescribe appropriate treatment. Regardless of the disease, in case of involuntary contractions of the pet’s stomach, the pet is transferred to moderate feeding of light foods.
Preventive measures
The easiest way to solve the problem of overeating or poor nutrition. At home, the cat needs to limit access to his favorite inedible “treats” as much as possible. It will be more difficult to monitor pets walking on the street - the owner will have to rely on their sanity.
If the animal is constantly drawn to dry or live plants, you should provide it with a suitable source of vitamins in the form of, for example, wheat germ. You need to choose the right type and dosage of food based on the age, health and preferences of your pet. Access to water is not regulated - the pet should always have fresh liquid in its bowl.
Cats are quite curious animals that are not averse to testing everything that surrounds them. Poisonous plants, household chemicals, rodent poisons - this is not a complete list of what an animal can eat. In this case, the cat becomes poisoned. How to help a poisoned pet? How to call What needs to be done to avoid poisoning an animal?
Types of poisoning
Poisons that cause poisoning can be of organic and inorganic origin. They can enter the animal’s body from the external environment or be of internal origin.
The consequences of poisoning depend on the substances that enter the cat’s body. The following groups of poisonings that cause intoxication of the animal’s body can be distinguished:
Intoxication can be acute or chronic. In the case of an acute course, the poison enters the body once in a large dose, which causes a sharp deterioration in the health of the animal. In this case, it is important to know how to induce vomiting in a cat. In chronic cases, the poison enters the body in small doses over a long period of time. The cat's health condition is gradually deteriorating.
Causes
One of the most common causes of cat poisoning is poor quality or stale food. Street cats that find food in garbage dumps often get poisoned. Cats should not be given chocolate - it is poisonous to them. Another reason could be poisonous plants. Some plants are toxic. Cats love to nibble on the greens they like, which can cause them to become poisoned.
Intoxication can also be caused by bites from poisonous insects or snakes. Medicines and household chemicals that are in an accessible place are also dangerous. Poisons for rodents and cockroaches pose a great danger.
What to do if a cat is poisoned, we will consider below.
Symptoms of poisoning
Here are the main symptoms of cat poisoning:
- profuse vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- low or high body temperature;
- weakness;
- loss of interest in the outside world;
- convulsions;
- chills;
- pupils dilated;
- hard breath;
- foam from mouth and nose;
- strong thirst;
- refusal to eat;
- increased salivation.
It is worth noting that these symptoms may indicate other serious diseases of the cat, therefore, in order to make an accurate diagnosis, it must be shown to a doctor as soon as possible.
First aid for a cat in case of poisoning
If a toxic substance gets on the cat’s fur and skin, it should be washed off with clean water at room temperature without detergents. Acid can be washed off with baking soda.
If a cat has swallowed poison, cleansing the stomach can help in the first minutes. How to make a cat vomit? To do this you need to use three percent hydrogen peroxide. You need to pour a teaspoon into the animal’s mouth. Peroxide can cause vomiting. If this is not available, a saline solution should be used. This should only be done if serious symptoms of poisoning have not yet been observed, otherwise there is a possibility that due to a paralyzed throat, the cat will simply choke on its own vomit.
Rinse the cat's stomach with warm, clean water. It is best to entrust this to a veterinarian, but if one is not nearby, you can try to help the animal at home. To do this, you need to take a large syringe, fill it with water and inject the water into the cat's mouth. Continue until a clear, clear liquid begins to come out of the stomach. The animal needs to be given a sorbent that will fight toxins.
If your pet is bitten by an insect or snake, apply ice to the affected area. A tourniquet can be applied to a wounded limb to prevent the poison from spreading throughout the body.
In case of carbon monoxide poisoning, if the animal has lost consciousness and is not breathing, the cat needs to be given artificial respiration. To do this, the animal should be placed on its side, with your fingers, squeeze the sternum towards the throat six times, and then inhale into the nose. It makes sense to carry out resuscitation measures within seven minutes.
Treatment of cat poisoning at home should be limited to first aid only, after which the animal must be shown to a doctor.
Treatment
Even if the first aid provided was quite effective, and the animal’s condition has improved, the cat still needs to be taken to a veterinarian. Toxins have a destructive effect on internal organs, so they need to be removed from the body as quickly as possible.
Symptoms and treatment of poisoning in cats are clearly interrelated, so it is first necessary to diagnose the cause of intoxication. This may require testing.
For food poisoning, the veterinarian uses a special probe. The doctor will rinse the animal’s stomach and give it sorbents. You may need a glucose drip, medications to support your heart and stimulate your breathing.
If a cat is bitten by a poisonous insect or snake, they will be given an injection of adrenaline and a novocaine blockade; heparin will prevent blood clots from forming in the blood.
If a cat is poisoned by rat poison, it is necessary to urgently administer the antidote - "Vikasol". Anti-clotting medications are needed.
Diet after poisoning
Within 24 hours after poisoning, the animal will benefit from a hunger strike. The cat should have clean drinking water freely available.
Afterwards, she can be given meat broth, light milk porridge and low-fat fermented milk products. It is better to feed the animal three to four times a day in small portions. You can't give milk to a cat.
After a few days, solid food is introduced into the diet. You may need to give medications that support the functioning of the liver and stomach. It depends on the amount of damage caused to the body.
Prevention
To avoid poisoning an animal, you need to take care of the quality of its nutrition. When using dry food, preference should be given to premium and super-premium food, since food in the lower price segment usually does not use the highest quality ingredients. When purchasing food, you must pay attention to the expiration date and storage conditions, and then adhere to them. When feeding natural food, food should not be left in the bowl for a long time, especially in the summer. You should not feed cats spoiled meat or products whose quality you doubt.
Medicines, household chemicals, acid must be hidden in a safe place that the animal cannot reach. The same goes for poisonous plants. If you are a terrarium owner who keeps venomous snakes or insects, make sure that your cat cannot come into direct contact with them. Terrariums must be locked with secure locks.
Thus, cats often eat things that can cause poisoning. In this case, it is important to provide assistance to the animal as soon as possible in order to avoid irreparable consequences that may arise due to intoxication. We looked at how you can induce vomiting in a cat, and what other measures should be taken in case of poisoning. Even if terrible consequences were avoided, the animal still needs to be shown to a specialist.
Nil desperandum.
As it turned out, many owners are interested in this question. But usually they are asked when the pet has already eaten something that is dangerous (or supposedly dangerous) to its health and life. But it’s better to know such things in advance; this at least applies to first aid, especially in the realities of modern life.
Surely almost every dog owner is familiar with the situation when you look away for a moment and at that moment the dog finds something “incredibly tasty” on the ground (sometimes in the trash, on the playground, anywhere) and literally sucks it into itself, quickly, until not taken away. Some owners run to the clinic to have vomiting induced there (if the clinic is nearby, this is still normal, but if it’s far away?), some try to do it at home, skillfully and not skillfully (I’ve also seen two fingers in a dog’s mouth, the diligent owner got caught), some simply waiting for the outcome, hoping for “maybe” (unfortunately, this is the majority of them, and then some of them will weep over the cold corpses, cursing the psychos throwing all sorts of rubbish along the street).
I just beg you, don’t go too far. There is no need to be paranoid and cause vomiting at every sideways glance, not so drooping saliva or hiccups - you can simply ruin the gastrointestinal tract. I highlight this moment for a reason, sometimes a master’s love goes too far, yes, seriously, and that far too.
When to induce vomiting:
1
. If you saw with your own eyes just now (not 2-6-12 hours ago, but right now) the animal ate something potentially dangerous poisoning For example, there are frequent cases of dogs being poisoned by rodenticides (poison for rodents), various weed control agents (this is just a case of “we’re in the country, the nearest doctor is three hours away”), isoniazid (in cities, various crazy people throw out baits, goodies stuffed with this product).
The dog inhaled a sausage near a trash can? - run home, induce vomiting, see that it’s just a dirty rotten sausage (bone/cutlet/potato - whatever happened) and live in peace.
The cat took a porridge prepared for rats on the property or a watering can with diluted poison for weeds (they really love this) - a quick reaction from the owner is the key to the life and health of the mustachioed cat.
2
. When the beast feasted on pills from the medicine cabinet. I have mentioned similar situations several times. Puppies especially love to do this, but adult cats/dogs are not averse to doing this. Of course, the first aid kit needs to be cleaned, closed, prevented... but anything can happen in life. Regardless of the drug used and its amount, it is necessary to induce vomiting as soon as possible, and then take the pet to the doctor. Some things are absorbed faster, some slower, but on average in an hour and a half it will be too late, then you need to go to the doctor right away, quickly.
3
. Antifreeze. I’ve been wanting to write about this for a long time, cats drink antifreeze so often, apparently I’ll dedicate the next post to it. Antifreeze is found not only in the car, it is stored at home, it circulates through the heating system (in most private homes), and wherever it is found. Seriously. Cats go crazy for him. Even a small dose causes acute renal failure and death. You should immediately induce vomiting and take him to a doctor.
4
. Absorption of non-sharp foreign objects. Again - not spicy. Lately I have accumulated a whole collection of multi-colored eraser heads (some store gives them out)... trolls, it seems. Everything was extracted from animals, some through vomiting, some - after the gastrointestinal tract was completely clogged, mainly from the small intestine (these poor fellows even fade during their “journey”). If more than 2-3 hours have passed since the foreign object was absorbed, it is better to first take an x-ray to understand where it is.
5
. If the cat just swallowed a “rain”, a long thread, a long piece of cellophane, etc.. Not a few hours ago, but now. Until it all starts traveling through the intestines and is in the stomach, you can induce vomiting. If more than an hour has passed, under no circumstances should you induce vomiting!
When NOT to induce vomiting. Or useless.
1
. If more than 1.5-2 hours have passed after consuming a drug, poison, or chemical. In most cases, by this time everything consumed has already been absorbed into the body and/or is not in the stomach, but in the small intestine, from where it is useless to get anything out by vomiting. For example, isoniazid causes convulsions, but in order to cause them it must already be absorbed; vomiting will not help with convulsions (and neither do absorbents), you must immediately see a doctor. Rat poison (rodenticides) - bloody diarrhea, bloody spots (petechiae) on mucous membranes, skin, bloody vomiting, blood from the nose - if symptoms appear, you can’t hope for vomiting, that’s it, the poison has been absorbed, go to the clinic immediately. Human pills - this depends on the drug and dose. As practice shows, animals most often end up taking anti-pressure pills (ACEIs), especially those who live with older people, and this results in weakness, lethargy, pallor, unsteady gait, convulsions, stupor, up to kidney failure and coma.
2
. If there are convulsions, tremors (minor convulsions), covulsions, seizures. Or the animal is unconscious, has breathing problems, or has difficulty swallowing.
3
. If you already have nausea (excessive drooling) or vomiting. There is no need to induce vomiting if the animal is already vomiting, this will only cause harm.
4
. If the poisoning was caused not by eating, but, for example, by a snake bite, through the respiratory tract. Vomiting is simply useless here.
5
. If a sharp, cutting object has been eaten: a needle, glass shards, nails, sharp bones - anything that, when moved back, can cause serious damage to the esophagus.
6
. If an acid or alkali was used (usually household chemicals). Acidic and alkaline substances on the way to the stomach already cause serious burns, and when vomiting they cause additional damage. You grab the beast, take with you the medicine that the beast enjoyed - and go to the clinic.
And now to the main section. HOW TO INDUCE VOMITING:
Option 1. Suitable for dogs and cats.
Hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide is mixed with water 1:1 (it doesn’t matter whether it comes from tap water or boiled water), and is drunk off (it is best to drink it from a syringe without a needle through the corner of the mouth). Approximately 5-7 ml per 5 kg of body weight, the amount may vary, the dose is still an individual matter. Vomiting does not always occur immediately; give the solution and wait 5-7 minutes before adding it. If there is nothing in the first vomit, but there should be, give him some water (not necessary) and repeat the procedure until the result is achieved. Movement speeds up the process; you can walk with your dog. It’s better not to let the cat go, as you might not catch it later.
Option 2. Suitable for non-diabetic dogs.
Coca Cola. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Sometimes you don’t have anything at hand, for example, while traveling, but you can buy this at any gas station. It acts like peroxide, you drink it according to the same principle, the dosage is 5-10 ml for every 5 kg of body weight, but there is no need to dilute it. It will not harm the body; it will come back out before it has time to be absorbed. The main thing is that it should not be “exhausted”, but new, with a plentiful amount of bubbles. The fountain will be wonderful. Pepsi, Sprite and the like will also work, the main thing is highly carbonated. Just not the “diet” one, they foam worse and won’t have the desired effect.
Option 3. Suitable for dogs and cats.
Salt. Dilute in warm water, a lot, until it stops dissolving, you get a highly concentrated solution. Pour through the corner of your mouth, onto the root of your tongue. Usually a little is required, 2-5-10 ml and vomiting will come, but sometimes (especially large dogs) may need more. Drink it before vomiting appears, you don’t have to wait as is the case with peroxide, either vomiting will come immediately or it won’t come and you need more. Do not lift your head up, keep the animal in a horizontal position, otherwise you will pour this muck into the trachea, which can be lethal for cats (in particular).
You don't need to add salt to your dog at all. It is more effective to open your mouth and quickly pour a teaspoon (for mini breeds half a teaspoon, for large breeds a tablespoon) of salt onto the root of the tongue, then close your mouth tightly and hold it. There will be vomiting in a few minutes. You cannot “burn”/damage anything with salt; the point of this action is that salt irritates and a gag reflex appears. Most of the salt will go away with vomiting. After the procedure, the animal will drink a lot, slight drooling may appear, but it will pass.
What to do AFTER the stomach has completely emptied:
--- Take the animal to the doctor. Especially if pills, poisonous substances, or antifreeze were eaten. Remembering what, when and in what quantity was consumed will help the doctor prescribe the appropriate treatment.
--- Absorbents will be needed. If necessary, a doctor will prescribe them, if you didn’t go to the doctor (for example, there was no point, they just found a rotten bone from the trash in the vomit) - keep Enterosgel at home in this case (1 tsp per cat/small dog, 1/2 tbsp .l. for a medium dog, 1 tbsp for a large dog, dilute with water and drink several times at intervals of 4 hours) or Phosphalugel (half a sachet (5 ml) for a cat/small dog, a full sachet for a medium/large dog , also evaporated at intervals of 4 hours, no need to dilute).
