Cat throwing up clear and foamy liquid constantly

[jordannn]

For the past couple of days my Wallowitz has been throwing up a clear and white foamy liquid several times per day, and was lethargic. This is very unlike him, he is almost three years old and has had maybe had 1 or 2 hairballs, but other than that he never throws up and is quite an energetic, playful cat. My husband left with Wally last night to take him to the emergency pet clinic.

We recently got a new houseplant and we put it outside last night after Wally kept throwing up wondering if that might have caused it. Poor little guy was poked all night. They took his blood and gave him an anti-nausea shot. His blood work came back normal, vet said if he keeps throwing up after the shot to take him back to get an x-ray, because it could be an obstruction in his stomach.

This morning he threw up a couple more times, so my husband took him to the vet. He had an x-ray done, and the vet didn't seeing anything obstructive. He said there was gas, but it didn't look abnormal. Wally was given some medicine and a hydration shot, and a bland digestive care food, which he said to just feed a spoonfull a few times a day. Vet said that if it keeps persisting they can do an ultrasound. My husband did mention to the vet that our other two cats have been sick, but they both had a URI, they both were sneezy with a watery eye with normal appetites. Ludo had it first, and now he's better, and now Daisy is the sneezy one.

My husband fed him the spoonful of the food, and a little while after, he threw up again, but it wasn't food. It was the foam again, we thought that was odd.

If he's on medicine for nausea, that makes me think that he's not throwing up just because of an upset tummy.

I hate seeing my babies sick, has anyone ever dealt with something similar? Could it still be a hairball, even though the vet didn't see anything obstructing? Does this sound like something normal, or something more serious? It's very abnormal for Wally to be throwing up at all.

[Janey]

Poor lad I hope you get to the bottom of this soon. I wonder if it’s acid or bile if it’s foamy as my elderly cat used to be like this occasionally. I put it down to excess acid, he was hyperthyroid and he had to eat lots little and often. It could also be allergy or other stuff. I’m not sure what it could be but regarding furballs I do remember my neighbour telling me that her cat was always being sick and she spent a lot of money at the vets trying to find out what it was. Anyhow, she gave him some bland fish, coley and later he sicked up a huge furball. She said it was that big she took it to the vets to show them as she was a bit annoyed they’d not sorted it and all the money she’d spent. She said the fur ball must have stuck to the fish. Fingers crossed Wallowitz gets better himself very shortly, or the vets managed to sort to sort it.

[Kay]

I would go along with the acid theory too - I had a cat who brought up white foam almost every morning, around 7am - it stopped when I got a dual dish feeder, and left small meals down with it set to open at 3am and 6am - I then made sure that I added a few biscuits to his dish during the day when I found it empty

I never got a proper diagnosis, but he was always rather thin, and sometimes had blood in his poo, and I suspect he had some kind of chronic gut inflammation, especially as all his symptoms cleared up when he developed a malignant tumour at the top of his leg, and was on daily Metacam for a couple of months

[Lilith]

Janey's post about her neighbour's cat reminded me of a similar experience, but one, as they say, with a twist...

My Siamese breeding days. Tao was a blue tabby point, a shrimp at birth and almost died...he grew into a huge handsome kitten and his buyer couldn't wait to bring him home...the week before he joined her he started to sick up the horrible froth, listless, off his food...off to the vet...his buyer distraught but he couldn't leave me before this got cleared up. He was dehydrated; I dosed him with what in those days had to be homemade saline glucose and that pulled him round a bit. The vet advised the light diet. Fish. A few days later I found a massive black hairball wrapped round a load of fish. Oh. I had a black longhair moggy (also called Janey lol) who I brushed constantly to prevent just this, but it seemed Janey had still produced the hairball...

Hang on. This may sound mean but I'd only been able to afford the fish for Tao, and he'd eaten it all, despite the lassitude/lack of appetite.

I remembered other grooming sessions of Janey, where Tao had pounced on the big black clump of combings and tried to carry it off, growling. I'd prevented him, but not, it would seem, on one occasion. The little horror had sneaked off with it and swallowed it! My vet hadn't detected this secondhand hairball either.

Once Tao's, or rather Janey's, hairball surfaced, it was plain sailing; he reverted to his normal exuberant un-sick self and was able to go to his new home.

I do hope that the solution is as simple for Wallowitz (love the name!) All very best wishes to the lad, all paws here crossed for him, hope he's more comfortable soon, do keep updating, good luck

[issiandarchie+68]

[quote="jordannn"]For the past couple of days my Wallowitz has been throwing up a clear and white foamy liquid several times per day, and was lethargic. This is very unlike him, he is almost three years old and has had maybe had 1 or 2 hairballs, but other than that he never throws up and is quite an energetic, playful cat. My husband left with Wally last night to take him to the emergency pet clinic.

We recently got a new houseplant and we put it outside last night after Wally kept throwing up wondering if that might have caused it. Poor little guy was poked all night. They took his blood and gave him an anti-nausea shot. His blood work came back normal, vet said if he keeps throwing up after the shot to take him back to get an x-ray, because it could be an obstruction in his stomach.

Hi Jordann, just read your post and sorry to hear your wee pets are not well. I have absolutely no wish to alarm you, but I would suggest you return to the Vets and ask for a blood test to be carried out on Wallowitz. My beloved cat Cody, seemed to be in good health, very lively, good appetite but then began to lose weight and bring up clear, foaming liquid several times during the night. A blood test revealed Renal Disease. She was a very good looking cat, we think a touch of Siamese and they are genetically prone to CKD (I'm told.) Diagnosis came too late for my Cody but a friends cat, diagnosed at 10yrs old, survived until 19yrs old. My other cat, Armand, coughed and brought up fluid and clear foaming liquid, especially during the night, which always puzzled me, I could never find a fur ball or food, but his fluffy cover would be soaked, no smell, both cats fastidious about using litter box. He had fluid in his little chest and lungs (hence the clear liquid) but still had a good appetite and played with his ball etc. I hasten to add that both cats were taken in as poorly 'rescues', initially needed medical intervention to have them live a long and healthy life, not a great start.. I could be,sincerely hope so, entirely wrong, but better safe than sorry. Do hope, whatever the outcome, the mystery is solved and your beloved pets return to good health very soon.

Issi

[Crewella]

I've had the same experience as Kay in having had an elderly cat that regularly threw up clear acidic foam until I fed her smaller and more frequent meals. I've also had a cat that threw up clear foam for a couple of days before eventually producing a hige furball, but if it carries on for more than a couple of days I would go back to the vet.

[jordannn]

The emergency vet did test his blood, and had said that all of his bloodwork was normal. He doesn't want to eat the bland food, he wants the regular food we feed them and he has an appetite but we're only feeding him in small amounts per doctor's orders. He has still thrown up a few more times, little half-dollar size piles of the clear, foamy liquid. He mostly just hacks a few times an hour, like he wants to throw up but doesn't.
When we took him back to the vet and they did the x-ray, the vet said he didn't see anything there, and that the only thing that wouldn't show up on an x-ray is a piece of string or something, but we wouldn't have had any type of string or thread from anything anywhere. I know it's still a possibility, but I can't think of anything like that he may have swallowed. Could there still be a small hairball that the vet didn't see maybe? He's a pretty small little boy, we call him our little bunny.
The vet called today to check up on him and my husband is filling him in. He wants Wally in again for more fluids since we haven't seen him drink anything and he's still throwing up a bit. I think my husband might ask him to do an ultrasound. He's a little trooper, I know these past couple of days getting taken to vets offices and everything is probably stressful for him.

[issiandarchie+68]

The emergency vet did test his blood, and had said that all of his bloodwork was normal. He doesn't want to eat the bland food, he wants the regular food we feed them and he has an appetite but we're only feeding him in small amounts per doctor's orders. He has still thrown up a few more times, little half-dollar size piles of the clear, foamy liquid. He mostly just hacks a few times an hour, like he wants to throw up but doesn't.
When we took him back to the vet and they did the x-ray, the vet said he didn't see anything there, and that the only thing that wouldn't show up on an x-ray is a piece of string or something, but we wouldn't have had any type of string or thread from anything anywhere. I know it's still a possibility, but I can't think of anything like that he may have swallowed. Could there still be a small hairball that the vet didn't see maybe? He's a pretty small little boy, we call him our little bunny.
The vet called today to check up on him and my husband is filling him in. He wants Wally in again for more fluids since we haven't seen him drink anything and he's still throwing up a bit. I think my husband might ask him to do an ultrasound. He's a little trooper, I know these past couple of days getting taken to vets offices and everything is probably stressful for him.

I am so relieved to hear blood tests clear and I apologise if I gave you cause for worry, but I must say, your description of Wally 'hacking' is exactly the same symptoms my own very wee, black, delicate cat Armand showed. Like a fur ball but not, his little sides heaving, cheeks puffing in and out. I hasten to add, I am not diagnosing Wally, Armand did come to us a very sick cat and was always 'wheezy'. But the symptoms he displayed, fortunately, when he was at the Vet so he was able to see for himself first hand, were more than wheezing and a cough after a game of ball. Vet showed us the X ray, explained the 'hacking' was my wee geezer bringing up fluid from his chest and lungs, the foaming liquid, exactly as you describe. But I think your Vet would have spotted that, even we, as laymen, couldn't miss it on the X ray. It's a dreadful puzzle, poor Wally. Have you tried feeding Wally some good quality thin cut turkey or ham? A bowl of cat milk? M & S or Tesco always worked for us. Not something you would feed on a regular basis but you are trying to build up his strength, put something in his stomach, stimulate his appetite. Sending virtual, gentle hugs and positive thoughts to you and your wee pet. Swift recovery Wally, thinking of you all.

Issi

[Grace56]

Some years ago, one of my cats, Rowan was hacking up foamy stuff. I rushed him to the vet and they sedated him and fished a tiny grass seed type thing from his throat.

But I guess your vet would have seen that. Some cats do it when they've been eating grass as well. And sometimes, they can get a blade of grass caught in the back of the throat and nose.

I hope you can get to the bottom of this.

Gentle fusses to poor Wally and good luck.

[jordannn]

We did think that he somehow got into some grass. They are indoor cats but we went to a party at my husband's brother's house and were outside in the grass, when we got home Wally was rubbing himself all over my flip flops like there was catnip on it or something. That or the houseplant that we used to have inside. The vet had given us cerenia to give to him in half tablets but they don't seem to be helping. He still has his appetite and wants to eat, but we're just giving him a little at a time throughout the day so we don't overwhelm his tummy. Last night and this morning he did throw up food for the first time, it has normally only been the clear and white foamy piles. He spooned with me all night last night and when we woke up this morning all of the food that he had for dinner was on the comforter. Poor little guy. Then he threw up his breakfast. This is new, we were thinking maybe it was because he was stressed out from us trying to give him the cerenia pill last night. I don't think we will give him any more of it, he really doesn't like taking it and it doesn't seem to be helping. When my husband took him back to the vet yesterday he said the vet felt around his throat and stomach and couldn't feel any obstruction that maybe the xray didn't pick up, and said it didn't seem like it was tender or anything. We just want our baby better, this is very unlike him. He's usually a curious little ball of energy that will hop around and play with anything, even a speck of dust on the floor. I know how much it sucks to be throwing up constantly, his throat has to be sore. I just feel helpless when the kitties get sick, I wish I could do something for them to make them better.

[SMITHER]

Just seen all the posts regarding all your dear little ones throwing up clear/foamy liquid.
for the last week and a bit all 3 of my indoor cats have had the same or very similar problem.
The first had it for a few days. Coughing, hacking, trying to swallow as if she may have had a sore throat? Not herself, withdrawn, just slept, ate a bit but did try as if she did want to, but couldn't. Like us when we have a sore throat I guess? Considering taking her to vets but then she suddenly improved.
The cat number 2 got the same thing but it only lasted a day maybe 2.
Then cat number 3 gets it. The first 2 cats have been outdoor cats in the past as are both rescued, so their immune system must have been exposed to much.
However, cat 3, my baby boy, has never ever been outside and exposed to anything, so I am thinking this is why he seems to have been hit with whatever this is the most?
Are there any bugs going round in this very hot weather?
I am going to take him to the vets. He seems upset/embarassed by all this. He sits quietly on top of spare sofa and has dribble running down his mouth or when he does cough etc he has all the horrible salvia hanging down which i do wipe off him like wiping a babies face.
No food sicked up though with any of them.
All very strange.
What do any of you think please? Thanking you in advance. ALSO, I do hope everyone's babies are ok in this heat x x

[Ruth B]

I have been reading this and it has brought back memories of our Ragdoll, Blue, he was always one for throwing up, once or twice a week was fairly normal, particularly as he got older. Sometimes it was obvious what had caused it, he had bolted his food and brought it straight back, or no matter how hard we tried to keep up with the grooming, he had swallowed too much hair and brought that up. However he frequently just brought up clear liquid, with the occasional blade of grass (he was allowed outside). It never seemed to bother him and the vets couldn't never find a reason, it was just the way he was.

The only thing I could liken it to was sometimes when my own asthma plays up, i can end up coughing so much I bring up clear liquid, almost like my throat produces a mucus to try and sooth the irritation, which actually seems to make it worse until it is cleared out.

Hopefully everyone's kitties are better and it has never turned out to be serious.