Why is my cat throwing up white foam

There are many types of cat vomit, such as hair balls, undigested cat food, yellow mucus, white foam, etc.
Different types of vomitus may have different underlying causes. Moreover, the causes of vomiting are relatively complex and have many possibilities.

What we are going to discuss today is vomit foam like the one pictured above.
How to treat it? A rough process will be given at the end of the article. Let’s discuss some specific possibilities first.

Indigestion

Just like humans, cats’ stomachs digest food by producing acidic substances, but the pH value is lower than that of humans. You can understand that cats’ stomach acid is “more acidic” than humans.
With such sour stomach acid, if the cat has been hungry for a long time for some reason, the accumulated acid in the stomach will irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause the cat to vomit.
In addition to causing your cat to vomit white foam, indigestion may also cause it to vomit yellow foam.
If this is suspected to be the cause, it is recommended that the cat’s diet be changed to small meals with frequent meals.
This cause usually occurs in families where meals are served at fixed times.
Although it is a good habit to have meals at a fixed time, you still have to ensure three meals a day, at least two meals.

Hair ball

Almost all cats “groom themselves” every day, so they inevitably eat a lot of fur. Sometimes, some hair balls are passed in the form of stool, and sometimes if there are too many, they cannot be pooped out.
If you can’t pull it out, you can only spit it out.
However, it is very likely that it will not be able to spit out such a big hair ball at once, so when it first vomits, you will find that it only spits out foam. After a few days of vomiting, the hair ball will be vomited out.
Therefore, foaming at the mouth can be understood as a precursor to hairball vomiting.
At this time, you should take some health care products to manage hair balls in time. For example, hair removal cream, hair removal ball tablets, etc., there are many similar products on Taobao. This type of product does not dissolve the hair balls in the stomach, but it is said to promote gastrointestinal motility and then pull the hair balls out.

Gastritis

Eating something that shouldn’t be eaten, such as leftovers on the table, etc., is likely to irritate its stomach.
When this happens, in addition to vomiting blood or bile, you’ll also see white foam from vomiting.
At the same time, your cat may also exhibit decreased appetite, depressed mood, lethargy, or dehydration.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS and IBD are two common lower gastrointestinal diseases. IBD, or inflammatory bowel disease, is an issue that many veterinarians talk about. It is a long-term chronic problem.
IBS is a low-grade inflammation that, in some clinical manifestations, is similar to IBD in remission.
The pathogenesis of both diseases is not well explained, especially the genetic predisposition, which is suspected but not clear.
IBD won’t be discussed today, but IBS is one of the most common causes of vomiting in cats. Many cases of suspected IBD may actually be IBS.
IBS may also be accompanied by diarrhea and chronic metabolic disorders.
If you suspect your cat has IBS, you need to go to the hospital for further examination.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis in cats can be acute or chronic. It can also occur with other medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, and/or diabetes.
You may also see diarrhea and sparse hair in cats with pancreatitis.
If you suspect your cat has pancreatitis, it is also recommended to seek further medical examination.

Hepatic insufficiency

Cats with liver disease can exhibit a variety of non-specific symptoms, such as vomiting, loss of appetite, or weight loss.
More serious symptoms such as jaundice, yellowing of the skin and sclera (whites of the eyes) may also occur.
Liver disease cannot be cured, but symptoms can be controlled.
The veterinarian will develop a treatment plan based on the cat’s actual condition.

Diabetes

The typical symptoms of diabetes are “three more and one less”, polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria, and weight loss.
In addition, bad hair and bad breath are also relatively typical symptoms.
Of course, severe diabetes can cause vomiting of white foam or mucus, which may be bloodshot.
If your cat shows the typical symptoms of three excess and one deficiency, you need to seek medical attention promptly.

Renal insufficiency

Chronic kidney disease is a common disease in older cats.
Other symptoms of chronic kidney disease include drinking a lot of water, changes in urine output, loss of appetite, dehydration, depressed mood, poor coat, weakness, etc.
Similar to liver disease, kidney disease cannot be cured, but symptoms can be managed.
If your older cat begins to exhibit any unusual urinary symptoms, it is best to seek medical attention immediately.
If chronic kidney disease is diagnosed, discuss with your doctor a plan for supportive care at home.

Hyperthyroidism

Overactive thyroid is another very common condition in older cats.
In addition to vomiting, symptoms include weight loss despite increased eating, diarrhea, increased urination and excessive meowing.
If your older cat exhibits any of these symptoms, he or she needs to be taken to the veterinarian.
Check your thyroid hormone levels with a blood test. If diagnosed, a daily medication regimen can be discussed to alleviate the symptoms.

Parasites

Cats that are not dewormed regularly may vomit foam, which may be a sign of reinfection with certain parasites.
This problem can be confirmed through a stool test. Deworming is also relatively simple.

Summary

If you have a cat at home that vomits frequently, be sure not to believe some rumors, such as “It is normal for cats to vomit regularly.”
In fact, this is not the case. Vomiting is likely a sign of some underlying illness.
If your cat vomits white foam and it is not serious, you can first consider the four causes 1, 2, 3, and 10 and prescribe the right medicine.
As long as the cat does not have other accompanying problems, such as dehydration, low energy, diarrhea, etc., you can first treat it for 2-3 days based on the cause you guessed. If it cannot be cured, it is recommended to go to the hospital for further examination.

References:

1. Vomiting White Foam in Cats Liz Waynick, RVT

2. Are IBS and IBD two manifestations of the same disease? kazuki