Feline Dry Heaves - Symptoms, Treatment and Diet For Cat Dry Heaves

Cat dry heaves can be defined as any repeated involuntary retching that occurs and is not accompanied with vomit by the cat.  It is the attempt to vomit where the cat feels as if it is vomiting.



Some times dry heaving can occur along with nausea and may eventually end up with vomiting. Dry heaving is tiring and as exhausting as is a case of actual vomiting. However, here the cat does not actually vomit anything. It tends to happen in waves and you find the cat spitting out saliva at times and also bile. It can also be followed by stomach indigestion or a dry mouth and throat, or the cat may show signs of pain or acid reflux. Other symptoms include lethargy, gagging, restlessness, loss of appetite, breathing gets rougher, choking and may be coughing. The cat may refuse to go for a walk or play like it normally does.  Some of the cat dry heaves causes include a cat that has not eaten anything and hence a cat with an empty stomach or if it has ingested some toxins that have caused food poisoning. Some of the toxins could include drugs like aspirin or if it has ingested a poisonous plant.



Dry heaves in cat can also occur due to the presence of hairballs. Low blood sugar levels in a cat can also start off a dry heaving session. If the cat is suffering from some kind of stress or uneasiness with its environment or due to a sudden change in its diet, then all these factors can lead to a spell of dry heaving.

Some of the cat dry heaves treatment includes adhering to a recommended cat diet. Some times, if the cat is put on a strict diet of bland food like chicken broth or chicken without bones or even rice the problem can be resolved.  If the pet owner is more alert and careful it can help to reduce this problem. For the times cat dry heaving occurs due to hairballs then it is imperative to groom and clean the cat regularly. The cat can be given various hairball treatments and medicines some of which are applied on the cat’s paws and are flavored. The owner can even try applying petroleum jelly to help the cat get rid of any hairballs. Dry heaving in a cat can make it feel very uneasy, distressed and even aggressive.



If the problem does not get resolved in a few days then it would be advisable to take the cat to a vet or animal clinic.

The functioning of the feline digestive system is somewhat similar to way in which the human digestive system functions. When there is some substance in the stomach that is deemed harmful to the body, the body will try to eject that substance through the process of regurgitation. This also happens when there is an infection or disease in the stomach that leads to food being vomited. The esophagus can also get blocked from time to time which leads to the ejection of food. As with humans, cats sometimes suffer from a condition known as cat retching or cat dry heaves. This is a condition where there is an urge to vomit but this occurs on an empty stomach. The process of vomiting involves the involuntary contraction of muscles that pushes food back up the food pipe. This is what causes cat dry heaves or cat retching.

Cat Food Poisoning and Dry Heaves Symptoms

Cat food poisoning symptoms include cat dry heaves, lethargy, lack of appetite, fever and vomiting even when it has only consumed water. Cat dry heaves symptoms indicate that there is something wrong with the cat’s digestive system. It is important to remember any particular event that could have led to the cat dry heaves disease when taking the cat to an animal health specialist. Apart from cat food poisoning, it is possible that the cat is suffering from a hairball which has been ingested over a period of time. Hair balls tend to be ingested by cats that are not groomed properly. When the cat sheds hair, it should be brushed and cleaned so that this hair is not accidentally consumed. This should be done in order to avoid cat dry heaves problem.

One of the reasons why it is imperative to visit a veterinarian for cat dry heaves infection is the possibility that the cat has consumed something poisonous. Cats tend to roam around quietly and avoid the attention of their owners. It is entirely possible that the cat will have consumed some poisonous substance, possibly including leftover food, insect or rodent poison or poisonous plant items. Initially, the cat will vomit these substances out of the body before the cat dry heaves symptoms become obvious. If this is the case, it is almost certain that the cat has consumed something that his or her body did not agree with.

Cat Dry Heaves Diet

It is possible to cure the cat’s problems by putting it on a cat dry heaves diet that will help to eliminate any heavy or large chunks of food from the diet. Even if this is the case, it is important to first have the problem diagnosed by a doctor. The possibility of a hairball problem or of a poison ingestion problem will make it necessary to first seek treatment for the cat following which it can be put on a cat dry heaves diet. A cat dry heaves diet includes various easily swallowed and digested foods which should be included in the diet. The cat can be given milk and other fluids such as chicken broth or light soups made from chicken and rice broth. These are both fairly nutritious while also being easy to digest. This is something that will help the cat’s stomach regain its former strength and return to a normal level of digestion. For infection related problems, the doctor will also give the cat some medications which will help to calm the stomach down and reduce any related symptoms. This will work to restore the digestive capacity of the stomach. At this time, the cat should not be allowed to venture out as it could once again suffer from the same problem if it ingests something unhealthy and potentially poisonous to its system.