Why Is My Cat Throwing up Clear Liquid?

A cat that is vomiting up clear liquid won’t feel very well. Natala / Shutterstock.com

Vomiting is one of the less-than-pleasant realities of being a cat parent. Rather than being a diagnosis unto itself, vomiting indicates an underlying health issue, which can range from minor to life-threatening.

Closely examining your cat’s vomit is probably not something you’re keen on doing. But the vomit’s color can provide clues to what’s causing the vomiting. If your cat is vomiting clear liquid, it’s time to investigate so you can get your cat the treatment they need.

In this article, we’ll go over why cats throw up clear liquid, and how to treat and prevent vomiting.

Possible Causes of a Cat Throwing up Clear Liquid

A cat might vomit clear liquid for many reasons. Nils Jacobi / Shutterstock.com

Your cat isn’t throwing up clear liquid simply because they feel like it. Something is disrupting their gastrointestinal tract, which you and your veterinarian will try to determine.

Before we discuss these causes, let’s distinguish between vomiting and regurgitation. Regurgitation is a passive process that requires no abdominal effort. Vomiting, on the other hand, is an active process that involves abdominal contractions and effort to empty the stomach.

Regurgitated food often comes up shortly after eating. It may appear undigested or even tubular in shape to match the shape of the esophagus. If this matches more what you’re seeing from your kitty, make sure to read more about regurgitation and its causes.

The list of causes of cats vomiting clear liquid can be quite long, and these causes vary in severity. Regardless of the cause, it is always important to take your cat to your vet for diagnosis and treatment.

Here are possible reasons why your cat is throwing up clear liquid:

• Empty stomach: A cat’s stomach contains gastric acid and other juices to help break down food. On an empty stomach, this gastric acid can irritate a cat’s tummy enough to cause vomiting. The vomit will likely be a clear liquid and possibly contain white foam.
• Drinking a lot of water: Have you ever felt sick after drinking water too quickly? The same thing happens to cats. If your cat has rapidly gulped down a lot of water, they might vomit it back up.
• Disrupted feeding schedule/indigestion: Inconsistent mealtimes or skipped meals can cause cats to vomit clear liquid.
• Dietary Indiscretion: Cats sometimes eat things they shouldn’t. If your cat has gone dumpster diving and has an upset tummy, their vomit could be clear and possibly mixed with blood or bile (liquid made in the liver and released into the small intestine near the stomach).
• Rapid Diet Transition: Cats need at least several days to adjust to a new diet. Switching to a new diet too quickly can upset a cat’s stomach, possibly leading to clear, liquid vomit.
• Eating too quickly: Does your cat practically inhale their food and then throw up? Eating too fast can make cats vomit clear liquid, along with some undigested food.
• Food Allergies: Cats frequently have food allergies to animal proteins, like chicken or beef. These allergies can cause digestive upset, including vomiting clear liquid. This often occurs chronically and may become more frequent over time.
• Hairballs: When cats groom themselves, the loose fur gets stuck in their barbed tongue and might get swallowed. Most of the hair passes smoothly through the digestive system, but some may accumulate in the stomach and form a hairball. If your cat vomits up the hairball, you might see some clear liquid along with it. Occasional hairballs can be normal but more than two or three times a month can actually be a sign of a vomiting disorder.

The above causes are among the most common causes of cats vomiting clear liquid. The causes listed below are more severe and could require extensive (and expensive) veterinary care:

• Kidney Disease: When the kidneys aren’t functioning well, toxins that normally get flushed out in the urine accumulate in the bloodstream, making cats feel very ill. Vomiting that is associated with kidney disease might be clear and contain traces of blood.
• Gastritis: Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. This irritation, which can be caused by parasites and chronic illness, can cause cats to vomit clear liquid.
• Intestinal Blockage: Cats sometimes swallow foreign objects that get stuck in their intestines. This obstruction can lead to a cat vomiting clear liquid, and it can be a life-threatening situation that requires immediate veterinary surgery.
• Cancer: Cancer, such as gastrointestinal lymphoma, is less common than other causes, but it can cause cats to vomit, and that vomit can be clear. Weight loss is often present as well. The risk for cancer increases as cats get into their senior years.
• Pancreatitis: Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. An inflamed pancreas can lead to a cascade of problems throughout the body. Most often this causes a sudden loss of appetite in a cat but may also include vomiting. Pancreatitis makes cats very ill and requires intense veterinary care.
• Other metabolic diseases: In addition to kidney disease, other metabolic diseases like hyperthyroidism, liver disease, and diabetes can cause cats to throw up clear liquid.

When To See the Vet

A cat that’s vomiting clear liquid should be examined by a veterinarian. megaflopp / Shutterstock.com

Vomiting is unpleasant, but you don’t necessarily have to rush to the vet right away. But how do you know when to call your vet about your cat’s clear vomit?

Here are indications to look for:

• Vomiting several times a week
• Persistent vomiting, lasting for several weeks or longer
• Other signs of illness, such as reduced appetite, lethargy, weight loss, and diarrhea
• Vomiting always occurs with eating or drinking

When you take your cat to the vet, your vet will perform a physical exam and ask for a detailed history of the problem. Here are some questions that your vet might ask you:

• When did you first notice the clear vomiting?
• Does your cat have other symptoms?
• How frequent is the vomiting daily and weekly (e.g., several times a day)?
• What is your cat’s current diet?

Because vomiting clear liquid can have so many causes, your vet will conduct diagnostic testing to look for an underlying cause. For example, they will do bloodwork, a fecal exam, and a urinalysis. They might also do imaging tests, like X-rays and an ultrasound, to look at your cat’s abdomen.

Treatment of Cat Throwing up Clear Liquid

Treating your cat’s vomiting depends on the underlying cause. For example, if your cat has gastritis, your vet might prescribe anti-vomiting medications and an easily digestible diet. For cats with indigestion, maintaining a regular feeding schedule with meals throughout the day can help the stomach stay relatively full and prevent irritation from stomach acid. An antiacid like omeprazole may also be suggested.

Treatment also varies according to the severity of the vomiting. For mild cases of vomiting clear liquid, at-home treatment with medications and changes to a cat’s food and feeding routine (if necessary) can successfully resolve the vomiting.

If your cat is seriously ill from vomiting and especially if they are not eating, they may require hospitalized care and receive treatment, such as intravenous fluid therapy, to regain their strength and health.

Prevention

Preventing a cat from throwing up clear liquid is not always possible, depending on what’s causing the vomiting. For example, if your cat is vomiting from drinking too much water, you can find a water dispenser that would slow down your cat’s drinking. However, for other causes like cancer or kidney disease, prevention is not practical. However, annual or biannual check-ups at the vet can help to screen for disease concerns early, before they become a more serious problem. This is especially true for older kitties.

Helping your cat maintain overall good health can help reduce the risk of them vomiting clear liquid. To keep your cat as healthy as possible, feed them a nutritionally complete and balanced diet, keep them up to date on vaccines, and take them for regular wellness checkups.