If your beloved cat suddenly vomits, it can be a cause for concern. Upon quickly examining what was vomited, you might find it's just the usual hairball. At times, you may be unsure whether to observe the situation or take the cat to the vet. In this article, we will introduce the actions that owners should take based on what their cat has vomited.
猫は嘔吐しやすい
Even if a cat is in good health, it may vomit. One common reason is hairballs. Cats have tiny spines on their tongues, and during grooming, these spines can trap and swallow hair. While some hair is expelled with feces, if hair accumulates in the stomach and forms a hairball, the cat may feel discomfort and attempt to vomit it out. Additionally, in terms of the structure of the esophageal muscle layer, unlike a dog's esophagus, which is made almost entirely of voluntary striated muscle, a cat's esophagus is made up of the upper two-thirds as voluntary striated muscle and the lower one-third as involuntary smooth muscle. This composition makes digestion slower, and it's more prone to accumulation in the esophagus, leading to regurgitation of food.
猫はいつ嘔吐するのか？
Now, let's explore other possible reasons for a cat's vomiting. Broadly, the following factors can be considered:
考えられる嘔吐の理由
- 胃にたまった毛玉による不快感
- 食生活の問題（異物の摂取、早食い、食事の急激な変化）
- 有害物質や毒物の摂取
- 糖尿病、副腎機能不全、腎不全、肝不全、甲状腺機能亢進症などの代謝異常。
- 胃の問題（胃炎、胃潰瘍、胃捻転、胃幽門部閉塞※1）
- 小腸の問題（寄生虫、腸炎、腸捻転、異物、腸閉塞など）
- 腹部の問題（腹膜炎、腫瘍、膵炎、臓器肥大など）
- 食道の問題（食道の狭窄や拡張、腫瘍、食道炎、異物など）
- ウイルス感染症
幽門とは、胃から十二指腸（小腸の最初の部分）への出口のことで、さまざまな原因で狭くなったり詰まったりすることがある。
さらに、ストレスや胃の運動機能の低下により、十二指腸から胆汁などの消化液が逆流し、嘔吐や逆流を引き起こすこともある。
Different types of vomiting: Vomiting and Regurgitation While it may seem similar when a beloved cat vomits right after eating food with vigor or when it moves its belly and regurgitates a hairball with a sound, there is a distinction in veterinary medicine between the mechanisms of vomiting and regurgitation. Since the causes of vomiting in vomiting and regurgitation are different, distinguishing between the two becomes crucial when assessing symptoms. Let's now explain vomiting and regurgitation separately.
嘔吐
嘔吐とは、何らかの原因によって脳の嘔吐中枢が刺激され、胃や十二指腸の内容物が口から排出されることを指す。吐き気をもよおした後、横隔膜が収縮し、胃の内容物が下方に排出される。排出されたものは部分的に消化された状態である。
逆流
Regurgitation occurs when there are abnormalities in the nervous system, muscles, or the presence of tumors or foreign objects in the esophagus, causing the material ingested to reflux and be expelled from the esophagus before reaching the stomach. The expelled material is often undigested, and in some cases, it may be re-ingested. Frequent regurgitation, especially of undigested food, may indicate issues such as esophageal dysfunction due to reasons like esophageal dilation, myasthenia gravis, or congenital abnormalities in the young heart's blood vessels. Regurgitation is characterized by a forward expulsion of material. Worried about a virus in your cat? Rapidly diagnose your pet in minutes with our 猫コロナウイルス抗体迅速検査!
