Vomiting in cats is not an uncommon occurrence, but the presence of black vomit is a sign that something may be seriously the matter with your cat. Cats' bodies react to foods and other items that are not meant to be ingested by automatically rejecting them. They are forced back up through the esophagus and out the mouth in the form of vomit. This occurs if your cat has eaten an item that he shouldn't have, which is the most common cause of vomiting in cats. In other cases, frequent and regular vomiting can be a sign of a more serious gastric problem or another disturbance to your pet's system.
Causes of Black Vomit
If your cat vomits and the color of the vomit is dark red or black, that typically indicates that there is blood in the vomit. If you notice bright red blood in your pet's vomit, that typically indicates some sort of internal bleeding that is happening outside of the stomach area. Darker red or black vomit is usually caused by internal bleeding in the stomach. The most common cause of this type of bleeding is an ulcer. If you notice that there is enough blood in your pet's stomach to alter the color of his vomit, you'll probably need to be aware that the ulcer itself could be quite serious. This requires immediate action on your part in order to save your pet's health, as the presence of black vomit is a medical emergency.
What to Do
If your cat vomits and it is black in color, make sure that your pet is comfortable and promptly take him to a veterinarian. Take note before you go of any other unusual symptoms that your pet may have displayed recently, particularly in regards to eating, drinking, vomiting and evacuating his bowels. You may also wish to check his recent feces for signs of blood or other abnormal materials.
When you arrive at the vet's office, explain the situation and be sure to have a good sense of the other symptoms as well as the timeline on which the symptoms have developed. If your pet vomits regularly anyway, this is a good thing to mention to the vet.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Your vet will take the different symptoms that you've mentioned and use them to create a general idea of what your pet's condition is. He'll then need to test that out to confirm the diagnosis. In the case of an ulcer, your vet may need to make certain x-rays and blood tests. Other conditions will require different processes.
Treating an ulcer in a pet requires delicate care. Your vet will prescribe a unique diet for your pet and will also likely prescribe drugs to help make the blood in his stomach clot and to eliminate the ulcer in general. You may also need to make other lifestyle changes for your pet in order to ensure that the ulcer does not return later on.