Enlarged Stomach Lining in a Cat

Thickened gastric lining in cats can be caused by multiple things, some of which include inflammatory bowel disease, gastric neoplasia, gastritis and inflammation.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of thickened gastric wall in cats depend upon the disease or condition causing the thickening. A common sign is vomiting.

    Diagnosis

    • If a cat has chronic vomiting, meaning that you have noticed multiple episodes of vomiting rather than just one isolated incident, take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Routine blood work and urinalysis as well as a physical exam are generally required to initially evaluate the cat's health.

    Ultrasound

    • Often an abdominal ultrasound will be recommended by a veterinarian and is typically performed by a specialist. With an ultrasound, the specialist can measure the diameter of the stomach lining to see if it is thickened or if a detectable mass is apparent.

    Endoscopy

    • Often the specialist may recommend an upper bowel endoscopy, which requires anesthesia. The veterinarian would then be able to obtain biopsies of the stomach in order to diagnose the cause of the thickening.

    Treatment

    • Treatment depends upon the disease or condition. It may be as simple as changing the diet (often to a wet food rather than dry) and administering medications prescribed by a veterinarian, or it can be as involved as chemotherapy for certain types of gastric cancer.