Your poor cat. It has been in the kitty litter box three times already today and it’s barely noon. Plus, the feces look watery and runny. Darn it all. It looks like your cat has diarrhea.
Cat Diarrhea Is Not A Disease
The problem with cat diarrhea is that it’s not a disease. It’s the symptom of a disease or underlying cause that can be something as simple as your cat having eaten the wrong food all the way up to something like feline leukemia virus.
Mild Cat Diarrhea
If your cat hasn’t had much diarrhea in the past, she is probably suffering from what vets call a mild problem or mild underlying cause. This category includes a stomach or intestinal virus, intestinal parasites, and what’s known as dietary indiscretions, a fancy way of saying that your cat ate spoiled food, garbage or some nonfood item.
Treating Mild Cat Diarrhea
If the cause of your cat’s diarrhea is a stomach or intestinal virus, your vet will most likely prescribe an antibiotic. If the cause of your cat’s problem is an intestinal worm – a hookworm, whipworm or tapeworm – you will need to deworm her.
Changing Your Cat’s Diet
Sometimes, a simple change in diet can cure the diarrhea. This would be true if it was caused by those “dietary indiscretions” or if you have been feeding the cat a marked-down, generic brand of cat chow.
The fact is, when it comes to cat food, the old cliché, “you get what you pay for,” is definitely true. Quality costs money. When you go below a certain price, the quality of the cat food suffers and this could be contributing to your cat’s diarrhea.
If you believe your cat’s diarrhea is mild, a good way to treat it is to put the cat on a quiet diet. This means you keep the cat away from dairy products as the lactose (milk sugar) in these products is frequently the cause of cat diarrhea. You should make sure you feed the cat those foods that are easy on its stomach. For example, you can cook up some white rice and mix it with boiled hamburger meat to create a bland meal that will be easy for the cat to digest.
Another way to treat mild diarrhea is to reduce the amount of food you are feeding the cat for a day or two. Also, remove any rich foods from her diet. Make sure your cat has access to plenty of fresh water all the time. The chances of the cat becoming dehydrated are reduced if you encourage it to drink frequently.
If a quiet diet doesn’t stop the diarrhea, your cat may be suffering from a major problem.
Severe Cat Diarrhea
Major problems that can cause severe or chronic cat diarrhea include an inflammatory bowel disease, neoplasia, hyperthyroidism, loss of pancreatic function, a viral infection, Bartonella and Eosinophilic Enteritis.
Treating Severe Cat Diarrhea
As you can see, there are many different major problems that can be an underlying cause of diarrhea in cats. This means there are many different treatments.
If your cat is showing signs of severe or chronic diarrhea, the first, most important step is to get it to your veterinarian, along with a sample of the cat’s feces.
Your vet will examine the cat, do a blood work-up and test its fecal matter. The vet may also order an X-ray or biopsy.
You will need to keep in mind that it can be very hard to diagnose the cause of severe or chronic cat diarrhea. It can require time and even hospitalization.
Severe Cat Diarrhea Treatment
If the cat is suffering from a bacterial infection, the treatment will most likely consist of antibiotics. If the underlying problem is an inflammatory bowel disease, the most common treatment is a combination of corticosteroids and dietary manipulation. Irritable Bowel Disease (IBS) is most often treated with drugs called motility modifiers.
If it appears the cat has cecal inversion, a chronic intestinal obstruction or has swallowed some foreign object, the vet may have to do exploratory surgery.
In the case of a liver or kidney disorder, your vet may do intravenous fluid therapy or another specific treatment.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for some of the major problems that can affect cats. One example of this is feline immunodeficiency virus or FIV. It cannot be cured but can be managed by making sure the cat gets a sound diet, possibly supplemented with vitamins, anti-oxidants and Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. There is even hope if your cat is suffering from feline leukemia virus (FIV) as there is now a drug that can be used to treat it called Lymphocyte T-Cell Immune Modulator.
Finally, if your cat has an intestinal blockage of some kind, the vet may have to perform exploratory surgery before any treatment can be started.
In short, diarrhea in cats can be treated and, in most cases, cured, especially if the diarrhea does not last long. If it does, be sure to get your cat to the vet so he or she can determine the root of your cat’s problem before starting any particular cat diarrhea treatment.
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