Cat diarrhea is no fun for your cat and not much fun for you. It’s not much fun for you because cat diarrhea can mean messes for you to clean up – if your cat can’t make it to her litter box. And it’s no fun for your cat because it can become dehydrated and suffer abdominal pain, as well as a number of other symptoms.
Cat Diarrhea Is A Symptom Of Another Problem
To understand what’s happening to your cat, it’s important to first understand that diarrhea is not an illness. In fact, it can be the symptom of many different problems. The good news is that many mild cases of cat diarrhea can be cured quickly with simple treatments. However, even diarrhea that has been caused by a mild illness can kill your cat if you don’t get it treated early enough to prevent severe nutrient and fluid losses.
Minor And Major Ailments That Cause Diarrhea In Cats
Veterinarians usually divide cat diarrhea into two categories – minor ailments and major illnesses. The causes of minor ailments include:
- Intestinal or stomach viruses
- Intestinal parasites
- Improper diet (eating from garbage cans)
- Overeating
- Stress
- Pet food quality
Major illnesses capable of causing diarrhea in cats include:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Viral infections
- Parasites
- Bacterial infections
- Baronella
- Neoplasia
- Fungal or bacterial infection
- Hyperthyroidism
- Loss of pancreatic function
- Liver or kidney disease
- Feline immunodeficiency virus
Symptoms of Diarrhea In Cats
Cat diarrhea usually falls into one of two groups – problems in the small intestine and problems in the large intestine. If the problem causing the diarrhea is high in the small intestine, the cat will eliminate large amounts of feces but it will not have bowel movements any more often. In most cases of high diarrhea, the cat’s stool will not be sticky, thick or show signs of mucus. The cat may vomit and have a stomache.
If your cat’s problem is in the large intestine, it will have frequent, uncomfortable bowel movements. When the cat does defecate, there will be a small amount of stool that is covered with mucus. The cat may take a long time to poop and try several times. If your cat’s colon is severely inflamed, her stool may be coated with flecks of bright red or rust-colored blood.
Since your cat has been trained to use its litter box, its feces could be watery and runny and you might not even know it.
However, there are other symptoms that would indicate your cat could have diarrhea.
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- High fever
- Lethargy
- Bloody stool
You should also watch out for some other signs associated with cat diarrhea such as:
- Mucus in the feces.
- Feces staining around bottom / cat keeps excessively cleaning around bottom.
- Bad smell.
- Weight loss.
- Other signs of poor cat health
Mild Cat Diarrhea
If your cat is suffering from diarrhea but does not have a history of diarrhetic episodes, it is probably just a minor problem that can be cured using what is called a quiet diet. If this is the case, all you need to do is feed your cat foods that are easy on its stomach as the less work its digestive system has to do, the faster it will get back on track.
For example, you can mix cooked white rice with boiled hamburger or chicken meat to produce a meal that is bland and easy to digest. If your cat refuses to eat meat mixed with the cooked rice, try substituting potatoes or pasta.
You will also need to keep your cat away from dairy products since the lactose (milk sugar) contained in these products is often the cause of the diarrhea. You might also stop feeding the cat those foods that contain dyes. Cat foods that are processed to look like chunks of meat, or to stay moist in the can for months, often include dyes and other artificial ingredients.
Finally, you can try fasting the cat. Sometimes if you just don’t feed it for 24 hours, this will stop the diarrhea. Then, when you begin feeding the cat again, be sure to feed it the bland rice mixture, slowly mixing in its regular food and decreasing the rice mixture until it’s diet is back to normal.
Chronic Cat Diarrhea
If your cat has chronic diarrhea you need to get it to your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. Your vet will do a physical examination and lab tests to determine what is the root of the problem. This is because chronic diarrhea is a symptom of another problem that may be affecting your cat. For example, the Uremia of kidney failure is often a cause of cat diarrhea, as is liver disease. Addison’s Disease, an over-active thyroid or a sudden inflammation of the pancreas can also cause chronic diarrhea.
Cat Diarrhea Treatment
How your vet treats your cat for chronic diarrhea will depend on what’s causing the problem. For example, if it’s being caused by a bacterial infection, your vet will most likely use antibiotics to cure the problem and, thus the diarrhea. If the root of the problem is a parasitic infection, then your vet will deworm your cat. If the underlying problem is a fungal infection, the cat will probably be given an antifungal drug. If it has an inflammatory bowel disease, it may be treated with corticosteroids and so on.
Home remedies for cat diarrhea
You can also treat mild cat diarrhea with a home remedy. For example, myrrh and mullein have anti-bacterial and analgesic effects, as does peony. There are a number of other homeopathic treatments that have proved helpful in relieving cat diarrhea such as plantain, lady’s mantle, Podophyllum 6C and PetAlive RunnyPoo Relief.
Cat diarrhea can be either a mild or chronic problem. The important thing is to determine which type your cat has, what’s causing the diarrhea and the best way to treat it – before it can become seriously dehydrated, a condition that could lead to your cat’s death.
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