Diarrhea in a cat: how to properly treat an upset stomach

Veterinarians and owners often encounter gastrointestinal disorders in kittens.

This can be due to many reasons: from a sudden change in food to life-threatening infections. Therefore, you should not turn a blind eye to changes in the animal’s well-being and expect that it will go away on its own.

Diarrhea or diarrhea is not an independent disease, but indicates the presence of a disease. With indigestion, the consistency of stool and the frequency of bowel movements changes.

This problem seems frivolous to many breeders, but it should not be underestimated. This patient’s condition requires treatment and close attention from a specialist, since with each trip to the toilet the kitten’s body loses a large amount of fluid.

As a result, dehydration occurs - a life-threatening condition of the body, accompanied by an imbalance of water and electrolyte balance.

In kittens, unlike adult cats, dehydration occurs very quickly. With profuse diarrhea, death from dehydration in a small kitten can occur within a few hours. Therefore, it is so important to begin symptomatic therapy as early as possible, identify the cause of diarrhea and eliminate it.

General information

Diarrhea (popularly called diarrhea) is a digestive disorder that requires mandatory treatment. With each bowel movement, the pet's body loses a large amount of fluid, weakens and becomes depleted. If not treated promptly, diarrhea can lead to the death of the animal.

Diarrhea is often accompanied by nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. The animal experiences discomfort, anxiety, stress. He loses his appetite.

Diarrhea in a cat: how to properly treat an upset stomach

Diarrhea may also be accompanied by:

• fever;
• flatulence;
• fatigue, lethargy;
• nausea;
• vomiting;
• bloody discharge.

Diarrhea is not an independent pathology, it is only a symptom of existing health problems in your pet.

What is the cause of diarrhea in cats?

The causes of diarrhea in a pet can be situational, arising from errors in care, or serious, due to diseases of varying severity.

Household factors leading to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhea:

• incorrect diet - feeding your pet fatty, smoked foods, raw fish, milk;
• overfeeding;
• a sharp change in the usual diet - replacing the natural method of feeding with dry food, changing food from wet to dry or vice versa;
• drinking water - a sudden change in the composition of water can adversely affect digestion;
• food poisoning – eating spoiled food;
• food allergies to certain foods;
• the cat’s body’s reaction to medications;
• postoperative recovery period;
• stress – the general condition of a cat in response to a change of environment, a trip, another animal, the absence of the owner;
• short-term diarrhea occurs in cats during pregnancy and after birth.

Among the diseases whose symptom is diarrhea are:

• bacterial infections - salmonella, E. coli and others;
• viruses - rotavirus, feline leukemia, peritonitis, panleukopenia and others;
• liver damage;
• pathologies of the digestive system, pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction;
• serious intoxication of the animal’s body due to poisoning;
• metabolic disorders, incl. diabetes;
• the presence of internal parasites - worms, worms, roundworms;
• oncological diseases;
• kidney disease;
• mycoses (fungal infections) of animals.

You can determine the specific cause of diarrhea in a cat by knowing the types of diarrhea.

Types of diarrhea and diagnosis

Neurogenic sphincter incontinence

This condition develops when a cat suffers from spinal cord injury, autonomic dysfunction, or myopathy. Pets suffering from neurogenic sphincter incontinence will exhibit symptoms of fecal incontinence. Because of this, the cat cannot retain feces in the body and suffers from involuntary bowel movements.

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Cats may also involuntarily pass feces when excited, stressed, or coughing. Cats that develop neurogenic sphincter incontinence require a comprehensive neurological examination to determine the type and severity of spinal injury present. If the spinal injury is treated or treated surgically, the symptoms of fecal intolerance go away.

Types of diarrhea and diagnosis

The color, consistency and smell of diarrhea differ in each case and allow an accurate diagnosis to be made.

Diagnosis of stool by consistency

The consistency and presence of various inclusions in the stool make it possible to determine the problem organ:

• vomiting with foam and loose stools are symptoms of food poisoning;
• feces with mucus are the result of damage to the large intestine, while the cat often strains to no avail;
• diarrhea with blood - the result of infection or internal parasites;
• watery diarrhea is a symptom of mild poisoning or a disease without damage to the intestines.

Diagnosis of stool by color

The color of feces most fully allows you to determine the problem with your pet’s health:

• yellow diarrhea signals an incomplete digestive process; food has not been digested sufficiently;
• black stool is the result of taking iron-containing drugs, an excessively “meaty” diet, severe damage (bleeding) of the small intestine;
• green diarrhea is formed as a result of rotting processes of spoiled food in the intestines;
• white color indicates the absence of bile in the stool as a result of pathologies of the biliary tract;
• orange color is an indicator of liver problems, severe intoxication of the cat’s body.

Signs of the most dangerous diseases are inclusions of blood and mucus, black, white and orange stool. In these cases, contacting a veterinarian should be done immediately.

Methods for treating diarrhea in cats

What to do?

In order to normalize the act of bowel movement in a nursing cat, it is necessary to eliminate the main cause that provokes this pathological condition. To make it feel better, it is recommended to give the purr a drink of rice water. Since the cat is feeding, a starvation diet will take away even more strength and worsen its health. Therefore, instead of fasting, the pet is prescribed nutritional drips. Diarrhea can be considered cured if normal stool persists for more than 72 hours. Otherwise, liquid stool is a symptom of another disease that must be continued to be treated until the accompanying symptoms disappear completely.

Treatment methods

Self-selection of medications is highly discouraged and is dangerous for the pet’s life. A veterinarian can make the correct diagnosis.

Treatment at home

Treatment at home is possible for mild illnesses or as a correction for mistakes in caring for the animal.

So, if diarrhea is caused by a stressful situation, you should provide the animal with rest, and, if possible, eliminate the cause of anxiety.

If you have an unhealthy diet, you need to take a more responsible approach to compiling your cat’s diet and eliminate possible allergens. Be sure to remove any spicy, fatty or fried foods and dairy products from the animal’s menu. You cannot feed your cat spoiled foods and sweets, because... this leads to poisoning.

Diarrhea during pregnancy is short-lived, no more than 3 times. If the specified amount is exceeded, diarrhea may indicate problems in the cat that require the intervention of a veterinarian.

Diarrhea after childbirth and other operations is short-lived and goes away on its own, because... caused by a stressful situation.

If there are household factors causing diarrhea, as well as with mild diarrhea without dangerous accompanying symptoms, a cat can be cured by fasting.

A fasting diet carried out throughout the day will relieve the digestive system. Dietary restrictions will give the cat's body the opportunity to heal on its own. It is important to note that a strict diet only concerns food. You should not deprive a sick pet of fresh water.

Due to the peculiarities of digestion, a cat cannot starve for more than a day, as this will unnecessarily weaken the animal.

After finishing the diet, you should not immediately load the animal’s digestive system. You should feed little by little, but often. The best feeding option on the first day would be boiled chicken, or dry or wet food for weakened animals.

As medicinal aids you can give your cat:

• rice water;
• Activated carbon;
• chamomile decoction;
• Smecta.

Do not give human antidiarrheal medications to cats. Probiotics (beneficial microorganisms) can be given without a veterinarian's prescription in the dosages specified in the instructions for the drugs.

If a daily starvation diet does not help your pet, you should immediately take your cat to a veterinary clinic for an accurate diagnosis and selection of treatment.

Treatment in the clinic

The veterinarian will make a reasonable diagnosis not only based on the observation of the cat owner, but will also conduct the necessary tests.

You should contact a specialist immediately if:

• the animal experiences apathy, severe weakness, lies down;
• there is an elevated temperature;
• diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting and cramps;
• the pet does not drink water;
• diarrhea contains impurities of blood and mucus;
• stool is orange, black or white;
• frequency of bowel movements – more than five times a day.

Depending on the specific disease, the veterinarian will prescribe:

• sorbents for severe pet poisoning (Smecta, activated carbon, Enterosgel);
• antibiotics for bacterial infection - Enterofuril;
• probiotics are prescribed after completing a course of antibiotics to restore the correct microflora of the cat’s gastrointestinal tract;
• anti-inflammatory drugs – if problems are detected in areas of the digestive system;
• antiviral drugs – the appropriate one is selected for each specific virus;
• anthelmintic drugs – to remove internal parasites;
• saline solutions are administered intravenously in case of severe dehydration;
• antiemetic drugs – Cerucal, to eliminate the symptoms of vomiting and nausea;
• surgical intervention - if a tumor is detected or severe blockage of the intestine.

All of the listed drugs are prescribed by a veterinarian in combination with supporting medications and vitamins. Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment can be long-term and multi-component.

Special dry food

In case of stool upset, the animal is temporarily transferred to dietary wet food in the form of pate, jelly, stew, and canned food. Dry granules damage inflamed mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract; in the first days it is better to soften them in cold water. Veterinary lines combine dry and semi-liquid food in cans and pouches. The composition includes easy-to-digest components.

The following foods are suitable for the diet:

• Hill's Prescription Diet I/D is prescribed for gastrointestinal diseases that are accompanied by diarrhea. The product is available in 2 versions: chicken and salmon based. The minimum duration of the diet is 1 week.
• Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal moderate calorie combines highly digestible LIP proteins, rice, prebiotics, beet pulp, fish oil. Use from 3 weeks.
• Purina EN is created on the basis of dry soy and poultry protein, corn starch, and animal fat. The cat is fed for 1–2 weeks until recovery.
• Eukanuba Intestinal is made from freeze-dried chicken and turkey meat and contains a complex for restoring microflora: natural beet fiber, prebiotics. The food is used for 7–14 days to stop diarrhea, and up to 12 weeks to restore digestion.
• Farmina Vet Life Cat Gastrointestinal is recommended to be given as prescribed by a veterinarian from 7 days to 3 months. The product is made from dehydrated chicken meat and rice. The composition contains components to restore intestinal function after diarrhea: soluble fiber, omega-3, psyllium seeds, prebiotics, vitamin complex and electrolytes.

Manufacturers recommend following the daily diet:

The daily diet is divided into equal portions and the pet is fed 3-4 times a day.