HO ME

ABO UT

DIARRHEA IN CATS

CO NTACT

DISCLO SURE PO LICY

DIARRHEA IN KITTENS

HEALTHY CAT FOOD

Enter keywords...

How to Stop Chronic Diarrhea in Cats?

Can Antibiotics Cause Diarrhea in Cats?
Diarrhea in cats is one of the frequent conditions that our feline friends are bound to suffer from. For
most of us, our furry little friends are in every sense part of the family. Therefore, when they are down
and under we cant help but also feel the same. This shouldnt be a cause of grave concern if you know
what to look out for in order to diagnose the condition in your cat and how to prevent and effectively treat
the condition.

Home Remedies for Curing Feline Diarrhea

Bloody Diarrhea in Cats and Treatment

October 2014

No one likes to be sick and it literally sucks to be sick regardless of the condition. This is the same case
with cats and since they cant outright tell you what could be the problem, it is your responsibility to spot
whether your furry friend is under the weather.
Diarrhea is in itself not an illness, but it suggests that there is something wrong with your cats health. It is
essentially a defense mechanism brought about when the cats body works extra hard towards ridding
itself of toxins or foreign substances. The result is the speeding up the intestines normal processes, and
the rate of water reabsorption from the stomach is consequently cut down. Normally, once the foreign
substances or toxins have been cleared from a cats system diarrhea clears itself up.

6
13
20
27

7
14
21
28

W
1
8
15
22
29

T
2
9
16
23
30

F
3
10
17
24
31

S
4
11
18
25

S
5
12
19
26

There are a number of things that might lead to diarrhea in your cat. Not all cats will behave the same way
when affected by diarrhea. This means that you might notice one or several signs that point out to the
illness in your cat. It is important to know what these symptoms are. You should not disregard any small
indication that could suggest that your cat is suffering from diarrhea. The underlying cause and the affected
region of the intestine determine what kind of symptoms your cat will exhibit pointing out to diarrhea. Again,
this means that you feline friend may only show some of these symptoms or several of them to point out to
diarrhea.

Cats are known to spit out hairballs every often, but sometimes there might be a buildup of hairballs or
other foreign objects in their system causing a blockage. This is one of the causes of diarrhea in cats.

Precious Cat
Ultra Premium...
$17.49
Shop now

Tidy Cats
Breeze Litter...
$38.99
Shop now

When the colon becomes inflamed due to various reasons including blockage, your cat develops what is
known as Colitis. You cat will ultimately suffer from diarrhea.

Diarrhea in Cats Can Be Caused by Many Reasons

converted by W eb2PDFConvert.com

Changing your cats diet suddenly or introducing new foods to your cats diet could cause diarrhea.
However, as your cat adjusts to the new diet the diarrhea is likely to end. This is particularly a problem
encountered with hand-reared kittens or older cats that scavenge for food outside. Food allergies or
intolerance could also lead to diarrhea in cats. Feeding your cat dairy products or cows milk commonly
causes an allergic reaction, because many cats tend to be lactose intolerant. Another cause of cat diarrhea
could be as a result of your cat eating food that is off or has gone bad.

Cats that scour for food outside might also feed on poisonous plants or other substances that are toxic to
their systems. Cats on drugs might also end up with diarrhea as a side effect.

Just like in our systems, a cats pancreas plays an important role when it comes to food digestion. When
the pancreas is not functioning as it should, it fails to produce enough pancreatic enzymes which are
required for effective digestion. This could also be another cause of diarrhea in cats.

Viruses and bacterial infections also cause diarrhea in cats. Viruses often cause mild cases or transient
diarrhea. However, there are strains of viruses such as feline leukemia and feline parvovirus and bacteria
such as Campylobacter and Salmonella as well as parasites such as coccidian, Giardia and
Tritrichomonas, which result in prolonged and life-threatening illnesses in cats.

Bowel diseases present long-term and intermittent or persistent diarrhea. When the intestines wall
becomes inflamed it leads to bowel diseases, which is commonly associated with long-term or chronic
diarrhea in cats.

When your cat suffers from a deficiency of vitamin B12 it could lead to chronic diarrhea. Treatment in this
case is administered through replacement therapy to restore vitamin B12 to the cats system.

On the serious side the presence of intestinal tumors, benign growths and polyps lead to obstruction of a
cats intestine with diarrhea as one of the symptoms.

Antibiotics can cause feline diarrhea by killing all bacteria within the intestinal tract of your cats including
the friendly bacteria that keep your cats healthy.

Diagnosing your cat with diarrhea begins with your observations; it is important to observe your cats
general behavior particularly with changes such as change in diet or introduction of new items to its diet.
Your cat could be suffering from diarrhea despite being their usual lively and playful self or being markedly
under the weather. There are a few routine things that you can do to diagnose diarrhea in your cat.

It might not be a fun task to do, but investigating your cats stool is one of the surest ways to identify if your
furry little friend is suffering from diarrhea. If your cats toilet habits change, for instance if they normally go
about their toilet habits outdoors and all of a sudden cannot control where they go about their business.
This could be one indication that they are not well. Flatulence is also another sign of diarrhea in cats. Also if
their stool is bloody, darker or lighter in color, straining or has mucus these are other pointers that your cat
could be suffering from diarrhea.

Pinching the loose skin located on the back of your cats neck is a way of detecting dehydration. After
pinching if the skin snaps back in place then your cat is normally dehydrated. However, if the skin remains
tented or smoothens back slowly it may point out to dehydration. Dehydration is often one of the signs that a
cat is suffering from diarrhea. If your cat is older than 8 years or a kitten, less than a year old, it is important
to immediately seek immediate veterinary attention for dehydration. Dehydration is a serious condition in
cats if it goes undetected and not treated it could be potentially fatal.

If you cat seems markedly tired, has a fever, suffers from reduced appetite, loses weight and/or vomits
converted by W eb2PDFConvert.com

these are other signs that accompany diarrhea in cats. It is also important to note when your cat begins to
show these symptoms. If your cat has shown the symptoms for weeks or months they have what is called
chronic diarrhea, if the symptoms appear suddenly they have acute diarrhea and if the symptoms appear
and disappear only to surface again they have what is called intermittent diarrhea.

It goes without saying that once you realize that your cat is under the weather you should pay a visit to your
local vet as soon as possible. Mild cases of diarrhea in cats can be observed for 12 to 24 hours. A vet
should attend to but serious cases of diarrhea with symptoms including vomiting, blood in stool, fever and
pale gums. If your cat is under 1 year in age and has diarrhea, you should pay a visit to your vet as soon as
you identify the symptoms.
At the vets office, your cat will be examined and you will be asked questions about your concerns. Some of
the questions the vet will ask include the medical history of your cat including vaccinations, how frequently
your cat interacts with other pets or animals in general and access to toxins or garbage. The information
you offer is very important. It makes it easier for the vet to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Diarrhea In Cats Contact Your Vet Immediately

The vet will carryout a physical examination of your cat. It includes taking their temperature, examining the
mouth, checking on their respiration and heart, looking for signs of dehydration and physically examining
the abdomen.

To rule out things like low levels of vitamin B12 and pancreatic insufficiency, your cat will go through urine
and blood tests. Again not a pleasant task, but you might have to present at least 3 samples of your cats
droppings. Theyre necessary to check for the presence of parasites and harmful bacteria that could be
making your furry friend sick.
Blood work will be carried out to check on your cats blood count and to rule out inflammation, anemia or
infections. The vet may also examine your cats biochemical profile with the aim of checking for possible
kidney or liver disease, hypothyroidism and pancreatic function.

Ultrasounds and X-rays are conducted to check for physical abnormalities and examine your cats
gastrointestinal tract. The vet could also suggest an endoscopy test, which involves using a tiny medical
camera to collect biopsies. This camera is normally inserted through the mouth or anus. Endoscopies are
usually suggested when the vet suspects that your cat might have an inflamed bowel disease, polyps or
tumors.
After the physical examinations and tests, the vet will recommend treatment according to the underlying
cause of the diarrhea.

In the case of mild diarrhea, the vet will recommend symptomatic treatment, such as a change of diet,
which essentially targets resolving the root problem. In the case of severe diarrhea, the vet will recommend
treatment depending on the underlying problem identified.
For moderate to severe diarrhea, the vet will offer specific treatment after the cause of the diarrhea has
been established. In the case of a mild diarrhea, supportive or symptomatic treatment is offered. This
includes dietary therapy, increased fluid intake and use of probiotics. Specific therapies that your vet may
prescribe include use of anti-parasitic and anti-bacterial medication, immunosuppressive and anti-

converted by W eb2PDFConvert.com

inflammatory drugs, Vitamin B12 injections and chemotherapeutic drugs or surgery.

If pancreatic insufficiency is identified as the cause of diarrhea in your cat, the vet will recommend enzyme
replacement therapy and switching your cats diet with a more digestible diet. Antibiotics might also be
prescribed. In the case of kidney disease, the vet will recommend a change in diet targeted at reducing the
amount of phosphorus binders and protein your cat ingest. For liver disease, IV fluids and nutritional care
will be recommended and surgery if need be.

In the case of bacterial or virus infections, the vet will prescribe antibiotics. Medication that reduces motility,
which is movement of the intestines, may be recommended. These medications are particularly
recommended for cats with diarrhea caused by toxins.

Surgery is recommended when growths, tumors of polyps have been identified. Surgery is also performed
to remove blockages in your cats intestine. However, laxatives are often prescribed first in the case of
blockages. In the case of growths and tumors, chemotherapy will also be recommended.

When administering home treatment to your cat, it is helpful to put your cat in confinement until the
diarrhea is under control. This simply means setting up your cat in a room, preferably without carpeting,
with a litter, food and water in place.

Prevention is always the best cure and it helps to safeguard the health of your feline friend at all times. The
easiest ways to prevent your cat from getting diarrhea include:
Avoid feeding dairy products to your cat, because most cats (particularly adult
cats) tend to be lactose intolerant. The lactase enzyme helps in digestion of
dairy products. However, when it is limited in cats it leads to a buildup of
undigested lactose in the cats large intestine. The result is fermentation of
the lactose, which consequently causes flatulence or diarrhea.
Feed your cat homemade food and if you must feed it pet food make sure that
it is grain-free. Remember that cats are by nature carnivorous and they do not
have the capacity to sufficiently digest grains.
Stress has also been identified as a cause of diarrhea in cats. Stress can
come about in cats from deaths, new animals introduced to the family or
moves. Feliway, which is sold over-the-counter, is helpful when it comes to
managing feline stress. It is also recommended not to scold your cat when it
has accidents, because this may worsen its diarrhea.
It is important to monitor your cat, particularly if you allow them to go outside
freely. Make sure that it is not being fed by neighbors, because they might give
it food it is not used to and feeding too much might all lead to diarrhea.
It is also important to check for poisonous plants in both your yard and
neighbors yard, to prevent your cat from nibbling on them. You can get a list of
potentially poisonous plants to your cat from your vet.
In conclusion, if your cat has diarrhea it shouldnt be a cause of grave worry as long as you pay a visit to the
vet as early as possible for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. It is also important to remember that
it is up to you to know when your cat is under the weather and the only way is to closely monitor your feline
friends behavior.

converted by W eb2PDFConvert.com

How to Stop Chronic Diarrhea in Cats?

About

Can Antibiotics Cause Diarrhea in Cats?

Contact

Home Remedies for Curing Feline Diarrhea

Diarrhea in Cats: Causes, Diagnosis,

Bloody Diarrhea in Cats and Treatment

Treatment and Prevention

Diarrhea in Cats

Disclosure Policy
Privacy Policy
Sitemap

2014 Diarrhea in Cats and Solutions. All Rights Reserved. PLR Blogs Sitemap Privacy Policy

Disclaimer: This website is an officially authorized and remunerated associate for recommending high quality products found on this website. Links on this website may
be associate links which means if you click on a link of a recommended product, I/we may receive monetary compensation. However, this does not affect any unbiased
information presented on this website.

converted by W eb2PDFConvert.com