Mary Allen
Your cat has diarrhea and you don’t know what to do? Here you will find important information about diarrhea in cats.
Cat With Diarrhea: Symptoms
Cat feces normally appear as a shaped, more or less soft mass. Depending on the feed, the color varies in shades of brown.
Means Diarrhea
- liquefaction of the feces and/or
- an increased heel frequency (frequency of bowel movements) and/or
- a larger amount of feces.
The color and smell then often also deviate from normal feces. Admixtures may also be included, such as mucus, blood, or undigested feed components. Depending on the origin of diarrhea (small or large intestine), the symptoms differ, but can also be very similar.
There are various ways in which diarrhea can develop in cats: Either too little liquid is absorbed from the food pulp, or alternatively, too much liquid can be released from the intestinal cells.
It can happen that cats with diarrhea cannot control their defecation well and something ends up in front of the litter box or in other places in the apartment, for example near the sleeping place. If she’s outside and you can’t see the feces in the litter box, you may notice feces on the anus (especially in old animals, long-haired cats, or after long-lasting diarrhea) or notice that your cat wants to go outside very often or in a hurry.
If diarrhea persists or if they vomit at the same time, the animals become limp and tired because they lose a lot of fluid and the necessary salts (electrolytes). The absorption of feed components in the gastrointestinal tract is also reduced, so that too little energy and nutrients reach the animal in the long run. In addition, the intestinal mucosa is severely irritated.
Causes
“Diarrhea” is a symptom, not a disease in itself. The causes can be manifold:
- Infection: Infectious diarrhea in cats is often due to a “mixed infection”, which means that several pathogens are involved. These can be bacteria (e.g. salmonella, hemolytic E. coli), viruses (e.g. FIV, parvovirus, coronavirus/FIP), parasites (e.g. various worms, giardia, coccidia), or fungi. This list is not exhaustive, there are other infectious agents that can cause diarrhea in the cat or tomcat.
- Feed-related: After changing the feed, some cats get diarrhea (e.g. dry food instead of wet food or vice versa). Feed intolerance is also a possible cause of diarrhea in cats.
If the cat “ate something wrong” (e.g. spicy leftovers that are not tolerated or the contents of the garbage can), the cat often vomits and has diarrhea. However, this usually ends quickly when the disturbing contents have been emptied from the gastrointestinal tract. - Metabolic diseases: These include diseases that are not primarily related to the gastrointestinal tract, e.g. pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), and cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts).
poisoning - Tumors: e.g. lymphomas
- IBD (inflammatory bowel disease): The cause of this disease is still unclear, it seems to be a dysregulation of the immune system.
- Stress: In combination with previous illnesses that were previously unproblematic, stress can lead to an outbreak of diarrhea.
Depending on the cause, other symptoms appear alongside diarrhea: the cat vomits and has flatulence or fever. Cats with food intolerance can also have skin problems.
Kitten With Diarrhea:
Diarrhea can be very dangerous, especially for small kittens, as they do not tolerate the loss of fluids well. They should therefore always be treated very quickly!
As an infectious disease, parvovirus (cat disease) primarily affects young cats: although there is a highly effective and well-tolerated vaccination against it, it still occurs, for example, in cat groups, in cats from abroad, or in feral cats. Caution: Unvaccinated adult cats can also become ill!
Coccidia and tritrichomonads are unicellular parasites that also cause diarrhea, especially in kittens. Worm infestation is also a common cause of diarrhea in young cats.
Diagnosis
One-off diarrhea is not a problem. However, if thin droppings can be observed for days, the cause should be found and eliminated. So if your cat has been suffering from diarrhea for a long time, please take them to a veterinarian!
In practice, one will try to find the cause of diarrhea: In addition to a general examination of the animal, in which other symptoms in addition to diarrhea can be found, the gastrointestinal tract of the animal is of course examined in detail. A stool sample provides information about possible parasites and other infections.
Of course, it is particularly helpful if you bring a sample of the stool with you. You can get suitable sample containers from the veterinary practice. But a clean freezer bag or a well-cleaned old jam jar also does a good job. If you collect feces from three different fecal heels, you increase the chance of finding the responsible pathogen.
Further examinations such as X-rays, ultrasound, and/or blood tests are occasionally necessary to determine the cause.
Cat Has Diarrhea: Treating The Symptoms
Acute and less dramatic diarrhea is usually only treated symptomatically, that is, the clinical signs are alleviated. With the help of a bland diet and a supply of fluids and electrolytes, the cats quickly get back on their feet. If vomiting is present at the same time, so-called “antiemetics” can help, drugs that relieve nausea and vomiting. This is occasionally helpful to encourage the cat to eat.
Cats with acute diarrhea are usually treated for intestinal parasites, which are a very common cause of feline diarrhea. This makes sense even without proof of the parasites since not all pathogens are permanently excreted. A negative stool sample can hide the fact that an infection is present.
Intestinal regulating agents such as pre-and probiotics as well as charcoal tablets for cats can support the healing process. Its importance in the treatment of intestinal diseases in dogs and cats has been proven today. You can find more information about these agents and their effects here: Intestinal rehabilitation.
Cat With Diarrhea: More Severe Cases
If diarrhea does not calm down or is very severe, the cause will definitely be further investigated; Cat diarrhea with blood is an alarm signal. If there is evidence of this, other remedies against intestinal parasites and, in exceptional cases, antibiotics against certain bacteria may help. However, purely bacterial diarrhea in cats is rather rare. If metabolic diseases are the cause of diarrhea, they are also treated accordingly.
An elimination diet helps with food intolerance. The components that are not tolerated are avoided. Warning: be patient here! A successful diet change can sometimes take months. If the right food is found, the success is resounding!
Owners whose cats are suffering from IBD also need staying power. The cause of this disease of the gastrointestinal tract is still unclear, and the treatment is lengthy. Read more here: IBD in dogs and cats.
In principle, chronic, i.e. long-lasting diarrhea, can be a problem that is very difficult to treat.
Home Remedies
Does your cat or tomcat have diarrhea? If it is an otherwise fit the adult animal, not having severe diarrhea and behaving normally, you can wait 24 hours and observe. Light bland foods, such as chicken cooked without spices, can help calm things down. Healing earth and psyllium husks, mixed with the feed, can support intestinal activity and alleviate diarrhea and flatulence.
If the droppings are not clearly formed after a day or the diarrhea is very severe, please consult a veterinarian!
Caution: Kittens should react quickly if they have diarrhea, as they are very bad at dealing with the loss of fluids. The same applies to old cats or those with chronic diseases.
If you suspect poisoning – go to the vet as soon as possible! The faster, the better the chances of recovery.
Prophylaxis
A high-quality food that is tailored to the cat’s needs is the first step towards a healthy intestine. In addition, there is a “cat-friendly” life with enough attention, variety, and exercise, plus periods of rest. Regular visits to the vet, e.g. as part of the annual vaccination appointments, do not protect against all diseases, but they make it more likely that they will be detected in good time. And of course, the animal should be regularly treated against internal and external parasites.
Cat Diarrhea: Conclusion
Diarrhea in cats is a symptom, not a disease in its own right. It can have many different causes and should definitely be clarified by a veterinarian if it persists for a long time or occurs more frequently.