Diarrhea is the passage of watery stools and it is a reasonably common complaint in cats. There is a multitude of causes of diarrhea, some serious, some minor. It is always recommended that you should see a veterinarian if you notice your cat has diarrhea. However, many will try a wait and see approach first.
Causes
There are too many causes of diarrhea to list in this article, some of the more common causes include:
- Changing diet (diets should be changed slowly, over a few days by mixing in the new food with the old food)
- Food intolerance
- Infections including viral, protozoal or bacterial
- Metabolic disorders such as hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, diabetes and liver disease
- Dietary indiscretion
- Drugs or poisons
- Intestinal obstruction
- Worms
Fasting your cat
The first thing to try is completely fasting your cat for 12-24 hours to rest the intestinal tract and allow it to heal. If there is no food going in, there is nothing to come out.
Water should still be provided during this time to ensure your cat stays hydrated. Diarrhea pulls an enormous amount of fluids and minerals from the body and it is vital that your cat replaces these lost fluids.
Add a small amount of Pedialyte to your cat’s water.
Bland diet
If after 24 hours, your cat still appears to be otherwise okay, then re-introduce food to him. This should be bland and low fat. You may wish to make your own diet or purchase a prescription diet (such as Hills i/d) from your veterinarian. Baby food is another recommendation for a cat with diarrhea, if you are going to use this, please check the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t contain onion or garlic (this includes onion and garlic powder) which is toxic to cats.
Recipe 1 for cat diarrhea:
- 1 cup boiled chicken breast or chicken/turkey mince, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1-2 cups low salt chicken broth or water
Instructions:
Chop human-grade chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and add a small amount of the chicken broth
or water to the pan and simmer until cooked.
Drain most of the liquid (you can leave a small amount), allow it to cool slightly before giving it to your cat.
Recipe 2 for a cat with diarrhea:
Pumpkin is high in soluble fibre which can help to coat and soothe the GI tract. In addition, it delays gastric emptying, reversing the effects of increased peristalsis (gastric emptying) which occurs in cats with diarrhea.
It is high in potassium, which is a common electrolyte lost during diarrhea and is well tolerated by cats.
Instructions:
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin chopped into cubes
- 1-2 cups low salt chicken broth or water
Add ingredients to a pan and cook until soft.
Remove from stove, drain and mash the pumpkin with a potato masher.
Allow cooling before giving to your cat.
Probiotics
While giving dairy to a cat is generally not recommended, especially a cat with diarrhea, yoghurt is the exception. A small amount of yoghurt can also be beneficial to a cat with diarrhea.
Yoghurt contains a type of bacteria known as Lactobacillus. These bacteria normally reside in the intestines, helping with the digestion of food. Sometimes the natural flora of the gut is thrown out of balance (for example if your cat is on a course of antibiotics), and this can lead to opportunistic and pathogenic strains of bacteria taking hold.
Slippery elm
This herbal remedy has many medical uses, including treating diarrhea. It contains mucilage (a gelatinous substance), which coats and soothes the intestines and stomach, and increases stomach mucus secretion to protect the gastrointestinal tract.Â
Add 1/2 teaspoon to your cat’s food for every 2 kg (10 lbs) bodyweight.
When to see a veterinarian
- Diarrhea that lasts more than 2-3 days
- If the diarrhea is occurring in a young kitten
- If your cat is displaying other symptoms
- Diarrhea which contains blood
- Diarrhea that is accompanied by vomiting
- Fever
- Anorexia (loss of appetite)
- Extremely foul-smelling stool
If you do take your cat to the veterinarian, bring along a stool sample if possible.
What not to do
- Never give a cat human medicine to treat diarrhea, unless your veterinarian has instructed you to do so
- Do not give your cat milk
- Fail to seek veterinary attention for your cat is he is showing accompanying symptoms
Author
-
by
-
