What to Do if a Cat Has Diarrhea

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Just when you call back nix tin can exist worse than waking up and the moment you go out of bed, yous step on a cold, slimy hairball... oh wait... the smell hits you.

It's not a hairball. Your poor kitty has diarrhea and didn't make information technology to the litter box, or if they did, they painted the box with it.

Please tell me this wasn't just my cats!

If you have a true cat, you lot will probable accept to deal with diarrhea at ane time or another. And in some unfortunate cases, it may exist a regular situation. If left unaddressed, information technology could lead to dehydration and nutrient deficiency.

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is the term used when your cat passes non-formed loose or watery stool more oft and in larger amounts than they would usually defecate. It is a mutual condition that is a sign or symptom of other diseases or issues rather than a affliction itself.

It can be the outcome of a minor status, such as a stressor or diet change, that merely requires simple treatment for its resolution, or it tin exist the consequence of a serious illness, such every bit cancer, that requires more involved treatments.

Diarrhea is one of the nearly mutual problems that bring cats into the vet. Even a mild case can become serious if not treated early enough.

Cats tin become dehydrated and develop electrolyte imbalances. Therefore, knowing why your cat may take diarrhea and the possible crusade helps you lot know when it is disquisitional to seek medical care versus treating your true cat at home.

How to Know When Y'all Tin can Care for Diarrhea at Abode

1. Your cat is interim normally
   • normal energy
   • normal appetite
2. No airsickness
3. Your cat is upwardly–to–date on their vaccines (such as feline panleukopenia)
4. Your cat is a young adult (not very young or old)
5. There are no pre-existing health issues such as Addison's illness, kidney failure, cancer, etc.

How to Know When Diarrhea is a Medical Emergency

1. You suspect your true cat has ingested a toxin or toxicant
2. You lot suspect your true cat has ingested a foreign body, such as a cord or rubber ring
3. Your cat is low free energy and may seem weak
4. Loss of ambition
5. Vomiting (typically more than one time or any time h2o and/or nutrient is consumed). Always contact a veterinary if any blood is noted, fifty-fifty if they vomit but once.
6. Frequent bouts of diarrhea repeated over a couple-hr window of fourth dimension
7. The diarrhea has lasted more than 24 to 36 hours despite habitation remedies
8. At that place is a lot of blood (scarlet) in the poop – small spots of claret are not necessarily an emergency
9. The stool is blackness and /or tarry
10. Your cat is continually straining to poop and non much is coming out
11. Your true cat'southward gums are stake, blue, whitish, yellow, or gray in colour
12. Your cat's tummy is painful (rapid panting, groaning, or avoids beingness touched) and swollen
13. Your cat is passing worms in their stool or you see worms in their vomit

When in doubt, call your vet or an emergency hospital for advice.

How to Treat Your Cat's Diarrhea at Abode

At that place are times when your true cat may be off, and you can manage their diarrhea without a trip to the veterinarian.

If you have determined that it will probable be ok to try and "ride out" your cat's diarrhea for 24 to 36 hours, and so here are some options to assist.

Balance

Just like with us, rest is important. Give your cat a tranquility and comfortable place to recover. Ideally, identify them and a couple of extra litter boxes in a room with like shooting fish in a barrel-to-make clean floors will brand life easier for those unfortunate poop accidents.

Hydration

It is critical that you maintain your cat's hydration. During this flow of time, you lot tin can requite your cat rice h2o. The benefit of rice water over plain water is that information technology may help improve digestion, assist alleviate gas and bloating, provides some beneficial minerals, and the carbohydrates provide some energy.

Yous want to use skilful quality white rice (not minute rice). Chocolate-brown rice is not recommended since information technology has too much fiber.

How to make rice h2o

Ingredients:

• 1 loving cup of White Rice
• 4 cups of Water

Instructions:

Boil 1 cup of white rice in 4 cups of water for 10 to 30 minutes (maybe longer) until the h2o turns a flossy white color. Remove the liquid and allow it to cool. Salvage the cooked rice for later use. Once cooled, give information technology to your cat as oftentimes every bit they will swallow it. Discontinue if your true cat starts vomiting and contact your veterinarian. For those cats not interested, you tin add a couple of teaspoons of pet-rubber turkey broth (be sure information technology does not comprise any onions or garlic).

Alternatives to rice water

If you find that rice h2o isn't your cat's thing, you tin attempt clear, unflavored Pedialyte. Personally, I retrieve the stuff tastes terrible and would prefer the rice water! I do not recommend Gatorade considering information technology is loftier in carbohydrate, and that can cause further intestinal inflammation. There are electrolyte solutions made specifically for pets, every bit well.

No Need for Fasting

Cats need nutrition to heal their intestines. Therefore, cats are not fasted when they take diarrhe a (dissimilar dogs, which often are). If they brainstorm vomiting, however, you should withhold food and contact your veterinarian.

Bland Diet Options

ane. Plainly, boiled, boneless, skinless chicken and rice (the leftover from the rice water).

2. Chicken or turkey infant nutrient (be sure it does not contain onions or garlic – the links we provided are pet safe baby nutrient choices)

Serving Size Example:
Offering a tablespoon or two every hour for a couple of hours. Then let them to balance for a couple of hours. If there is no vomiting or worsening symptoms, yous can slightly increase the amount. You will end upward feeding smaller portions more often than what is their usual feeding routine.

3. There are prescription veterinarian diets that work well as banal diet alternatives if cooking isn't your thing! It is always helpful to regularly continue a couple of cans or a pocket-sized purse at home. For instance, Royal Canin Digestive Care in dry or canned, Purina EN Gastroenteric nutrient in dry or canned, Hills i/d Digestive Care cat food in dry or canned.

How Long to Proceed Your Cat on a Bland Diet

Mostly, you lot volition go along your cat on a bland diet for i or two weeks. During that time, keep feeding small amounts every 3 to 4 hours. If the diarrhea goes abroad, and so over another one to two weeks, y'all will slowly transition them back to their regular cat food diet. Do not give treats or whatsoever other food than their regular true cat food. In one case they have been transitioned fully back to their regular cat food for a couple of weeks, then you tin begin slowly offering extras such as their treats.

If you switch dorsum to your true cat's regular food too speedily, and don't go out enough time for healing and reduction of inflammation, you lot could stop upward correct back where you started.

Other Things That Can Help With Diarrhea

In add-on to residual, fasting, and a bland diet, at that place are some other things you may discover helpful in dealing with diarrhea issues at home.

Probiotics

Probiotics may exist helpful when dealing with diarrhea. Since the digestive tract makes up near 60 to 80% of your pet's immune organisation, keeping it healthy is important. Probiotics aid support a healthy immune system by keeping the intestinal bacteria in good rest and aiding in digestion. You tin can try regular, unflavored, probiotic-rich yogurt (y'all want as low a sugar content as possible), or y'all can selection up a probiotic like Purina's FortiFlora, Nutramax'southward Proviable, VetriScience Fast Balance GI Paste, VetriScience Probiotic Everyday, Nether the Weather Ready Balance Gel.

FortiFlora Nutritional Supplement for Cats

Proviable Health Supplement for Cats

VetriScience Fast Balance Gi Paste – Fast Interim Gastrointestinal Support for Cats & Dogs

Probiotic Everyday for Cats, 60 Bite-Sized Chews

Ready Balance for Cats, Oral Probiotic Gel | Bacteria, Live Probiotics, Vitamins

Fiber

Cobweb, such as pumpkin, has been found to help with some cases of diarrhea. It acts as a prebiotic considering it stimulates the growth of benign bacteria by lowering the pH and providing the nutrients they need. Additionally, it helps inhibit the harmful bacteria in the intestines. E'er be certain that your true cat has access to plenty of fresh water when giving them fiber supplements. In the example of stress-induced diarrhea, starting a fiber supplement a few days prior to the stressful event can assist prevent the diarrhea from starting. Psyllium fiber tin exist purchased over the counter every bit whole husks, in products like unsweetened, unflavored Metamucil. Serving: one – 4 teaspoon once to twice daily mixed in moisture cat food. The effects can have 12 to 72 hours. You tin also grind the psyllium fiber finer if you want to.

Warnings: While it is rare, some cats can have allergic reactions to psyllium. Signs of a reaction include itching or difficulty breathing. If you notice these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. Employ extreme caution using this with diabetic cats. Its utilize tin result in hypoglycemia.

Note: If your cat does not consume enough water while taking a fiber supplement, they are more likely to suffer with gas and in that location is an increased chance of esophageal and gastrointestinal obstruction.

Notation: Do non use any of the flavored varieties of Metamucil, especially those with chocolate. Additionally, read the labels to be sure they exercise not contain xylitol – it is very toxic to pets.

Glandex Anal Gland Fiber Powder for Dogs & Cats, Beef Flavored

Raw Paws Organic Pure Pumpkin Pulverisation for Dogs & Cats

Virbac Vetasyl Fiber Capsules for Dogs & Cats

Promote Healing

Rebound Recuperation Formula for cats can also be very beneficial. While information technology isn't a handling for diarrhea, it acts as a support for recovery. It helps promote hydration, which is important when cats take diarrhea. Information technology contains prebiotics and antioxidants, which are essential in helping to support the immune organization for recovery. It also helps stimulate them to consume and drink.

Over-the-Counter Medications and Why They Are Best to Avoid

You may be wondering why I have not mentioned over-the-counter (OTC) human medications, such every bit Kaopectate®, Pepto Bismol®, or Imodium®, for your true cat. The reason existence, depending on the cause of the diarrhea, these medications tin can practise more harm than good. They should only be given if recommended by your cat's veterinary and simply at the dose they suggest.

These medications can be toxic to your cat, especially if dosed incorrectly. Pepto Bismol's and Kaopectate's active ingredient is bismuth subsalicylate. This ingredient is a derivative of salicylic acid or aspirin. Cats are extremely sensitive to salicylates and if your cat gets the wrong dose, toxicity can result. This tin result in anemia, ulcers, and liver failure, regardless of the dose.

If your true cat has intestinal bleeding that you are unaware of, bloody vomit and diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weakness may result. These medications may also affect platelet part, which can impact blood clotting times. When blood does non clot, bleeding continues, which can lead to other problems. If given with whatever non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such equally Onsior^TM, Metacam®, etc., there is an increased take a chance of abdominal ulcers or perforation. Information technology can cause your cat's stool to look blackish.

Blackish stool in cats is referred to every bit melena (digested blood in stool) which can indicate serious medical conditions. This can make diagnosing sure medical problems difficult and possibly add the need for more than plush tests. Lastly, the tablet course of the anti-inflammatory will appear radio-opaque (white) on x-rays. This may appear as a metallic foreign body and result in unnecessary surgery or other treatments.

Why You Should Utilize Extreme Caution With Imodium®

Imodium (which goes by the generic name Loperamide) is a constructed opioid. All opioids are known to cause constipation. They work past slowing down gut motion which allows for more fluid and salts to be drawn back into the body system.

It should simply be given nether the guidance of a veterinary. The use in cats is extremely controversial and should only be used with extreme caution.

Imodium, when administered at safe levels, is not helpful for hurting and, therefore, will not salvage any abdominal discomfort your true cat may take.

In some cases, information technology tin cause extreme excitement in some cats. Additionally, it tin can crusade respiratory suppression in some cats.

Y'all should never requite Imodium to your cat if:

1. If your cat has ingested a toxin or has an infection. The diarrhea is a fashion for their torso to flush itself out and remove toxins and infections.
2. If your true cat has whatsoever medical conditions that can make them more susceptible to the negative side furnishings of the drug. Some wellness conditions are:
   • Liver disease
   • Kidney disease
   • Hypothyroidism
3. If your true cat is vomiting, has abdominal pain (groaning, rapid panting, avoiding being touched, etc.), and is weak.
4. If your cat is very young or former.
5. If your cat is pregnant or nursing.

What If Home Treatment Doesn't Work?

When in uncertainty, when concerned, or when the diarrhea extends beyond a day or two, despite your best at-home efforts, your all-time bet is to take your cat — and their poo (attempt to go a sample with no litter!) — evaluated by your veterinarian. No amount of internet searching and no number of trial and fault home remedy attempts can compete with the comprehensive history taking, thorough physical examination, diagnostic testing, and the power to prescribe safe and effective medications or supplements that but your veterinary tin can offer.

Dehydration is a Big Business concern

Diarrhea causes dehydration because your cat is losing more fluids than they tin take in. This lack of fluid rest prevents their bodies from functioning properly.

Diarrhea Can Cause Nutrient Deficiency

The modest intestine is where cats blot near of their nutrients from what they ingest. Therefore, when the cause of diarrhea relates to the pocket-sized intestines, your cat is missing out on a lot of the nutrients they would normally gain from their food. In add-on to diarrhea, issues of the small intestines usually cause airsickness (increasing the risks of dehydration) and weight loss (because of the lack of nutrients).

Why Cats Become Diarrhea

At that place can be many causes of diarrhea in cats. Typically, cats volition vomit or have diarrhea due to:

• Eating something toxic (plants, food, cleaning agents, man medications, etc.) or a foreign object (part of a toy, string, thread, newspaper, rubber bands, etc.)
• Too many table scraps or fatty foods tin upset your cat's stomach
• Food allergy
• Rapid food change (switching between types or brands of food too chop-chop)
• Intussusception – this is a type of intestinal blockage where i role of the intestines telescopes into itself
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Intestinal parasites
• Intestinal cancer
• Metabolic affliction: kidney illness, pancreatitis, thyroid disease, diabetes, and others
• Viral, fungal, or bacterial infections
• Reaction to medications

When fecal affair moves through the intestines faster than normal, and at that place is decreased absorption of water, nutrients, and electrolytes, the result is diarrhea. It is a symptom of diseases or other issues similar toxins, strange body ingestion, etc., that affect the small intestines, large intestines, or other organs outside the gastrointestinal tract.

Be Prepared to Answer Your Veterinarian'south Questions

Being able to respond your vet'due south questions about your true cat's diet, environment, habits, beliefs and knowing the details about your cat's diarrhea volition assist in narrowing the list of possible causes.

Narrowing the list of possible causes besides helps make up one's mind if and what specific tests are needed or if you will be able to care for the consequence with some medications at abode.

There are different characteristics for when diseases cause minor intestinal diarrhea versus large intestinal diarrheas, and the diagnosis and treatment for both are more often than not different. Here are some details to pay attending to when you lot suspect your cat has diarrhea.

Characteristics of Minor Intestinal Diarrhea:

• Big amounts of stool
• Balmy increment in frequency (3 to 5 bowel movements per day)
• No straining or difficulty pooping
• Often accompanied by vomiting
• No mucus noted in the poop
• Cats oftentimes lose weight
• Excess gas may exist noted
• Prominent gut sounds may be heard
• If claret is present, it is digested, and the stool will look black or tarry

Small intestinal diarrhea can be caused by any of the following:

1. Feline panleukopenia
2. Feline coronavirus
3. Feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
4. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)
5. Fungal infections
6. Salmonella
7. Clostridia
8. Campylobacter
9. Intestinal parasites
10. Giardia
11. Strange bodies such as paper, thread, string, etc. that get stuck in the intestines
12. Bacterial overgrowth
13. Inflammatory bowel disease
14. Dietary indiscretion
15. Sudden changes in diet
16. Food allergies
17. Toxins
18. Abdominal tumors

Characteristics of Large Abdominal Diarrhea:

• Pocket-sized amounts of stool
• Increased frequency of pooping – greater than 5 times per solar day
• Urgency to poop
• Straining is noted
• If blood is present, it is brilliant scarlet
• Stool may contain mucus
• Usually airsickness is absent, simply 30% of cats will have vomiting
• Cats normally do not lose weight

Large Intestinal diarrhea can be acquired by the following:

1. Stress
2. Viruses (FeLV and FIV)
3. Whipworms
4. Polyps
5. Inflammatory bowel illness
6. Cancer
7. Ulcerative colitis
8. Megacolon

As mentioned, at that place are organs outside the intestinal tract that tin potentially crusade diarrhea. Diseases that affect the kidneys, liver, and pancreas can all crusade diarrhea.

What Your Veterinarian Is Likely to Exercise

• History: Like any good investigation, a thorough questioning is crucial to the process of determining the crusade of your pet'south issues. Information technology'due south truthful for your cat'south diarrhea. It's true for Whatsoever problems your pet might be having. Typical historical questions your vet may ask when your true cat is presented with diarrhea might include:

  a) How long has the diarrhea been going on?

  b) What does the stool look like — what colour is it, is there any claret, etc.? (Hither'south where it'due south actually nice if you lot've brought a fresh sample of it (without any litter if possible) – near two tablespoons, or at least a clear picture of it — I know, we've got the best job, don't we!)

  c) Is your cat on any medications or supplements?

  d) What is your cat's regular diet? This includes their true cat food, treats (including human table food), and any other supplements. Have a photo of the pocketbook and ingredient listing if yous can.

  due east) Has your cat recently gotten into the trash or other places they shouldn't (like sewing or crafts room, etc.)?

  f) Has your true cat been around multiple other pets — including in your own dwelling — and are those pets similarly afflicted?

  The listing truly goes on and on and gets refined and adapted depending on your answers. History taking is truly an art… and a very important one at that!

• Physical Test: Along with the history, the importance of a thorough physical test truly cannot exist understated. Your vet will evaluate and choice upwardly on important things during the course of their physical examination. These include whether or not your true cat'southward abdomen is painful or if there is abnormal fluid nowadays within their abdomen. Whether or non there is a mass or strange body within your cat'southward rectum or elsewhere within your cat'southward digestive tract or other body systems. They tin evaluate their anal sacs to make up one's mind if they are infected (yep, something that simple can cause bad diarrhea). They'll exist able to evaluate if your cat is dehydrated or hypovolemic (low blood volume). At that place really is a wealth of important information that your vet will obtain from their physical examination of your cat.
• Diagnostic Testing: Depending on what your vet is finding during the course of the history taking (this is why knowing the in a higher place characteristics about small intestinal diarrhea versus large is beneficial) and physical examination, they may well be recommending sure diagnostic tests to help "rule in" or "rule out" potential underlying causes.

  Ofttimes times the starting time "become-to" exam for investigating diarrhea in cats is a fecal float and smear — a examination that looks primarily for intestinal parasites and aberrant intestinal bacteria. At that place are also quick "bench side" tests to wait for specific infectious organisms like Giardia, feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline leukemia virus. Similarly, your vet might recommend blood testing to evaluate for the presence of diarrhea-causing conditions such as pancreatitis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or others. Radiographs (ten-rays), ultrasound, or other diagnostic imaging may also be necessary. In that location are also times when endoscopy to visualize the tissue is essential. This involves sliding a flexible tube with a light and camera into the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, biopsies of the tissue are taken during this procedure.

  Lastly, surgery may be needed to take thicker biopsy samples from several dissimilar parts of the intestines to make a finalized diagnosis. Which tests your vet volition recommend will exist based on their initial impression or diagnosis for each of the potential underlying causes of your cat's diarrhea.

• Treatments: Some cats and some atmospheric condition require little to no treatment beyond a "bland diet" and "passage of time" to resolve the diarrhea. Nevertheless, many cases and most that go on for greater than 24–48 hours demand some handling. What's all-time, what'due south rubber, and what's likely to exist near effective will all-time be determined past the results of the history, physical exam, and diagnostic testing.

  Bones treatments often include intravenous fluids, medications to help cease the diarrhea (anti-diarrheal medications meant for cats), dewormers, medications to treat nausea, and possibly pain medications. There are also times basic treatments involve dietary changes. When the causes of diarrhea are more involved (nutrient issues, disease, or cancer), more than involved and specialized medications and treatments volition exist required. There are times, a referral to a specialist may exist recommended.

It is of import to regularly monitor your cat's bathroom habits. This is the reward of litter boxes!

1. Are they going to the litter box more often than normal?
2. Are they using places other than the litter box to poop?
3. How long do they ordinarily spend in the litter box?
4. Are in that location any changes in the colour of the poop?
5. Are there any changes in the consistency or firmness of the poop?

Helping an Outdoor Cat With Diarrhea

If you have an outdoor cat, monitoring their bathroom habits can be a claiming. If you suspect your cat has diarrhea, staining of fur on the back of their legs and rump, weight loss, signs of dehydration, etc, you will demand to try and isolate them in an area with a large litter box or two. If your cat is used to pottying exterior, y'all may have to employ clay instead of litter and be certain they have plenty of privacy.

All of this information helps yous know what is normal and abnormal for your cat. Information technology will alarm yous to problems sooner – which may avoid a vet visit. These cardinal pieces of information – change in pooping habits, changes in poop color, firmness, amount, etc. – are very valuable when providing information to your cat's veterinarian. It may save y'all a lot of time and perchance eliminate a lot of actress testing.

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Source: https://www.preventivevet.com/cats/your-cat-has-diarrhea-what-to-do

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