Emma Jones
Cats are probably the cleanest pets you can imagine. They even use their own toilet. If your velvet paw suddenly can’t do its job fast enough, doesn’t move far from the litter box, or even makes your apartment dirty, you should be alarmed: diarrhea in cats is not something to be taken lightly.
Why the cat has diarrhea: research into the causes
The cat vomits and has diarrhea? If the mishap is limited and the animal otherwise makes a lively impression, there may be a simple and harmless reason. Maybe the animal ate something that didn’t suit it. This also happens to us humans from time to time. Clarify what the animal may have been snacking on, make it inaccessible, and continue to monitor the animal’s behavior. In mild cases, the symptoms subside quickly. Moderate diarrhea with vomiting is a self-healing measure of the cat’s body to quickly excrete intolerable substances.
Acute stress or another psychological trigger can also cause temporary diarrhea. But if diarrhea lasts longer than two days, gets worse and the general condition of the animal changes noticeably, something more serious is behind it. It could be an infection, a parasite infestation, or, in the worst case, an organic cause. Do not hesitate to take the cat to the vet so that the cause of diarrhea can be clarified as soon as possible. In order to spare your kitty the stress of a visit to the practice, online consultation with Dr. Fressnapf is a good way – provided, of course, that it is not an emergency. The veterinary team will research the causes with you and clarify open questions with you. This way you can quickly and easily determine whether a visit to the local veterinarian is indicated or whether your cat has just had an upset stomach.
How do I recognize symptoms of cat diarrhea?
Most noticeable change in the consistency or smell of the stool: is it slimy or bloody? Is he possibly outside the litter box, suggesting the cat couldn’t hold him long enough? Maybe your cat is suddenly acting unusually affectionate or dismissive or withdrawn? Together with changes in the feces, this is a serious indication of a health problem. Does the cat express pain when defecating, for example by hissing, meowing conspicuously, or circling the litter box restlessly? Have your vet take your fever: Is the cat’s temperature – which is 38 -39 °C for healthy animals – high or too low?
Cat with diarrhea: what to do?
As first aid for diarrhea, you need to replace what the cat loses with diarrhea and eventual vomiting: nutrients and water. It is particularly important that the cat can drink enough liquid to avoid dehydration. Freshwater must be readily available in sufficient quantities – refill the bowl more often. As a bland diet, offer the cat food that does not burden the organism and ensures an adequate supply of nutrients.
As a further measure, use cooked and unseasoned chicken, for example. You can puree this and, if necessary, mix in a little cottage cheese and grated carrot for fiber to make it tasty for the cat. Make sure the food is room temperature when serving and serve in up to six small portions. If diarrhea does not subside after a short time, a trip to the vet is essential. Never give the cat-human anti-diarrheal medication or experiment with over-the-counter pet medication. Only a qualified veterinarian can dose and prescribe medication correctly. This also applies to apparently harmless herbal medicines. Cats can be quite sensitive to pharmaceutical substances.
Possible causes of cat diarrhea
If it turns out that a parasite infestation, for example, a worm infestation, has caused the cat’s diarrhea, this can be treated with medication. Outdoor cats, in particular, can pick up worm eggs during their forays – if recognized and treated in time, this is not a big problem. If you bring a fresh stool sample with you when you go to the vet, you will make the doctor’s work easier. If, after consulting a doctor, the cause of the diarrhea is a food intolerance or an organic cause, such as gastrointestinal inflammation or FIP, you will have to change the diet in consultation with the veterinarian. As part of this, certain food components in the feed are avoided. Once the cause has been found, food-related diarrhea can also be brought under control.
You can get a large selection of high-quality light food foods from specialist retailers. In addition to paying special attention to food and water, you should also support your velvet paw under difficult conditions: Clean the litter box more often than usual and provide fresh litter. You can use a wet wipe to help long-haired breeds or senior cats who cannot properly clean the possibly sticky anal area on their own.