Cat Diarrhea: Understanding the Reasons and When to Worry

Diarrhea in cats can be concerning for pet owners. While occasional loose stools may not be alarming, persistent diarrhea may signal an underlying issue. This article explores the common causes of cat diarrhea, effective treatments, and prevention tips to keep your feline healthy.

What Causes Diarrhea in Cats?

1. Dietary problems  

• Food allergy or intolerance: Cats may be allergic or intolerant to certain food components, such as grains, dairy products, etc., which can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea after consumption. 
• Sudden change of food: If you suddenly change the brand or type of cat food without a transition period, your cat's stomach and intestines will have difficulty adapting to the new food, which may easily lead to diarrhea. 
• Eating too much: cats do not have the concept of dietary moderation, eating too much at once will overburden the stomach and intestines, thus causing diarrhea. 
• Eating spoiled food: consuming spoiled cat food or leftovers from human food, the bacteria, mold and other harmful substances in it will stimulate the stomach and intestines, leading to diarrhea.

2. Disease factors  

• Parasitic infections: intestinal parasites such as roundworms, tapeworms, giardia and other intestinal parasites in the cat's body will interfere with the normal function of the intestinal tract, triggering diarrhea, which may be accompanied by lethargy, rough hair and other symptoms. 
• Viral infections: for example, feline distemper virus, after infection, in addition to diarrhea, there may be vomiting, depression, fever and other symptoms, cats that have not been fully vaccinated are susceptible to infection. 
• Bacterial infections: Salmonella, E. coli and other bacterial infections of the intestinal tract can lead to diarrhea, in which case the cat's feces may have an odor. 
• Gastroenteritis: Typical symptoms of gastroenteritis in cats are vomiting, diarrhea and blood in the stool, accompanied by depression and loss of appetite. 
• Inflammatory bowel disease: cats may suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, resulting in long-term diarrhea. 

3. Environmental and stress factors  

• New environment stress: when the cat enters a completely new environment, such as moving or going to the pet hospital, it will feel nervous and uneasy, and this stress reaction may affect the gastrointestinal function and lead to diarrhea. 
• Seasonal cold: cats can easily catch a cold and flu during the change of season due to the big change in temperature. Diarrhea caused by cold can usually be found in cats with a dry nose and occasional sneezing. 

4. Other factors  

• Drug side effects: antibiotics and other drugs used in the treatment of certain diseases may affect the balance of intestinal flora, leading to diarrhea. 
• Digestive problems: cats have a sensitive digestive system, and some hard-to-digest foods or irregular diets that irritate the intestines can also trigger diarrhea.

How to Treat Cat Diarrhea?

1. Dietary adjustment

• Fasting

During the period of cat diarrhea, you can temporarily fast for 6-8 hours to allow the stomach and intestines to rest, but make sure there is enough water to prevent dehydration. 

• Easy-to-digest food

After the symptoms of diarrhea are relieved, gradually resume the diet, choose easy-to-digest, low-stimulation food, such as boiled chicken, rice, etc. Avoid feeding greasy, cold and stimulating food. 

2.Medication

• Probiotics

Helps to maintain intestinal health and promote digestion, you can feed your cat pet-specific probiotics to relieve diarrhea symptoms. 

• Anti-diarrhea medication

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Such as montelukast can immobilize and inhibit viruses, bacteria and the toxins they produce in the digestive tract, and it also has a covering effect on the mucosa of the digestive tract, creating a protective barrier. 

• Antibiotics

If the diarrhea is caused by a bacterial infection, such as salmonella, antibiotics may be needed to treat it, but care should be taken to use them appropriately and to avoid prolonging the expulsion of salmonella with unnecessary antibiotic use.

• Dewormers

If the diarrhea is caused by parasitic infection, you need to choose the appropriate anthelmintic drug according to the species of parasites, such as roundworm infection usually use drugs containing ingredients such as milbemycin oxime. 

3. Other treatments 

• Intravenous fluids

If the cat is dehydrated or has electrolyte imbalance, intravenous fluids may be needed to replenish water and electrolytes. 

• Isolation and sterilization

If the diarrhea is caused by an infectious disease, such as feline distemper, the sick cat needs to be isolated and the living environment thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to eliminate the virus. 

4. Treatment for specific causes 

• Stress reaction

Provide familiar objects and environment, reduce external interference and calm the cat. 

• Cold and flu

Pay attention to warmth, control the indoor temperature, and feed cold and flu granules if necessary. 

• Enteritis (Feline Distemper)

It is recommended to fast and send to the hospital for professional medical examination and treatment, including inhibiting virus proliferation, controlling secondary infection, stopping vomiting and diarrhea as well as necessary supportive treatment. When treating diarrhea in cats, it is important to determine the cause of the disease and then provide targeted treatment. If the cat's diarrhea symptoms continue unabated or worsen, seek medical attention to avoid delay.

How to Adjust Cat's Diet During Diarrhea?

Dietary adjustments during cat diarrhea are crucial, here are some specific adjustments.

• Temporary fasting

During the period of cat diarrhea, you can temporarily fast for 6-8 hours to allow the stomach and intestines to rest, but make sure there is enough water intake to avoid dehydration.  

• Choose easily digestible food

When resuming the diet, choose foods that are easily digestible and low in irritation, such as cooked chicken and rice.

• Low-protein, medium-low-fat, hypoallergenic wet food

You can choose a can of staple food with protein content of about 10% and fat content of about 5%, containing only 1-2 kinds of meat, and it is best to choose only 1-2 kinds of meat sources during the recovery period.  

• Homemade minimalist cat meals

If you simply stir in chicken, add water and steam for 10-20 minutes, add a few vitamins, and you have a nutritious and well-digested meal to nourish your sick cat. You can also choose fish, shrimp, beef, lamb, duck and other ingredients according to your cat's taste, and cook them differently during the recovery period, but this kind of “cat food” is not nutritionally balanced, and can only be used for short-term transition.  

• Prescription food

Mainstream brands of prescription food can effectively alleviate stubborn gastrointestinal problems, the principle of which is to use low-nutrient formulas to reduce the digestive burden on the stomach and intestines. 

• Probiotics supplementation

Probiotics help maintain gut health and promote digestion. You can feed your cat a pet-specific probiotic to relieve diarrhea symptoms.  

• Increase dietary fiber intake

Adding dietary fiber in moderation helps maintain your cat's gastrointestinal health. Natural ingredients with high dietary fiber content such as soy fiber, cauliflower and blueberries can be added to your cat's food.  

• Avoid feeding human food

Feeding behavior should be regulated to avoid feeding human food or other informal food that may irritate the cat's stomach.  

• Pay attention to the method of changing food

If it is necessary to change the cat food, in order to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort caused by the sudden change of food, it is recommended to adopt the seven-day or ten-day gradual transition method of food change.  In the process of adjusting the diet, the cat's symptoms need to be closely observed, and if the diarrhea symptoms continue unabated or aggravate, timely medical attention should be sought.

When to Worry About Cat Diarrhea

While mild diarrhea may resolve on its own, seek veterinary care if your cat:

• Has diarrhea lasting more than 24-48 hours.
• Shows signs of dehydration (e.g., sunken eyes, lethargy).
• Experiences vomiting, fever, or appetite loss.
• Passes blood or mucus in their stool.
• Has sudden weight loss or unusual behavior.

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Conclusion

Diarrhea in cats can have many causes, ranging from mild dietary issues to serious medical conditions. By understanding the potential triggers and providing proper care, you can help your cat recover quickly and prevent future episodes.If diarrhea persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, always consult your veterinarian for a professional diagnosis and treatment plan. For more cat care tips, bookmark this article and share it with fellow cat lovers!