Other Causes Of Diarrhea In Cats
Diarrhea may be caused by certain types of metabolic disease and liver disease. Certain cats can be prone to Inflammatory Bowel Disease . These diseases are likely to produce ongoing signs and not respond to the usual therapies, so diarrhea that doesnt resolve within a reasonable timeframe should always be investigated further by your vet.
What Does The Consistency Of Your Cats Diarrhea Mean
The consistency of the cat diarrhea can tell you much about the possible cause. Most common causes present in similar ways, so oftentimes, the consistency of diarrhea that may indicate one cause can actually be a side effect of a different cause.
- Runny and Loose Diarrhea: This is often a sign of food intolerance, and a bland diet can help with this. However, it can also be the result of infectious diseases.
- Chunky or Grounded Diarrhea: A generally less severe diarrheal symptom but can be a sign of malabsorption of water. Soluble fiber can help resolve this issue.
How To Know When Diarrhea Is A Medical Emergency
When in doubt, call your vet or an emergency hospital for advice.
Questions? If you would like to speak with a veterinarian about your cat’s diarrhea,
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Diarrhea Is Common In Kittens Because Their Digestive System Has Not Finished Developing
Kittens are more likely to have diarrhea than adult cats because their digestive system has not fully developed. This can be caused by a number of factors, including stress and eating foreign substances. Diarrhea is not a problem in itself, but it can indicate other health concerns such as an infection or parasite.
How Is Diarrhea Treated
For otherwise healthy adult cats, your veterinarian may advise you to withhold food for up to 24 hours or to feed small quantities of a veterinary diet for gastrointestinal problems. These diets are specifically formulated with a balance of fibers that feed the good bacteria found in your cats intestine and with certain antioxidants that support your cats immune system while recovering.
“Anti-diarrheal agents, de-wormers, and/or probiotics may be prescribed.”
Anti-diarrheal agents, de-wormers, and/or probiotics may be prescribed. There are several probiotic products that may be helpful in cats with diarrhea. As the quality and effectiveness of these products are not always known, consult your veterinarian before offering anything to your cat. Many cases of acute diarrhea respond quite readily to this conservative treatment, allowing the body’s healing mechanisms to correct the problem, without the initial cause ever being established. As the stools return to normal, your cat’s regular diet can usually be transitioned from the prescribed veterinary diet over seven to ten days.
If your cat does not improve within four days, further tests or more aggressive treatment may be needed. Severe or prolonged diarrhea can result in significant dehydration and metabolic disturbances due to fluid loss and your pet may require hospitalization for intravenous fluid therapy or other, more intensive treatments.
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What Are The Symptoms
Besides the consistency and frequency of your cats bowel movements, there are several symptoms associated with cat diarrhea, including:
- Chronic loss of appetite
Remember that diarrhea is not a disease itself but rather a symptom indicating a problem. It is formally known as a non-specific symptom, which means that its quite common and is usually used in conjunction with other symptoms to make an accurate diagnosis.
Because diarrhea is usually a sign of another issue, its rarely the only symptom. Diarrhea is almost always accompanied by one or more of the symptoms listed above. If youre lucky, your cats issue wont be too serious. Hopefully, you can stop their diarrhea naturally by using one of the following remedies.
What Are The Symptoms Of Diarrhea In Kittens
Same as in adult cats, the symptoms of kitten diarrhea are:
- Soft or Loose Stool. The main sign of diarrhea is soft, loose, or even watery stool. It is also common for the stool to have an unusually unpleasant scent.
- Frequent Bowel Movements. Increased pooping frequency is another sign of cat diarrhea. Sometimes, kittens strain and make no poop, but they will still visit the litter box more often.
- Litter Box Accidents. New kittens can often have accidents outside the litter box. However, in case of diarrhea, those accidents are likely to be more frequent.
- Mucus or Blood in Stool. Depending on the underlying diarrhea cause, the stool may contain mucus or blood. Both cases are concerning and require veterinary attention.
- Loss of Appetite. Young kittens with diarrhea often experience a loss of appetite. The lack of appetite is a general sign that can indicate many potential conditions.
- Nausea/Vomiting. The same trigger that caused kitten diarrhea can often cause nausea and vomiting.
- Abdominal Pain. Diarrhea results in abdominal pain. Kittens having abdominal pain should be taken to a vet for x-rays and other gastrointestinal examinations.
- Dehydration. Losing water via diarrhea causes dehydration. In young kittens, dehydration can be life-threatening if left untreated.
- Weight Loss. One of the side effects of diarrhea is weight loss from excess poop production and a loss of appetite.
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How To Choose The Best Cat Diarrhea Medicine: The Buying Guide
How do you choose the cat diarrhea medicine? You must consider many things, such as the brand name, price, and product quality. In addition, you should also consider whether it is suitable for your needs or not.
So how do you choose the right cat diarrhea medicine? Here are some tips that you can use to help you find a good product:
What you Should Keep in Mind When Buying cat diarrhea medicine
When shopping for a cat diarrhea medicine, there are several things to consider. You need to think about the quality of the product, the price, and even how much it will benefit your life. However, you also need to keep these factors in mind:
How To Stop Your Cats Diarrhea
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 18 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,344,972 times.
All cats have digestive troubles from time to time, and diarrhea is not uncommon. Usually, diarrhea lasts a day or so and clears up on its own. Other times, it may last for several days and cause dehydration, weight loss and lethargy. When your cat shows these signs, youll most likely need to treat her with medication and reconsider her diet.
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You Should Always Seek Medical Treatment When Your Cat Has Diarrhea
Diarrhea is typically a symptom of a more serious underlying condition. The most common causes are:
- parasites like worms or giardia, which can be treated with medication from your vet
- viruses such as feline distemper, which cannot be treated by humans but may require hospitalization at the vets office and IV fluids for your cat
- bacterial infections , which also require treatment from a veterinarian as they can have serious consequences if left untreated
Diarrhea can also be caused by an allergic reaction to something in its diet or environment, so you should always seek medical treatment when your cat has diarrhea.
Increase The Intake Of Water And Electrolytes
In all mammals, diarrhea has an unfortunate tendency to amplify itself. In other words, if the colon is malfunctioning and not absorbing enough water, then dehydration sets in. This dehydration, in turn, causes more diarrhea.
Give your cat more water, preferably water with valuable electrolytes, to combat this dehydration. This cat diarrhea remedy will also help your cat regain some of the much-needed liquids it lost from the episode.
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Drugs Used In Treatment Of Diarrhea
, DVM, MSc, DACVIM, DACVCP, Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Therapy for diarrhea in dogs, cats, horses and other non-ruminants includes fluids, electrolyte replacement, maintenance of acid/base balance, and control of discomfort. Antiparasitic drugs or dietary therapy can also play an important role in treatment of some types of diarrhea. Additional therapy may include intestinal protectants, motility modifiers, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antitoxins .
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Metamucil For Cats: What You Need To Know
You are cleaning out the litterbox and notice that your cats stool is small, dry, and hard. Your cat is probably constipated. The first treatment most people think of is Metamucil. It works for humans, so does it work for cats, too?
The short answer is that yes, Metamucil can work for cats. Keep reading for the details on safety, dosing, and more.
But before we talk about Metamucil, lets learn a little more about constipation in cats.
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What Is The Best Cat Diarrhea Medicine
Diarrhea in cats can result froma variety of factors. If accompanied by other symptoms such as vomitingor fever, it could be a sign of a serious disease such as feline leukemia virus or bowel disease. For simpler problems due to poor eatinghabits or an out of balance digestive system, there is an over the counter, natural drug which could solve your cats digestive problems.
Can Otc Antidiarrheal Medicines Cause Problems With Other Medicines I Take
Taking certain medicines with antidiarrheal medicines can increase your risk for side effects. Bismuth subsalicylate also may affect some medicines, causing them not to work as well. Ask your doctor before taking loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate if you also take:
- Medicines for arthritis.
- Medicines for diabetes.
Also ask your doctor before taking bismuth subsalicylate if you take pain relievers or cold medicines. These medicines may contain aspirin, which is a salicylate. You may get too much salicylate if you take more than one of these medicines at a time.
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How Long To Use Anti Diarrhea Medicine For Kittens
How long should you use anti-diarrhea medicine for kittens?
As with any medication, its important that you follow the instructions provided by your vet and adhere to the dosage. If youre administering this medication at home, read through the information that came with it and makes sure that you understand how long to use it. You should also follow up with your vet if they recommend giving your cat a special diet or having specific instructions after using antibiotics. A major concern when using antibiotics is antibiotic resistance this means that bacteria are becoming immune to medicines like tetracycline or penicillin so they cant be used as easily in humans.
What Should I Do If My Cat Has Diarrhea
There are several over-the-counter supplements and medications that can be used to manage mild cases of cat diarrhea at home. Lets take a closer look at them.
Honest Paws Pre+ Probiotic. This probiotic blend features inulin for great probiotic growth and six strains of bacteria. Overall, the unique blend of probiotics and prebiotics support digestion and boosts the cats immune system.
Rice hull and rice extract blend provide fiber to help form a cats stool into a healthy shape and consistency. It contains 5 billion CFUs and is safe for cats of all ages. Plus, it comes in a delicious chicken flavor and a powdered form that can easily be sprinkled on cat food.
Nutri-Vet Anti-Diarrhea Liquid for Cats. This oral anti-diarrheal medication contains pectin to soothe a cats stomach. This provides a protective coating on the gastrointestinal membranes to prevent inflammation.
Kaolin is also included to absorb water and increase the bulk of the stool. It is made by vets in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. This product carries the National Animal Supplement Council quality seal.
VetriScience Laboratories Fast Balance Gi Paste Gastro Intestinal Support for Cats. This fast-acting and easy-to-administer formula provides immediate GI support for cats, dogs, and horses. It is balanced with the specialized yeast extract mannan oligosaccharides.
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Encourage Water And Electrolyte Intake
Cats with diarrhea need to take in sufficient amounts of water to prevent dehydration. Keep your cats water bowls filled with fresh, clean water and consider adding an extra bowl that contains diluted chicken or beef broth. Another easy way to increase your cats water intake is to switch him from kibble to a canned diet. Temporarily, you can even mix an extra tablespoon or two of warm water into your cats canned food.
Cat Diarrhea: When Is It Serious And How Do I Stop It
One of the most common problems we see in veterinary medicine is gastrointestinal upset/diarrhea. Depending on your cats lifestyle, you may or may not be readily aware of the details of her bathroom habits. In addition, cats are very fastidious about grooming so the tell-tale signs of diarrhea may be missedespecially in the early stages. For this reason, routine veterinary visits are important. If you do notice your cat has diarrhea between visits, what could be the cause? When should you worry and consult your veterinarian? What can you do at home? Ill discuss these answers here. What are the causes of cat diarrhea?This would be an exhaustively long list if we went into everything that can cause your cat to have loose stools, but here are some of the general categories:
How may you be able to help stop cat diarrhea?Because there are so many potential causes of diarrhea in cats, you should check with your veterinarian if your cat is having it regularly. Obviously some of these causes need specific therapy, but some of the others may resolve on their own with simple, supportive care. In those cases what might your veterinarian advise you can you do at home?
Generally, if your cat had one somewhat soft stool but is still happy, playful and eating normally, you can probably safely wait to see what the next bowel movement looks like before taking any major steps. Some of the red flags that should make you more concerned are:
- Loss of appetite
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My Cat Has Chronic Diarrhea Will It Get Better
Chronic diarrhea that has been present longer than two to three weeks may prove more difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. Even extensive work-up does not always provide a definitive answer to the problem. However, in most cases a thorough clinical work-up, including food trials, can result in successful management of the diarrhea.
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Cat Diarrhea: 5 Treatment Options You Should Try
What do you do when you find diarrhea in the litter boxor worse yet, when your cat doesnt quite make it to the litter box? An immediate call to the veterinarian might be in order, but sometimes you might want to try some home treatment first. Heres how to respond when your cat develops diarrhea.
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Provide A Comfortable Environment For Rest & Recuperation
Sometimes, like us, cats just need some rest. Diarrhea can be tough on your cats system, and a stressful environment may make it worse. Put your cat in a safe, secure, and comfortable room thats free of loud noises and stressors. Give your cat plenty of cozy places to sleep, including a cardboard box, blankets, and a cat bed.
Why Choose Runipoo For Cat Diarrhea
There are many over the counter medications available for cat diarrhea. There are even a few natural remedies for diarrhea such as Hyland’s Diarrex Tablets and Natrum Muriaticum 6X. Runipoo Relief is theonly one that combines homeopathic and herbal remedies. This combination provides not only symptom relief, but long term health and well-being.
Pet Alive uses only the safest extraction methods for natural medicines. Standard processes involve using harsh chemicals which are not approved by the manufacturers of holistic medicine. Pet Alive uses the full spectrum method of extraction which does not use chemicals and maintains the integrity of the product. Pet Alive follows all guidelinesof the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act which were set up by theFDA .
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