Diarrhea in cats – Causes, treatment and home remedies

Is your cat with diarrhea? The first thing you have to do is try to find out the cause of this stomach disorder: if there has been a change of food, if you have observed the presence of parasites, if you have taken a new ingredient or if you have purged with a plant, and so on. Especially when you do not understand what can be the cause of the diarrhea and it lasts more than 24 hours, it is essential that you take it to a veterinarian for examination and treatment. Especially NEVER medicate yourself with medicines that you have already tried on previous occasions because the reasons for this alteration can now be others and it may be worse the remedy you give than the disease itself.

In this article we are going to discover everything about the diarrhea in cats: the possible causes, the symptoms that your pet will experience, the treatment to apply and some home remedies. Keep reading and learn to care for your cat right now!

Causes of diarrhea in cats

Any alteration in the feeding of the cat can cause an upset stomach and that this causes the appearance of diarrhea and discomfort in the feline. Some of the most frequent causes are:

• Toxic food for cats: the onion, the chocolate or the sausage can become toxic for a cat, for that reason, it is important that you know the prohibited foods for cats and that you avoid them totally.
• Harmful plantsfor your health: as with food, there are also some plants that are not good for cats (the apple tree, the poinsettia, the eucalyptus, the tulips, the sago palm, the ivy, etc.). If you discover that you have any of the toxic plants for cats in your house, do not hesitate and take measures to prevent your cat from accessing them.
• Food in poor condition: Many cats usually approach the garbage to eat some leftovers of food and it may be that these are in poor condition or that they begin to be rotten. In this case the most common is to observe some vomit, regardless of the diarrhea itself, so we recommend you inspect your home.
• Changes in your diet: if you have given a new feed or introduced new foods in your diet it is possible that the animal’s stomach has not assimilated well, so this may be a cause. Remember that the change of diet should be done gradually, mixing the food (and following a few percentages) during 7 or 10 days.
• Changes in your routine: the cats are animals of customs so if you have moved from home or introduced a new animal it is possible that you have been stressed and that for this reason you have diarrhea. Watch your cat to see if it shows any of the typical symptoms of stress in cats.
• Viruses, parasites or bacteria: many pathologies cause the appearance of diarrhea, although they are always accompanied by other symptoms. If you suspect that your cat may be sick do not hesitate and go to the vet as soon as possible.

Whenever we observe the appearance of diarrhea in cats it will be very advisable to go to the veterinarian, to detect any illness promptly and be able to start a treatment as soon as possible, thus improving the prognosis.

However, in the case of the puppies cats we recommend go to the vet urgently Since your body is much more sensitive and are susceptible to getting sick and dehydrated very easily. Find out more about diarrhea in puppy cats in.

Symptoms of diarrhea in cats

Detecting diarrhea in cats is not especially complicated, since the main symptom is liquid stool which can be, in addition, other colors. But this is not the only symptom that can determine that your cat has diarrhea but can also experience other symptoms:

• Generous flatulence
• Weight loss
• Oratorian (does not want to eat)
• Fever
• Malaise
• Fleeing attitude
• Aggressiveness
• Try to hide
• Nausea and vomiting

If you also observe the appearance of blood Do not hesitate in the stool and go immediately to the veterinarian, as it could be an internal hemorrhage. Remember that in no case can you medicate, although you think that will help.

By not knowing the type of diarrhea that the cat is suffering and its true cause, giving medication can cause the intestinal flora to become even more unbalanced and that the diarrhea worsens. It is important that if you want to give a drug, first count with the opinion of a specialist.

Treatment of diarrhea in cats – Diet

As soon as you detect diarrhea in your cat, the first thing you have to do is stop feeding him for at least 12 hours. The period of fasting is essential for the intestinal cells to regenerate and the bacterial flora (which is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food) can develop correctly. Keep in mind that the usual feed we give to animals does not allow the flora to be replaced, so we will not eliminate the imbalance.

During these 12 hours you can not feed the animal but yes it is important that you give him water Well, otherwise, you could suffer from dehydration due to diarrhea. When these hours have passed you should introduce, little by little, food into your diet but we always have to follow the rules of a bland diet so that the stomach of the cat is not affected. So, the best ingredients you can give are:

• Boiled chicken without bones, without salt and without spices
• Boiled white rice (never whole!) That does not contain salt
• Boiled potato without salt
• White fish boiled and also without salt

During the 48 or 72 hours after the first diarrhea, your cat will have to follow these premises of soft diet and, little by little, you will be able to give new ingredients for your stomach to assimilate. In addition, it is recommended that you give small portions and distribute them in different shots a day, so the digestions will be easier and your pet will feel better.

Afterwards, you can start to give your usual food but always taking into account the basic premises for your cat to enjoy good digestive health. In we discover you all about the feeding of the cat.

Home remedies for diarrhea in cats

Here are some foods you can use as home remedies to treat and eliminate your cat’s diarrhea:

• Foods rich in fiber: rice, oats or bran are a good example of this. However, being carnivores, cats do not usually accept these foods well, so we recommend grinding them together with boiled chicken or some fish. Offering foods rich in fiber is a good home remedy to help your cat to solidify its feces.
• Natural yogurt: the bacteria present in yogurt will help improve the intestinal flora of your cat, so once you have passed the fast you can supplement the food by mixing it with yogurt. Of course, avoid those that contain sugar.
• Kefir: like yogurt, kefir is an excellent natural probiotic that will help your cat improve the intestinal flora that is altered. To offer it, use the same procedure: mix it with your diet food.
• Ginger: we can use ginger to treat digestive problems, as well as to stop vomiting. We only need to boil it and crush it, as if it were a spice to enrich your diet.
• Aloe vera: it is a product (and in turn food) with great qualities and properties, but among all of them we must highlight its powerful effect to treat diarrhea. You can buy this product directly at a herbalist’s shop or get a plant and make the aloe vera gel at home.

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Diarrhea in cats – Causes, treatment and home remedies, we recommend that you enter in our section of intestinal problems.