Gastritis in cats – Symptoms, causes and treatment

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La gastritis It is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases among domestic felines. It is characterized by a inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which can be acute or chronic. Gastritis can affect cats of all ages, whether they are mestizos or of defined race, but it is more frequent in cats that lived in the streets. Although gastritis diagnoses are not usually fatal, they require rapid veterinary attention in order to establish an adequate treatment and avoid the aggravation of symptoms.

In this article, we summarize the main symptoms of gastritis in cats, so you can recognize it early in your feline. In addition, we tell you the main causes and ways to prevent this pathology for keep good health of our pussycats

Causes and risk factors associated with gastritis

In general, acute gastritis symptoms are associated with inadequate eating habits, such as consumption of spoiled food, of toxic substances (insecticides, medicines, toxic plants, cleaning products, pesticides, etc.), and faeces of other animals. The excessive consumption of food, the formation of hairballs and the intake of foreign bodies (plastics, toys, etc.) also represent a serious risk to the proper functioning of the digestive tract of felines.

However, gastritis can also appear as a symptom of another underlying pathology, such as bacterial or viral infections, kidney or liver problems, food allergies and cancer. On the other hand, intestinal parasites They can also cause severe inflammation in the intestinal mucosa.

Felines that maintain an unbalanced diet, based on low quality feed or consume prohibited or inappropriate foods (such as spicy, greasy or spicy foods), are more vulnerable to gastrointestinal pathologies. Further, stress It appears as an important risk factor for gastritis, as well as excessive consumption of antibiotics.

When not treated quickly and adequately, the inflammation in the gastric mucosa becomes worse, giving rise to a chronic gastritis. In these pictures, we can observe damages not only in the stomach, but also in the bacterial flora of the intestine.

Symptoms of gastritis in cats

Usually, the first symptoms of gastritis are severe pain or discomfort in the upper region of the abdomen, accompanied by the sensation of heartburn, mainly after meals. As our kittens do not express pain or indigestion as clearly as we do, these symptoms may go unnoticed.

With the advance of inflammation, they appear the most characteristic symptoms of gastritis. At this stage, your pussycat may present the following clinical signs:

  1. VomitingIn acute gastritis, the animal presents sudden and frequent vomiting, which may contain bile, fresh or digested blood. Already in chronic gastritis, vomiting is severe and persistent, and may also be accompanied by blood and bile. Vomiting with bile has a yellow or green color. Fresh blood gives a red or reddish-brown color to vomit, while digested blood appears as dark grains or nodules.
  2. Altered mucous membranes: if the gastritis of the animal is derived from the consumption of some toxic substance, its mucous membranes may appear yellowish as a symptom of intoxication. In addition, in cases of more severe gastritis, mucous membranes are usually pale, thanks to the loss of blood.

Other symptoms of gastritis in cats:

  • Loss of appetite and weight
  • Dehydration
  • Diarrhea
  • Weakness and lethargy
  • Excessive drooling
  • Blood in the stool

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Diagnosis of gastritis in cats

If you notice any symptoms mentioned in your cat, you should go to the vet quickly of your trust In the veterinary clinic, the professional will be able to analyze the symptoms in detail and request the clinical analysis necessary to verify the health status of your pussycat and rule out the presence of foreign bodies in your digestive tract. If you are suspicious of chronic gastritis, the veterinarian may also request a biopsy of the gastric mucosa.

Treatment of gastritis in cats

Once the diagnosis of gastritis has been confirmed, the treatment will depend fundamentally on the cause and the progress of pathology in the organism of each animal. If the presence of a foreign body in the stomach is identified, it will be essential to remove it through a surgical procedure.

In mild acute gastritis, suspend feeding for a certain time (from 12 to 48 hours, usually) and limiting water consumption is usually effective in soothing inflammation and alleviating bad health. During recovery, it will be essential to feed your cat several times a day, always offering a small amount of food in each feeding.

In more advanced cases, the veterinarian may administer antibiotics and corticosteroids to control the progress of inflammation in the digestive tract and treat possible infections. On the other hand, if the cat presents frequent vomiting, medications may be used antiemetics to reverse this picture.

In all cases of gastritis, it will be essential adapt the animal’s diet and correct some bad habits in your routine to avoid a new episode of severe inflammation. Your veterinarian can guide you regarding these changes to offer a better quality of life to your pussycat.

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How to prevent gastritis in cats?

When it comes to the health of our pigs, we must always bear in mind the saying “Prevention is better than cure” To prevent the development of gastritis in your feline, remember to follow the tips that we list to follow:

  • Good nutritionIt is essential to provide a balanced diet of excellent quality to your pussycat throughout its life, respecting the amount of food appropriate to its size and age. In addition to removing banned foods from your diet, remember not to offer spicy human food or hard-to-digest foods to your pussycat.
  • Home care: avoid leaving trash or any kind of residue within reach of your feline. He also remembers organizing the home in an intelligent way, avoiding access to cleaning products, pesticides, medicines, and other products possibly toxic to him.
  • Control exits to the outside: Many cats are accustomed to walking alone outside the home, but wandering represents a serious risk to their health. In addition to the risk of consuming food in poor condition or toxic substances, they can also be infected with numerous pathologies, whether in street fights, during sexual intercourse or by direct contact with pathogens.
  • Preventive medicine: all cats must have adequate preventive medicine throughout their lives. Therefore, remember to make periodic visits to the veterinarian every 6 months, respect your letter of vaccination and deworming periodic, in addition to keeping it physically and mentally stimulated.

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 Gastritis in cats – Symptoms, causes and treatment, we recommend that you enter in our section of Other health problems.

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