Feline diarrhea occurs when the cat passes abnormally soft stools and in greater quantity than it usually does. In addition, these wastes have a strange color and give off an even more unpleasant smell than usual.
What happens when a cat has an upset stomach is that food travels through its digestive system at a higher speed than usual (a cat without diarrhea takes between six and eight hours to digest), so it does not have time to absorb all the nutrients from food, including water. As a consequence, your health can be affected.
You may not realize at first that the cat is sick. This is because kittens are, by nature, reserved and independent animals. In addition, the disease denotes weakness and that subtracts points when it comes to being the one chosen by the female for reproduction.
Most common causes of diarrhea in cats
A fairly common cause of feline diarrhea is that the animal has eaten a toxic plant. Of course, in this case the decomposition of the body is usually accompanied by vomiting .
Another common reason for feline diarrhea is a drastic change in the furry’s diet . When this happens, there is an imbalance of the stomach bacterial flora and difficulties in the absorption of nutrients from food. If you are thinking of changing your cat’s diet for any specific reason, you should consult your vet as he will be the one who can best advise you. In addition, unless the specialist so prescribes it, we will never radically change our pet’s diet, from one day to the next.
Feline diarrhea can be due to multiple other causes: from some food that did not sit well or that a hairball has been swallowed, to the existence of intestinal parasites, hyperthyroidism and even inflammatory bowel disease. For all this, if the pussy does not improve in a couple of days, you should take it to the vet because we could be talking about a serious pathology.
Finally, stress, caused, for example, by a move or a longer-than-usual stay at the veterinary clinic can cause the cat’s gut to loosen.
Feline diarrhea motivates a good number of visits to the vet.
On a diet!
First of all, you will have to put the cat on a fast for 12-24 hours . Of course, water should not be lacking because there is a risk of dehydration. As a soft diet, we can give him boiled rice without salt or oil , which will make the stool more solid and will provide energy in the form of carbohydrates and boiled chicken without fat, skin or bones , which will provide the necessary proteins. On the market there are also specific preparations for cats with gastric problems such as diarrhea. After three days of a soft diet, it will be time to mix the chicken and rice with the feed.
Probiotics for cats are interesting as they help to reestablish the balance of the intestinal flora and vitamins or supplements will compensate for the loss of nutrients through diarrhea.
Another good idea is to give him some plain unsweetened yogurt . He will love it, it will strengthen his digestive system and help him fight a possible infection.
It goes without saying that during this period of diarrhea it is extremely forbidden to give snacks and sweets to the cat. Nor should you drink malt, as it will only speed up the transit, which we do not want.
In any case, it is best that you let your veterinarian advise you to give you the ideal option for your pet.
Is a change of food necessary?
A food that is too artificial may have caused your cat to have diarrhea. The best thing is, within your possibilities, to bet on a quality feed that has natural ingredients. If this has been the cause, as soon as you change the diet of the pussycat, its gastrointestinal problems will stop.
Again, we emphasize that the veterinarian will guide you in choosing the new food according to the characteristics of your animal, its specific needs, if it is a good or bad idea, according to your budget, etc.
