How to Treat Diarrhea in Cats

Cats can experience digestive problems at any time, and diarrhea is not uncommon. This usually lasts about a day and then goes away on its own. Occasionally, the illness can persist for a few days causing dehydration, weight loss, and coma. When your cat shows these signs, you need to treat them with medication and review the diet.

Table of Contents

Treating Diarrhea in Cats with Medicine

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Know when to see the vet. If your cat has been having diarrhea for several days, is vomiting, or is showing signs of lethargy (more tired than usual), you need to take him to the vet. Call your doctor to bring a sample of your cat’s stool in case the doctor needs to analyze the sample.

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Take your cat to the vet. Remember to bring a fresh stool sample within 12 hours. If there is blood this is only a minor problem. When stools turn black and sticky (like tar), it means that the digestive blood is coming from the stomach and possibly ulcers. Your veterinarian will conduct tests (blood, stool analysis for parasites, x-rays, ultrasound) and prescribe medication.

In case the doctor detects parasites in the cat’s feces, he will prescribe accordingly. Otherwise, your doctor will often prescribe a medication to slow the progression of diarrhea, such as Metronidazpe, Prednispone, or Tylosin.

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Give the cat medicine. Take the cat into the small room and close the door. Hold the cat firmly with your left hand (if you are right-handed) and wrap the cat in a towel like a cocoon if the cat is comfortable doing so. Put the medicine in a syringe (or empty eyedropper bottle) and put it in the side of your cat’s mouth and instill a little at a time.

The medicine should be put directly into the cat’s mouth and not spilled. Veterinarians often provide extra syringes or empty eye drops when prescribing liquid medication. You should ask for an extra tube or bottle of eye drops just in case.
You should put a little warm water in the cat’s mouth to wash away the residual medicine.

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Watch for signs of recovery. You should ask your doctor how long it will take to improve your cat’s condition. Some chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, require medical treatment for many months or even a lifetime. ^{[1] X Source of Study}^{[2] X Source of Study}^{[3] X Source of Study} If the treatment is effective, diarrhea should be improved or completely eliminated.

Signs of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in cats include: weight loss, dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your veterinarian will need to run tests to determine if your cat has this disease, chronic diarrhea related to intestinal cancer, or just normal diarrhea.

Changing Your Cat’s Diet

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Change the cat food. If diarrhea persists for more than a day due to a change in food or the introduction of a new diet, the cause may be a change in diet. You should feed your cat the old food that doesn’t cause problems and the cat’s poop should return to normal. When stools are no longer loose, you should change your diet slowly, introducing a little new food at a time.

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Observe the phenomenon of cat allergies to food. In case you suspect that your cat is allergic to food, you need to change to a new food. Food sensitivities (allergies) occur in cats and can lead to diarrhea. Therefore, when changing to a new diet, you need to make sure that the new food has different ingredients from the old food, otherwise, the allergy problem cannot be fixed.

Your doctor may recommend that your cat eat foods high in fiber. This regimen includes a prescription diet that is only available on the veterinary channel and cannot be found in pet stores. Pet food companies like Royal Canin, Hill’s Prescription Diets and Purina have special food groups for sick pets.

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Adopt the new diet slowly. For some pets, you need to introduce new foods into their meals slowly. The appropriate ratio consists of 90% of the current feed and 10% of the new feed. Gradually increase the amount of new feed until complete application within 10 days. You should observe your cat to determine how long it takes to switch to a new food.

For others it may be necessary to add 10% of the new food and maintain the ratio for 3-5 days before adding 10% of the new food. This is a process that takes a long time to do, not a speed race.

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Use Metamucil. Add half a teaspoon of unflavored Metamucil to your cat’s food once or twice daily for 5-7 days to improve their condition. You can also use regular canned pumpkin for the same effect. Both Metamucil and canned pumpkin are high in fiber.

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Add probiotics to your cat’s food. Probiotics provide beneficial gut bacteria for the digestive system to help rebalance the system that causes diarrhea. ^{[4 ] X Research Sources Jergens A. Idiopathic Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats: What We Know and What Is Unresolved. Journal of Cat Anatomy and Medicine [online series]. July 2012;14(7):445-458.} You can use FortiFlora that is easy to digest and tastes great for cats, and Purina is available over the counter (OTC).

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Provide plenty of water. Dehydration can become severe with diarrhea and your cat may become dehydrated. To detect signs of dehydration, you can gently pull on the natural excess skin at the back of your neck. When the cat’s body is sufficiently hydrated, the skin immediately returns to its normal state. If that process is slow, or the skin does not return to its original state, the cat is already dehydrated. You should take your cat to the vet immediately

Advice

If possible, you need to identify the source of the diarrhea to prevent recurrence. Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), food allergies, kidney failure, cancer, poisoning (from houseplants, rodenticides, human drugs, etc.), and possible parasites cause diarrhea. Your veterinarian will need to do tests to determine the cause.
Stress also contributes to diarrhea. A change in habitat, such as a new owner, the arrival of a new pet, or a move to another habitat, can cause a cat to become depressed. Feliway, an OTC product that can help with stress. In severe cases, cats need to be treated with prescription medications. You should consult your doctor for the best advice.
If your cat goes out, you should check to see if he’s eating next door. Overeating or eating unfamiliar foods can cause diarrhea in cats.
Check your yard and your neighbor’s house to see if your cat has eaten poisonous plants. Your doctor can provide a list of some poisonous plants to help you identify them easily.
You should spread newspaper or absorbent pads to make cleaning easier.
Confine the cat to a separate room without carpet and provide food, water, and shelter until the condition improves. This step helps you clean up, but should not be done in case the cat is feeling more upset.

Warning

Do not scold your cat when you have this disease. They are out of control and extreme stress only makes the condition worse.
Veterinarians are now warning that Pepto Bismp and Kaopectate can be toxic to cats due to salicylate toxicity. Ask your doctor about the right medication and dosage for your cat’s weight and age.
If any member of your family has diarrhea, you need to take your cat to the vet and take him or her to the vet right away. Certain types of parasites that are invisible (to the naked eye) (giardia and toxoplasmosis) can be transmitted to humans (animal diseases) and are difficult to eradicate. This parasite can be harmful to the health of young children, the elderly and people in poor health.

Steps

Treating Diarrhea in Cats with Medicine

Changing Your Cat’s Diet

Advice

Warning

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