Your cat has diarrhea? That can have many causes.
Often you notice it already by the changed smell. sometimes there can be paw marks or other dirt around the toilet. At the latest when cleaning the litter box you have certainty: Help, my cat has diarrhea! What the causes can be, what you can do against the diarrhea with your fur nose and when you must immediately with the animal patient to the veterinarian, you find out here.
CAUTION: As with all health topics, reading an article on the Internet is no substitute for a visit to the vet. If you are unsure or the diarrhea lasts longer, take your pet to the vet!
Help, my cat has diarrhea!
First of all, diarrhea itself is not a disease, but only a symptom that shows that there is something wrong with your cat. Sometimes it has eaten only once something wrong. Then the diarrhea is quickly over again. But there can also be serious causes behind them, such as Parasites or a disease. Here it is necessary to do causal research. Some causes you can easily recognize yourself, others diagnosed by the vet.
Normally diarrhea in cats is not a reason to panic. Many velvet paws have a sensitive digestive tract that is sensitive to changes. Nevertheless, you should keep a careful eye on your four-legged roommate in case of an eventuality. Be sure to consult a veterinarian if digestive symptoms persist for more than 1-2 days or are accompanied by other symptoms such as apathy, vomiting, or blood in the stool.
Freiganger should remain with diarrhea in the house.
The reasons for diarrhea in cats are manifold
If your fur nose has diarrhea, this can have many causes. The more harmless ones include parasites such as worms, unfamiliar food, a food allergy, stress due to changes, diarrhea as a side effect of antibiotics or simply a spoiled stomach, z.B. due to food that has gone bad.
If the diarrhea lasts longer, it is very severe and your cat's general condition deteriorates very quickly? Then in individual cases also more serious causes can be behind it like inflammatory intestine illnesses, cat epidemic, poisonings or a tumor. In the following I will go into more detail about typical causes of diarrhea and tell you what to look out for.
Diarrhea caused by worms or other parasites
At some point it hits every cat: worms! Kittens are often infected through their mother's milk. Adult outdoor cats pick up the parasites when they eat infested prey such as mice, or become infected by swallowing infected fleas. Old veterinary wisdom: "Who has fleas, also has worms!" A worming treatment is therefore mandatory for flea-infested animals. By the way, in isolated cases, apartment cats can also get worms if you bring in worm eggs from the soil with your street shoes.
The most common types of worms in cats are roundworms, tapeworms or hookworms. In the initial stage worms make your Samtpfote hardly complaints. Only with advanced worm infestation the animal shows symptoms such as exhaustion, weight loss and a shaggy coat. Young cats with severe worm infestation may also have a bloated abdomen.
For young cats, the loss of fluids during diarrhea can quickly become dangerous.
Diarrhea and/or vomiting occur when the stomach and intestinal mucosa are irritated by the worms. Possibly you can find worms or worm parts in the feces or at the anus of the cat. Worms and worm eggs are yellowish white and can be rice grain-shaped or stringy like spaghetti noodles. Nasty comparison, I know. Sorry! Another symptom is itching at the anus. If you've always wondered why your kitty's butt slides across the floor in such a strange way – she probably has worms.
Fortunately a worm infestation is easy to treat. A worming cure from the vet kills the worms in all their stages, so that your cat will feel better soon. In contrast to earlier worming treatments, which had to be inconveniently and not always successfully smuggled into the pet's food, today the parasites are eradicated by means of a simple spot-on treatment. Since worming does not protect against reinfection, the procedure must be repeated regularly, z.B. every 3 months. At this opportunity you can also give your cat a flea treatment.
ATTENTIONSince some types of worms can also be transmitted to humans, you should take your cat's worm infestation seriously and act quickly. Deworm your cat regularly and pay special attention to hygiene, as long as the annoying Untermieter in the intestine are not yet completely eradicated.
Another reason for unexplained diarrhea can also be giardia. This microscopic small intestine parasites damage the intestinal mucosa, so that your cat cannot get enough nutrients from the food in the long run. With a fecal sample, the vet can diagnose the nasty protozoa and prescribe the right remedy. Since giardia is quite contagious, you must pay special attention to hygiene during and after a giardia infection.
If you have diarrhea, going to the bathroom may be painful or uncomfortable for your cat.
Diarrhea after antibiotics
Maybe your vet has recently given your cat Antibiotics given against a bacterial infection? bacteria also attack the beneficial intestinal bacteria. Can damage the intestinal flora. The result: diarrhea!
Your four-legged family member's digestion should return to normal once the antibiotic is discontinued. Please give the antibiotic absolutely to end, otherwise resistances can develop.
For the support or for the intestinal reorganization after the antibiotics ingestion you can give your velvet paw in arrangement with the veterinary Perenterol. These are yeast-based capsules that strengthen the natural intestinal flora and whose contents can simply be sprinkled over food.
Diarrhea due to stress
As with humans, stress can also affect the cat's stomach or intestines.
At Changes like a Moving, a new roommate on 2 or 4 legs or also a change in the daily routine of the human being (more work, less at home) the sensitive cat intestine may rebel. Now your pelt nose needs especially much attention to feel secure. On vacation or when moving, familiar objects and smells provide the necessary security, so that the stress diarrhea disappears quickly again. So be sure to take the familiar basket or a blanket with the scent of home with you. Some cats also like to cuddle in a worn T-shirt of their owner.
By the way: Also heat is a big stress factor for your cat, to which she can react with diarrhea and other complaints.
Moving or other changes can be so stressful for cats that they react with diarrhea.
Diarrhea after feed change
On a Change of feed your cat may react with diarrhea, vomiting or constipation. This does not necessarily mean that the mouse hunter does not tolerate the new food. The small predator's digestive system is naturally adapted to various food sources (mice, birds, insects, eggs, small amounts of grass, etc.).) set, but does not cope with massive sudden changes so well. Even if the cat accepts the new food willingly, you should take your time with the changeover. If you want to accustom your kitty to a higher quality food, it is recommended to "creep" this in by mixing "homeopathic" doses over a longer period of time (up to 8 weeks) first, then later more and more of the new food to the usual one. Then the digestive tract should be able to handle it. If your cat persistently reacts with digestive problems to a new food, it may be that he cannot tolerate certain ingredients of this food – especially if other foods are tolerated without problems. Many cats react with diarrhea to wet or dry food that contains a lot of grain.
In case of food allergy or food intolerance only a change of food helps. In extreme cases you can barf your cat or make her food yourself – so you know for sure what is in it. For more information about barfing for cats, click on the link.
Diarrhea due to cow milk products
Many cats get diarrhea from cow milk products, because they can not digest the contained lactose. Give milk only carefully and if necessary switch to lactose-free milk – here you do not have to buy special cat milk, which often contains sugar and other ingredients. Simple lactose-free milk is just as good and even cheaper.
Even if the cat accepts the new food, its digestive system may react with diarrhea. Photo by Stefka
When to go to the vet?
As long as your cat still has appetite, is playful and cleans himself, you can try to get the diarrhea under control with home remedies.
If the diarrhea lasts longer and there are other symptoms in addition to the liquid stool, a serious or even life-threatening disease may be the cause. You should definitely have this clarified by the vet. Diseases that cause diarrhea include the following pancreatic, liver or inflammatory bowel diseases, metabolic diseases, feline epidemic or tumor diseases.
Yellow alert: Observe
Keep your velvet paw under observation and go immediately with her to the vet if the symptoms get worse or do not get better after 1-2 days. "Yellow alert" is given,
– if the cat has diarrhea, but otherwise behaves normally – if it still has appetite and eats and drinks enough despite diarrhea
Red alert: Off to the doctor!
There are circumstances in which you should in no case wait with the vet visit. These concern on the one hand the physical condition of your animal (seniors, kittens or weakened / sick cats), on the other hand the severity of the symptoms. In the following situations the way to the veterinary surgeon is announced … and best of all with blue light:
– when an old cat or kitten has diarrhea – the liquid stool has a dehydrating effect, especially on kittens and seniors, and this can quickly become life-threatening – even if your cat is pregnant, if your cat has another chronic disease – if the diarrhea is very severe and watery – if the cat also vomits and cannot keep anything down – if the general condition of your cat deteriorates quickly – if your cat is apathetic and cannot keep anything down – if the diarrhea is very severe and watery – if your cat has another chronic disease – if the diarrhea is very severe and watery – if your cat also vomits and cannot keep anything down – if the general condition of your cat deteriorates quickly if your cat is apathetic and withdraws or is particularly aggressive – if your cat's stool is bloody or slimy – if your cat sleeps remarkably much – if the cat has fever – if the cat meows when defecating or jumps out of the litter box "as if stung by a tarantula", because it is in pain – if you suspect it could be a poisoning.
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Diarrhea in cats – what can I do?
Like any sick person, your cat needs Rest, if she is not well. You should now avoid excitement by animal or human roommates. Free-rangers have for the time of diarrhea House arrest – if only so you can keep an eye on her condition. It's best to set up a quiet place for the animal patient, where he can retreat if necessary. Often it is sufficient to Fasting day, to bring the digestion of your velvet paw again in balance. Alternatively, you can also leave out the wet food for a day. your only (high quality!) Putting down dry food.) put out dry food.
Attention: cats should in no case fast for more than 24 hours! Since in the wild they normally eat many small meals throughout the day, sudden malnutrition in cats can lead relatively quickly to organ damage. Offer your four-legged roommate always fresh water in any case, so that it does not dehydrate. The use of home remedies such as healing clay, psyllium husks or American elm bark or naturopathic medicines should always be discussed with your veterinarian.
Gentle food for the cat – you can feed it now
After the fasting day or also instead of the total food withdrawal you can her Schonkost offer, so that the Gastrointestinal tract of your cat again calms down. Medical ready-made food from Royal Canin, which is specially tailored to digestive problems, you get from the vet. Alternatively you can Prepare your own food and with it your Samtpfote over the day distributed in small portions feed.
In addition to easily digestible food, your cat needs plenty of fluids when it has diarrhea.
The following ingredients are well suited for home-made gentle food:
– cooked chicken or turkey meat is particularly easy to digest (please feed without skin, fat and bones) – long cooked rice binds water in the intestine – very long cooked, pureed carrots have a constipating effect and reduce pathogens in the intestine – grated apples bind liquid due to the pectin they contain – low-fat fish such as pollock is well tolerated – cottage cheese has a constipating, digestive regulating effect – yogurt or low-fat curd cheese are good for the intestinal flora – black tea stuffs and calms the digestive tract due to its tannins – lightly salted chicken broth helps to replace electrolytes
The classic: rice with chicken
To do this, cook finely chopped chicken meat (no bones, no skin, no fat!) together with rice in lightly salted water, until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the cooking water. Allow the chicken rice to cool to room temperature. optionally mix in a tablespoon of cottage cheese. Through this method of preparation, the rice also tastes delicious chicken and the mixture is eaten by most cats with pleasure – I have with it already two very wormed kittens with severe diarrhea (after clarification by veterinarian!) fed up.
Instead of rice, you can also mix cooked, pureed carrots or a little grated apple into the chicken meat. To be sure that your cat will accept the homemade food, it is best to try it out on your healthy kitty beforehand.
Each Schonkost should in small pieces or mashed, at room temperature, unseasoned and in small portions be fed.
Important in case of diarrhea: Make sure you drink enough liquid!
Since the loss of fluid in diarrhea can quickly become dangerous for cats, it is now especially important that your pelt nose drinks enough. Offer her home-cooked, cooled chicken broth (please no ready-made broth, they are much too strongly seasoned!) to encourage them to drink. Some people also swear by a small dash of cream in the water to whet the appetite of fussy pussycats.
Na sauber: Hygiene measures
Diarrhea can be a challenge not only for the affected cat, but also for its human, because not always everything goes completely "clean". So that as little as possible misses, you can support your kitty: Adjust in case of prolonged diarrhea a additional litter box or make sure that the four-legged patient gets to the toilet in a short way as soon as it is necessary. Against "traces" around the cat litter box you can old towels lay out. You should also treat favorite resting places and especially your brand-new, snow-white sofa with washable pads protect.
you have a sensitive nose? Your cat too. Do you both a favor, and clean the litter box especially often during diarrhea. This is also useful with regard to a possible infection, if parasites such as worms or giardia are involved.
If you are unsure what is wrong with your cat – go to the vet!
Conclusion – What you should consider when your cat has diarrhea
From an upset stomach or stress to serious illness: Diarrhea in cats can have many reasons. For mild, temporary diarrhea, you can help your otherwise healthy cat with a gentle diet and rest. If the diarrhea lasts longer or symptoms such as vomiting, blood in the stool or fever or significant changes in behavior, you should visit a vet with your pet in any case. This is especially true for kittens and senior citizens, as well as cats that are pregnant or weakened by a chronic illness.