Imagine, you come from a long tiring day at your office, and your cuddly little friend welcomes you with a warm hug. Yes! It is extremely pleasing for anyone possessing a cat, but for that, you have to have a healthy one. Hence, you need to take care of your cat’s health and well-being, which is, in itself, a full-time job. Since felines are very playful and friendly, they roam around and, therefore, prone to catch infections too. One of the most common health problems your cat may develop is the upset stomach. Yes! If you have a cat with diarrhea and vomiting, keep reading to know what you can do about it.
What is Diarrhea?
Well! If you go by the definition, it is a condition in which your cat would have frequent and loose motions. Yes! It usually leads to dehydration. As a result, your cuddly friend would grow weak and lethargic.
Symptoms
Well! When it comes to the symptoms, you have to be vigilant enough to gauge the gravity of the situation. However, here are some general conditions for your cat with diarrhea and vomiting. If found, you need to consult the vet immediately.
- Blood is coming in cat’s stool or vomit
- Cat is suffering from vomiting and loose motions at the same time.
- Your cat’s vomit smells like its poo. Hence, it points to some infections.
- The cat has a normal feed, but still, she has vomits and diarrhea.
- She feels like going to poo frequently.
- You suspect that she has engulfed a poison.
- She has a bloated tummy, feels like vomiting but can not.
- Your cat appears to have lost weight and other symptoms of sickness like difficulty in breathing etc.
- She has a high fever and shows other signs of indigestion.
Causes
Well! You need to keep a close eye on the possible causes if you have a cat suffering from diarrhea and vomiting. Although there can be many reasons, a careful behavior on your part may save you and your little one.
Diet-related causes
Well! The first and foremost reason is diet. Yes! There can be further reasons when you talk about the diet-related causes of loose motions in your cat.
Change in diet
If you have brought about a change in your cat’s diet in the recent past, it may lead to an upset tummy of your little one. Whether it is the main course of her feed or a medicine or a supplement or anything at all, you have to careful. Yes! Even a slight change in diet may be harmful if the digestive tract is not ready for that. Therefore, the key here is that you introduce a new component gradually into your cat’s menu if you want to make it easy for her. Moreover, this will allow you to revert to the old dietary routine of your cat if her body does not accept.
Swallowing toxic substance
Well, if you have a cat with diarrhea and vomiting, you might need to check if she swallowed something toxic. There may be hundreds of such materials. However, some of the most common things which may cause such a serious problem include:
- Chocolates
- Raisins
- Alcohol
- Chewing gum, especially having Xylitol as an ingredient
- Aloe vera plant
- Rat Poison
- Raw plants of Potato family.
Other bacterial and fungal infections
Similarly, your cat with diarrhea and vomiting may be having some fungal, viral, or bacterial infection. As a result, she would have vomiting and loose motions. For example, Salmonella is one of the most common bacteria causing such a condition. Therefore, you need to be careful about the diet of your little one because infected meat is the primary source of this bacteria.
Gastroenteritis
If you have a cat suffering from diarrhea and vomiting, you need to check the infections also. For that matter, you need to consult the vet. Yes, they are the best to examine and advise accordingly. For example, she might be having inflammation in the lining of her stomach (Gastritis) or irritation in the lining of her small intestine (Enteritis). When both these conditions are found at the same time, it is called Gastroenteritis.
Heat or Sun Stroke
If you think that felines are strong creatures, you are mistaken. Yes! They are very sensitive beings that require ultimate protection from extreme weather conditions. For example, they cannot cool down their body temperature as they have a fluffy hair coat. For the same reason, they are prone to suffer from a heat stroke. Therefore, if you are living in the hot area and your cat is vomiting and having loose motions, it may be due to the heatstroke. In case you could not take proper steps, it may lead to coma and seizures. Hence, you have to be vigilant enough to realize the gravity of the situation.
Side-effects of Medicines
Well, a cat with diarrhea and vomiting may be suffering as a result of the side-effect of a medicine. If you had to give some antibiotics or pain killers to your little for some reason, her body might not accept it. As a result, she might develop such symptoms. Hence, you should go and see a vet.
Parasitic Infections in Intestines
You need to work closely with your cuddly friend while getting to the cause of the condition. Yes! It is essential because sometimes, the cats may have developed an infection in the intestines due to the presence of some parasites. For that matter, you would go to the vet as he will examine the creature in detail to check the infestation of the parasites.
Change of Environment – Fear/Fight response
As explained earlier, Felines happen to be very sensitive creatures. They react to environmental changes quickly. For example, if you have moved to a new house, or there is another animal around her that makes her afraid, her body may react. Similarly, she may be afraid of a particular person, also, so she might have vomiting and diarrhea.
Digestive Tract issues
Your cat may be having some digestive tract problems like absorption issues or inadequate levels of vitamins. Consequently, it would suffer from loose motions and vomiting. Your cat may be having some digestive tract problems like absorption issues or inadequate levels of vitamins. Therefore, your cat would suffer from loose motions and vomiting.
How to identify the cause of a cat’s vomiting and diarrhea
Well! When you own a cat with diarrhea and vomiting, you need to be well-aware of the condition of your cat. It is essential because when you visit the vet, they will ask you about specific things to be sure of what is going on. Therefore, you need to stay aware of these things:
- Is there any foreign substance you have observed in your feline’s loose motion or vomit? Well! Anything like bones, grass, garbage, leaves, or sticks are considered to be foreign material.
- What is the color of your cat’s feces or vomit? Yes, if her vomit is dark-colored, and looks like coffee beans, it may point to the irritation and bleeding in her stock. On the other hand, if her feces is dark-colored, it means that there may be bleeding in her stomach or the upper part of the intestine. It is the blood coming out of her body through vomit or feces, but it darkens because the cat has already digested it before passing it out.
- Is the cat’s stool liquid and covered with mucus? It indicates an issue with the colon of your cat. Yes! Colon functions to absorb the extra amount of moisture from the feces. But if the stool is still watery, it means that the colon is not performing well.
- Do you see any reddish streaks or undigested blood in your cat’s stool? Generally speaking, it shows that there is some issue in the lower part of the digestive tract, especially the rectum or colon.
Other things which you need to consider in your cat with diarrhea and vomiting include:
- The amount, appearance, and frequency of vomiting and motions. You may even go the extra mile by collecting a stool sample. It will help you when you take it to the vet.
- The water intake! It is an essential aspect as an increased water intake may help avoid the chances of dehydration, especially when she is already having loose motions.
- Hunger and eating patterns are also crucial in this condition. You have to observe how frequently your friend feels like eating something.
Treatment
When it comes to the treatment of a cat with diarrhea and vomiting, the treatment mainly depends on the cause of the infection. If it is just due to a change in diet, it may get better with time. However, if there is some other season like a parasitic infection that persists more than a couple of days, you need to go to the vet. He may suggest the treatment accordingly. Sometimes, they give anti-diarrhea medicines, but in more severe cases, they resort to different treatments, like fiber-rich food. Especially in the case of dehydration, they encourage liquid intake through IV.
What may the vet do?
Action | Observation |
Blood samples and testing | To rule out some internal organ diseases like Kidney issues |
Stool tests | To check the presence of Parasites, worms or other abnormalities in the intestines |
X-rays and ultrasound of the abdomen | To check for the presence of some external material, masses or any signs of a hindrance. |
In addition to these procedures, the vet may suggest further clinical tests for investigation.
Prevention
Well! You can adopt some simple things when you do not want to have a cat with diarrhea and vomiting. Some of them are:
Gradual Dietary changes
If you want to bring a change in the menu of your cat, do it gradually so that her digestive system accepts the change accordingly. You can do by mixing and matching the old and new menu items and increase the proportion of additional food items with time.
Increase Probiotics
In case your cat is taking some antibiotics for some reason, you need to increase the intake of probiotics. Yes, the reason being, the antibiotics kill the harmful as well as the useful bacteria in a cat’s body. Your vet is the best person to suggest you which probiotics you need to give to the cat.
Get the routine Stool Screenings
When you are trying to prevent your cat from getting an infection, you must get her stool tested at least once a year.
Prevent Parasitic infestation
If your cat has some parasitic infection, you have to be extra careful. Since the parasites, especially, the fleas not only get transmitted to the kittens, they also make the cat anxious and stressful. In turn, the cat suffers from vomiting and loose motions. Therefore, you have to avoid the parasitic infestation in the body of your cat’s system.
Pheromones
Well! It is one of the ways by which you can calm down your cat when she is in stress. Yes! The cat will feel relaxed and free of stress if she is taking some pheromones. Again, you should consult your vet to get the right pheromone for your cat.
Conclusion
A cat with diarrhea and vomiting may become cranky and lethargic, which is against her nature. Felines are normally playful and active creatures who enjoy jumping around and do not like being sick. Therefore, being an owner of the cat, it is your responsibility that you give her extreme care and affection so that she does not suffer from any disease whatsoever.
Moreover, this will also give you peace of mind that your pet is enjoying herself. You can have its company in a better manner. Therefore, you need to take care of the diet routine, the cleanliness, and the general well-being of your cats. The key here is to keep it healthy so that you may enjoy your life with your fluffy little companion for all times to come.
