Cat Digestive Issues

Your cat's digestive system functions the same as yours--it digests its food to extract and absorb the nutrition from it and moves and eliminates the waste out of the body. Should your cat develop an issue with its digestive system, symptoms can include loss of appetite, bloating and abdominal pain, constipation, dehydration, diarrhea, drooling and vomiting. Any of these signs should warrant an immediate trip to the vet for a thorough examination.

  1. Bacterial Infections

    • If you had a cat in 2008, you probably remember the cat food recall for Salmonella. This bacteria is dangerous for cats as well as humans who handle the contaminated food. Vetinfo reports that three strains of bacteria can potentially contaminate your cat's food or water and cause a bacterial infection in its digestive tract: Salmonella, Campylobacter and Shigella.

    Diabetes

    • Diabetes itself is not a digestive issue, but the impact it has on your cat's ability to metabolize its food does cause digestive issues. Because your diabetic cat is not absorbing the appropriate amount of glucose to feed its cells, its body finds alternative energy sources by consuming muscle and fat tissue, compromising the supply of stored tissue. Consequently, your cat will eat more yet lose weight. Your cat will also drink more water and urinate excessively.

    Hairballs

    • When your cat bathes itself, hairballs form in the digestive tract and wreak havoc. If your cat is unable to remove the excess fur by vomiting or passing it through the digestive tract, it will build up and can cause constipation or total blockage. Your cat might eat grass to aid in throwing the hairball up, but this can also block the intestines. If your cat is suddenly throwing up and straining to go to the bathroom, the digestive issue might be a hairball blockage.

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    • Inflammatory bowel disease is a serious digestive issue that causes your cat to suffer from diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss. Inflammatory bowel disease refers to the inflamed cells that infiltrate your cat's digestive system. These inflamed cells could be anywhere in the digestive tract, from the stomach all the way down to the bowels. It is not known what causes IBD, but PetEducation.com speculates the disease might be the result of, "Genetics, nutrition, infectious agents, and abnormalities of the immune system."

    Parasites

    • A parasitic invasion of your cat's digestive system is actually quite common. Cornell University reports that 45 percent of felines suffer from intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites that cause digestive issues are either worms or single-celled organisms. These little digestive monsters include hookworms, roundworms, stomach worms, tapeworms, whipworms and the one-celled organisms Giardia, Isospora and Toxoplasma.

    Viruses

    • The coronavirus, feline panleukopenia and feline rotavirus cause your cat to lose its appetite, vomit and suffer from diarrhea. Viral infections are also extremely contagious, warns Vetinfo, so immediate veterinary care is critical to ensure the health of your other cats. Immediate veterinary care will also abate the digestive issues related to the viral infection and avoid further complications such as dehydration and weakness.