Feline diarrhea is an uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous condition causing the cat's bowels to produce loose, watery stool. This is not an uncommon condition, and it can easily be treated with proper home and veterinary care.
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Causes of Minor Diarrhea
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Minor feline diarrhea may be caused by stomach virus or intestinal virus, internal parasites, food allergies, change in diet, stress or even motion sickness.
Causes of Severe Diarrhea
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Severe diarrhea may be caused by gastrointestinal blockage, colitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, liver disease or pancreatitis.
Diagnosis
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Veterinarians perform a physical examination as well as diagnostic tests that diagnose diarrhea as well as determine what the underlying cause of diarrhea is so that it may also be treated. Tests include metabolic tests, feline leukemia tests, feline immunodeficiency virus tests and x-rays.
Treatment
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Treatment of feline diarrhea depends on the initial cause, such as routine worming if diarrhea is due to worms, drugs to treat intestinal motility and short-term specialized diets to help relieve diarrhea-induced stomach upset or in the case of diarrhea caused by food allergies. For severe diarrhea, your cat may require fluid therapy and antibiotics.
Warning
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Severe diarrhea requires immediate medical attention, because it can put your cat's health at serious risk. The cat may die if he becomes too dehydrated due to diarrhea.
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