Why Do Cats Get Diarrhea? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Looking at a cat's stool is an effective way to get information about their health status. Cats, which easily normalize any health problem and manage to hide their symptoms, can provide a lot of information about their health status through their stool. Therefore, it is important to observe cats while cleaning their litter boxes and understand if there are any changes. In this article, you can find information about diarrhea in cats, its causes, and treatment.

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is generally defined as loose bowel movements that increase in quantity and frequency. Diarrhea occurs as a result of decreased absorption of nutrients, electrolytes, and water in the intestines, along with the stool moving through the intestines much faster. Diarrhea should not be considered a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of a health problem. There are many different conditions that can cause diarrhea.

How to Recognize Diarrhea in Cats?

If a litter-trained cat suddenly starts accidentally defecating at home and the consistency of its stool is softer or more liquid than normal, diarrhea is clearly understood. However, cats prove to be quite mysterious creatures when it comes to their health. Even if a cat has diarrhea, it may continue to use the litter box, making the diarrhea harder to notice. To understand diarrhea in cats, you can look at the fur on the cat's rear end. In case of diarrhea, staining may occur in this area. There is a certain way to determine what a healthy cat's stool should look like. Dark brown stool color is considered ideal. While it is normal for the stool to have a slight odor, it should not smell very bad. It should not be too hard, too soft, or jelly-like. What to Do When Your Cat Has Diarrhea? Diarrhea is a common condition in cats and can have many causes. Sometimes diarrhea is short-lived and the condition resolves on its own. In other cases, diarrhea can last for days or even weeks, or it can start and end regularly. At this point, the answer to the question of what to do when your cat has diarrhea varies depending on the duration and frequency of diarrhea in cats. If diarrhea in cats persists in a certain pattern, it is essential to consult a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause. The answer to the questions "How long does diarrhea last in cats?" or "How many days does diarrhea take in cats?" can vary depending on the cause of the diarrhea. If the stool is not black or bloody, and the cat does not have symptoms such as fever, vomiting, weakness, or loss of appetite, it can be expected to pass after a while. In cats without any health problems, and who are not kittens or elderly, if diarrhea resolves within 24-48 hours, there is no need to panic. However, if diarrhea recurs, if the cat is a kitten or elderly, or if diarrhea lasts longer than 48 hours, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian.

What to Do When Cats Have Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is a common condition in cats and can have many causes. Sometimes diarrhea is short-lived and resolves on its own. In other cases, diarrhea can last for days or even weeks, or it can start and end regularly. At this point, the answer to the question of what to do when cats have diarrhea varies depending on the duration and frequency of diarrhea. If diarrhea in cats is persistent in a certain pattern, it is essential to consult a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause. The answer to the questions "How long does diarrhea last in cats?" or "How many days does diarrhea in cats last?" can also vary depending on the causes of the diarrhea. If the stool is not black or bloody, and the cat does not have other symptoms such as fever, vomiting, lethargy, or loss of appetite, the diarrhea can be expected to pass for a while. In cats without any health problems, and who are neither kittens nor elderly, there is no need to panic if the diarrhea resolves within 24-48 hours. However, if the diarrhea recurs, if the cat is a kitten or elderly, or if the diarrhea lasts longer than 48 hours, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

When a cat has diarrhea;

• If the cat is very young or very old,
• If there are existing health problems that could be negatively affected by dehydration,
• If the cat shows different symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, pain, and fever along with diarrhea,
• If the diarrhea is very watery and the cat goes to the toilet very frequently,
• If the diarrhea is bloody, tarry, or very dark in color, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

What are the causes of diarrhea in cats?

It is known that there are many different causes of diarrhea in cats. Diarrhea is not considered a health problem in itself, but rather a clinical symptom of a disease. Common causes of diarrhea in cats include: Diet changes, Food intolerance, Food allergy, Colitis, Inflammatory bowel disease, Intestinal parasites, Cancer, Hyperthyroidism. How to determine the cause of diarrhea in cats?

• Diet change,
• Food intolerance,
• Food allergy,
• Colitis,
• Inflammatory bowel disease,
• Intestinal parasites,
• Kanser,
• Hipertiroidizm olarak ifade edilebilir.

How to Determine the Cause of Diarrhea in Cats?

To determine the cause of diarrhea in cats, both a detailed medical history and an accurate account of recent changes are necessary. When diarrhea is first noticed, it's crucial to clearly state whether there have been any changes in the cat's diet. Details such as a new food, switching to a new package of regularly used food, or giving a treat for the first time, must be reported to the veterinarian. In addition to dietary changes, changes in litter box habits should also be considered. If the cat is using the litter box more frequently than usual, determining the frequency is important. The color, consistency, and odor of the stool should be described in detail. Since the veterinarian will request a stool sample, this may need to be brought to the clinic. In mild cases of diarrhea, monitoring the cat's condition by switching to a high-fiber diet is commonly preferred before detailed investigations. If deemed necessary, parasite tests, endoscopic examination, X-rays, DNA tests, blood tests, stool and rectal swab tests can be used to determine the cause of the diarrhea.

Treatment of Diarrhea in Cats

In healthy adult cats with diarrhea, a non-specific treatment approach can be tried. Food allergies, food intolerances, and changes in food can cause digestive problems and consequently diarrhea in cats. To rule out this possibility, a switch to a high-fiber diet may be necessary. In this case, the veterinarian may request that the cat's usual daily foods be cut off for 24 hours, and that smaller amounts of easily digestible food be preferred. While the diarrhea continues, it is essential to ensure the cat drinks water. When the diarrhea begins to normalize, it is possible to gradually return the cat to its normal diet by preparing mixtures with the food offered for diarrhea. If the diarrhea continues despite these changes, or if it starts to recur routinely, finding the underlying cause becomes a priority. A detailed examination should be carried out using the methods mentioned above to determine the causes of diarrhea. However, fluid therapy is also very important to counteract the negative effects of fluid loss.

Things Not to Do When Cats Have Diarrhea

When cats have diarrhea, foods like yogurt, which are used to regulate the intestinal flora in humans, should absolutely not be given to cats. This is because cats may not be able to properly digest dairy products like yogurt, and yogurt consumption can worsen the cat's condition. Sudden changes in diet and food should also not be made during this period without consulting a veterinarian. It is also very important that anti-diarrheal medications are not used in cats without consulting a veterinarian.