Acute diarrhea accompanied by vomiting, dehydration, fever, depression, or other symptoms should prompt your cat to see a veterinarian.
Causes of acute diarrhea in cats
Several diseases and disorders can cause acute diarrhea. These include:
1. Eating disorder includes eating spoiled food, overeating, ingesting foreign substances, and sudden changes in diet. Acute diarrhea can also be caused by the cat consuming certain food ingredients that are not tolerated by the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Intestinal parasites (e.g., roundworms, hookworms, whipworms) are a common cause of acute diarrhea, especially in young cats. These parasites cannot be seen in feces, but their eggs may be found in fecal flotation tests.
3. Certain bacteria (e.g., Salmonella, Clostridium, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Yersinia, etc.) can cause acute diarrhea and pass through contaminated food and water Or spread by contact with the feces of other infected animals.
4. Viral infections such as parvovirus (panleukopenia), feline enteric coronavirus, feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIP), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and feline cage virus can cause acute diarrhea.
5. Protozoa infection, such as coccidial infection, flagellate infection, Entamoeba infection, and Trichomonas infection.
6. Fungal and algal infections (e.g., histoplasmosis, protozoa, photos, etc.) are more likely to cause chronic but occasionally acute diarrhea.
7. Drugs and chemical toxins can cause acute diarrhea by directly irritating the intestinal lining or interfering with the normal bacterial flora. Examples include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, corticosteroids, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, and certain heart drugs (digoxin). Chemical poisons include pesticides, garden products, and heavy metals.
8. Acute diarrhea may also be caused by dietary intolerance, such as specific proteins, lactose, high fat, and certain food additives can cause symptoms of gastrointestinal intolerance.
9. Many metabolic diseases (e.g., kidney and liver disease) produce clinical symptoms of gastrointestinal disease, including diarrhea. Diarrhea in this condition is bloody and often accompanied by various systemic symptoms.
10. Intestinal obstruction usually accompanies vomiting, but acute diarrhea can also occur.
11. Intussusception is stretching the bowel itself, which can also cause acute diarrhea.
12. Tumors of the gastrointestinal tract or other abdominal organs can also cause diarrhea. Although diarrhea can start acutely, it usually doesn’t go away on its own.
In-depth diagnosis
Although most cases of acute diarrhea are short-term and self-limiting, some cases require diagnostic testing to determine the underlying cause. These tests include:
1. A detailed medical history and a complete physical examination
2. Fecal studies (primarily flotation, smear, and sulfuric acid for flagellate detection Zinc test) to detect intestinal parasites. It is not uncommon to have multiple stool tests, as some parasites are difficult to diagnose.
3. Complete blood count (CBC) to evaluate infection, inflammation, anemia, and dehydration.
4. Biochemical analysis to help assess kidney status, liver function, and electrolyte status.
5. Urinalysis to assess renal function and hydration status.
6. Abdominal x-ray to evaluate abdominal organs and check the bowel for fluid, gas, or foreign objects.
Your veterinarian may recommend additional tests to ensure optimal medical care based on the clinical presentation and results of the above tests. These auxiliary tests are selected on a case-by-case basis:
1. Serology for infectious diseases
2. Bacterial culture analysis of stool
3. Fecal cytology to determine the type of inflammation and look for parasites, protozoa, and bacteria
4. Abdominal ultrasonography, especially if previous diagnostic tests were inconclusive
5. Barium meal examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract to look for intestinal ulcers, masses, obstructions, intussusception, and the presence of foreign bodies
6. Endoscopy or colonoscopy, which mainly evaluates the small bowel or A part of the colon, especially when acute diarrhea progresses to chronic diarrhea
7. Specially detects toxins that can cause diarrhea
Intensive Treatment
Diarrhea is a symptom caused by many diseases or conditions, and successful treatment requires a definitive diagnosis. Symptomatic treatment can be tried in short-term mild cases or initiated while diagnostic testing is performed. These treatments can reduce the severity of symptoms and provide relief for your pet:
1. Stopping food and allowing the gut to rest physiologically is essential in treating acute diarrhea. Completely restricting food intake for 12-24 hours can allow the intestinal mucosa to begin to heal.
2. Foods are then gradually reintroduced, starting with a bland, digestible, low-fat diet. Initially, small amounts of this food are served as frequent meals. This light diet consists of a mix of boiled chicken or beef, low-fat cottage cheese, boiled rice, and potatoes.
3. In some patients with acute diarrhea, fluid therapy may be necessary to correct dehydration and acid-base disturbances, replenish deficient electrolytes, and compensate for ongoing fluid loss.
4. Antibiotic treatment is not required for acute diarrhea. However, it may benefit animals with hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, diarrhea with fresh blood, or suspected bacterial infection.
5. Even if a stool sample tests negative for intestinal parasites (i.e., not infected), your veterinarian will still recommend deworming your cat because parasites do not always appear on stool exams.
6. If your cat does not respond to conventional treatments within 48 hours, if fresh blood is found in its diarrhea, and if it also shows signs of vomiting or other systemic illness, Then you must take it to the veterinarian in time.
Follow-up care of cat diarrhea
The best treatment is home care and professional veterinary care Combined. For the best follow-up treatment for your pet, follow these steps:
1. Give your cat prescribed medications exactly as directed by your veterinarian, and follow your veterinarian’s dietary recommendations. If you are in doubt about certain medication information, then you must contact your veterinarian promptly.
2. Monitor your cat closely in case the condition worsens. Signs of worsening may include the onset of bloody diarrhea, symptoms lasting more than two days, or any signs of systemic illness (e.g., vomiting, weakness, anorexia, collapse, etc.).
3. If symptoms resolve within a few days, an additional veterinary evaluation may not be necessary.
4. Once diarrhea has resolved, you need to keep your cat on a consistent and balanced diet and limit its exposure to litter and other things that can cause diarrhea.
5. Check your cat’s feces at least annually for intestinal parasites.
6. The prognosis of self-limited diarrhea is good. Affected animals are usually successfully treated by restricting diet, replenishing fluid deficits, and correcting the underlying cause.
