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Cat Diarrhoea - How to Treat
Cat diarrhoea can be caused by any number of things such as viral infections or a change in diet. Although unpleasant, it is the body’s way of getting rid of anything bad from it’s system. Cat diarrhoea can turn even the most healthy and active cat into a very miserable, tired and uncomfortable sick cat. Owners often feel bad as there seems to be very little they can do to help the sick cat. This article outlines some of the methods used when treating cat diarrhoea.
Treating Cat Diarrhoea
- Once you have noticed diarrhoea in a cat, don’t give it any food for 24 hours. Giving food to a sick cat will go straight through and the cat’s digestive system needs a chance to rest.
- As with humans, cat diarrhoea has very adverse effects on hydration. Always make sure that a sick cat has access to bowl with lots of fresh water as they will be drinking a lot.
- As a defence mechanism, diarrhoea in cats serves to get rid of a lot of harmful toxins and is very effective at this, it does however mean that the cat loses a lot of necessary nutrients. Drinks such as Lucozade can be very effective at replacing lost nutrients in a sick cat.
- When treating cat diarrhoea, after the initial 24 hours without food, a sick cat should be fed a bland diet. Mashed potatoes, white rice and chicken are good foods, keep this diet up for a couple of days, even if the cat diarrhoea has appeared subside.
- After a couple of days of a bland diet start mixing parts of your cat’s normal food into the bowl. This will help you cat’s digestive system get used to the normal food again and will indicate whether the cat diarrhoea has cleared up. Slowly increase the amount of normal food and reduce the bland food over the course of a few days.
- Diarrhoea in cats can be cause by dairy products as their digestive system cannot break down the lactose. Avoid giving your cat milk, especially when treating cat diarrhoea and keep it only as an occasional treat.
- Cat diarrhoea can be caused by a sudden change of diet so don’t change your brand of food suddenly. Their digestive system gets accustomed to one type of food and changing it can result in a sick cat. If you do need to change food, make the change gradually, increasing the level of new food and reducing the amount of old food.
- If the condition persists for longer than 24 hours or there are any other symptoms such as fever and/or vomiting, consult a vet. Diarrhoea can be a symptom of a more serous condition in a sick cat.