Treating diarrhea in cats: what to feed a cat with diarrhea

When to take your cat to the vet for diarrhea

Assess the severity of the diarrhea and your cat’s overall condition when determining if they need to see a veterinarian.

If your cat’s diarrhea is relatively mild and they are not showing any other symptoms, try home treatments first.

Contact your veterinarian immediately if:

• Your cat may be young, old or have underlying health issues. dehydration.

• Your cat:

  
  
  

• Diarrhea is profuse, watery, explosive, or frequent.

• The diarrhea may be bloody or black and tarry.

Cat diarrhea treatment plan

Once you’ve determined that your cat is a candidate for at-home treatment, you may be wondering what to give your cat for diarrhea.

Let’s look at some home remedies for diarrhea in cats.

1. Change your cat’s food

There is no need to withhold food from a cat with diarrhea.

In fact, doing so interferes with the intestinal tract’s ability to heal itself and puts your cat at higher risk of developing a fatal type of liver disease called cirrhosis. Hepatic steatosis.

However, it’s best to keep your cat’s diet simple – no treats or scraps, and focus on nutritionally complete core foods. Cat food What you provide every day.

If you’ve recently changed your cat’s diet, try switching it back to what you were feeding it before to see if that stops your cat’s diarrhea. It’s possible that one or more ingredients in the new food don’t agree with your cat.

Even if you are feeding your pet the same brand and type of food as before, if you have just opened a new batch it may be worth purchasing a new bag or case with a different lot number to eliminate the possibility of contamination.

A chronic adverse reaction to a food can occur at any time — your cat may have been eating the same food for years, or may have recently been switched to a new food.

Many cats have food intolerances or allergies. Hypoallergenic or Low antigen diet.

The best low-antigenic foods are available only from your veterinarian, but commercial foods also work well for some cats. New Protein SourcesAll dietary changes should be approved by your veterinarian, who will know your pet’s health history and can ensure that any dietary changes are a safe choice.

2. Fiber

Depending on the type of diarrhea your cat has, a low-fiber (easy to digest) diet may help. If your cat doesn’t get diarrhea often, but the stool is bulky when she does, it may be worth putting her on a low-fiber diet. Excellent digestibility Or good for cats Weak stomach.

Certain types of cat diarrhea tend to respond to fiber supplementation, especially if your cat is passing frequent but small amounts of stool.

Flavorless psyllium and canned pumpkin or Pumpkin Powder Fiber supplements are available.

There are no hard and fast rules about how much psyllium or pumpkin to give your cat. Mixing one to two teaspoons of either into your cat’s food over the course of a day is a reasonable place to start.

3. Promote fluid and electrolyte intake

Cats with diarrhea need to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

Always keep your cat’s water bowl filled with fresh, clean water and consider adding a bowl of diluted chicken or beef broth. fountain It can also be used to encourage your cat to drink more water.

Another easy way to increase your cat’s water intake is to change their dry food Wet canned foodIt’s best to feed the canned equivalent (same brand and flavor) to avoid further stomach upset. Temporarily, you can also mix a tablespoon or two of warm water into your cat’s wet canned food.

4. Probiotics

A healthy population of bacteria in your cat’s intestinal tract is essential for normal digestion, and when this population is disrupted, your cat’s diarrhea may continue even after the initial disturbance (stress, illness, antibiotic therapy, etc.) has been resolved.

Probiotic supplements can help restore normal bacteria levels in your cat’s gut. Choose a probiotic that is labeled for cats and made by a reputable company.

5. Antidiarrheal medication

Some anti-diarrheal medications can be dangerous to cats and should not be used without veterinary supervision. However, Kaolin Pectin Supplement It is safe to use on cats.

Monitor your cat’s condition

If home remedies for cat diarrhea don’t work within 48 hours, or if other symptoms appear or get worse, contact your veterinarian.