When we humans develop a case of diarrhea, it's always an annoying issue, but usually something we don't get overly concerned about. However, when your cat has runny or watery stool, as pet owners we tend to freak out a little bit. What you need to realize is that diarrhea is a way for a cat's body to rid itself of anything that might be irritating its digestive system, and usually isn't a cause for alarm. Cat diarrhea can be caused by a variety of things that can easily be changed so it doesn't happen often.
Some common causes of diarrhea in cats include:
- Extra stress (maybe a new member of the family or moving to a new home)
- Eating new foods
- Eating people foods
- Eating out of the garbage
- Eating foods that contain artificial ingredients or dyes
- Eating anything that shouldn't be eaten
The good news is that most of these causes are things that can be remedied by monitoring what your cat eats. It's good to know what might be causing your cat's diarrhea, but more importantly, you will want to take steps to help your cat restore its digestive system to normal functioning.
The main thing you can do is to feed your cat bland foods like plain chicken or turkey. Avoid high fat meats, since this can actually prolong the diarrhea outbreak. Also avoid any dairy products like milk or cheese. Unflavored yogurt is very helpful for replacing necessary bacteria that have been lost from your cat's intestinal tract. Of course, make sure there is plenty of fresh water available for your cat at all times since diarrhea usually leads to some dehydration.
If the diarrhea isn't too severe, following the above steps should help to clear it up fairly quickly. However, if the diarrhea is excessive or lasts for more than a few days, this can be a sign of more serious problems. Observe your cats stool as well for mucous or blood. If any of these are present or if the diarrhea seems overly severe, be sure to contact your veterinarian, it's better to be safe than sorry.
No comments:
Post a Comment