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What to Feed a Cat wih Diarrhea

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
What to Feed a Cat wih Diarrhea

Your cat's health depends largely on adequate food, so any changes or inappropriate intake of substances can lead to soft and frequent stools that affect the welfare of our feline friends. If your cat is manifesting gastric disorders discovering the cause of this condition and adjusting their diet is essential to ensure their welfare. So on OneHowTo.com we explain in detail what to feed a cat with diarrhea and when you should go to the vet.

You may also be interested in: What to Feed a Malnourished Cat
Steps to follow:
1

Determining the cause of the cat's diarrhea it's helpful to define whether a visit to the emergency vet is necessary or if the problem can be addressed at home. The most frequent reasons for diarrhea in cats are:

  • Consumption of toxic food or plants which are harmful to cats, poisoning symptoms also often include vomiting. It is important to identify those ingredients that are harmful to the animal, such as onion, garlic, potato, tomato chocolate, nectarine or toxic plants such as poinsettias, eucalyptus, tulips, lillies, begonia and ivy.
  • Eating spoiled food or garbage.
  • Abrupt and sudden change in the animal's diet.
  • Or bacterial infections causing diarrhea and intestinal inflammation.
  • Significant changes in the routine of the cat, such as moving or a stressful situation for the animal, such as the arrival of another pet.
  • There are also major health conditions that may have diarrhea as a symptom, so when it occurs very frequently you must visit a veterinarian.

If you suspect your cat has ingested a toxic ingredient, a chemical or even that it has been poisoned, take him to the emergency vet.

2

If you suspect that your Cat has diarrhea because it has eaten some spoiled food or toxic ingredients that have generated him discomfort, you can start by not giving the cat food for 12 hours. It is important to observe his reaction during this period, if the diarrhea is too intense and is accompanied by vomiting or other symptoms even though they are not giving it any food, then take your cat to the vet urgently.

3

Keep your cat hydrated giving fresh clean water which should be changed at least twice a day. Remember, diarrhea causes dehydration, so it is important to consume liquid. You can also provide ice for it to suck or if the animal refuses to drink liquid, administer water with a needleless syringe using it as a dropper.

You can also give your pet isotonic drinks that will help to hydrate and recover lost salts and minerals.

4

If when 12 hours have elapsed without food and the cat no longer has diarrhea, you can start feeding it with a soft diet to be followed for 2 or 3 days.

What to feed a cat with diarrhea

  • Shredded boneless boiled chicken , cooked without salt or other seasoning.
  • Boiled rice and rice water, cooked without salt. Maybe the cat will not like the texture of this food much, however you can try.
  • In the market there are special commercial food for cats with diarrhea which is also a good solution if you do not want the cat to try another type of food. You can also give it canned food, softer and more liquid than you normally do.
5

There are cases where you should take your cat immediately to the veterinarian to avoid its health from becoming complicated, so we recommend consulting a specialist if you see these signs:

  • If your pet weighs less than 2 kilos, as in the case of small kittens fasting is not convenient.
  • If diarrhea is accompanied by other symptoms or if it is severe.
  • If after 12 hours of fasting the cat continues to have diarrhea.
  • When you suspect that diarrhea is caused by poisoning or ingestion of a toxic substance for your pet.
6

Diarrhea can also be caused the food you are feeding your cat contains corn, wheat gluten or rice. Try changing his food for a grain-free kind gradually and see how your cat reacts. Only do this if the cat only has diarrhea and not any other symptoms.

If you want to read similar articles to What to Feed a Cat wih Diarrhea, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

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2 comments
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FREDERICK W ELLIS
Why would you suggest feeding boiled rice and rice water in step 4 if you then claim in step 6 that diarrhea may be caused by foods that contain rice?
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Jude`
My cats has Diarriah today. She got a microchip implanted yesterday and has bee feeling down since then.
What to Feed a Cat wih Diarrhea
What to Feed a Cat wih Diarrhea

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