What would cause a cat to have chronic diarrhea?
Infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses, coccidia, and intestinal worms, or non-infectious irritants, such as chemical toxins or poisonous plants are some of the more common causes of inflammation. Food intolerances or allergies to specific ingredients of a diet can also be responsible for diarrhea.
Is it normal for a kitten to have diarrhea?
Diarrhea in cats is a common symptom of many diseases, and it is never normal. The causes range from harmless to deadly. Kittens, senior cats, cats with chronic disease, and pregnant cats are all at increased risk of death-related to complications from untreated diarrhea.
Can a senior cat have constipation and diarrhea?
The signs of diarrhea can be quite diverse in any age cat. Frequent, urgent pooping of loose, watery stools are the classic signs that your senior cat has diarrhea. And a cat who has a bout of watery poop and then continues to strain is not suffering from constipation; it truly is diarrhea.
What causes chronic diarrhea in middle-aged cats?
1 Hyperthyroidism: A benign hormone-secreting tumour of the thyroid gland. 2 Kidney disease: Chronic which is slow and progressive and seen most often in middle-aged to senior cats or acute, which is sudden onset. 3 Liver disease: Which may be due to ingestion of toxins, congenital disorders, infection or inflammation.
Why does my senior cat have gas and diarrhea?
Undigested lactose moves to the large intestine, where it ferments—and can cause a cat to have gas or diarrhea. A senior cat suffering diarrhea needs more water by whatever means possible. Diarrhea causes fluid loss, and the electrolytes in those fluids are essential to help control important physiologic functions.
Diarrhea in cats is a common symptom of many diseases, and it is never normal. The causes range from harmless to deadly. Kittens, senior cats, cats with chronic disease, and pregnant cats are all at increased risk of death-related to complications from untreated diarrhea.
What causes a senior cat to have diarrhea?
When a senior cat has diarrhea, it’s most likely a sign of another ailment, such as pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism or stress. Stress can be triggered by a recent move, new pets in the house, the loss of a pet and many other things. Think about anything that might have changed recently in your cat’s life.
When to treat a cat with diarrhea as an emergency?
If a case of cat diarrhea is an isolated incident that resolves spontaneously in less than a few hours and doesn’t involve other symptoms, it’s generally not treated as an emergency.
What causes an older cat to have constipation?
Constipation– Constipation may seem counterintuitive, but I mention it because older cats are prone to developing motility problems in their colons leading to constipation. In these cases, the cats often manage to only pass small amount of more liquid stools around the obstruction.