Acute Cat Diarrhea: Symptoms & Treatment Guide

Should your cat exhibit acute diarrhea accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, dehydration, fever, depression, or others, it is crucial to take them to a veterinarian immediately.

Causes of Acute Diarrhea in Cats

Acute diarrhea in cats can be triggered by a variety of diseases and disorders, including:

1. Poor Diet: This encompasses eating spoiled food, overeating, consuming foreign objects, and sudden changes in diet. Acute diarrhea can also result from the cat being intolerant to certain food components in their diet.

2. Intestinal Parasites: Common culprits like roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms often cause acute diarrhea, particularly in kittens. These parasites may not be visible in the feces, but their eggs can be detected through a floatation test.

3. Bacterial Infections: Bacteria such as Salmonella, Clostridium, Campylobacter, E. coli, and Yersinia can lead to acute diarrhea. They are typically spread through contaminated food and water or contact with other infected animals' feces.

4. Viral Infections: Viruses like feline panleukopenia virus, feline enteric coronavirus, feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIP), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and feline calicivirus can all cause acute diarrhea.

5. Protozoal Infections: These include coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, amoebiasis, and giardiasis.

6. Fungal and Algal Infections: Conditions like histoplasmosis, protozoal disease, and phytotoxicosis are more likely to cause chronic diarrhea but can occasionally trigger acute episodes.

7. Medications and Chemical Toxins: These can directly irritate the intestinal lining or disrupt the normal bacterial flora, leading to acute diarrhea. Examples include nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, and certain heart medications. Chemical toxins include pesticides, garden products, and heavy metals.

8. Food Intolerance: Certain proteins, lactose, highfat foods, and food additives can trigger gastrointestinal intolerance symptoms.

9. Metabolic Diseases: Conditions like kidney and liver diseases can produce gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea. This type of diarrhea may be bloody and often accompanied by various systemic symptoms.

10. Intestinal Obstruction: This condition, which often causes vomiting, can also present with acute diarrhea symptoms.

11. Intestinal Prolapse: When the intestines fold in on themselves, it can also lead to acute diarrhea.

12. Tumors in the Gastrointestinal Tract or Other Abdominal Organs: These can cause diarrhea, which may start acutely but typically does not resolve on its own.

InDepth Diagnosis

While most cases of acute diarrhea are shortlived and selflimiting, some require diagnostic tests to determine the underlying cause. These tests include:

1. Detailed medical history and a thorough physical examination

2. Fecal examination (mainly for detecting coccidia, by means of floatation, smears, and zinc sulfate tests) to identify intestinal parasites. Multiple fecal checks are not uncommon, as some parasites are difficult to diagnose.

3. Complete blood count (CBC) to assess for infection, inflammation, anemia, and dehydration.

4. Blood chemistry to help evaluate kidney function, liver function, and electrolyte status.

5. Urine analysis to assess kidney function and hydration status.

6. Abdominal Xrays to evaluate abdominal organs and check for fluid, gas, or foreign bodies in the intestines.

Based on the clinical presentation and results of these tests, your veterinarian may recommend additional tests to ensure the best medical care. These ancillary tests are chosen on a casebycase basis:

1. Serological tests for infectious diseases

2. Fecal bacterial culture analysis

3. Fecal cytology to determine the type of inflammation and to look for parasites, protozoa, and bacteria

4. Abdominal ultrasound, especially if previous diagnostic tests have not pinpointed the issue

5. Upper gastrointestinal barium studies to look for ulcers, masses, obstructions, intussusceptions, and foreign bodies

6. Endoscopy or colonoscopy, which are mainly used to observe a portion of the small intestine or colon, particularly when acute diarrhea progresses to chronic diarrhea

7. Specialized toxin testing for toxins that can cause diarrhea

InDepth Treatment

Diarrhea is a symptom caused by various different diseases or conditions, and successful treatment requires an accurate diagnosis. Symptomatic treatment can be attempted in shortterm, mild cases and can begin while diagnostic tests are being conducted. These treatments can alleviate the severity of symptoms and provide relief for your pet:

1. Stopping food intake and allowing the intestines to rest is a crucial step in treating acute diarrhea. Complete food restriction for 1224 hours can allow the intestinal mucosa to start healing.

2. Then, food is gradually reintroduced, starting with a mild, easily digestible, lowfat diet. Initially, small amounts of this food can be given as frequent meals. This light diet includes: cooked chicken or beef, lowfat white soft cheese, and a mixture of cooked rice and potatoes.

3. For some cats with acute diarrhea, fluid therapy may be necessary to correct dehydration and acidbase imbalances, replenish electrolytes, and compensate for ongoing fluid losses.

4. Acute diarrhea does not require antibiotic treatment, but it may be effective in cases with hemorrhagic enteritis, diarrhea with fresh blood, or suspected bacterial infections.

5. Even if fecal sample tests show negative for intestinal parasites (meaning no infection), your veterinarian may still recommend deworming for your cat, as parasites are not always present in fecal tests.

6. If your cat does not respond to conventional treatment within 48 hours, and if fresh blood is found in its diarrhea, along with vomiting or signs of other systemic diseases, it is essential to take it to the veterinarian promptly.

PostDiarrhea Care for Cats

The best approach to treatment is a combination of athome care and professional veterinary attention. To ensure your pet receives the best possible followup treatment, follow these steps:

1. Follow your veterinarian's instructions for administering prescribed medications and adhere to their dietary recommendations. If you have any questions about medication information, be sure to contact your veterinarian promptly.

2. Monitor your cat closely to prevent any deterioration in their condition. Signs of worsening may include: the onset of bloody diarrhea, symptoms lasting more than two days, or any signs of systemic illness (such as vomiting, weakness, anorexia, and collapse).

3. If symptoms disappear within a few days, additional veterinary evaluation may not be necessary.

4. Once diarrhea has resolved, maintain a consistent and balanced diet for your cat and limit their exposure to garbage and other things that could cause diarrhea.

5. At least once a year, check your cat's feces for intestinal parasites.

6. The prognosis for selflimiting diarrhea is good. Affected animals usually recover through dietary restriction, fluid replacement, and correcting underlying causes.