Does Cat Diarrhea Require Fasting? A Quick Guide
Section 1: Why Should You Never Starve a Cat with Diarrhea?
When a cat experiences diarrhea, a significant amount of water and nutrients are lost along with the stools. Prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration and hypoglycemia in cats. If you were to fast a cat during this time, it would only exacerbate the dehydration, doing more harm than good to the cat's recovery process.
Therefore, if a cat is still able to eat on its own during a bout of diarrhea, it is crucial to provide it with food. However, it's best to opt for light, easily digestible meals to ensure that the cat maintains its nutritional needs while also reducing the strain on its digestive system.
In addition, increasing the intake of fiber during diarrhea can be beneficial. Feeding highfiber foods like chicken breast, pumpkin, potatoes, and oatmeal can help the cat absorb moisture from the feces, increase the stool volume, and help solidify the feces, thereby alleviating the symptoms of diarrhea.
Section 2: Causes of Cat Diarrhea
1. Improper Diet: Cats may develop diarrhea after consuming expired or spoiled food, or by rummaging through the trash and ingesting contaminants. Moreover, some cat owners may inadvertently give their cats milk, which can lead to lactose intolerance and diarrhea.
2. Poisoning: Cats can become poisoned by ingesting nonedible items, medications, or plants, resulting in symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, which may also include neurological signs in severe cases.
3. Parasitic Infection: When cats are infected with intestinal parasites, these parasites can consume nutrients from the intestines, damage the intestinal mucosa, and allow bacteria to breach the immune layer, leading to inflammation and diarrhea.
4. Viral Infection: Cats infected with diseases like feline distemper or coronavirus may exhibit diarrhea, often accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
Section 3: What to Do When Your Cat Has Diarrhea
It is not advisable to administer medication to a cat with diarrhea without first determining the cause. Often, using antidiarrheal medications only treats the symptoms and does not address the root cause, which can hinder the timely detection and treatment of the disease.
When a cat shows signs of diarrhea, it is essential to identify the specific cause. If you are unable to determine the cause, it is crucial to take the cat to a veterinarian for a fecal examination to diagnose the underlying issue and then treat it accordingly.
Of course, if you cannot immediately take your cat to the vet, you should not neglect it. You can initially feed the cat probiotics for pets, antidiarrheal medication, and broadspectrum intestinal antiinflammatory drugs to alleviate symptoms and prevent dehydration. Once you have the time, promptly take your cat to the vet for further examination.
