Analyzing Chronic Diarrhea in Cats: Causes and Solution
Diarrhea in cats can manifest in several ways, including:
Loose stools
Increased frequency of defecation
Painful or swollen anal area
Vomiting
Weight loss
Abdominal discomfort
Stool on the tail
A particularly dirty litter box
Accidents outside the litter box
Understanding the root cause of chronic diarrhea can be quite challenging, as there are numerous potential reasons. While the causes are varied, they generally fall into two main categories: malabsorption disorders and dyspepsia. In a recent study, approximately onethird of cats with chronic, unexplained symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss were diagnosed with food allergies.
Common causes of chronic diarrhea include:
Metabolic or endocrine disorders, such as diabetes, pancreatic insufficiency, adrenal皮质不足, or hyperthyroidism, which can often be diagnosed with a simple blood test.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a syndrome of intestinal inflammation with an unknown (idiopathic) cause, which may present with any or all of the symptoms listed above, depending on the affected area of the intestine and the severity.
Intestinal parasites: whipworms, coccidia, and roundworms.
Bacterial infections: bacterial enteritis or colitis, or simple overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine.
Viruses: such as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), feline leukemia (FeLV), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
Fungal infections (rare)
Damage to vital organs (such as the liver or kidneys)
Local obstruction caused by tumors or foreign bodies
Cancers, such as lymphosarcoma
Ulcers
Is it the small intestine or the large intestine that's causing the problem? The first step in treatment is to determine whether the issue lies in the small intestine or the large intestine. If the problem is in the small intestine, diarrhea tends to be larger in volume, less frequent, and often watery or喷射状.
On the other hand, if the issue is in the large intestine, the volume of diarrhea is smaller but more frequent, and it usually contains fresh blood or mucus.
Diagnosing the cause of chronic diarrhea can be quite difficult, and treatment often relies on experience. If initial treatments are not effective, the following tests may be necessary to identify potential causes:
Blood tests: to check the function of all organs, particularly the kidneys and liver.
Chemistry panel: to diagnose pancreatic function.
Total T4 (thyroxine) levels: to rule out hyperthyroidism in cats over 9 years old.
Multiple fecal tests to rule out parasites, especially giardia and coccidia.
Fecal cultures, which may reveal bacteria such as Salmonella or Clostridium perfringens. Special cultures for Campylobacter and cryptosporidium can also be performed. Fecal cultures can also be used to determine bacterial infections. However, interpreting the results of these tests can be challenging, as bacteria are often present in the intestines.
Food allergy elimination: a trial diet can help determine if food allergies are a contributing factor.
Endoscopy or surgery to collect intestinal biopsies, which can help document the type, severity, and location of inflammatory changes.
Initial treatment often begins with addressing the most likely and least common causes, as these are often more responsive to treatment and less likely to require extensive diagnostics. This may include:
Deworming: for internal parasites
Changing the diet: for food allergies
Antibiotics: if diarrhea is due to bacterial infection or ingestion of inappropriate food or toxins
Antiinflammatory drugs/corticosteroids: medications like prednisone and sulfasalazine can be used to control inflammation caused by IBD or food allergies
If the initial treatment plan fails, more indepth diagnostics, such as colonoscopy (for large intestine diarrhea), ultrasound, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, or exploratory surgery with fullthickness biopsy, may be necessary.
Diarrhea can sometimes occur alongside vomiting, making it a distressing symptom for both cats and their owners.
