Cat Diarrhea: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment | Virbac

Cat diarrhea is when your cat’s stool (poop) is loose and poorly formed. It’s not a condition in itself; rather, cat diarrhea is a sign that something else is going on with your cat’s health. This could be anything from mild stress to serious illness, so knowing what to look for and when to take action is essential for your cat’s wellbeing. In this article, we’ll discuss the various causes of diarrhea in cats, how you can help your cat to feel better, and when to seek advice from your vet.

Causes of diarrhea in cats

As stools move through the cat’s digestive system, some of their water is absorbed by the body, and they gain consistency. If the stools move too quickly through the intestines, however, not enough water is removed. The final stools become runny and loose, resulting in cat diarrhea. This can happen for a number of reasons…

1. Dietary issues

Diet is one of the most common causes of cat diarrhea. A cat’s stomach can easily be unsettled by a new food or feeding schedule, and some cats can also develop intolerances or allergies to certain foods. Cat diarrhea can also be a sign that your cat has ingested something it shouldn’t, like non-food items, spoiled food, plants, or toxic household products.

2. Infections

When your cat has a viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection, diarrhea is one of the ways their body may try to get rid of the offending pathogens. Infectious pathogens can also cause diarrhea by causing irritation, inflammation, or even damage to the gut. For example, Giardias attach to the lining of the intestines, damaging the tissue that helps the cat to absorb water and other nutrients. Infections can also disrupt the microbiota, the delicate ecosystem of bacteria and other microbes in the gut.

3. Stress

Emotional or physical stress can trigger a “fight or flight” response in your cat. This causes muscles in the digestive tract to tense up, which leads to stools being passed through more rapidly. Common stress triggers include vet visits, a new pet in the home, or a noisy environment.

4. Chronic illnesses

Systemic illnesses can affect the function of the digestive system and lead to cat diarrhea. These can include illnesses that directly affect the gut, like inflammatory bowel disease, or illnesses that affect other organ systems, like kidney disease, liver disease or hyperthyroidism.

Signs of cat diarrhea and when to call or go to the vet

The most obvious sign of cat diarrhea is loose, runny or even watery stools. Your cat might poop more often than usual, and its stools may also be yellow or green in color. Diarrhea may be accompanied by vomiting or loss of appetite.

If your cat buries its poop in the litter tray or goes outdoors, diarrhea may not be obvious. One tell-tale sign to look out for is feces in the fur around the tail.

Cat diarrhea is often mild and resolves by itself. However, it can sometimes be a sign of a serious illness that needs attention. Further, severe or persistent diarrhea can lead to dangerous complications like malnutrition, dehydration and electrolyte/mineral imbalances. Contact your vet right away if your cat is showing any of the following signs of dehydration:

• Little or no urination. 
• Dark urine.
• Dry gums. 
• Sunken eyes. 
• Panting.
• Skin tenting. Gently pinch and lift the skin between the shoulder blades; skin that stays “tented” when you let go is a sign of dehydration.

Urgently take your cat to your vet if you see any of these serious signs:

• Severe diarrhea or vomiting. 
• Diarrhea that lasts longer than 24 hours. 
• Bloody stools.  
• Weight loss with no obvious cause. 
• Extreme weakness or lethargy. 
• Fever. 
• Abdominal pain. 

How is cat diarrhea treated?

If your cat is experiencing mild diarrhea, there are steps you can take at home to help:

• Hydration. Restore lost fluids by making sure your cat has plenty of fresh water available. Consider adding an electrolyte supplement to help replenish their body with important minerals. 

• Resting the gut. Withholding food for a short period can help by giving the gut time to settle. However, this shouldn’t be done for longer than 24 hours, and food should be reintroduced slowly in small amounts. 

For more serious or prolonged cases of cat diarrhea, your vet may want to do some tests and discuss treatment for any underlying causes. For example, your cat may need antibiotics or antiparasitic medications to treat an infection, or dietary modifications for allergies.

Your vet might also recommend the following to help your cat’s symptoms:

• IV fluids. For severe dehydration, your vet might give your cat fluids and electrolytes intravenously, directly in the blood stream. 
• Medicine
  • to stop diarrhea. These drugs slow down the digestive system so that more water is absorbed from the stool.
  • to treat any infections, like antibiotics or anti-parasitics.
• Highly digestible recovery food. If your cat is dehydrated and malnourished but can eat little portions, your vet can recommend highly energetic and nutritious wet food, like Veterinary HPM Cat Digestive Support Mousse. 
• Dietetic Food for digestive issues. If your cat is prone to stomach upsets, your vet may recommend to include or later switch to dry and/or wet cat food against digestive issues, including diarrhea, like Veterinary HPM. In case of food allergies or intolerances, hypoallergenic food could be used like Veterinary HPM Cat Hypoallergy A2.
• Pre and Postbiotics. These supplements help to restore balance to the ecosystem of the gut by repopulating it with healthy, gut-friendly bacteria. 

Preventing cat diarrhea

Even healthy cats can experience diarrhea occasionally, but the following tips can help to reduce the risk:

• Stick to a consistent feeding schedule and try to avoid any sudden changes in diet where possible. 
• Introduce any dietary changes gradually and monitor your cat’s reaction.
• Don’t give table scraps to your cat. 
• Protect your cat from parasitic infections like giardia or roundworm with regular deworming and parasite prevention treatments. 
• Keep your cat’s environment as stress-free and consistent as possible. 
• Visit the vet for regular check-ups so that any health problems can be caught and addressed early.