Digestive disturbances in cats

Many cats have at least one episode of vomiting of diarrhea – or both – during their lives. Usually, these episodes are self-limiting – they quickly run their course with no lasting effects. In these instances, an owner usually need not seek veterinary help. But persistent vomiting and diarrhea may be indicative of a more serious condition that warrants veterinary attention. Keep in mind that vomiting and diarrhea are not, in and of themselves, illnesses. They are merely signs that something is amiss within your cat’s digestive system. We recommend consulting your veterinarian if vomiting or diarrhea occurs.

Your cat’s digestive system plays two important roles: it breaks down food into nutrients that your cat’s body can readily absorb, and it also acts as a protective barrier against harmful bacteria and other pathogens (disease causing agents) that your cat may ingest.

The feline digestive system – like our own – consists of several organs, including the mouth, esophagus (food pipe), stomach, duodenum, small and large intestines, and rectum. Considering the complexity of the digestive process – which begins when the cat chews and swallows its food and ends when it defecates – remarkably little goes wrong.

When a cat vomits, contractions of the muscles of the stomach and abdominal wall produce a pressure buildup that propels the contents of the cat’s stomach back up the esophagus and forcibly out of its mouth. (Vomitus has the recognizable odor of stomach acid.) Vomiting is distinct from regurgitating – a passive process whereby the cat gags out the undigested food, mucus, or saliva without involving the muscles of the stomach and abdomen. Regurgitation occurs usually, but not necessarily, soon after eating.

Diarrhea is loose, watery stool with an accompanying increase in the amount of stool and the number of bowel movements. Most healthy cats pass well-formed stools once or twice a day.

A number of circumstances or medical conditions can cause sudden digestive upsets in cats: dietary-related conditions, swallowed foreign bodies, bacterial or viral diseases, parasites, poisoning, or organ disease. The seriousness of digestive upsets varies, depending on the cause, the age of the cat, and its overall health.

If you have a cat that tends to eat very rapidly and large amounts of food in record time, try feeding the eager eater separately from other household cats so it’s not competing for food.

While cats sometimes bring dietary discomfort upon themselves, owners, too, can cause their cats’ dietary-related upsets. For example, a sudden switch from one cat food to another can result in a bout of diarrhea. We recommend introducing new food into your cat’s regular diet a little bit at a time, making a gradual switch over a period of a couple of weeks.

Cow’s milk and related dairy products can cause diarrhea in some kittens and cats. This reaction is lactose intolerance. It occurs when an animal lacks sufficient amounts of an essential enzyme that facilitates digestion of cow’s milk. Cats can also develop an intolerance to other dietary ingredients, resulting in diarrhea. By process of elimination, determine what is causing the reaction and cut it out of your cat’s diet. The diarrhea should then clear up. It if doesn’t, look for a cause other than dietary intolerance.

While most bacterial infections are self- limiting, viral infections can be devastating. Unvaccinated kittens and stray cats, for example, are at risk of becoming infected with feline panleukopenia virus (“feline distemper”), which is characterized by severe vomiting and diarrhea and can be life-threatening. A cat that has feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukemia virus (FeLV) may also experience vomiting and diarrhea associated with these infections. There are no medications for viral infections, but you can provide supportive care while the cat’s immune system fights off the viral invader. Preventive vaccinations and annual boosters are therefore extremely important. (Fortunately, a very effective vaccine against panleukopenia is available.)

Vomiting and diarrhea, with resulting dehydration, can be serious threats to kittens when internal parasites take up residence in their tiny bodies. Fortunately, the same parasites do not generally pose as serious a threat to adult cats.

While you may sometimes see evidence of certain parasites, such as roundworms, often you won’t. So whenever a cat has chronic (lasting more than a week) diarrhea and vomiting, parasites – seen or unseen – may be the culprits. You should always take a stool sample to your veterinarian so he or she can run diagnostic fecal tests and prescribe a deworming medication if necessary. Some worms live in only the stomach of your cat and cause vomiting. Fecal samples will be negative. The only way to diagnose this problem is to actually visualize the parasite in your cats vomit or through endoscopy.

Two parasites that do cause problems in adult cats are Giardia, which causes the intestinal infection giardiasis, and Dirofilaria immitis, which causes feline heartworm disease. Giardiasis is diagnostically challenging because the presence of Giardia is very difficult to confirm. Diagnosing feline heartworm disease is similarly challenging. More difficult to diagnose and treat than in dogs, feline heartworm disease usually strikes with little or no warning other than periodic attacks of vomiting.

Unlike dogs , most cats are fussy eaters. Although this behavior protects them from ingesting many toxins, cats may still be vulnerable. Some cats will eat plants – possibly because they like them or perhaps merely out of boredom. And certain plants are toxic to cats. Oleander, for instance, can be lethal. Many other plants – such as mistletoe, and Easter and tiger lilies – are toxic in varying degrees. Signs of poisoning include salivation, vomiting, and diarrhea (and lethargy, staggering, twitching, convulsions, and coma). Ironically, the greatest risk of toxicity lurks within the cat’s own home. Human medications, carelessly left out, can be hazardous to a cat if accidentally swallowed. Moreover, uninformed, well-meaning owners can inadvertently poison their cats when they administer human remedies such as aspirin or medications with acetaminophen (such as Tylenol, Aspirin Free Anacin, or Aspirin Free Excedrin).

Cats may inadvertently walk through toxic solutions, which they later ingest when grooming. One household hazard is phenol, a highly toxic compound derived from coal tar, which is sometimes used in a dilute form in disinfectants and antiseptics (in Lysol, for instance). Another toxic household product is ethylene-glycol-based antifreeze. A few licks of this sweet-tasting liquid can bring on kidney failure that may be accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.

A relatively uncommon disease in kittens is a congenital liver disease called a portal shunt. This particular disease results from an improper blood supply to the liver. As a result the liver can not detoxify certain products in the blood. Signs of this condition are vomiting and excessive salivation and vomiting after your cat eats. (See portal shunt in the library section of our web site)

Dietary indiscretion, parasites, and poisoning can affect cats of any age. But older cats (aged 8 years and up) may experience vomiting and diarrhea for reasons other than these. Kidney and liver disease, pancreatic problems, hyperthyroidism, and cancers of the digestive system are more common in older cats. A rapidly recognized disease syndrome affecting may cats is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) . Some forms of this disease often have no known cause. There are many types of inflammatory bowel disease. Some of these include an abnormal accumulation of particular cells in the intestine causing vomiting and diarrhea, a bacterial form of inflammatory disease, and allergies to certain foods.

When you first observe a digestive disturbance, try to ascertain whether the vomiting and diarrhea are self-limiting. To do this you must weigh three factors: the duration of the episode; the frequency of episodes; and the amount of vomitus or stool. For example if over the course of 2 or 3 days, you have only one episode of vomiting or one episode of diarrhea, you could wait a few days to see if the episode is self-limiting. But if the vomiting and diarrhea go on longer that 2 or 3 days, bring the cat to a veterinarian. Certainly, if your cat has four or five episodes a day, or if the episodes are becoming more severe or increasingly frequent, the cat needs immediate attention. Most important it is if your pet acts or looks depressed, disinterested in food, or suddenly painful-call your veterinarian immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Your veterinarian will work quickly to prevent dehydration – a serious risk during acute attacks – and diagnose the underlying cause.

If, however, a vomiting episode appears to be self-limiting, just withhold food and water for at least 12 hours to give your cat’s intestinal tract a rest. Then, gradually offer your cat a little water – perhaps an ice cube. If the cat holds down water, start to offer small amounts of bland food, gradually increasing the amount until your pet is eating its normal rations.

Occasional regurgitation of undigested food usually stems from rapid eating. If this occurs, you don’t need to take your cat to the veterinarian. If, on the other hand, the cat is eating at a normal pace but regurgitating food every day, an exam by your veterinarian is warranted. There are some potentially serious diseases of the digestive system you need to rule out.

Here are some common causes of vomiting and diarrhea:

Kittens, because of their small body weight, are very vulnerable to episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. Common causes include: dietary indiscretion, dietary intolerance, changes in diet, foreign bodies, bacterial and viral infections, parasites, and poisoning.

Adult cats (1 to 8 years) experience vomiting and diarrhea for the same reasons as kittens. (Adult cats are somewhat less likely, however, to swallow foreign objects.) Adults may also develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and certain intestinal cancers that cause vomiting and diarrhea. Heartworm disease and other cardiac conditions can cause vomiting in cats.

Everything that applies to kittens and adult cats also applies to older cats (over 8 years). But senior cats are also at increased risk of IBD, cancer, metabolic problems, organ disease, heart and hyperthyroidism – all of which can bring on episodes of vomiting and diarrhea.