Bouts of diarrhea are generally nothing to worry about in cats, although if it persists for more than a day or two it can lead to dehydration. Lethargy, vomiting, fever, bloody or dark stools, straining, decreased appetite, or unexplained weight loss are warning signs that something serious is going on with your digestive system.
When any of these signs are noticed, an appointment with a veterinarian should be made without delay. However, many cases of diarrhea are much simpler, with causes including:
? The quality of the food eaten.
? The freshness of the food.
? The cat's ability to digest food.
? Increased stress levels.
? Milk or other food intolerances.
? Quick food changes.
? Use of antibiotics.
Cats are quite prone to hairballs, as they can also experience occasional bouts of diarrhea. One thing that can help is catnip, which helps prevent hairballs, adds vitamins to the diet, and relieves stomach problems.
digestive enzymes
In the wild, cats kill and eat raw food. While good quality raw food diets are available, most domestic cats eat canned food or kibble. Cooked foods don't contain the natural enzymes found in raw foods, which means they don't digest as well on their own, stressing the cat's system and possibly contributing to food allergies. Whatever the cat can't digest could cause an allergic reaction, causing her digestive system to quickly eliminate the problem through diarrhea
If you're not feeding your cat a raw diet , be sure to choose a high-quality packaged food. Adding digestive enzymes to food will improve your digestion and help eliminate any food allergies while increasing the nutritional density of what is delivered to your system.
It is advisable to avoid probiotics that use yeasts instead of strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Look for a supplement that also includes prebiotics, which act as food for the probiotics and greatly enhance their colonization.
? Antibiotics, while sometimes necessary, are known to kill the good bacteria along with the bad. Give probiotics during an antibiotic course, but don't give your cat them at the same time.
? Drinking chlorinated tap water kills probiotics.
? Eating meat, poultry, or dairy products that contain antibiotics will kill the probiotics.
? Emotional stress can alter the pH range in the intestinal tract and negatively affect probiotic colonies.
? Viruses and bacteria that cause disease can upset the ideal balance.
