When Diarrhea Strikes

Diarrhea is defined as increased fluidity of the feces, often accompanied by increased stool volume and frequency.

As a cat lover, you probably know what this means. Soft, stinky bowel movements adorning the litter pan—or worse, your carpet. The bad news: Diarrhea is a common symptom in cats. Food changes, infection, or prescribed antibiotics are common causes. The good news: most cases are mild and self-limiting. Some knowledge of the causes and treatment of diarrhea can help you be better prepared when diarrhea strikes.

Veterinarians typically classify diarrhea based on its duration, anatomic location, and severity. These characteristics can help narrow down the possible causes. Your veterinarian assess if the diarrhea is:

Acute vs. Chronic

Acute diarrhea is common. It has a fairly sudden onset and lasts a week or less. The most common causes of acute diarrhea include dietary intolerance, viral infections, and intestinal worms. An abrupt diet change can give a kitty the runs. So can dairy products, since contrary to popular opinion, many cats are lactose intolerant. Because a cat’s emotions can easily translate into physical problems, a stressful event—a change in your schedule, or a move to a new home—can trigger diarrhea.

Diarrhea is considered chronic if it persists for three weeks or longer despite treatment, or recurs repeatedly over time. Chronic diarrhea can be associated with certain parasites, food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic disorders, and systemic conditions such as thyroid disease.

Small vs. Large Intestinal

The type of symptoms your cat is having can pinpoint the problem area. Diarrhea that originates from the small (upper) intestine is typically soft to liquid, foul-smelling, fairly voluminous, and variable in color. You may notice flatulence. Small intestinal diarrhea would not be expected to contain frank (readily apparent) blood. Food allergy, pancreatic insufficiency, and inflammatory bowel disease are common afflictions of the upper small intestine. A hyperthyroid cat can present with small intestinal diarrhea.

Diarrhea that originates from the large (lower) intestine is a different matter. Cats with colitis (large intestinal diarrhea) are plagued by frequent and sudden urges to defecate. The diarrhea may be liquid and explosive, coming out in small bouts. There may be streaks of blood or mucus in the stool. Your cat may strain to defecate, with only a few drips of stool coming out. It’s not uncommon for cats to vomit in the course of a bout of straining. Once finished, your cat may seem agitated and go tearing around the house as if being chased.

Common causes of colitis include giardia, other parasites, and inflammatory bowel disease. Note that cats can exhibit classic colitis symptoms and actually be constipated. Your veterinarian can usually determine this by simple physical exam.

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