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Gastroenteritis in Cats

Gastroenteritis in Cats

Gastroenteritis

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Updated on September 26, 2024
SUMMARY OF CONTENT
Gastroenteritis refers to inflammation of the stomach and intestines, most commonly resulting in vomiting, diarrhea and a loss of appetite. A wide variety of different conditions in cats can lead to gastroenteritis.
SEVERITY:
Mild to moderate to severe
  • Time to Cure
    Resolves within days to months with treatment or may be fatal
  • Treatment Icon
    Treatable by a veterinarian, by the pet parent
  • Prevention Icon
    Possible in some cases
  • Spread Icon
    Transmission is possible between animals and from animals to people
  • Lab Icon
    Diagnosis requires physical exam, lab tests, x-rays, fecal tests, abdominal ultrasound
VERY COMMON IN
Cats of any age, gender or breed can experience gastroenteritis.

Symptoms & Signs

Gastroenteritis refers to inflammation (-itis) of the stomach (gastro-) and intestines (enter-). A huge array of conditions can affect the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestines and large intestines (colon). Most cats experiencing gastroenteritis have vomiting and/or diarrhea, and they may also display a loss of appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain or fever. Cats of any age, gender or breed can experience gastroenteritis. However, certain causes are more common in different populations of cats. For example, young cats are more likely to acquire infectious causes of gastroenteritis, while geriatric cats are more likely to develop cancer or degenerative changes.

Diagnosis

Since so many different conditions can cause gastroenteritis, the underlying cause needs to be diagnosed so that treatment can be initiated based upon the inciting cause. When a cat begins to display the signs associated with gastroenteritis, which commonly include vomiting, diarrhea and a loss of appetite, a physical exam is the first step in attempting to determine the underlying cause. During a physical exam, a veterinarian assesses a cat’s hydration status, listens to the heart and lungs, palpates the abdomen for any abnormalities or pain, checks the body temperature and often performs a rectal exam. Diagnostic testing is needed to get to the bottom of the issue and often begins with baseline lab tests, which include a complete blood count (CBC), biochemistry panel and urinalysis. Retroviral blood testing for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are often performed, as these viral infections can suppress the immune system and make affected cats more susceptible to other infections. Fecal flotation tests determine if intestinal parasites are present. Additional diagnostic tests may be needed and can include an abdominal ultrasound, abdominal x-rays, intestinal biopsies or fecal culture.

Causation

Gastroenteritis can occur in cats due to a wide variety of different underlying conditions. Infectious conditions, including those caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites, as well as toxin ingestion, cancer, or other inflammatory conditions can result in gastroenteritis. With many of these conditions, inflammation or irritation occurs within the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in the onset of vomiting, diarrhea and a loss of appetite. The precise mechanism for the onset of gastroenteritis varies based upon the underlying condition. The following list includes many of the more common causes of gastroenteritis in cats, but is not exhaustive. **Bacterial** * Campylobacteriosis * Clostridial enteritis * Salmonellosis **Viral** * Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) associated enteritis * Coronavirus * Panleukopenia (feline parvoviral enteritis) **Parasitic** * Roundworms * Hookworms * Tapeworms * Giardiasis * Coccidiosis * Cryptosporidia **Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE)** **Eosinophilic enteritis** **Drugs** * Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) * Corticosteroids * Antibiotics **Toxin exposure** **Foreign body intestinal obstruction** **Cancer** **Dietary indiscretion** **Food intolerance or allergy** **Triaditis** * Pancreatitis * Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) * Cholangitis

Treatments

icon AT-HOME CARE
Most causes of gastroenteritis are managed at home with medications and diet changes. Some viral causes of gastroenteritis can resolve without any specific treatments. The treatment protocol for managing gastroenteritis varies widely and depends on the underlying cause. For some cases, a bland diet with boiled white meat chicken can be offered, yet in other cases, hypoallergenic prescription diets are necessary.
icon SUPPORTIVE CARE
Many cats with gastroenteritis experience some degree of dehydration. For those cats that are moderately to severely dehydrated, hospitalization for close monitoring, IV fluids and IV medications is often necessary.
icon MEDICATIONS
Medication is needed for the majority of cats with gastroenteritis, yet the precise medication depends on the underlying cause. Antiparasitic deworming medications are prescribed if intestinal parasites are the underlying problem. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial causes of gastroenteritis. Pain medications manage many cases of cancer and pancreatitis, and corticosteroids may be needed to manage inflammatory bowel disease and some types of cancer.
icon DEVICES
None
icon SURGERY
Surgery is needed for cats with foreign body obstructions. Intestinal biopsies are a diagnostic procedure that can be performed via endoscopy or abdominal exploratory surgery.
icon SPECIALISTS
The diagnosis and treatment of gastroenteritis typically begins with general practitioner veterinarians. However, referral to specialists in internal medicine, oncology, surgery, radiology or critical care may be needed.

Cost Of Treatment

The cost to treat cases of gastroenteritis can vary depending on the underlying cause and the severity of the condition. Mild cases may be treated for less than $400 while severe cases requiring hospitalization, intensive care and/or surgery may cost $3000 or more.

Recovery

Cats can recover from some mild causes of gastroenteritis over just a few days. Other more complicated cases can take weeks for recovery, may require lifelong management or may be fatal. As with the diagnostic testing and treatments, the recovery time for cats with gastroenteritis is dependent upon the underlying cause.

Monitoring

Cats should be monitored at home for any persistence or progression of their gastrointestinal signs. Depending on the cause of gastroenteritis, some cats require intermittent rechecks of blood or fecal tests.

Prevention

The use of a monthly preventative to guard against intestinal parasites, management of food allergies, preventing dietary indiscretions and limiting exposure to drugs or chemicals may prevent certain cases of gastroenteritis.

Questions about Gastroenteritis

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

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Hi! My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s taking insulin and taking antibiotics for a Uti. It’s been 4 weeks and he wobles when he’s walking. He can’t jump up on the bed like he used to.He’s blood sugar is 250 it’s better than it used to. I don’t understand why he’s so wobbly.

Cats can develop what's called diabetic neuropathy, where their hindlegs become progressively weak. The best thing to do is try to get his diabetes under control as quickly as possible. Here is a link describing the conditon: http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Neuropathy.htm

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My senior cat has metastized cancer.17 yrs old. My vet gave her predizone1 and one half tabs a day.i wanted to know if i can just stop the meds.

Is there a reason you want to stop the prednisone? I would recommend not stopping it and if you feel it is better to stop the prednisone then I would recommend weaning off of the prednisone. I would discuss how to wean the prednisone with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

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My dog vomited a pinkish colour. Does this look like blood vomit? She doesn’t have diarrhoea or anything else. Yesterday i fed her plain chicken with rice.

That is very red vomit, however, this color could be linked to a number of things including blood in the vomit, inflammation of the GI tract, having chewed on a toy this color, eaten a food item this color, or gotten into a plant or other item this color. If the vomiting continues, worsens, or other symptoms appear such as a painful or bloated abdomen, diarrhea or blood in the stool, or severe distress, I would schedule a veterinary appointment right away to rule out more severe issues. In the meantime I would continue the bland diet for 24 hours, and monitor for any additional vomiting or illness symptoms.

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My 3 year old long haired tuxedo female pees just fine in the litter box, but she preferred to poop on the bathroom rug or on the carpet behind the sofa. Then, she will go weeks and everything is fine only start pooping outside the box again. I have 4 litter boxes and 3 cats. I clean all several times a day. She is the youngest. I've put wee wee pads down and she lifts them up and poops under them. Any ideas to help? Thanks!

A good first step, if you haven't already, is to rule out any health issues with your vet such as arthritis that may be causing the accidents. Secondly, making sure none of the other cats are bullying her away from the litter box may also alert you to any issues. Thirdly, a good enzymatic cleaner may help reduce the smell/discourage use of these areas in the future. That said, if you've done the above and the issue is still happening, it's probably time to call in a veterinary or animal behaviorist that can visit in person to see what may be going on. They may be able to check for stressors that could be causing the accidents where they are, look for issues with refusal to defecate in the box, or see if there is a cycle that is happening that is triggering this reaction. From there they may be able to set up a more tailored plan to help reduce the accidents and encourage use of the litter box at all times. If you're in the US, you can use this website to help find someone available in your area: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

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There seems to be two wounds underneath my cat’s ear. There is not one on the other side. Does it look like ringworm or caused by fleas? What can I use to help her? It was smaller a week ago.

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Tor and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. Yes, I see the two wounds, and they could be caused by her scratching at her ear. While that could be due to fleas, it may be she has an ear infection causing her to scratch at her ears. Continually scratching at them would cause the wounds to get bigger. This does need to be checked out by a vet, as if she does have an ear infection, it could be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria. In addition, the ear drum needs to be visualized through an otoscope to make sure it's still intact before any medication is given. Ear problems can be considered an emergency as leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss. Given that these wounds are getting bigger, I'd see if you can get her into her vet asap. I hope this helps!

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Disclaimer

The information contained on this page is for educational purposes only. This medication should only be given under the advice of a veterinarian who has examined your pet under the laws applicable to your state of residence.