What causes diarrhea in 8-year-old cats and what food helps?

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! If the food appears different than the one he normally eats it is possible that perhaps there is a different additive or food coloring that has upset his stomach (or is it possible it is a different flavor even though the brand is the same). We can see some pets have GI upset from quick changes in diet. That being said, we can also see diarrhea from other causes, including GI parasites, bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory bowel disease, as a symptom of systemic illness, and more. If he is still energetic with no vomiting you could try getting a probiotic from your vet or the pet store for him which can sometimes help with diarrhea and feeding something bland for a few days (such as plain white rice and shredded boiled chicken or lean ground chicken) or picking up the food you normally get at the pet store and trying this for a few days. If he is having urgency so often he isn't making it to the litterbox, however, it is quite possible he has colitis http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=677 and will likely need prescription medication to get the diarrhea under control, so the fastest solution to eliminating the problem is to have your vet examine him!

Poor Kila! The diarrhea could be due to many conditions including eating something she shouldn’t have, bacterial over growth, parasites or even organ disease. If the diarrhea has continued beyond 24 hours, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check her for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. This link also has good information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/diarrhea-in-cats/ I hope your kitty starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Toffee! Causes of diarrhea in cats are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, diet changes, new foods or treats or food allergies and intolerances, metabolic conditions like hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease, pancreatitis, and stress can sometimes be the cause. I would stop all wet food or at least the new wet food. If the diarrhea is bad then fast him for 12-24 hours. You can start a probiotic, I like Purina fortiflora which you can find online. If the diarrhea persists he would need to see a Vet to have medications prescribed. I hope this helps and I wish Toffee a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think that dietary indiscretion as you pointed out could certainly be a possible reason for Eddie to having diarrhea. You can try to switch to a sensitive stomach type diet like the Science Diet healthy development diet for kitties. If no improvement is noted then I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment as other things are possible like intestinal parasites. Good luck!

This last decade has brought an incredible amount of new products to the shelves and I know it must be daunting and very confusing to consumers. Unfortunately, most information about these foods comes from the pet store employee or an equally unqualified source on the internet. It's very wise of you to ask an expert. The truth about most of these foods is that their claims usually amount to nothing more than that of a fad diet (i.e. paleo or atkins) and are not supported by sufficient evidence (even though they will make it sound like it is). As scientifically trained practitioners, us vets prefer to offer evidenced based treatment and the same goes for feeding suggestions. Wet food will encourage water intake and may make the stools more soft, but does not cause diarrhea. Lightly cooked, grain-free, natural, etc. are really just marketing gimmicks meant to increase sales. They mean essentially nothing and normally do not have any good evidence to back their claims. The most important thing on that bag is a tiny bit of writing under the guaranteed analysis called the AAFCO statement. This statement tells you what actual research went into making the product. Below is a link to an article that will help explain this more and give some other info about feeding your cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ High protein is nice and all of the foods with an AAFCO statement have the minimum necessary amount of protein (around 30%) in the diet. More importantly, they will have ensured the necessary amino acids are in the correct quantity. I know the answer may still be somewhat vague, but if you stick to the basic principles of choosing the right food, then you should be successful in feeding a good and nutritious food to your cats. Below is a link to another helpful resource with good information about pet foods. https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047113.htm I hope that helps and all is well for your cats.

Diarrhea and a decrease in appetite could be a sign of a number of different problems. Intestinal parasites are possible, even for indoor cats, as are some infections or diseases like colitis or inflammatory bowel disease. If the diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours or seems to be getting worse, or if her appetite does not improve during that time I'd recommend seeing your veterinarian. They may treat her symptoms or recommend some testing like blood work or a fecal analysis depending on what they find during a physical examination.

If this was caused by a food change I would expect him to be back to normal by now. There may be something else underlying going on here that is the cause of Zebco's diarrhea and weight loss, such as intestinal parasites, pancreatic disease, diabetes, or even thyroid disease. I would recommend taking him to your vet for a through examination and potential tests (bloodwork, fecal exam), to hopefully identify the underlying problem so that he is treated appropriately. In the meantime I would suggest feeding Zebco a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese to help settle his stomach a bit. You can also try adding 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in his food daily to add fiber and help harden the stools up. Best wishes with Zebco and I hope he feels better soon.