My cat has a cold, runny nose, and loose stool. What should I do?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection and possibly to a gastroneteritis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor guy. I would first suspect that he may have either a bacterial infection or a parasite infection. Have his stool tested by your vet to determine which is present so that he can get the proper treatment. Poor guy. I hope Sammy feels better soon. In the meantime offer him tuna and white rice to help settle his stomach and plenty of water to help prevent him from getting dehydrated. Diluted Pedialyte (non-flavored) can also be given via syringe. Best wishes and take care.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely gastrointestinal parasites based on your description. I recommend that you take her to your veterinarian to confirm this and get her on therapy for it. This would be very simple to treat and cats recover just fine. Enjoy your kitty!

Jack's eyes and stool most likely are not related although can be. He may have an upper respiratory infection, conjunctivitis (inflammation in the conjunctiva of the eyes which may be infection vs allergic), Jack can have a corneal ulcer (less likely if it is both eyes that are affected) or even allergies (which are less likely due to age). With all of his symptoms, including a runny nose and sneezing it seems more like an upper respiratory infection. It is a good sign that he is still full of energy. With his stool, it can be stress or intestinal parasites. It can also be that he got into something he wasn't supposed to or even a virus. When you go to the veterinarian I would recommend bringing a stool sample so the veterinarian can make sure there are no intestinal parasites. They may dispense eye medication and medication to help with the diarrhea. Depending on the cause they find it just may be antibiotics for the diarrhea or it may be a dewormer. They also may dispense a bland diet for Jack. I hope Jack feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A loose stool & vomiting together can quickly lead to a pet becoming dehydrated. In addition, I would guess that Nesta is not eating well, & a cat that stops eating for even a few days can actually begin to develop some liver issues. So yes, Nesta should be evaluated by your veterinarian. Hopefully he will be feeling better soon. Take care.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Mini is having a runny nose. It is possible that she is suffering from an upper respiratory infection that may be viral and/or bacterial in origin. If you believe that she is not having difficulty breathing (ie, has a respiratory rate of less than 40 at rest and is not using her belly to help her breathe), she is eating normally, drinking, urinating and defecating normally, and has a normal energy level, you may be able to monitor her at home. Sometimes, keeping her in the bathroom while you run a hot shower can help clear her sinuses. If you notice any purulent (yellow, thick, foul-smelling) discharge from either her eyes or nose, I recommend having her seen by a veterinarian to be examined and treated. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the symptoms you are describing, it sounds as if Godol may be dealing with an infection. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would also initiate a bland diet as outlined below. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. You can also try a lysine supplement to help with a potential herpes viral infection. You can find lysine supplementation at your vet or at a local pet store. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.