My 9-year-old cat has diarrhea from new food and stress. What to do?

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Peaches! Diarrhea can be from a sudden food change and intolerance to the new food. If you changed the food abruptly then he just may have not had time to adjust. I would recommend changing him back to the original food until his stool is normal then if you still want to try the new food, change it slowly. If the diarrhea returns he can not tolerate the new food. Other causes of diarrhea in young kittens are parasites, viruses and bacterial infections. If the diarrhea persists, he starts vomiting or stops eating he should be seen by your Veterinarian! Good luck!

Common causes of diarrhea or loose stools in a young cat include food intolerance, food allergies, intestinal parasites, bacterial or viral gastroenteritis, stress colitis, among a few others. Based on her history, stress from the visit or a change in treats may be the cause. You can try a medication like ProPectalin AntiDiarrheal Gel for Dogs & Cats that has probiotics and a small amount of kao pectate in it - it also tastes good. If the diarrhea/soft stools continue next week, or if Pico starts showing signs of lethargy, inappetence, or straining, I would definitely have her checked out by a vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea and inappentence can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I think that it is possible that her diarrhea could also be due to stress from the recent move or even a recent change in diet. I recommend that you have Bobbie evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

It sounds like your cat has a severe case of colitis, or an inflammation of the colon. This condition causes diarrhea. Colitis can be caused by many different things. Some of the more common causes include intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, irritable bowel disease, pancreatitis, a foreign body/blockage and viruses. Food intolerances/allergies can start at any age. This is why it may only now be affecting Ella when she has been eating the same food for a long time. If the diarrhea is server you may want to consider taking Ella to the vet. She may need fluids to correct any dehydration, a fecal examination performed and antibiotics and/or probiotics to help the diarrhea clear up. There are specific prescription diets that your vet can recommend to help with this type of issue. Two I commonly recommend are Hill's i/d and Royal Canin GI low fat. A hydrolyzed protein diet may also be helpful. If you want to try an over the counter food first I would recommend something that is labeled as "limited ingredient" or for "sensitive stomachs". I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. If the new cat is causing him stress then the diarrhea can be stress related. If this continues, I recommend that you have Zeek evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Oreo is having diarrhea. Diarrhea in kittens can be due to a variety of reasons, including intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, a virus or another underlying issue. I would recommend Oreo be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for her diarrhea, have any necessary testing done (fecal analysis, etc) and start any treatment (dewormer, antidiarrheal, probiotic) that she may need to help resolve it. Good luck!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I suggest you have him dewormed and I would also start him on a probiotic (Fortiflora). If you do those two things and the diarrhea doesn't start to resolve in a few days then you need to take him to a vet for an exam. ( https://www.1800petmeds.com/purina+fortiflora-prod10376.html ) ( https://www.1800petmeds.com/drontal+for+cats-prod10073.html ) I don't think the oral flea/tick med is the issue but of course it can be. If you use that again in the future and the diarrhea starts again then you can probably confidently say that it is the issue in which case I would stop using it. Usually if that is the case the diarrhea starts within 24 hours of administration. Two weeks later, it is not likely. The new food is also possibly the culprit but again, you didn't switch cold turkey and it doesn't sound like he is eating that much of it anyway. Again, possible but not likely. Hope this helps. Best wishes.