My older cat is drinking more, has diarrhea, and isn't eating. Is she okay?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your description, I am quite concerned she may be dehydrated and may have some systemic disease or infection going on. I would have a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be happy to help further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and diarrhea can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Otto evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Stopping the diarrhea usually requires stopping the cause of the diarrhea. In a young cat, it is often an infection that causes them to stop eating/drinking with diarrhea. However, this can happen with other illnesses or poisoning. Diarrhea is actually beneficial with infections, because it's the body's way of getting rid of the toxin/disease. And, most diarrhea resolves on its own within three days. The concerning thing with Samantha's case is that she could quickly become dehydrated if she is not drinking and continues having diarrhea. If this continues for more than a day, then she will need to go to the vet for an evaluation and treatment to keep this from being a serious problem. Other criteria for going to the vet are as follows: 1) Blood in diarrhea 2) Very watery diarrhea 3) She starts acting very depressed 4) Diarrhea lasts longer than three days You can help her get through this by feeding bland food (boneless chicken and tuna is good). Feed small portions (1 Tbsp or less) three times a day. Ensure fresh, clean water is always available. I hope this helps and Samantha gets better soon.

In order to get a diagnosis, you will need to take Blondie to a veterinarian. There could be many reasons for this such as pancreatitis, gall bladder disease, liver disease, toxin ingestion, metabolic disease, cancer, intestinal infection/inflammation and cancer. A vet would need to evaluate Blondie and doing some tests before it's possible to formulate an accurate diagnosis. What you have described seems like rather severe signs of disease, so I recommend taking her to a veterinarian as soon as possible for treatment. She may be dehydrated, which can cause the signs of disease to be worse and may be life-threatening. For now, make sure she has plenty of water and is comfortable. I hope that helps and Blondie gets better soon.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. She will need to see her veterinarian for laboratory work. Increased vocalizations and increased thirst are common signs of hyperthyroidism. This is a disease where the body makes too much thyroid hormone thereby increasing metabolism. Other signs can include weight loss, hyperactivity, increased urination as well as vomiting and/or diarrhea. If this is her diagnosis, the disease is typically managed with medication. I hope this information helps!

I would recommend a veterinarian. With his age I am concerned about dehydration and I would talk to your veterinarian about potential fluids. I would also recommend a bland diet for Beeper. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.