Cat gastrointestinal disease is also a relatively common clinical disease. Today I will list the 7 most common ones for you.

1. Intestinal Parasites

Parasites are a common cause of gastrointestinal problems in cats. Common cat parasites include:

roundworms

coccidia

taenia

hookworm

whipworm

Trichomonas

If left untreated, intestinal parasites can make cats very uncomfortable, causing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and poor growth.

Getting rid of intestinal parasites is easy. First, the parasite is usually identified through a microscopic fecal examination performed by a veterinarian. The cat is then treated with an appropriate deworming medication according to label instructions and veterinarian guidance.

Some common anthelmintic drugs include:

Fenbendazole, Baichongqing, Hailemiao, Ronidazole, etc.

2. Hairballs

Hairballs may be common, but they are not always normal. Hairballs often develop due to excessive shedding in cats due to skin problems or gastrointestinal disorders.

If your cat only vomits occasionally and appears to be perfectly healthy, home treatment is a reasonable first step:

Feeding hairball formula cat food may help Helps reduce hair ball incidents.

Adding fiber to your diet can help hair move through your gastrointestinal tract.

Grooming your cat every day will remove excess hair.

Feed cat ointment or cat grass, etc.

3. Constipation

Constipation occurs when stool becomes too large and/or becomes difficult to pass from the colon. Constipated cats often strain in the litter box but produce very little feces. Any poop you see is usually dry, hard, and small.

Constipation may be caused by:

Dehydration

Poor gastrointestinal motility

Pain

Nerve problems

Large Intestine Obstruction

Hirschsprung Disease

Treatment of constipated cats involves identifying and correcting any underlying disease and removing feces via enemas or manually under sedation. Never give your cat an enema at home without consulting your veterinarian, as some types can be toxic to cats.

If your cat is at risk for recurring constipation, increased fluid intake, dietary changes (e.g., high-fiber, low-fiber, or hypoallergenic foods), weight management, and increased exercise can help reduce the risk of episodes. frequency or severity.

4. Foreign bodies

Cats are very curious. Some cats will put anything in their mouth and swallow it. If these objects are small or at least partially digestible, they can pass through the gastrointestinal tract without problems. But in the worst case scenario, they get stuck somewhere along the way.

Foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract often cause loss of appetite, vomiting, and discomfort in cats.

When a veterinarian suspects that a cat has swallowed something inappropriate, he or she will usually take an abdominal X-ray or do an ultrasound to look for evidence.

Sometimes, an endoscope can be used to remove foreign bodies from the gastrointestinal tract. But in other cases, exploratory surgery is necessary to remove the object and repair the damage it caused.

5. Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes many symptoms of gastrointestinal problems: vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and/or loss of appetite. But because IBD can only be determined through a biopsy, it can be difficult to diagnose.

IBD may be caused by immune dysfunction, food allergy, bacterial overgrowth, metabolic disease, food intolerance, parasites, environmental stress, and/or genetics. Typically, cats' symptoms start out as mild and/or intermittent but become more severe over time.

Treatment for IBD usually involves feeding a hypoallergenic diet and, if that's not enough, suppressing the immune system. Your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics, corticosteroids, chlorambucil, and other medications depending on your cat's response.

6. Food allergies

Same as humans , cats can also be allergic to certain ingredients in food. Food allergies in cats may manifest as itching and sore skin or an upset stomach, leading to diarrhea and/or vomiting.

The most common food allergies in cats are to beef, fish, or chicken. Allergic reactions to wheat, corn, dairy, lamb, eggs, barley, and rabbits are also possible, but less common.

Diagnosing food allergies can be tricky. The ideal approach is to conduct a strict food trial (feeding your cat only water and a prescribed hypoallergenic diet for 8-12 weeks). If your cat's symptoms resolve, you can continue feeding them food or slowly reintroduce traditional ingredients to determine which foods your cat responds to so you can avoid them in the future.

In addition to dietary changes, some cases of food allergy may require treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, such as a corticosteroid, budesonide, or chlorambucil.

7. Tumors

Lymphoma (also called lymphosarcoma) and other types of cancer in cats may be diagnosed as symptoms of gastrointestinal disease. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hospice care (therapies that make the patient feel better but do not directly address the underlying disease) often prolong and improve the quality of life of cats with cancer.

Summary

Whether it is vomiting or diarrhea, these are just symptoms, and there are many diseases that cause these symptoms. Therefore, do not treat vomiting and diarrhea as gastroenteritis treatment. You must find out the cause and then prescribe the right medicine to cure the disease.