Cat colitis is an intestinal condition that causes inflammation and a range of symptoms. Causes of cat colitis include allergies, infection, injuries, ingestion of toxic substances and cancer. Many cats may have an occasional, acute bout of colitis, but if the condition becomes serious and chronic, treatment may be required in the form of dietary modification, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs or deworming.
Symptoms of Feline Colitis
Feline colitis is a disease of the intestinal tract that causes inflammation and symptoms including:
- Changes in stool, especially loose stool and mucous or blood in the stool. Cats may struggle to move their bowels or move their bowels with increasing frequency.
- Difficult urination. Cats may have trouble urinating because of urinary tract infection, kidney or bladder stones, but, in these cases, they will produce less urine than normal. If your cat is having trouble eliminating normal amounts of urine, he could be suffering from intestinal irritation.
- Weight loss can occur as a result of lowered appetite, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Severe abdominal pain, usually accompanied by glazed eyes, lethargy, shallow breathing and a rapid heartbeat.
- Constipation, caused by the pain associated with colitis.
Diagnosing and Treating Feline Colitis
Your vet can diagnose cat colitis based on a thorough physical examination. Fecal tests and blood tests may help determine the cause of colitis. Your vet may want to perform X-rays, ultrasounds or a colonoscopy.
Treatment will depend on the cause of the colitis. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs or motility-modifying drugs may help treat the causes and symptoms of feline colitis. Your vet may recommend dietary modification to help ease the pain and inflammation in the intestines. Bland, easy to digest foods made of chicken, rice, eggs and cheese are indicated in the treatment of feline colitis; if the disease is chronic, the cat may need lifelong dietary modification.
You can treat cat colitis at home by feeding your cat a bland diet of chicken and rice.
Preventing Feline Colitis
Prevent feline colitis by first understanding what caused the condition initially. Keep your cat in good health to prevent medical causes of colitis. Make sure he receives his vaccinations on schedule. Treat bacterial and viral infections promptly.
Reduce or eliminate your cat's access to toxic or noxious substances. Keep toxins like household cleaners out of reach of your cat. Keep your cat out of the garbage; eating rotten food is one of the primary causes of colitis. Make sure your cat's food is fresh.
Keep your cat free of parasites; control cat fleas to prevent tapeworm infection, which, when severe, can cause colitis. Regular deworming can prevent intestinal inflammation. Make sure your cat drinks only clean fresh water to prevent ingestion of Protozoa like Giardia.
Stress can be a causal factor in cat colitis. Keep your cat's home environment as stress free as possible, especially if you have an anxious cat. Reduce loud noises in the home and provide a secure, cozy place where your cat can hide if he feels threatened. Try to reduce or eliminate contact with persons or animals who upset the cat.