Gastrointestinal problems

Gastrointestinal disorders in cats

Gastrointestinal disorders are a common cause of veterinary visits. Inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract are called gastroenteritis. Common symptoms in cats include diarrhoea (either sudden or chronic), vomiting, and changes in appetite or defecation frequency. If symptoms last for only a few days, it is not uncommon for the cause to go undetermined. There are many possible causes of gastrointestinal problems. Stress, such as the kind a cat experiences when travelling by car or during a cat show, can trigger acute diarrhoea or vomiting. Parasites, tumours, intestinal obstruction, medications, toxins, and infections can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Sudden changes in diet or eating spoiled or unsuitable food are common causes of gastrointestinal problems. Other causes included food allergies and food intolerance, which have a negative impact on digestive tract health (e.g. AFR or atopy). Extraperitoneal diseases can cause secondary diarrhoea. Parasitic, viral, and bacterial gastroenteritis is most common in younger cats. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a commonly diagnosed cause of gastroenteritis diagnosed in middle-aged to older cats.

Diarrhoea

Acute diarrhoea is a primary bowel defence response to ingestion of harmful items. The primary response of the bowel is to expel harmful substances and decrease absorption capacity to minimise the risk of intoxication. Acute diarrhoea usually ceases within a few days. If the cat’s condition does not improve in three to four days despite a supportive gastrointestinal diet, the cat should be taken to a veterinarian. A common sign of gastroenteritis in cats is vomiting.

Chronic diarrhoea lasts for more than three weeks and does not improve with routine treatment. Chronic diarrhoea requires diagnosis to determine the cause. The stool sample is often examined for parasites, parasite eggs, and signs of infection. Examples of parasites that causes diarrhoea include roundworm, giardia, tritrichomonas foetus, and cryptosporidium. Feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV), feline coronavirus (FIP/FCoV), and feline calicivirus (FCV) are common in cats. Bacterial intestinal infections are less common in cats.

Food often plays an essential role in causing diarrhoea. In cats, common causes of an adverse food reactions are beef, dairy products, wheat, corn, and chicken. Lactose intolerance is also relatively common in cats, so fresh water should be provided instead of milk. Often, gastrointestinal disorders caused by food can be associated with skin symptoms. When there is suspicion of AFR as the cause of diarrhoea, an elimination diet is often prescribed. The diet trial should last at least two weeks; however, the response is often seen in less than a week.

If secondary diarrhoea is suspected, the underlying disease should be clarified. Liver and kidney diseases, pancreatic and thyroid disorders, and systemic infections can be excluded from the cat’s blood sample. These include feline coronavirus, which causes infectious peritonitis, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and toxoplasmosis. Other diseases that can cause diarrhoea include various cancers or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Common diagnostic methods include intestinal ultrasound, X-ray, and laparotomy. Potential tumour cells can be detected in biopsies.

Vomiting

A cat may vomit occasionally, for example to remove hair or grass that has accumulated in the stomach, and some cats may experience motion sickness when traveling. Acute vomiting, on the other hand, can be caused by eating spoiled food. Acute vomiting usually lasts for a few days. Repeat vomiting is not normal for cats, and it is important to identify the cause. Common causes of vomiting are a foreign body, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and intoxication, and vomiting may also be associated with a systemic disease or tumour, for example in the kidneys, liver, urinary tract, or uterus. Disorders of the thyroid gland or diabetes mellitus can also cause vomiting. Poisoning (in an outdoor cat; rat poison) can also lead to vomiting. Blood in vomit is a sign of acute danger, in which case the cat must be taken to a veterinarian immediately. In any case of acute vomiting, it is necessary to seek veterinary assistance due to the risk of a life-threatening condition or the rapid onset of dehydration and disruptions in the acid-base balance. It is important to remember that a cat will not survive without eating for very long periods of time and will quickly develop problems in various internal organs if it does not eat or drink. The cat should not be fasted but should be offered small portions of food several times a day. Repeat vomiting quickly results in dehydration, which in turn causes kidney dysfunction and electrolyte imbalance, and that can then lead to acute kidney failure and death.

IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)

Sometimes diarrhoea, vomiting, and weight loss are caused by IBD. It causes chronic inflammation in the intestinal wall due to an imbalance in the production of neurotransmitters that control the immune response. In IBD, white blood cells accumulate in the intestinal walls and produce inflammatory neurotransmitters when the number of neurotransmitters that reduce inflammation at the same time is too low. Inflammatory bowel disease is caused by a wide variety of problems that often remain undiagnosed. Among them are bacterial infection, such as salmonella or E. coli, parasitic infection with worms or single-celled parasites such as giardia or tritrichomonas, and allergy or intolerance to a specific protein found in the diet. The disease is often suspected if symptoms such as weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhoea have persisted for a long time, the causes of the symptoms have not been identified, and food allergies have been ruled out. Some cats, like oriental breeds, for instance, are more sensitive to IBD than others. A specimen taken from the intestine often contains inflammatory cells that confirm the diagnosis. Such a cat often needs to be treated for primary disease. If primary disease is not diagnosed, treatment is symptomatic and relies on glucocorticoids, an intestinal antibiotic, vitamins, deworming, and a special diet.

Constipation

Often, the cat owner notices constipation when the cat has not defecated in its litter box for a few days. Constipation can cause pain and discomfort to the cat, and the owner may also notice the cat’s pain when the cat tries to defecate. Often, a cat’s constipation is caused by an inappropriate diet, dehydration, swallowing foreign objects, or stress. Hair ingested by a cat can form hairballs in the gut and cause blockages. Constipation can be examined by X-ray, which shows any foreign objects and other masses. If the constipation is more severe, the cat’s blood sample can also be examined for possible liver or kidney problems and dehydration. Prolonged constipation can cause damage to the intestines, and the colon can stretch, forming a so-called megacolon. Recurrent constipation may be the result of another disease, such as a tumour in the gut or inflammation of the anal glands. If your cat is prone to constipation, it is advisable to start a with a special easily digestible high-fibre gastrointestinal diet. Psyllium fibre is good in a diet for the supportive treatment of constipation because it can bind water while limiting the fermentation of intestinal bacteria. It is essential to ensure that your cat maintains adequate fluid intake.

Brit VD Gastrointestinal

Following the onset of gastroenteritis, the bowel loses its digestion and absorption capacity due to the decreasing surface area of the intestinal mucosa. The intestinal mucosa requires two to three weeks to obtain its previous capacity. For this reason, it is necessary to use a gastrointestinal diet for a minimum of two weeks following the onset of gastroenteritis. An ideal diet for cats with gastroenteritis provides easily digestible nutrients, is made from ingredients with a low risk of food allergy, promotes gastrointestinal function, and has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal microbiome.

Brit VD Gastrointestinal is a grain-free diet comprising ingredients with a limited risk of food allergies. It contains no chicken meat, grains, or gluten. Protein is obtained from herring and hydrolysed salmon, both of which have high bioavailability and good digestibility. The live probiotic E. faecium  promotes a healthy intestinal bacterial flora. Brit Gastrointestinal VD contains ample amounts of prebiotic fibre in the form of mannan-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, beta-glucans, and psyllium that promotes the integrity of the intestinal wall and intestinal motility. Added minerals and vitamins compensate for losses due to diarrhoea and vomiting. Brit VD Gastrointestinal has been proven to be an effective diet for acute diarrhoea and can be used for short regimens or permanently in chronic situations.