Although the cat is characterized by its genuine independent character, it also needs our attention, care and affection, since as owners we have the responsibility to guarantee a complete state of he alth and well-being. For this reason it is important that we know how those most common diseases in cats manifest themselves, in order to be able to identify them and act appropriately in order to preserve the he alth of our pet.
In this article on our site we tell you everything you need to know about gastroenteritis in cats, keep reading!
What is gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation that affects the gastric mucosa and the intestinal mucosa, causing an alteration in the functioning of the digestive system.
Its severity depends on its aetiology, since as we will see later, it can have multiple causes. However, those that are mild and are related to the ingestion of spoiled food or digestive difficulties, usually subside sporadically within approximately 48 hours.
Causes of gastroenteritis in cats
The causes of gastroenteritis can be very diverse and will largely determine the course and severity of the symptoms. Let's see below what they are:
- Food poisoning
- Presence of intestinal parasites
- Bacterial infection
- Viral infection
- Foreign bodies in the digestive system
- Tumors
- Antibiotic treatment
Symptoms of gastroenteritis in cats
If our cat suffers from gastroenteritis we can observe the following symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Signs of abdominal pain
- Lethargy
- Fever
As we have mentioned before, if we observe these symptoms we should suspect gastroenteritis and go urgently to the vet, because although it is a common illness can sometimes be very serious.
Treatment of gastroenteritis in cats
Treatment of gastroenteritis in cats will depend on the underlying cause, but we should mention the following therapeutic strategies:
- If the appearance of vomiting and diarrhea do not present warning signs and the cat does not show a fever, the treatment will be carried out mainly through oral rehydration fluids and dietary changes, expecting complete recovery within a maximum period of 48 hours.
- If the cat has a fever, suspect a bacterial or viral infection. In this case, it will be normal for the veterinarian to prescribe antibiotics or, if he suspects a certain virus, use a test to verify its presence and study the possibility of prescribing an antiviral. We must take into account that not all viruses respond to pharmacological treatment and in this case a rehydration treatment will also be carried out and we will wait for the complete course and completion of the illness.
- If in the two previous cases the disease does not improve within approximately 2 days, the veterinarian will carry out blood, stool and urine tests, and may also include X-rays to rule out the presence of foreign bodies or tumors in the chest cavity.
The prognosis of gastroenteritis in cats will also vary greatly depending on the underlying cause, being excellent in the case of indigestion and serious in the case of intestinal lumps or obstructions.
