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• Many cases of vomiting or
diarrhoea in cats are caused by a simple infection of the stomach
or intestines from catching an insect or from fresh or tinned food
left out too long. Other causes are from toxins (eg Lilies are
VERY dangerous to cats), having a blockage (eg a toy or
string), food allergies, cancers or even secondary to another
problem like kidney or liver disease.
• It is best for your cat to
be assessed by a veterinarian in the first instance to ensure
there aren’t more severe underlying problems (eg jaundice or
dehydration) that need immediate investigations.
Home Care:
• Fast your cat for 24 hours
but ensure water is available since there is loss of fluid from
the vomiting or diarrhoea. Once this initial 24 hours is over, you
may introduce your cat to bland food.
• The two best bland foods to
use are:
• A prescription diet called i/d
(which stands for intestinal diet) which is available as a
canned or dry food. Wet food is preferable as it ensures your
cat is taking in water.
• Cooked white meat of a chicken
is also a good bland food to reintroduce your cat to. We find
that using the meat (no skin) from barbeque chicken to work in
most cases as the smell and warm meat help to stimulate your
cat's appetite. Boiled chicken is also fine.
• If all goes well, this diet of
bland food should be fed in small amounts for a week or more
before gradually returning to your cat’s usual diet. Give a little
more of their usual diet each day and a little less of the bland
food (ie 25% normal/75% bland food the first day, 50%/50% the next
etc,) until they are weaned entirely back to their normal diet.
This is to prevent any further vomiting or diarrhoea that can
occur when changing a cat’s diet.
• If your cat:
• Continues to vomit or the diarrhoea persists
• Refuses to eat
• Shows any other signs of being unwell (like sluggishness)
then please call us. Your cat may need to come into
hospital further investigations by blood tests or radiographs and
your cat may need to be admitted to hospital for IV fluids (a
‘drip’).
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