Cat Colitis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

1 Cat Colitis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

1. Clinical Symptoms of Cat Colitis

Early signs are long irregular constipation, dry, small, dark stools; severe cases pass pellet-like hard stools for months. Sometimes diarrhea, usually self-resolving quickly.

Later, diarrhea grows frequent and severe, stools thinner, watery with blood, pus, and tissue fragments, foul-smelling. Appetite and temperature stay normal, but the cat quickly thins, with dehydration, anemia, even collapse and death.

Necropsy: colon mucosa is congested and bleeding, dark red, coated with sticky fluid or pus; severe cases show large ulcers even sloughing of the colon lining.

2. Common Causes of Cat Colitis

1) Stress from tension or severe fright can trigger colitis.

2) Intestinal parasite infection is a common cause.

3) Food or drug allergy/intolerance, or antibiotic intolerance, disturbs the gut.

4) FIV, pancreatitis, leukemia, or FIP can be underlying causes.

5) Sensitive-gut cats may get colitis from a sudden diet change.

3. What to Do About Cat Colitis

Colitis causes acute or chronic diarrhea, so after diagnosis treat symptoms first, then fix the cause.

Use antidiarrheal drugs like Vilik bismuth subcarbonate tablets to protect the mucosa and reduce harmful absorption. Acute colitis may need glucocorticoids—have a vet examine and prescribe.

After symptoms ease, improve the environment, remove the cause, and give nutritious, easily digested food to rebuild strength.

The above covers cat colitis symptoms, causes, and treatment. Because each cat differs, the drug advice may be limited; for a cat with colitis, consult an online veterinary doctor.