Ask Dr Claire
My cat has been having on and off diarrhoea the past 3-4 days. Sometimes when he sits, there is a very tiny spot of liquid poo where his bottom was. But sometimes, there is no diarrhoea and no spots where he was sitting. It just has me concerned.
In short, diarrhoea in a cat coming to 3-4 days needs to see your local vet for a hands-on examination. It is all the more urgent if he is lethargic, has a reduced appetite, or has lost weight.
Diarrhoea is really just a symptom and can be the result of many underlying causes. In this case, we really need to find the cause of the diarrhoea so that we can treat your cat’s problem (not just the symptom). This will help us reach the best treatment plan too.
Some of the underlying causes of diarrhoea in a cat might be:
- Infectious disease (bacteria, viruses, parasites)
- Stress (from travel, change of environment)
- Dietary change
- Gut problems (inflammatory bowel disease, tumours, obstructions, food intolerance or food allergies)
- Dietary indiscretion (more of a dog thing but some cats will eat anything and everything too!)
- Metabolic disease (for example thyroid disease)
If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail now.
We’re here to help!
Chat soon,
Dr Claire