Content
- How to tell if the cat has a stomachache
- Causes of abdominal pain in cats
- Bowel obstruction
- Gastroenteritis
- genitourinary changes
- Ascites (free fluid in the abdomen)
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- Peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum)
- Poisoning/Intoxication
- Orthopedic alterations
- Trauma
- Cat with a stomachache, what to do?
- Cat Remedies for Cat with Belly Pain
Cats are animals very sensitive to pain, but they are great at hiding what they are feeling, which gives rise to a real problem for the most concerned guardian.
Abdominal pain or discomfort in cats is a common symptom in veterinary practice. It can be caused by numerous etiologies, some easier to identify and treat than others and, accordingly, the prognoses also vary.
If you have noticed something unusual about your cat and you notice that it vocalizes a lot, is reluctant to move, or does not let itself be picked up, you should take your cat to the veterinarian so that he can check you urgently.
In the following article, we explain the causes of cat with stomach ache and what the tutor should do in this situation. If you want to learn more about this topic, read on.
How to tell if the cat has a stomachache
Although they are excellent at hiding pain, there are some symptoms you can and should be on the lookout for to detect if something is wrong with your kitten:
- Distended/dilated abdomen;
- Tight belly (hard to touch);
- Open mouth breathing;
- Weakness of limbs;
- Abnormal spine posture (arc due to pain);
- Reluctance to walk, play or be picked up;
- Vomiting;
- Nausea;
- Dehydration;
- Blood in the stool;
- Diarrhea;
- Difficulty in urinating;
- Loss of appetite;
- Weight loss;
- Fever;
- Excessive vocalization;
- Reduction of hygiene habits;
- Isolation;
- Apathy.
Causes of abdominal pain in cats
In this topic I will explain the most common clinical signs of cats with stomach pain and the possible causes of each:
Bowel obstruction
- THE constipation, constipation or constipationintestinal it consists of the accumulation of harder and voluminous stools in the cat's intestines and the inability to evacuate. When a cat spends a long time without going to use the litter box, the feces begin to accumulate throughout the entire intestine and there is a reabsorption of water, resulting in hard and voluminous feces, called stools. fecalomas, what cause abdominal pain and bowel obstruction. This condition is more common in older cats, but it can occur at all stages of life when there are changes in diet, dehydration, changes in intestinal motility, tumors, foreign bodies, kidney failure, diabetes, among others.
- fur balls, can also cause obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract.
- THE foreign body ingestion as threads, threads and needles, balls, herbs or small toys can lead not only to partial or total obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, but also to the rupture of any of its organs, which can cause intestinal obstruction and the death of the animal. If your cat likes to ingest these types of foreign bodies, remove everything from their reach to prevent access to them.
- In cases of hyperparasitism, the parasites can clog the bowel and stop the stool from progressing. Always follow the deworming plans your veterinarian recommends.
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines) caused by: bacterial, viral, parasitic, drug or dietary changes. The animal may experience nausea, diarrhea, frothy biliary vomiting, especially after emptying the stomach, or choking after drinking or eating. If these signs persist for more than 24 hours, the animal may become dehydrated, listless and with loss of appetite.
genitourinary changes
- Urinary infections (cystitis);
- Kidney, urethral and/or bladder stones;
- Pyometra (infection of the uterus, with accumulation of secretions);
- Bladder rupture;
- Tumors.
Any of these changes can cause the cat to have abdominal pain, especially in the case of calculi and pyometra. In addition, the animal here will show other signs such as:
- Dysuria (pain/discomfort when urinating);
- Polachiuria (increased frequency of urination, ie, the animal urinates more often);
- Polyuria (increased urinary volume);
- Anuria (absence of urine), the animal makes several attempts to urinate but fails;
- Vaginal discharge;
- Ascites;
- Fever.
Ascites (free fluid in the abdomen)
Ascites or abdominal effusion, an abnormal accumulation of free fluid in the abdominal cavity, in cats is caused by a variety of diseases or conditions. It can be caused by:
- Right congestive heart failure;
- PIF;
- Genito-urinary alterations;
- Liver alterations;
- Imbalances in protein levels;
- Tumors;
- Injuries.
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
The cause of pancreatitis in cats is not easy to diagnose. However, there are some factors that can trigger this problem:
- Toxic;
- High fat diet;
- Infectious agents (bacteria, parasites, viruses);
- Allergies;
- Injuries.
Peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum)
Acute abdominal pain in cats can be caused by a sudden inflammation of the tissues of the cats. abdominal organs and of the lining membrane the same(peritoneum). This inflammation is called peritonitis. In peritonitis, there is a migration of fluid into the peritoneal cavity (where the abdominal organs are), leading to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This can be due to causes:
- Infectious: as in the case of FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, caused by a virus, viral enteritis, parasitism, abscesses in Organs abdominal organs, pyometra (infection of the uterus).
- Non-infectious: such as hernias, tumors, poisoning, birth defects, trauma, urethral bladder obstruction, or gastric dilatation (rare in cats).
Poisoning/Intoxication
Poisoning can be caused by:
- Human drugs (acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol);
- Certain foods are also toxic for felines, check out our article which foods are prohibited for cats;
- Insecticides;
- Cleaning chemicals;
- poisonous insects;
- Poisonous plants.
Orthopedic alterations
Cat with bone pain may look like abdominal pain and confuse the tutor. Discspondylitis/discospodillosis, herniated discs and arthritis/arthrosis are some of the causes.
Trauma
- Injuries such as being run over can cause organ rupture or tissue bruises.
- During fights between animals, bites or scratches occur that infect and lead to abscesses (accumulations of circumscribed pus).
Cat with a stomachache, what to do?
As we have seen, the list of causes is endless and that is why it is necessary that provide the veterinarian as much information as possible. the cat's complete history (vaccines, deworming, contact with other animals, ingestion of foreign bodies, type of diet, diet change, exposure to medication, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, new animal in the house, stress).
Then a complete physical examination it must be performed by the veterinarian (it allows the perception of the origin of the pain, as the pain can be orthopedic, originating in the spine and not abdominal).
Complementary tests: radiography, ultrasound, blood and biochemical analyses, collection of free abdominal fluid, if any, and sending for laboratory analysis, urinalysis, stool examination (stool), are tests that will allow the veterinarian to diagnose the cause of the problem .
Cat Remedies for Cat with Belly Pain
Solutions for cats with stomach ache will depend on the cause causing the discomfort.
The veterinarian may prescribe pain control drugs, laxatives in case of blockages, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, fluid therapy (if he is very dehydrated), antiemetics to stop vomiting, vitamins, dewormers, dietary changes or indicate surgery or chemotherapy.
After your kitten has the appointment or is discharged, you should correctly follow the doctor's instructions for the indicated time. Do not finish treatment early just because the cat appears to have recovered. It is essential for your pet's recovery.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Cat with bellyache: causes and solutions, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.