Diarrhea: dietary

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Sections available in full article Introduction, Presenting signs, Pathogenesis, Etiology, Predisposing factors, Pathophysiology, Timecourse (incubation, duration), Diagnosis, Presenting problems, Client history, Clinical signs, Confirmation of diagnosis, Differential diagnosis, Treatment, Initial symptomatic treatment, Standard treatment, Monitoring, Subsequent management, Sequelae, Prognosis, Expected response to treatment, Reasons for treatment failure, Sources, Publications, Vetstream contributor(s),
Contributors Dr Tad Coles DVM
Mr David Morgan BVetMed BSc MRCVS
Dr Marge Chandler DVM MS MACVSc DACVN DACVIM DECVIM-CA MRCVS

Introduction

  • Cause : sudden change in diet, ingestion of contaminated/inappropriately cooked food, low quality diet, overfeeding; dietary allergy or intolerance may occur but difficult to diagnose definitively.
  • Signs : acute onset of watery diarrhea - cat often bright but may be dull/lethargic.
  • Treatment : symptomatic management, alteration in diet, exclusion diet if hypersensitivity.

Print off the Owner Factsheet on vomiting and diarrhea  Vomiting and diarrhea  to give to your client.

Diagnosis

Clinical signs

  • Abdominal pain.
  • Dehydration.

Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis

Other causes of diarrhea
  • Inflammatory bowel disease  Inflammatory bowel disease: overview  .
  • Enteric coronavirus  Feline infectious peritonitis  .
  • Ascarid infestation - kittens.
  • Panleukopenia  Feline panleucopenia virus disease  .
  • Ancylostoma.
  • Rotavirus  Canine rotavirus  .
  • Campylobacter  Campylobacter jejuni  .
  • Salmonella  Salmonella spp  .
  • Giardia  Giardiasis  .
  • Histoplasmosis  Histoplasma capsulatum  .
  • Coccidia .
  • Gastrointestinal neoplasm  Lymphoma  .
  • Intussusception  Intussusception  .
  • FeLV  Feline leukemia virus disease  and FIV  Feline immunodeficiency virus disease  .
  • Chronic renal disease  Kidney: chronic kidney disease  .
  • Endocrine disease, eg hyperthyroidism  Hyperthyroidism  .
  • Hemorrhagic enteritis.
  • Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency  Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency  .
  • Salmonellosis  Salmonellosis  .
  • Hepatic disease  Liver: acute disease  .
  • Gastrointestinal ulceration.
  • Intestinal lymphangiectasia.
  • Helicobacter  Gastritis: helicobacter  .
  • Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Sequelae

Prognosis

  • Good - in kittens, watch for dehydration if severe diarrhea.

Expected response to treatment

  • Resolution of diarrhea over period of starvation and after introduction of low fat, high digestibility diet.
  • Maintains normal stools after gradual return to normal diet over 3-5 days.

Reasons for treatment failure

  • If intractable, check for other diseases.
  • Consider intestinal biopsy as part of a complete diagnostic work-up.
  • Client non-compliance with instructions re dietary restriction/alteration.
  • Animal refuses to eat specialized diet.

Sources

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Guilford W G, Jones B R, Markwell P Jet al(2001)Food sensitivity in cats with chronic idiopathic gastrointestinal problems.JVIM15, 7-11.
  • Guilford W Get al(1998)Prevalence and causes of food sensitivity in cats with chronic pruritus, vomiting or diarrhea.J Nutr128(12 Suppl), 2790S-2791S.
  • Wasmer M Let al(1995)Food intolerance mimicking alimentary lymphosarcoma.JAAHA31(6), 463-466.

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