Natural Remedies for Gastroenteritis in Cats

Gastroenteritis in cats is a condition characterized by inflamed gastric and intestinal mucosa, compromising the health of the entire digestive system, and therefore affecting your pet's organism.

There can be several causes of feline gastroenteritis, but it is often due to consuming spoiled food or the presence of a foreign body in the digestive system, such as a hairball.

In these situations, gastroenteritis should be seen as one of the body's defense mechanisms; a reaction that allows the digestive system to clean itself so that it can later recover.

As its owner, you should implement certain hygienic-dietary habits to ensure that your cat can support this bodily reaction so that the gastroenteritis is spontaneously cured in a shorter period of time.

This means that your cat will initially need to go for 24 hours without food. As such, all the energy required for digestion will be used so that the digestive system can recover. What you shouldn't neglect under any circumstances is dehydration, since vomiting and diarrhea means your pet loses a significant percentage of body fluids.

The best way to maintain good hydration is to get an oral re-hydration serum suitable for veterinary use.

In the natural treatment of feline gastroenteritis, it is crucial to ensure adequate hydration and to restrict the intake of food for 24 hours. However, there are also some other home remedies that you may find extremely useful:

• Plantago ovata seeds: These seeds are designed for human consumption but are also suitable for pets. They work to regulate intestinal transit. In this case, you should give your cat between half a teaspoon and one teaspoon on a daily basis. In the case of diarrhea, Plantago ovata seeds act by absorbing water in the intestines and increasing the volume of feces, thus reducing the symptoms and frequency of depositions.

• Probiotics: Probiotics help to regulate your cat's intestinal flora. This has a positive effect on the frequency of feces deposition, and also strengthens the immune structures located in the digestive system. Obviously, the probiotic product should provide strains of bacteria which are naturally present in your cat's intestine. Therefore, you should purchase this product at a specialist store.

• Nux vomica: This homeopathic remedy, used at a dilution of 7 CH, can be useful in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms in both pets and humans. You'll need to dilute 3 granules in 5 milliliters of water and administer this dose 3 times a day. Remember that we are talking about homeopathy, and not about a normal solution of this plan, which can be extremely toxic for your cat.

• Aloe vera: Aloe vera isn't toxic for cats, and when administered orally it can exert its anti-inflammatory properties on the digestive system. It is important to acquire pure aloe vera juice that is suitable for veterinary use. The daily dose is 1 milliliter per kg of that cat's body weight.

Does your cat have a fever, blood in its feces, discoloration of the mucosa or generalized weakness? These should be interpreted as warning signs and you should immediately go to the vet if you spot them.

In mild cases of gastroenteritis in cats it is as important to properly carry out a natural treatment as it is to gradually reintroduce the cat's normal diet. Milk should be avoided at all costs, since cats don't digest lactose well. Ideally, you should gradually provide your cat with low fat and easily digestible foods, frequently but in small quantities.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Natural Remedies for Gastroenteritis in Cats, we recommend you visit our Intestinal problems category.