Triaditis in Cats - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Feline triaditis is a common pathology in cats where inflammation of three organs occurs at the same time: the intestine, liver and pancreas. In other words, cats with triaditis suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, cholangitis and pancreatitis at the same time.

In many cases, the symptoms of these three diseases are very similar to other pathologies, which can make their diagnosis difficult. Likewise, it is also possible for one symptom to manifest itself more than the others, leading to clinical confusion.

For this reason, your veterinarian will need to asses the state of the three organs involved in this diseases in order to determine whether or not they are all inflamed. If they are, your veterinarian will be able to properly diagnose your cat with feline triaditis and find the best treatment for their current condition.

Since triaditis in cats includes three different organs, the causes can vary. Nevertheless, the main cause is simply a cat's natural anatomy. In fact, more than 80% of cats are prone to this disease due to how their anatomy. Unlke dogs, a cat's main bile duct and pancreatic duct share one common opening to the small intestine, called the duodenum. The duodenum actually has 100 times more bacteria than that of a dog. This is believed to be reason why cats are so susceptible to suffer from triaditis.

However, your cat can also suffer from triaditis if they're already suffering from another similar pathology that may lead to triaditis. They are the following:

• Inflammatory bowel disease in cats: caused by an abnormal response to the bacterial population, which leads to inflammation.
• Feline pancreatitis: caused by certain drugs, viruses, parasites or inflammation of the liver or intestine.
• Cholangitis in cats: caused by an infection or parasites.

Feline triaditis should always be considered in cats with clinical signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, or jaundice. In order to diagnose your cat, your veterinarian will resort to certain examinations, such as:

• Liver ultrasound
• Analysis of bile samples
• Blood tests

The only way to get a definitive diagnosis. in cases of inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis, is to perform a biopsy and histopathological examination. For pancreatitis there are tests available to focus the diagnosis, such as measuring feline pancreatic lipase or performing an ultrasound. Your veterinarian may also perform other examinations in order to rule out other pathologies.

Unfortunately, triaditis in cats cannot be cured but it can be well controlled to improve your cat's quality of life. The treatment centers around symptom relief. With the proper treatment and regular visits to the veterinarian, your cat will still be able to live a comfortable life. Common triaditis treatment includes:

• Antibiotics (if there is an infection)
• Anti-nasua medication
• Appetite stimulants
• Painkillers
• Steriods
• Gastrointestinal protectants

It's also recommended to provide them with nutritional support and reduce any stress triggers. Talk to your veterinarian about adjusting their diet to their condition. In general, their meals will need to be high quality grain-free wet food and you will need to monitor how much they eat and how much they drink.

When it comes to reducing their stress, try to keep things similar to your normal routine. Introducing a new pet or member to the household will stress your cat and lead them to suffering more from their illness. Learn more in our article about what to do if your cat is stressed. You can also watch our video below where we give some tips on how to help your cat relax.

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.

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