 Frequent diarrhea, vomiting, and other signs of an upset stomach in your cat could be signs of gastrointestinal, GI, or digestive disorders. While an occasional upset stomach is normal, cat owners should inform their veterinarian if their pet frequently experiences signs of digestive issues. Inflammation of the large intestine. The large intestine, also called colon or large bowel, helps maintain fluid and electrolyte, salt, balance, and absorbed nutrients. It also temporarily stores feces and provides an environment for healthy intestinal bacteria. When the large intestine is damaged by illness, parasites, or other causes, diarrhea is often the result. Inflammation of the colon, called colitis, may be short or long term. Cats with chronic colitis tend to be middle-aged and are often purebred. In most cases, the causes unknown, bacterial, parasitic, traumatic, kidney related, and allergic causes are suspected. Cats with inflammation may be the result of a defect in the function of the immune system in the colon. An exaggerated reaction to dietary or bacterial factors within the intestine, genetic predisposition, or results of previous infectious or parasitic disease have also been implicated. Cats with inflammation of the colon have a history of straining to defecate and frequent passage of mucus-laden feces, sometimes containing bright red blood. Feces are often of a small volume and a more liquid consistency. Weight loss and vomiting are uncommon. If possible, the cause of the inflammation should be identified and eliminated. Your veterinarian will ask detailed questions about your cat's history and conduct a physical examination. Trials with specific foods can also be used to diagnose some causes of colitis. It may also be necessary to do additional testing, which may include taking blood, urine, and fecal samples, abdominal x-rays or ultrasonography, endoscopy, or biopsies. Treatment is based on the cause of inflammation. If possible, the underlying cause should be identified and treated. Follow your veterinarian's recommendations for diet. You may be asked to withhold food for 24-48 hours to rest the cat's digestive system. Once feeding is resumed, soluble fiber is often added to the diet. Over time, the fiber dose can be often be reduced or eliminated. Your veterinarian may also recommend a food with a protein source that your cat has not previously eaten, such as mutton, lamb, venison, or rabbit. Constipation. Constipation is the infrequent or difficult passage of feces. The fecal material is often dry and hard. It is a common problem in cats. In most instances, the problem is easily corrected. However, in cats with more serious illness, accompanying signs can be severe. The longer feces remain in the colon, the drier, harder, and more difficult to pass they become. Obstipation is severe constipation with a mass of dry, hard feces that does not pass. Long-term constipation may be due to an obstruction inside the intestines, constriction from outside the intestines, or neuromuscular problems with the colon itself. Obstruction is the most common cause and is due to the cat's inability to pass poorly digestible, often firm matter, such as hair, bones, or litter, that has become mixed with fecal material. Dry, hard feces can also occur due to insufficient water intake or reluctance to defecate, for example, because of a dirty litter box, guarding of the litter box by another household cat, or painful defecation. Some cats with long-term constipation or obstipation may develop megacolon, an enlarged intestine caused by a defect in the muscle strength of the colon. The cause of megacolon often remains undiagnosed. Some drugs cause constipation as a side effect. Signs of constipation include straining to defecate and the passage of firm, dry feces. Some animals are quite ill and also have lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. A visit to the veterinarian is advised. During the visit, be sure to tell your veterinarian if your cat has any tendency to eat bones, litter, or other hard matter. Your veterinarian will feel the abdomen to see whether the colon is distended with firm feces. Abdominal x-rays and erectile exam are often also needed. Additional tests, such as abdominal ultrasonography, colonoscopy, or blood and urine tests, may be needed to help identify the cause of constipation. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high-quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. Feline and Terec Coronavirus. Feline and Terec Coronavirus is highly contagious, especially among cats in close contact. It is very closely related to the virus that causes a more serious disease, feline infectious periodonitis. Infection with feline and Terec Coronavirus causes inflammation of the small intestine, but is not usually fatal. The virus is shed in the feces of infected cats. Close contact between cats is required for transmission, although the possibility of transmission by contaminated objects also exists. Most infections cause mild signs, if any. Occasionally, severe vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory signs, such as sneezing and coughing, can be seen. The virus is extremely widespread in cats, and many cats that recover from the infection still harbor and shed the virus. And Terec Coronavirus infection can be prevented only by minimizing exposure to infected cats and their feces. Most cats develop an effective immune response after exposure and will recover from infection. There is no specific treatment, however, affected cats should receive supportive treatment and fluids, if needed. Inflammation of the stomach. Gastritis is sudden or long-term vomiting caused by inflammation of the stomach. It is caused by eating something that irritates or injures the stomach lining or by infections, parasites, body wide illnesses, drugs, poisons, immune system dysfunction, or stomach tumors. In cases of short-term gastritis, the vomiting is sudden and may contain evidence of whatever the cat has eaten, such as grass. Bile, froth, fresh blood, or digested blood that looks like coffee grounds may be seen. Diarrhea or other signs may also be present, depending on the cause. The diagnosis is typically made by evaluating the cat's history, a physical examination, and response to treatment. Blood, urine, and fecal tests may be necessary, along with x-rays and or an abdominal ultrasound. Visualizing the stomach with a long, flexible scope and doscopy and evaluating tissue samples may be necessary in cats that have long-term gastritis. Treatment for gastritis is the same as for vomiting. Cats with lymphocytic-plasmacitic or eosinophilic gastritis may require medications to suppress the immune system. The outlook depends on the cause of the vomiting and the likelihood of correcting the underlying disorder. Cancers of the digestive system. Cancer of the digestive system is uncommon and represents less than 10% of all cancers in cats. When it does occur, it most commonly develops in the small intestine. Older animals are predisposed, occurring with an average age of 10 to 12 years in cats. Siamese cats have an increased risk for some types of intestinal cancer. No specific cause has been identified for most intestinal tumors, although elementary lymphoma in cats is believed to be caused by the feline leukemia virus, even in cats that test negative for the virus. Intestinal tumors in cats tend to spread rapidly and are usually malignant, cancerous. Lymphoma and adenocarcinoma are two common types of digestive system tumors seen in cats. Signs of a possible tumor vary depending on the location and extent of the tumor and associated consequences. Vomiting, sometimes with blood, diarrhea, also with blood, loss of appetite, weight loss, and lethargy are the most common signs. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on, so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.