Gastrointestinal Disorders in cats
Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and disease affect a cat's stomach and intestines, resulting in pain and other problems.
Your cat may have a GI disorder if she suffers from:
- Vomiting
- Regurgitation
- Flatulence
- Weakness
- Diarrhea/constipation
- Colitis: An acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining the colon. Most frequently caused by whipworms (a parasite), tumors or polyps, a change in food, allergies (including those to food), swallowed foreign objects and certain other diseases.
- Constipation: Usually caused by insufficient fiber and water intake, eating hair, bones or other foreign objects, aging, tumors, trauma or fractures, prostate disease, spinal cord disease, large bowel nervous disorders, metabolic or endocrine disorders and debilitation.
- Diarrhea: Caused by infections, internal parasites, stress, a change in pet food, table scraps or rich snacks, eating spoiled food from the garbage and body organ dysfunction.
- Gastroenteritis: Inflammation or infection of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily the stomach and intestines. Causes may include eating rancid or spoiled food, swallowing foreign objects, eating toxic plants, internal parasites, stress, food allergies and disease conditions.
- Pancreatitis: An inflammation or infection of the pancreas (an elongated, tapered gland that is located behind the stomach). Origins are frequently unknown. Potential causes are feeding a food high in fat or rich table foods, infections, disease or trauma.