If your cat can hardly keep its food down, vomits frequently and possibly suffers from diarrhea and pain, this is a clear reason for concern. Depending on the accompanying symptoms, various diseases can be behind it - for example, inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Below we want to clarify the most important questions about gastritis in cats:
What happens when cats have gastritis?
Whether cat, dog or human: the stomach is an incredibly important and complex, but also very sensitive organ. Its job is to process the food that a living being eats. During the digestive process of a cat, the cat food first passes through the esophagus into the stomach. Here it is broken down and mixed with the gastric juice that is inside the organ. This is often referred to as gastric acid - but strictly speaking, gastric acid is only one component of gastric juice. By breaking down food, it plays a central role in digestion: it breaks down nutrients, stimulates the enzymes in the gastric juice and fights bacteria and other unwelcome guests.
To ensure that the strong stomach acid is limited to processing the food and does not attack the body's own substances or even other organs, it is important that it remains well sealed in the stomach. This is ensured by the stomach wall, which is covered with cells and mucus - the gastric mucosa. However, if the gastric mucosa becomes inflamed, this protective layer of mucus is damaged. The stomach acid can then penetrate outwards: through the cells and mucous membrane all the way to the stomach wall. This causes massive irritation to the sensitive organ - pain and various defensive reactions in the cat's body.
The dangerous thing: If gastritis remains undetected for a long time, the disease can become chronic. Then your cat will suffer from the symptoms permanently and the irritation of the stomach will not go away. As a result, ulcers can form in the cat's stomach, which will damage the stomach wall over time. In the worst case, the wall will no longer be able to withstand the strain - then the stomach contents and the stomach acid will enter the abdominal cavity and the cat's life will be in danger.
In order to avoid such consequences, it is even more important to recognize gastritis early and treat it properly. Read on to find out when you should take your pet to a doctor to have their symptoms checked.
Symptoms of gastritis in cats
If your cat is suffering from gastritis, it is high time for a visit to the vet: In order to relieve your four-legged friend's symptoms and avoid serious consequences, quick action is required. But how does gastritis manifest itself in cats?
The following symptoms may indicate that your cat is suffering from inflammation of the stomach lining:
- Vomiting : The animal has to vomit more often than usual and mainly vomits up recently eaten food - sometimes undigested. Blood, bile secretion and yellowish mucus can also be vomited up more frequently in gastritis.
- Diarrhea : In addition to vomiting, some cats may also experience diarrhea.
- Loss of appetite : Affected cats eat significantly less over time or even refuse to eat at all. The increasing loss of appetite can lead to the cat quickly suffering from lose weight .
- Lethargy : Since the inflammation robs the body of energy, sick cats sleep and rest excessively. Outdoor cats increasingly stay indoors or at least near their home.
- Pain: Pain in the upper abdominal area is apparent, for example, when attempting to lift the cat. The cat will twist and resist. Attempts to touch the cat can lead to aggressive behavior, such as grinding teeth or hissing. The patient may also withdraw out of fear of the pain.
- Salivation: Increased saliva production, sometimes with bright, foamy saliva accumulations in the mouth, can also indicate gastritis.
If in doubt, one of these signs is enough to visit a vet and have the cat thoroughly examined. Even if the symptoms are not caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane, another cause may be identified. In any case, you should play it safe, follow your instincts and put your cat's health first.
Acute gastritis and chronic gastritis
If inflammation of the gastric mucosa occurs for the first time, it is initially assumed that it is acute gastritis. With the right treatment and a bit of luck, it will pass as quickly as it came. However, if treatment is not given, for example because the disease is not diagnosed, acute gastritis can quickly turn into chronic, i.e. permanent, gastritis. In principle, both forms of inflammation of the gastric mucosa can be treated - but the less severe the disease, the less treatment is usually required.
Acute and chronic gastritis also differ in terms of symptoms. In the acute form, the symptoms are initially limited to immediate physical reactions, specifically vomiting and diarrhea. If your cat suffers from acute gastritis, it will mainly vomit leftover food and bile. This is usually considered a mild form of the disease. In the chronic form, however, there are noticeable changes in the cat's behavior and personality. Loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue and pain usually indicate that the disease is more advanced or is lasting longer. When vomiting, mucus and blood are added. The more symptoms there are, the more severe the inflammation is.
Especially in the early stages, it is difficult to clearly identify the gastritis as such. After all, the most prominent symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea also occur in Gastrointestinal infections and other digestive problems. A medical examination can shed light on this and provide more clarity than the owner's naked eye.
What causes gastritis in cats?
The potential causes of gastritis are varied - from eating to serious pre-existing conditions, there are several possible triggers. The most common causes of gastritis in cats include:
- spoiled food
- Food allergies and intolerances
- Poisoning
- Medicines that are administered in too high a dose or for too long or to which the animal is sensitive
- sharp or indigestible foreign bodies that the cat swallows
- Parasite infestation or bacteria such as salmonella etc.
- Tumors in the stomach area
- Liver and Kidney disease , especially in older animals
- stress
Are there no known pre-existing illnesses, are no medications being administered and are there no other complaints that would limit the field of potential triggers? Then it is advisable to start by investigating the cause in the area of food. For example, do you remember a recent change in food or a change in your cat's eating habits? Even seemingly harmless foods can be responsible for irritation of the mucous membranes - cat grass, for example, is harmless in itself, but if consumed in excess can also make digestion more difficult or even cause inflammation. Or there could be an undiscovered intolerance behind it - cats can develop this throughout their lives. Food intake can usually be easily controlled and understood, especially in pure house cats, so it is worth taking a closer look here.
Diagnosis and causal research
If you take your cat to the vet because you suspect gastritis, the vet will first try to determine whether your suspicion is correct or whether there may be another cause behind the symptoms. There are various ways to make a diagnosis.
- Ultrasound: Using an ultrasound scan, the doctor can take a look at the cat's stomach from the outside and determine, for example, how thick the stomach wall is. Swelling can indicate inflammation.
- Blood sample: A blood test can determine whether the animal's inflammation levels are abnormal. An elevated level indicates that there is inflammation in the body.
- Gastroscopy: This involves a camera that is inserted into the cat's stomach through a tube, allowing a view of the inside. This allows redness, which is typical of inflammation, to be detected.
- Tissue sample: If the diagnosis is difficult, a tissue sample can also provide information. For this purpose, tiny cells from the stomach lining are removed and examined in the laboratory.
As soon as the expert can confirm that it is gastritis, the cause can be investigated. Your personal observations and knowledge can be very helpful here. Inform the vet about any previous illnesses, behavioral abnormalities, eating habits and changes in the cat's life - even those that seem unimportant at first glance. All of these findings can be helpful in investigating the cause. In addition, a variety of medical procedures are used: blood samples can reveal previous illnesses, an ultrasound and gastroscopy can reveal tumors and ulcers, and a stool sample shows whether there is a parasite infestation.
Treatment: What to do if you have gastritis?
How gastritis is ultimately treated depends primarily on the cause behind the inflammation and how severe the disease already is.
Step 1: Protect your stomach
In order to calm the stomach down again, the first thing to do is to eat light food and stay in a stress-free zone. The stomach regenerates best when it is left to rest for a few hours. In concrete terms, this means: water, but no food for the next six to twelve hours.
After that, you can slowly get back into it, ideally with easily digestible foods in manageable quantities. The KATTOVIT The Gastro range of wet and dry food is tailored precisely to the needs of cats with pre-existing conditions and is ideal as a digestible light diet for cats with stomach problems. The greatly reduced crude fiber and fat content prevents digestive problems, while the increased electrolyte content provides enough energy to get weakened cats back on their feet.
If you want to use home remedies, you can choose chicken, potatoes or rice, for example - all cooked. The stomach can process three or more small portions spread over the day better than one large portion that covers the entire food requirement at once.
Step 2: Alleviate severe symptoms and combat the cause
In the case of a mild, acute inflammation, a gentle change in diet may be enough to alleviate the symptoms. However, if your cat is suffering from severe and/or chronic gastritis, treatment in a veterinary clinic may be necessary, for example to restore fluid levels with the help of an infusion, to administer painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication, or to help regenerate and protect the stomach with the help of antibiotics.
In addition, the cause must of course also be treated. Against worms, for example, a Deworming . In the case of a food allergy, it is important to identify the trigger and then adapt the food to the new needs in the long term, for example with the help of a Switching to hypoallergenic food . Even in cases of kidney and liver diseases, Special diet food can improve the cat's general well-being. If a foreign body is found that the cat cannot excrete naturally, surgery may be necessary.
As you can see, the treatment options are as varied as the causes themselves.
