Food for cats with stomach problems
Acute or chronic stomach problems have a variety of causes and can pose health problems for cats. It is often an inflammation of the stomach mucosa. Cat food also plays an essential role in therapy.
Inflammation of the gastric mucosa in cats
The stomach acid of cats is much more aggressive than that of humans. To prevent the digestive juices from damaging the stomach, it is lined with a protective layer of mucus. If this is excessively irritated or damaged, acute gastritis (inflammation of the stomach mucosa) can occur, which can also take on chronic features if left untreated. Gastritis in cats can be triggered by:
- Food allergies or intolerances
- Poisoning
- Foreign bodies in the digestive tract
- Stress
Inflammation of the gastric mucosa is usually accompanied by other diseases such as bacterial or viral infections, liver and kidney diseases and worm infestation. The consequence of chronic gastritis is often stomach ulcers.
When the cat vomits
The most common symptom of gastritis in cats is vomiting. However, the vomiting center of cats is particularly sensitive and serves the self-cleaning process in healthy animals. The obligatory mucus puddle on the carpet, decorated either with remains of cat grass or undigested fur sausages, is therefore not yet a cause for concern. However, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately in the event of the following abnormalities:
- repeated vomiting for more than six to eight hours
- Vomiting of ingested fluid
- Fever and fatigue
- coffee grounds-coloured blood admixtures in vomit
Light food for cats after vomiting
In order for the cat's stomach to recover after acute vomiting, you should adjust your diet after vomiting:
With veterinary instruction: fast for 24 hours
Acute cases of vomiting are usually treated by the veterinarian with medication and usually subside within a few days. The owner should support this healing process with a strict diet, because the cat's stomach recovers best when it does not have to work. Therefore, the cat can be deprived of food for a maximum of 24 hours. The following should be noted:
- In the case of severely overweight cats, the veterinarian should be consulted beforehand.
- Outdoor cats are best spent at home.
- Water should always be available in sufficient quantities.
Light food in small portions
After the fasting day, the cat is served its bland diet at least five times a day in small, fresh portions. You can prepare light food yourself:
Combine a carbohydrate source (e.g., mushy cooked rice or mashed potatoes without milk) with a protein source (e.g., cottage cheese or cooked, unseasoned chicken) in a 1:2 ratio. Alternatively, the vet will offer you diet food, but it is best to choose wet food, because dry food removes water from the stomach mucosa and thus delays the healing process.
Preventing stomach problems in cats
To prevent the cat's stomach from protesting in the first place, the following rules must be observed:
- Never give food directly from the refrigerator
- consume opened cans promptly
- spoiled food is taboo
- Avoid cow's milk
- Avoid sudden changes in feed
- Do not allow any play parts (e.g. wool threads) to be swallowed
- Regular worm prophylaxis and sufficient vaccination protection, especially for outdoor cats
With appropriate precautions, you can reduce the risk of stomach upset. If your cat does have something going on the stomach, don't delay going to the vet for too long! Repeated, pathological vomiting is a symptom that should be taken seriously.