How to Know If Your Cat is Suffering From Irritable Bowel Syndrome?


by Irsan Komarga - Date: 2010-06-14 - Word Count: 495 Share This!

Most humans encounter gastrointestinal problems and the most common are Irritable Bowel Syndrome. However, this is also very popular with animals especially cats and the symptoms are even the same as what the human experience. This gastrointestinal disorder affects the colon and small intestines which then affects the contraction during digestion which result in bowel that is irregular. It also affects the food and waste in the cat's body causing the accumulation of mucus and toxins in their intestine.  

The toxins that are trapped inside the cat's intestine blocks the normal function of the digestive system. This blockage causes abdominal distention, bloating and unable to defecate because gas and stools are not flushed out.  

Surprisingly, the factors that cause IBS in cats are the same with humans. Stress is the main cause cats having IBS. Other factors include longtime use of antibacterial, poor eating habits, infection from Bactria and viruses, allergies with food and presence of parasites in the intestine.

The signs and symptoms of IBS is also the same with humans. The common symptom among cats is constipation. The cat may exhibit difficulty in defecating with especially with hard, small and pebble-like feces. Following constipation is diarrhea. The cat may have frequent loose bowel movement with episodes of constipation. The stool is also watery and continuous. Next is pain that may range from minimal to very severe type, while the mucus may also be present in the stool.   

More threatening symptoms include nausea and vomiting, flatulence, unable to take foods and anorexia which we think are common to humans but it is also exhibited by cats experiencing IBS.  

So is there a treatment for IBS in cats? What are the treatments? When you observe that most of the symptoms are exhibited by your cat, immediately bring it to the nearest veterinarian to seek for advice. Do not medicate your cat on your own to prevent further complications.  

A proper diet program is appropriate for those with IBS. Check with your animal doctor for the best diet program and so your cat can change its diet. Also, always remember to give your cat the best type of food. This may sound spoiling your cat but it is the best method to treat and prevent IBS. Humans have different preference when it comes to food type. This is also the same with cats and what may be an appealing food to one cat may be different to another. Some cats like to it fresh foods while others like cooked or canned goods.  

Experimenting with the foods given to your cat is very important. Try to keep a journal to write down all the foods that the pet likes and need. With the use of your journal, you can keep tract of the foods that you are giving your cat and the food that causes its IBS. You can also record any food that causes an allergy to your cat. Through tracking the food that your cat eats, you can prevent IBS from occurring.  


Irsan's passion is to write on wide varieties of subjects. His latest writing is at http://www.thuleroofrack.org/ which contains reviews on thule roof rack and other information about car roof racks.n
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