Gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa) in Cats
Gastritis in cats can be acute or chronic and can have various causes. It is important that you consult a vet if you experience symptoms.
In the following we will explain the symptoms of gastritis in your cat and how it can be treated. You will also learn how to reduce your cat's risk of gastritis.
What is gastritis in cats?
If your cat has gastritis, it means that the lining of the stomach is inflamed. Gastritis can be limited to a mild irritation or can develop into a massive inflammation.
Depending on whether the symptoms are temporary or permanent, the veterinarian differentiates between acute and chronic gastritis.
Causes of gastritis in cats
The function of the stomach lining is actually to protect the stomach walls from damage caused by stomach acid. However, if your cat's body produces too much acid, the lining of the stomach may be damaged.
At first this will only irritate them. Over time, it can become inflamed, and your cat will eventually suffer from gastritis. This can have a number of different causes, and they may occur together.
Some of the possible triggers of gastritis include
- A food allergy of the cat
- The administration of certain drugs
- An infestation with intestinal parasites
- Injuries due to swallowed foreign bodies
- Certain diseases of the kidneys
- Excessive stress
- A stomach tumor
Symptoms of gastritis in cats
The symptoms with which the gastritis in your cat is noticeable, are initially very similar to the symptoms of a normal gastrointestinal infection. An immediate diagnosis is therefore hardly possible, at least for laypersons.
Regular vomiting is usually one of the main signs of gastritis in cats. Often mucus and blood can be detected in the vomit. In addition, your cat may get diarrhoea due to the inflammation of the gastric mucosa.
If the gastritis becomes a chronic problem or has even already developed into a stomach ulcer, additional symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue may also occur.
From this moment on it is usually only a matter of time until the coat of the quadruped looks increasingly dull and neglected and the general condition of the cat obviously deteriorates further and further.
A cat with gastritis must go to the vet
If you suspect that your cat is suffering from gastritis, a timely visit to the vet is essential. Because the sooner a reliable diagnosis is available and treatment measures are taken, the better the chances of recovery for your four-legged friend.
Since x-rays and an ultrasound examination can only diagnose already existing stomach ulcers, the veterinarian has to perform a gastroscopy on your four-legged friend.
An endoscope is inserted through the oesophagus into the stomach. With the help of the camera attached to it, the veterinarian can check whether changes in the stomach mucous membranes can be detected.
If during the examination it turns out that an indigestible foreign body is responsible for the gastritis of the cat, the veterinarian can remove it directly.
Sometimes it may be necessary to take a tissue sample as part of the diagnosis and examine it for bacteria and inflammation.
Treatment of a cat with gastritis
How the gastritis in your cat is treated depends primarily on the exact trigger. If bacteria are responsible for the gastritis, your cat's vet will most likely prescribe antibiotics.
To prevent the excessive production of gastric acid, he can also give your pet so-called proton pump inhibitors.
Regardless of this, it is of course necessary to treat any underlying diseases that may be present. For example, if your cat suffers from kidney disease, this too must be treated with the appropriate measures. Otherwise, it will hardly be possible to get the inflammation of the stomach lining under control, so that the complaints increase over time.
Of course this also applies if worms or giardia are responsible for gastritis in your cat. In this case we recommend using the natural deworming agent I love my cat Vermal.
Prognosis for cats with gastritis
In most cases, the chances are good that your cat will survive the gastritis without permanent discomfort. However, for a positive prognosis it is important that you detect and treat the gastritis as early as possible.
You should also be aware that some of the possible triggers of gastritis cannot be treated easily. If the symptoms are caused by a stomach tumour, for example, the prognosis for your quadruped may be correspondingly worse.
Preventing inflammation of the gastric mucosa in cats
Due to the numerous possible triggers, it is not possible to prevent gastritis with absolute certainty. As a cat owner you can try and reduce the risk of it developing though.
A healthy and appropriate diet for your cat is particularly important in this context. Because the more digestible the food your pet gets, the better it is for his digestion.
The right cat food to prevent gastritis
Especially with regard to feed allergies and intolerances, it can be useful to give preference to our hypoallergenic cat food with insect protein from the larvae of the black soldier fly.
The protein contained is particularly easy to digest and has a high biological value. Furthermore, it contains neither artificial additives nor cereals. Our insect-based cat food is therefore an excellent alternative to conventional varieties, not only for nutritionally sensitive animals.
Shiimun Gastro for cats with gastritis
If your cat suffers from an inflammation of the stomach mucosa, it may be useful to support the medicinal treatment with a suitable food supplement such as Shiimun Gastro.
Shiimun Gastro is our natural food supplement for a healthy digestion. Thanks to its carefully balanced composition, this easily digestible preparation can help to counteract typical digestive problems such as vomiting and diarrhoea in cats with gastritis.
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