Early Detection and Treatment of Intestinal Obstruction in Cats
Unfortunately it is quite common for cats to suffer from intestinal obstruction (ileus). The consequence is that the food pulp cannot pass the digestive tract and accumulates in the cat's intestine.
An untreated intestinal obstruction can quickly become life-threatening for your cat.
Causes of intestinal obstruction in cats
An intestinal obstruction in cats can have various causes. Even a hairball can be responsible for the blockage but in most cases it’s caused by a swallowed foreign body that gets stuck in the intestine.
This could be a chewed-off part of a toy, a nut, a piece of ribbon or a piece of cloth. If the swallowed foreign body exceeds a certain size, your cat will not be able to excrete it and it will cause an intestinal obstruction.
Apart from foreign bodies, there are many other possible causes. These include a severe worm infestation of the cat, intestinal tumours, intestinal invaginations or intestinal paralysis, which causes the intestinal muscles to no longer contract sufficiently.
Incorrect feeding can lead to constipation, which in severe cases can develop into an intestinal obstruction.
Symptoms of intestinal obstruction in cats
An intestinal obstruction in cats is primarily noticeable by vomiting. In most cases the cat vomits several times in a row.
With increasing duration of the ileus, the following symptoms also occur more frequently:
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Lassitude
- Breathing difficulties
- Circulatory problems
A cat with intestinal obstruction must go to the vet
If you have the fear that your cat suffers from an intestinal obstruction, you should immediately take the quadruped to the veterinary surgeon. An untreated ileus is life-threatening and in many cases fatal for affected animals.
The veterinarian will first palpate your cat's abdomen and check if your quadruped is in pain. This is followed by x-rays or an ultrasound scan of the digestive tract to identify the cause of the blockage in the bowel.
Depending on the findings, the vet will then decide on the further procedure. In many cases a surgical procedure is necessary to remove an intestinal obstruction in cats. This is done under general anaesthesia and usually requires an inpatient admission of the four-legged friend.
Depending on the clinical picture, it may be that during the operation part of the cat's intestine must be removed due to tissue damage.
Prognosis for cats with intestinal obstruction
The prognosis for cats with an intestinal obstruction depends on various factors. Apart from the exact cause of the ileus, the duration from its development to treatment as well as possible damage to the four-legged friend's intestine play a major role.
Furthermore, the prognosis is influenced by possible complications such as damage to other organs, blood poisoning or peritonitis. Basically, however, it can be said that cats with an early diagnosed and repaired intestinal obstruction usually have a good chance of an almost complete recovery.
High quality cat food for a healthy digestion
While a dog can be accustomed quite well to the intake of foreign bodies with some training, the possibilities in cats are quite limited in this respect, so that a hundred percent safety is unfortunately not possible.
However, there is something you can do to at least reduce the risk of intestinal obstruction in your cat. To do this, you should ensure that you eat a diet that is appropriate to the species and does not put an unnecessary strain on your cat's digestion.
We recommend feeding your cat cereal-free cat food from I love my cat. All varieties contain only natural ingredients as well as a particularly high proportion of animal components, so that you can provide your cat with the best possible care.
Shiimun Gastro for cats with diet-related constipation
It can always happen that a cat has problems with digestion and suffers from constipation, for example. In this case, a dietary supplement with Shiimun Gastro can provide quick and reliable relief.
Shiimun Gastro was developed especially as a natural remedy for digestive problems. The carefully balanced composition of ingredients such as shiitake, melissa herb and turmeric supports your cat's digestion in a digestible way and can help to counteract complaints such as constipation.
Take symptoms of intestinal obstruction in your cat seriously
As you can see, an intestinal obstruction is a serious matter, which in the worst case can even cost your cat his life. It's important that you take any symptoms seriously and contact a specialist immediately if necessary.
You should also ensure that your cat's digestion is functioning properly by feeding her a proper diet, so that at the very least, nutritional constipation with subsequent bowel obstruction doesn't stand a chance in your cat.
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