Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to study extra about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.
Poop. We all would possibly shudder a bit when the subject arises. But touching it? Looking at it? Quantifying and qualifying it? That’s an entire totally different degree of “eww” for many people.
But what if we reframed these detrimental connotations about poo, right into a optimistic?
This week’s article goals to supply simply that perception, and present you simply how your cat’s stool will be helpful for indicating your cat’s well being, happiness, and past. We typically suppose lengthy and exhausting about what goes into our cats: e.g. food- is it wholesome, tasty, how typically and the way a lot ought to we feed…however we frequently spend little to no time on what’s popping out of our cats. Yet it may be equally vital. Let’s change that.
Rethinking Cat Poop
So, what’s poop? Essentially, it’s what’s leftover from consuming, that the physique couldn’t digest, or needed to eradicate. In people, poop is round 76% water, the frequency of defecation is predominantly decided by the ingestion and quantity of fiber, and the typical variety of stool productions is round 1.2 each day.1 Though printed information is sparse, it’s probably honest to say that cats are related. Additionally, identical to folks, one research in cats discovered that there’s large variation within the size of time it takes to digest meals relying on the individual.2 (Importantly, this identical research discovered as a aspect word that dry pilling your cat, e.g., giving your cat a tablet with out meals or water– led to three out of 17 cats having the tablet caught of their esophagus for over an hour!) But now, again to poop!
Poop additionally displays the general well being of the producer. Too agency, and there could also be dehydration. Too moist, and the physique isn’t absorbing all of the water from the stool. (Note, this isn’t on account of an extra of water! I’ve had many consumers over the years that inform me they cease feeding their cat moist meals as a result of their cat’s stool was too comfortable, or their cat had diarrhea! Nope! The colon had a difficulty, and couldn’t soak up the water earlier than the stool left the physique. It wasn’t the quantity of water itself! And canned meals is nice for cats, so please don’t fall into that entice of pondering canned meals causes diarrhea by containing an excessive amount of water!)
Poop additionally displays the quantity, kind and distribution of micro organism residing within the digestive tract, additionally known as the microbiome. This has turn into a buzzword space of medication in recent years, taking a look at the whole lot from how the microbiome contributes to intestine well being, but additionally mind, kidney and coronary heart well being, in addition to the immune system. And new information is regularly forthcoming! For occasion, a recent publication discovered that sure probiotic strains could considerably scale back pores and skin allergy symptoms in sure cats. Sounds like an enormous deal? It is. All of that is easy, simple, side-effect-free medication that’s cost-effective, and secure. What’s to not love?
What Is a Fecal Transplant?
Did you understand that in human and feline medication we are able to use one thing known as fecal transplants to assist with power diarrhea or different circumstances? I’ve met many individuals who’ve spoken about their optimistic experiences with FMT: fecal microbiota transplants.
As a vet, I’ve had some wonderful ends in my very own sufferers, together with my first FMT affected person that I’ll name Jesse, who was a 16-year-old Domestic Shorthair diabetic with many years’ historical past of diarrhea. His homeowners have been able to euthanize him after attempting years of medicines aimed to enhance his stool, and his high quality of life was poor, however a fecal transplant purchased him almost an additional year- with regular stool showing inside 24 hours of his transplant.
Basically, the method is just like blood donation—simply involving a special organ. A donor cat (wholesome and screened for fecal parasites) supplies stool, which is then liquified and used to populate the recipient cat’s fecal tract, due to this fact transplanting wholesome micro organism. It’s an amazingly easy, and but efficient, course of. It’s not at all times healing for sufferers, however it may be an excellent software within the diarrhea arsenal. Medicine will be each purposeful and mind-aweing, at occasions! The intestine, fairly merely, is kind of merely highly effective.
Rules of Thumb for Cat Poop
So, the place does this all depart us? Cleaning the litter field could also be a drag (or litter tray, for these so inclined), however the data it may possibly present is proverbial gold. Here are a number of guidelines of thumb, in relation to feline feces:
- Overall consistency must be pliable, however agency. Since all of us like meals, utilizing a Snickers bar analogy: it is best to be capable to deform it, however the stool ought to nonetheless be agency. (Hopefully nobody is consuming lunch or dessert whereas studying this!)
- Color: a lightweight to darkish brown. Black can point out digested blood. I’ve additionally had purchasers begin new meals that led to paint modifications of their cat’s feces. A whitish shade can imply a scarcity of pancreatic enzymes, although that is unusual in cats.
- Smell: extremely malodorous or smelly stool could point out a difficulty, equivalent to microbiome upset. But all stool will odor to some extent- that’s regular!
- If utilizing probiotics, use one advisable by your veterinarian. Many probiotics don’t meet label claims when examined, due to this fact utilizing one that truly stands as much as scrutiny is vital. In one study, solely 2 of 25 examined probiotics truly matched product labelling. I personally have a tendency to make use of Fortiflora to begin, as many cats just like the style, and it’s simple to make use of, along with assembly label claims.
- Middening is the time period for cats defecating inappropriately. In indoor cats, this implies exterior the litter tray. It can point out communication about stress, and even dislike of the litter field or litter. Speak together with your vet, if that is occurring. Middening shouldn’t be confused with cats that go to the tray, however defecate over the sting, or miss the field.
- Size: Most feline feces is across the diameter of the typical human finger. If it’s extraordinarily skinny, say pencil diameter, this will point out a narrowing or stricture of the intestinal tract, and must be investigated. If it’s very giant, it may possibly point out intestinal motility points, and also needs to be talked about to your vet.
- Never be afraid to take images of your cat’s stool if one thing doesn’t look proper. Similarly, a video of them within the field may help your vet to see and share any issues you will have!
The old saying goes: it is going to all come out ultimately. In this occasion of poop, actually, that’s true. Health indicators, and gastrointestinal perform, can all be assessed by taking a look at what your cat leaves behind. Hopefully, this sheds some new gentle on the each day cleansing of the field, and offers you one thing else to consider throughout the time you might be cleansing, making cleansing the field each purposeful, and thought-provoking!
