Is your cat suffering from excessive flatulence? All cats produce some gas, but too much wind can be indicative of a larger problem. The most common causes of feline flatulence can be attributed to the diet of your cat. That being said, there is always the possibility that an underlying medical condition could be responsible.
So, let us discover 3 simple steps you should take if you have noticed that your cat seems to be more gassy than normal.
Monitor the Diet of Your Cat
If you have noticed that your cat is passing gas more than normal, then your first task should be to keep an eye on what exactly your pet is eating on a daily basis. Keeping a record of the food that your cat is eating as well as their habits can give you a complete overview of their meals so you can work out whether this is the cause of the gas. While monitoring the food that your cat is eating, make sure not to make any changes so you can get as accurate an insight as possible. You should also check over any faeces produced by your cat. Soft stools, diarrhoea, blood, or mucus in stools can be a sign of poor bowel health and this could be contributing to the excessive flatulence being experienced by your pet. If you do notice anything unusual, contact your vet to make a proper diagnosis as soon as possible.
As most cat owners will admit, feline flatulence is a real thing, but there are definitely ways to limit the causes. For instance, you can make a few changes to the food that your cat is eating. Low fibre and high protein foods tend to be easier for cats to digest, so start by slowly mixing a new food into the old food so that you can phase out the previous dish to determine whether this helps your cat. In some cases, eating too much food can cause excessive flatulence in cats. If you suspect that this might be the problem, feed you cat smaller portions of food. You can still feed your cat the same amount on a daily basis, just try to space out portions throughout the day. Over time this should prevent too much food from sitting in the digestive tract which can lead to gas.
Make Lifestyle Tweaks
Do you own more than one cat? Sometimes cats eat more quickly around others because they are afraid that they might not get enough food. Consequently, when cats turn eating into a competition, this can lead to excess gas in the digestive tract. To encourage your cats to eat their food more slowly, try feeding them in separate rooms. Additionally, you should make sure that your cat does not have access to any garbage from trash cans or from other sources in your neighbourhood. Eating spoiled leftover food can lead to gas and other intestinal issues. Also, some cats can be tempted to eat deer pellets or other animal faeces. To limit this, clean out their litter box and remove any animal faeces from areas like your yard where your cat likes to spend time.
Exercising your cat more can also help to reduce feline flatulence. Encouraging your cat to live an active life by exercising more can aid their body throughout the digestion process. Cats enjoy making their own entertainment, so keep plenty of cat toys around like cat towers as these provide places for your pet to play and climb so that they can get a good workout. Interactive toys like cat wands with a mouse, feather, or other distraction on the tip can be extremely satisfying for your cat too as these toys appeal to their hunting roots. That being said, do not let your cat eat immediately before or after exercise. Too much activity can lead to your cat swallowing excess air and this can cause gas.
Seek Medical Attention
There are a few medical conditions that can cause flatulence or other related symptoms in cats. Consequently, if you have noticed other symptoms alongside excessive flatulence, you should take your cat to the vet as soon as possible. Symptoms to look out for include abnormally foul odours, vomiting, diarrhoea, and any visible abdominal distention or discomfort. Your vet can them perform an exam to determine the cause of the problem. For example, sometimes parasites and worms can cause digestive issues, and this can lead to excessive flatulence. Above all, deworming your cat regularly is vital.
Before taking you cat to the vet you should be prepared to talk about the eating habits of your pet. Excessive flatulence has a wide range of causes, but infections, parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorptive and digestive disorders, and even constipation can all be responsible. If your vet is unable to determine the cause of the flatulence, further tests might be required. Nonetheless, if a cause can be identified, your vet might prescribe a gas relief medication or even recommend some herbal remedies to help your pet deal with their wind.
Ultimately the best way to stop your cat from getting too gassy is to feed your pet a high-quality cat food that agrees with their system while at the same time minimizing any dietary changes. Moreover, try to avoid feeding your cat items containing lactose, deworm your pet regularly, and be sure to take your cat for frequent check-ups with your vet to identify any intestinal problems as early as possible.
Along with leading to excessive flatulence, intestinal worms can infect cats in lots of different ways. To learn more, take a look at this useful guide to deworming your cat.