My cat has diarrhea for a couple of days..is it safe to give him something like pepto bismol?

Question

Or do you know of a remedy for it?

Answer 1

pepto bismol -NO!!!!
Kaopectate-YES!!!
the reason being is pepto bismol has stuff in it that can harm your cat, however, you can give a teaspoon of kaopectate twice a day, but dont give too much because that could cause constipation.

Answer 2

HI Karen...there are various possibilites which cause diarrhoea in cats and it should be evaluated first by a veterinarian to ensure nothing medically wrong is contributing to the cause of diarrhoea. Pepto Bismol® contains salicylic acid (aspirin) which can be fatal to cats. Most human medications can be lethal and cats who are administered some human medications are based on age, weight and overall health conditions. So even Kaopectate should not be administered without knowing these other factors.

Contrary to what people believe canned food is helpful for cats with diarrhoea as this is a symptomatic of dehydration. Canned diets can supplement the intake of moisture so having both dry and canned are helpful. Any vet can confirm this fact.

Canned pumpkin (without spices) will also help firm up the loose stool symptoms: http://www.pets.ca/pettips/tips-75.htm

Here are some of the reasons why cats can have diarrhoea:

Diary products: cats do not have the proper enzymes to properly break down the sugar in milk which is called 'lactose.' You may have heard of people who are lactose-intolerant. They are also missing these digestive enzymes. If the proper enzymes are not present, the lactose remains undigested and tends to ferment in the intestine and cause diarrhea.
For More on Milk and cats:http://www.cat-world.com.au/CatMilk.htm

The other culprit that could contribute to the diarrhoea may be various parasites/worms (coccidia, giardia, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, etc). There are different types of dewormers for each of the types of parasites. Therefore consider a vet visit to have her dewormed since some of the over the counter treatments do not eliminate all the types of parasites. For more on feline parasites:
http://www.peteducation.com:80/category_summary.cfm?cls=1&cat=1357

For more on causes of Diarrhoea: http://www.fabcats.org/diarrhoea.html

Please keep in mind that also sudden changes in food brands, types will also contribute to diarrhoea symtoms as well. So as soon as your new kitty starts on the cat food she may have lingering symtpoms. For more on this: http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/diarrhea . Again any vet can confirm this fact. Switching foods should be done gradually over a course of several weeks. For example the first week would consist of 3/4 of old food mixed to 1/4 of new food then the next week 1/2 to 1/2 then the following week at 1/4 old to 3/4 new before completing the switch.

The above are just only a few causes as there are many more that can also cause diarrhoea such as diseases, illnesses, etc. Therefore, it is always recommended to consider contacting a vet and discussing if a visit is necessary for treatment.

Answer 3

No, but you can give 1/2 teaspoon of kaopectate. Pepto Bismol has aspirin in it which is harmful to cats. It would be even better to take the cat to the vets as soon as possible because the diarrhea can be from many causes. If you want to control it before taking him to the vet leave water and a small amount of white boiled rice, cottage cheese or baby food (meat only) out. I wouldn't feed him his normal diet until after you've seen the vet.
Some causes of diarrhea in a cat are: getting into garbage, spoiled cat food, intestinal worms, distemper and a whole range of infections.

Answer 4

NO PEPTO!! Cats bowels are very sensitive he needs the vet asap. It doesn't take a lot for them to get a blockage and that can be deadly. GL

Answer 5

ABSOLUTLY NOT! Most medicines ment for humans can be deadly to pets. You should take your kitty to the vet but never ever use human medicine unless you know it is safe to use on cats from a pet store or vet.

Answer 6

NO...human medicine has side effects on humans..not at all safe for animals...
cook up a bit of white rice in some chicken broth..is he drinking water? i think it best you get the kitty to a vet..could have worms, or something worse..

Answer 7

dont take a chance. But you can go to the vet and ask for a medicine to cure it.. Well, if the diharrhea doesn't go away after a while, of course.

Answer 8

of course don't use human medicine on a cat their stomachs are totally different from ours; think about the difference in what we eat and what they do - God build their stomachs to digest complete different things. SO PLEASE DON'T GIVE YOUR CAT PEPTO.YOU COULD KILL IT.

Answer 9

nope...
are you giving your cat milk? Cats are lactose intolerant..
also, never give an animal human medicine
tylenol can kill your cat

Answer 10

no way dont ever give your cat human medicine!!