Why is the cat's abdomen swollen on the sides?

The danger of an abscess is that for some time it runs hidden. As a result, a through hole is formed in the intestine – a perforation, the abdomen is swollen, palpation is painful. In this case, only a veterinarian will be able to determine why the cat has a tight abdomen. It is possible that surgery will be required.

Bloating in a cat's abdomen – what may be the cause.

Flatulence or increased gas is a problem familiar not only to humans, but also to animals.

Under normal conditions, a little gas occurs 3-4 hours after a meal.

If the process of flatulence is accompanied by strong distension or bloating of the abdomen, as well as accompanied by the release of repulsive smelling gases with an admixture of hydrogen sulfide, this indicates the beginning of a pathological process.

Basically, the cause of flatulence in cats is considered to be a disorder of enzymatic activity as a result of consumption of unfamiliar food.

But if bloating becomes chronic, you need to ask your veterinarian for help.

Severe bloating negatively affects the diaphragm, making breathing difficult. In some cases, the cat may develop shock, provoking a fatal outcome.

Reasons why a cat has a bloated abdomen

Abdominal bloating in a cat can be observed at any age, but is more often diagnosed in young and old animals. Kittens suffer from flatulence due to worm infestations, and older cats suffer from increased gas formation, provoked by a slowing of metabolic processes. More often the causes of flatulence are hidden in the wrong diet. There are a number of products that provoke flatulence. The main ones are:

• Dairy products . Milk, strange as it may seem, is poorly digested by the cat's body and the older the pet, the more likely it is that lactose cannot be digested. Consumption of milk and dairy products (cheese, sour cream, yogurt) cause digestive tract disorders.
• Fish . Cats regularly eating freshwater or saltwater fish more often suffer from flatulence than their counterparts on dry food.
• Cereal crops and yeast. The large amount of cereals in a cat's diet irritates the walls of the digestive tract, causing increased distension and flatulence. It is generally not recommended to give bread to domestic cats, because of the presence of yeast in it, which provokes fermentation processes and overstretching of the stomach walls.

In addition to food, bloating in the cat's stomach provoke various pathological processes, among which the leading positions are:

• Inflammation of the walls of the small and large intestine;
• benign and malignant tumors in the digestive tract;
• parasitic and viral diseases;
• Trichobezoars (clumps of hair formed in the stomach during licking and swallowing);
• Partial or complete obstruction of the intestines;
• Dysbacteriosis caused by taking medications.

Lack of exercise and overeating lead to loosening of the abdominal muscles that stimulate the intestinal motility, causing flatulence. With vigorous exercise, the abdominal muscles accelerate peristalsis, pushing the food lump through the intestines. Restricting mobility complicates the mechanism, provoking flatulence.

Tight cat stomach: causes and what to do

A dense stomach in a cat should alert the owners, because it is a common symptom of digestive diseases, a reason to go to the veterinary clinic. But it also happens that in some situations, the hardness of the abdomen is a natural phenomenon.

The natural explanation for the changes is that the female is pregnant. In the late term, the uterus enlarges – the abdominal muscles tense up. The tense peritoneum protects the kittens from injury. After delivery it remains hard for a few hours, after which the muscle spasm passes, the wall returns to its normal state.

Sometimes the cause of a cat's dense abdomen is fright because of the owner's touch. Not everyone likes tactile contact – some experience stress in such a situation. You need to leave the pet alone to calm down.

If the hardness and tension do not subside within a day, the animal's behavior has changed, pathology is possible.

Pathologies

Worms

Worm infestation is the cause of inflammation in the intestines, constipation, violations of its patency. Pathological conditions provoke painful stretching of the intestines, accompanied by tension of the abdominal wall. With a large number of parasites, cats have general weakness, faded hair, watery eyes and vomiting.

The worms come out with the vomit and feces, and the animal's breath smells bad. Worm infestation is treated with antihelmintic suspensions and pills, and if the infestation is severe, the veterinarian prescribes comprehensive therapy.

Constipation

A common cause of constipation in cats is an unbalanced diet, individual intolerance of certain products, poor food quality.

Sometimes the owners mistaken for constipation intestinal obstruction. Obstruction is a serious disease that can not be cured by taking laxatives. It is accompanied by severe vomiting and weakness; the abdomen is swollen, hard, and constantly increases in size.

The first thing owners should do is to seek professional help, have an ultrasound or X-ray taken and undergo treatment. Without veterinary care, the pet will die.

Meteorism

Gases accumulating in the body put pressure on the diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe and causing bloating. The abdomen is hard and tight, and the animal behaves restlessly, meows, looks for a secluded place, avoids people and does not give into hands. A characteristic symptom is lack of appetite.

First you need to determine the exact cause of bloating, and then select a treatment. Pain can be treated with painkillers.

Peritonitis

With peritonitis, the peritoneum is constantly irritated and the mucosa becomes inflamed. As a consequence, a condition of tight abdomen appears. The cat has a high fever, severe pain, in some cases accompanied by vomiting.

Peritonitis is a complex disease, the treatment depends on the form. With bacterial peritonitis, the prognosis is more favorable – the survival rate is 50-60%.

Why is the cat's abdomen and sides swollen?

When a cat has a bloated abdomen and sides, the owner wonders why this happened, if a day ago everything was normal. In such a situation, a visit to the veterinarian should not be delayed, since such a condition is pathological and the animal needs urgent care.

If the cat is bloated due to excessive gas in the intestines, which can often be intensely produced due to improper feeding of the animal, and less often due to its natural physiological characteristics, the treatment will be simple. In this case, it comes down to revising the diet and taking medications to reduce gas. If the cause is pathological, then serious therapy will be required. Sometimes these disorders are a symptom of serious illnesses, the treatment of which may extend over a year.

In addition to gas, become bloated belly and sides in cats may also become bloated due to fluid that accumulates in the abdominal cavity. When the sides begin to swell, there is a significant risk that the cat will suffocate due to pressure on the lungs. In this case, the only thing to do is to immediately contact a veterinarian.

Causes

Various reasons can provoke a change in the condition of the animal. The abdomen is swollen due to diseases, as well as due to the congenital characteristics of the cat. Sometimes the abdomen also becomes hard when enlarged. Identify the cause that has caused the bloat as early as possible. Without this, there is a danger that the cat will die without receiving the necessary treatment.

1. Aerophagia. When this occurs, the cat swallows an excessive amount of air while eating, which causes its stomach to overflow with gas. The air then travels to the intestines and causes severe bloating, in which not only the stomach but also the sides change. Very often this phenomenon occurs with severe stress. Also provoked by the appearance of a bloated stomach and sides and defects in the structure of the jaw and teeth. If they are congenital, the kitten will also have an altered figure.
2. Large amounts of carbohydrates. A common reason why a pet is bloated. A feature of the cat's digestive system is that it is almost not designed to digest carbohydrates. If the food that the pet receives is not balanced, the process of fermentation begins in the stomach. In this case, the cat has a bloated belly similar to a cow's belly. The pet's sides become very round and bulge strongly to the sides.
3. Food allergy.. When this occurs, the belly and sides become bloated because the intestines become very irritated and digestion is disturbed. As a result, the amount of gas in the intestines rises sharply, and flatulence develops, which causes the cat to become bloated.
4. An increase in the size of the liver or spleen also causes the abdomen to swell. This phenomenon can be caused by many reasons, from infectious diseases to cancerous tumors. Only a veterinarian will be able to determine exactly why the pet's organs have changed size. When this disorder occurs, fluid accumulates in the cat's abdominal cavity, causing the large abdomen to sag and swell. The sides begin to bulge due to the abnormal position of the organs. Not infrequently, pronounced asymmetry of the body is observed.
5. Metabolic disorders. With this disease on the sides and abdominal wall begin to actively accumulate fat deposits, which are the reason that and the abdomen bloated, and the sides increased in size. To restore the normal condition of the cat it is necessary not only to provide it with sufficient physical activity and proper nutrition, but also to restore the disturbed metabolism. A veterinarian can help with this.

A cat has swollen flanks: causes and treatment

If the cat has swollen flanks, it is necessary to immediately find out the cause of this and as soon as possible to choose a treatment regimen. The simplest explanation is accumulation of gas in the intestines, but to avoid missing more serious problems, you must learn to recognize dangerous symptoms.

There can be several reasons for a sudden enlargement of the abdomen. Knowing them, you will be able to determine for yourself why your cat's sides are bloated, and provide first aid to your pet.

• Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. This can be internal bleeding, an accumulation of urine, pus, and effusions. It is ascites, the causes of which are diseases of the liver, heart, disorders of protein and carbohydrate metabolism, diabetes, infectious processes in the abdominal cavity. Extremely dangerous condition – peritonitis, inflammation of the serous membrane of the abdominal cavity. If not taken to the veterinarian in time, it can lead to death of the pet. Most often peritonitis develops in animals with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or in a cat after childbirth.
• A digestive and metabolic disorder that leads to obesity. In this case, the animal will simply become fat and the abdomen will be soft.
• Helminthiasis. If a cat has not been wormed for a long time, it may have a bloated belly. This is especially common in small kittens. Helminths in animals multiply very quickly, provoking disruption of the entire digestive system.
• New growths are also often the cause of the bloated sides of the animal. They may be both malignant and benign. In any case, the appearance of neoplasms entails an increase in all internal organs and lymph nodes. Most often, bloating of the sides is provoked by tumors of the spleen and liver.

• Pyometra (pus in the uterus). Can be caused by bacteria entering the uterus at the end of estrus or after an abortion in pregnancy. Pyometra is also a common disease in animals whose owners have medically delayed uterine heat. Unfortunately, this disease is diagnosed at a severe stage. In the open form, pus exits the uterus through the vagina on its own, while in the closed form the cat's flanks swell, body temperature rises, and weakness appears.

Principles of treatment

The first thing you can do at home is to palpate the abdomen and find out if it causes discomfort to the animal. If there are serious abnormalities, the cat will be in pain. If the pet won't resist the exam, start treatment at home.

• Deworming. Treatment against parasites should be carried out every three months.
• Adjustment of diet. A diet and balanced food will help prevent bloating of the stomach. Of drugs you can use Smecta or children's Espumisan, but only after consultation with your veterinarian.
• If the cat shows signs of obesity and has bloated flanks, diet and increased exercise are indicated. It happens that the cause of weight gain is a thyroid problem. In this case, the cat should be shown to a specialist who will select a hormone therapy.

If the measures taken do not help, the treatment can only be carried out by a doctor.

• At the hospital, the cat will have tests taken and an ultrasound of the abdomen will be performed.
• With ascites it is necessary to drain (remove) the fluid from the abdomen, which will determine the cause of dropsy. Obligatory diet (reduction of salt intake) and taking cardiac drugs, as accumulation of excess fluid in the body increases the load on the heart muscle.
• If the sides are bloated as a result of a violation of the urogenital system, diuretics will be prescribed.
• Surgery is the last resort used when a cat develops neoplasms.
• For pyometra in non-serious cases, medication treatment is carried out by selecting hormonal therapy, taking antibiotics and antispasmodics. If there is a large accumulation of pus in the uterus, surgery is performed.

When to go to the veterinarian to treat a cat

If the pet has symptoms such as vomiting, pain, drooling along with a bloated abdomen, it is necessary to see a veterinarian.

The doctor will prescribe the necessary tests and examinations (blood test, ultrasound, X-ray, etc.), after which he will prescribe the appropriate treatment:

• Such a pathological condition as pyometra requires immediate surgical intervention. During surgery, the doctor carefully extracts the uterus together with the accumulated pus in it.
• If the abdomen has increased due to infectious peritonitis, the doctor prescribes supportive treatment: taking antibiotics and corticosteroids. Also in the wet form of FIP, the fluid that accumulates in the abdomen is periodically pumped out.
• If the cat has an obstruction, the doctor will prescribe immediate surgery to remove the underlying cause of this condition (foreign body, tumor, etc.).

In most cases, flatulence is the result of an improperly formulated diet. An accumulation of gas in the intestines causes discomfort to the pet, and therefore it is necessary to help the animal as quickly as possible.

Peritonitis

Acute inflammation in the abdomen accompanied by an outpouring of pus, blood or "effusion" of fluid. It is difficult to name the exact causes of peritonitis. The veterinarian treats the disease symptomatically, while identifying the root cause.

Abdominal bloating in an older cat that has often "stomachache" most often indicates a fluid effusion into the abdominal cavity. Inflamed tissues swell by taking in water, but due to water-salt metabolism or renal failure, the moisture is not excreted with urine, but seeps through the connective tissues.

Abdominal bloating after labor with complications also indicates peritonitis, but the nature of the disease will be different. Long exertions or the use of Oxytocin can provoke tissue ruptures, which in the worst case will cause internal bleeding and death, in the best case an inflammatory process in the abdomen.

How to protect your cat from abdominal problems

Pathological bloating can be avoided by following preventive measures. To protect a furry pet requires:

1. Monitor diet and mobility. Adhere to the recommended norms and maintain daily activity.
2. Prevent contact with outdoor animals. Try to keep the cat outdoors and be sure to vaccinate it against common infections.
3. Install "anti-cat guards." Protection on windows will eliminate injuries from falls.
4. Conduct parasite treatments every quarter.
5. Resort to spaying if there are no plans to breed the breed. Spayed animals have a reduced risk of cancer and pyometra.
6. Also, don't forget annual preventive visits to the vet. If your pet has a chronic illness, increase the number of visits to twice a year.

A hard and bloated belly doesn't always indicate pathology, but it still involves a response from the owner. Because of the large number of possible pathological factors, going to the veterinary clinic is the only reliable way to diagnose and prevent dangerous consequences.

This article is for informational purposes only. Contact your veterinarian!

Causes of bloating and their consequences

An enlarged abdomen immediately after a meal is a natural reaction of the body. In the absence of abnormalities, the kitten's large belly becomes small after coping with the need or after a complete digestion of what has been eaten. If the tummy resembles a balloon and refuses to return to its normal state – start to worry – perhaps there is a place of pathology.

Helminthiasis

Infection with helminths (worms) is accompanied by a sharp loss of weight against increased abdomen and sides, discharge from the eyes, itching in the anus area and loss of the natural shine of the coat. If the kitten has a hard belly, observe the kitten. If there are too many parasites, you may see them moving under the skin or find worms in the feces.

Improper nutrition

Animals found on the street do not know how to control their appetite. Excessive food intake puts strain on the stomach and intestines. In addition to overfeeding, the quality of the diet should not be forgotten. It is forbidden to feed a small pet with food from the human table or food for adults – coarse pellets are poorly digested by the baby's body, so the tummy quickly becomes dense and painful.

Food allergies

Kitten's bloating is a common allergic reaction. If you've recently switched him to a new food or treated him to an unfamiliar product, check for food intolerance.

Infectious peritonitis

Extremely dangerous illness, the leading infectious cause of death in cats. A mutated coronavirus is responsible for infection. The pathology is accompanied by formation of nodular neoplasms and increased permeability of blood vessels. Associated symptoms include fever, urinary incontinence, cramps, and ascites, that is, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity. If in the upright position the kitten's inflated abdomen shifts slightly downwards and resembles a pear – put off all urgent matters and head to the clinic.

Diagnosis and treatment

In case of severe bloating, give the pet activated charcoal. Up to 1 year old, a quarter of a whole tablet is enough. At this point, self-treatment until the examination at the clinic will have to be postponed. Further therapy is chosen individually and depends on the cause of the flatulence.

At the appointment, describe your pet's diet in detail to the veterinarian. Along with the elimination of unhealthy foods, a detailed review of diet may be possible. Fractional, hourly meals help with overeating. Use food at least super-premium grade, designed specifically for kittens, and adhere to the standards indicated on the package. If there's a little left over after a meal, move it out of sight and put it away until the next meal. Pets, like humans, often eat out of boredom. Probiotics can help improve digestion.

Food allergies are treated in the easiest and most reliable way – by eliminating the allergen. Kittens, unlike adult pets, have an extremely limited list of foods they eat. Identify the "enemy" by elimination and permanently remove it from your pet's life.

If there are no nutritional abnormalities and no examination is found, all attention is concentrated on the examination of blood, urine and feces. The latter is used to detect helminths. The condition of internal organs and the presence of neoplasms are diagnosed by ultrasound and X-rays.

Antihelminthic drugs that eliminate the pathogen are prescribed for helminth infections. Up to three months, the number of safe drugs is limited, so independent choice of antihelminthics is inadmissible.

Detection of ascites or infectious peritonitis is not without surgery. After removal of the accumulated fluid, the animal is placed in the hospital under observation. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are used for recovery.

Diagnosis and treatment

When a kitten has a large belly, you can not delay a visit to the veterinarian, because some diseases can lead to the death of the baby. The doctor will make a diagnosis, determine the exact cause of the large belly and prescribe treatment.

Usually a blood test, ultrasound and X-ray are prescribed for cats. Further treatment will depend on what caused the appearance of a large belly.

When infected with parasites, the doctor will prescribe special antihelmintic drugs according to the age and weight of the kitten. You must remember that some anthelmintic drugs are allowed to take only from 2-3 months of age.

If constipation will have to take Vaseline oil 3 times a day at a dose of 0.1 ml per 100 grams of weight of the animal, as well as doing enemas. Also a good result is to massage the tummy with your thumb in a clockwise direction.

Lactobacillin, Hilac Forte or Acipol can help to normalize the gastrointestinal tract and relieve bloating if the stomach is regularly overeated or undernourished. You will also need to change the food to a better quality and observe the feeding regimen.

In all other cases, the kitten needs immediate surgical intervention to save her life.

Prevention

To avoid abdominal bloating and the development of serious diseases, the following recommendations should be followed:

1. Feed the pet only quality food that is suitable for its age.
2. Observe the diet and do not increase the portion size.
3. Keep an eye on the cat's weight.
4. Introduce complementary foods gradually.
5. Provide unobstructed access to clean drinking water for your kitten. The less you drink the more likely you are to become constipated.
6. Make sure that the baby goes to the toilet regularly.
7. Wash and disinfect the kitten's bed and care accessories with disinfectant solutions.
8. Do days off from time to time when the kitten's fiber and carbohydrate intake is minimal.
9. Visit the veterinarian twice a year to detect and treat illnesses that might occur.
10. Monitor the quality of the kitten's coat and mucous membranes.
11. Every six months perform deworming and treatment of external parasites.
12. Regularly play with your kitten to stimulate physical activity.

With proper care and careful monitoring of your kitten's health, there is no risk of bloating. If the baby does have this unpleasant symptom, you should not put off going to the veterinarian for long. After all, only a doctor should determine the cause of the appearance of a large belly, so that, if necessary, to begin urgent treatment and possibly save the baby from death.

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