3/6/2014
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Great
Balls of Fire!
What’s Behind Feline Flatulence?
By Jill Anne Sparpany
Have
you ever been sitting next to your innocent-faced favorite kitty and suddenly
smelled the dreaded “Silent but Violent” gas pass? Great balls of fire – light
a match! It wouldn't be so bad if they made a puckered face that would give you
some warning. Oh, tears in my eyes!
So what
really is behind cat gas? The actual medical term for passing gas is
‘flatulence’ and the gas produced in the intestinal tract that is expelled
anally is called ‘flatus’ (pronounced FLAY-tuss). Sounds so much better than
feline farts!
One
source said 99% of kitty flatus is odorless. The smelliest ones must be saved
up for the most embarrassing times for the owner, like when you have family
over for the holiday dinner!
Humans
also produce gas and pass it, but it is different from the gaseous processes in
cats. The primary components of flatus are five odorless gases: nitrogen,
hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and oxygen. Where do these gases come from?
Some of
these gases come from swallowed air by eating too fast or eating too soon after
exercise. Some medical conditions contributing to excess flatus are swallowing
air when eating due to any respiratory disease that causes increased
respiratory rate, acute and chronic intestinal illnesses, IBS (irritable bowel
syndrome), obesity/overweight, bacterial
overgrowth in the small intestine, or neoplasia (tumors, cancer). Any
inflammation of the intestine can produce excess flatulence, such as viruses or
parasites, or pancreatic dysfunction (pancreas does not function normally).
Brachycephalic
breed cats, cats that have short heads such as the Himalayan and Persian breeds,
tend to swallow a lot of air.
Causes
of excess gas production can occur with diet changes and serious gastrointestinal
disease. If there is a sudden increase in the flatus, foul odor, or vomiting
and/or diarrhea, a vet check-up should be scheduled to rule out medical
conditions. Any abdominal pain, abdominal rigidity, bloating or distension,
tenderness, bloody stool or distress vocalizations should be treated as an
emergency! Get your CAT to the VET – STAT!
 |
| THIS IS PHOTOSHOPPED!! Showing Big Time Fart!! |
Excess
diarrhea may cause anal area skin breakdown. This area is easily irritated by
liquid feces and frequent diarrhea stool passing. It is painful! The cat with
frequent diarrhea may not be able to reach the litter box in time or may begin
to associate the litter box with pain and start to avoid it. Ask your vet for a
safe ointment to protect the raw anal area while the diarrhea is resolving. You
may want to help Fluffy get to the litter box without accidents by placing
additional litter boxes in the home during this time.
Are
there certain foods that tend to produce more gas than others, just like with
humans? YES!
Any
foods that are difficult to digest will spend more time in the intestinal tract
and are subject to bacterial fermentation. It is the fermentation process that
produces the gas for the odoriferous emissions!
Cats
are carnivores – they are meat eaters! High protein with fat and LOW carbohydrate
diets are the best for your cat’s health!
Foods
that are difficult to digest are ones that use grains – wheat, corn, beans,
soybeans and peas – for the significant protein source. The percentages of
ingredients on pet food labels are listed with highest percentage as the first
ingredient, second highest percentage is second ingredient, etc.
So if the first
ingredient is chicken, it is the most predominant ingredient present and is
listed in its percentage related to the other ingredients in the food.
Carnivores
do not digest grains and do not seek grains in the wild. The only grains cats
ingest are the grains and grasses present in their prey’s digestive system,
i.e. what the mouse has eaten. The digestion of grains in the cat’s intestinal
tract is not efficient since they do not have the enzymes to breakdown the high
carbohydrate content in grains.
Cats
also lack the enzyme, lactase, which breaks down the milk sugar, lactose.
** Glucose, dextrose, lactose are carbohydrates/sugars (they end in –OSE)
** Lactase, maltase, amylase are the enzymes
that breakdown complex carbohydrates or sugars into small carbohydrate molecules
(glucose) to be used for metabolic processes. (they end in –ASE)
This is
why cats cannot tolerate milk and dairy products. They lack the enzyme,
Lactase! The only time they have lactase is when they are kittens to help
digest their mother’s milk. After weaning, cats do not normally produce lactase
because they begin to eat proteins and fats. The inability to digest milk
sugar, lactose, is lactose intolerance.
Other
causes of excess flatus production:
High-fat diets
High-fiber diets
Overeating
Spices
Food allergies
Older cats may have
difficulty digesting hard food (dry kibble is harder to digest)
Spoiled food, which
may be accessible in garbage cans
Prevention
of excess flatus production:
Feeding high protein,
grain-free diet. Look for highly digestible premium quality cat food –
Meat should be the
first ingredient listed.
Feed smaller amounts
throughout the day to prevent overeating at one time.
Feed multiple cats
from separate bowls or in separate spaces to prevent eating too fast (food
competition).
If making diet
changes, make these changes gradually.
Feed wet food or mix
with dry food. Give small pieces of meat as treats.
Do not feed leftover
foods that contain spices, sauces or flavorings.
Increase exercise!
Provide plenty of toys. Spend time playing with your cat to increase exercise
and bonding.
Prevention
of owner embarrassment by feline flatus:
Buy a dog.
Teach your cat to lay
beside the dog before release.
Then blame the dog.
Refer
to other BCR blog articles:
2/8/14 Pet Food Ingredients
2/13/14 IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome
2/21/14 Fat Cats! (weight mgmt)
2/27/14 Feline Allergies (includes food allergies)
3/1/14 Backyard Entertainment for your Cat!
(increasing activity for your cat)
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