If you suspect your cat of having hemorrhoids, you should take it to the vet as soon as possible.  Cat hemorrhoids are one condition where immediate attention and treatment are required. Please read this if you are serious about helping your cat : cat hemorrhoids – the lies, the hoax, and the truth.

 

What are Cat Hemroids?

Hemorrhoids are not unique to cats, humans, dogs and horses also get hemorrhoids.  Cat hemorrhoids are a medical condition in which blood vessels of the soft tissues inside the rectum or around the anus become inflamed and swollen.

Eliminate cat hemorrhoids safely and naturally using Heal Hemorrhoids

 

Cause of Cat Hemorrhoids

One of the main reasons behind the occurrence of cat hemorrhoids is heredity, which plays a major role in deciding who would and who would not get afflicted with this condition.

At the same time, cat hemorrhoids are lifestyle related and are generally caused by a lack of fiber and liquids in the diet, heredity or not.

So while no cat is actually immune to hemorrhoids, your cat has increased chances of suffering from it if it feeds on diets that are low in fiber and does not drink enough water.

This is because diets low in fiber and liquid content are the main cause of constipation, which in turn leads to excess pressure being applied during defecation and straining when bowels are passed. Too much pressure in the rectum and lower abdomen causes blood vessels in this region to expand, thus leading to the creation of lumps called hemorrhoids.

Some other reasons that might cause hemorrhoids in cats are obesity, diarrhea, sitting for long periods, excess straining during delivering young ones or plain old age.

 

Symptoms of Cat Hemorrhoids

Cat hemorrhoids are broadly divided into two major categories: internal and external.

While internal cat hemorrhoids are used to refer to swelling inside the anus, external cat hemorrhoids are used to denote swelling of the skin around the anus.

Internal cat hemorrhoids are tougher to diagnose since they are not visible and the main symptom that points towards your pet having internal hemorrhoids is when there is blood in the stool.

Other symptoms of internal cat hemorrhoids include pain when passing stools and difficulty while sitting. If you see your cat indulging in more than usual tail chasing, scooting, licking and biting near the anal area, then it might be suffering from hemorrhoids.

On the other hand, external cat hemorrhoids are even more painful and cause extreme discomfort, burning, itching and pain to your pet. These are also visibly more noticeable.

So if you see your cat going through any of these symptoms, it is suggested that you take him or her to the vet very soon, as although not strictly an emergency, it does need to be attended to for proper diagnosis.

While hemorrhoids are easily curable in almost all cases, they are very painful and can easily turn much worse if left unattended.

 

How To Treat Cat Hemorrhoids

It is extremely important that the moment you see your pet displaying hemorrhoid symptoms, you take it for treatment. Cat hemorrhoids can be easily treated through a number of ways in most cases.

Treating external cat hemorrhoids

External cat hemorrhoids, though more painful, are generally easier to treat than internal ones. All you need to do in such cases is apply topical ointments and creams to the affected area. These creams can be bought over the counter in most stores. Since almost all anti-hemorrhoid preparations, meant both for humans as well as animals contain the same ingredients in the same proportion, you can buy any good quality cream instead of splurging on a brand name. These creams act on the swollen blood vessels to reduce inflammation and swelling while helping to ease the pain and itching.

Treating internal cat hemorrhoids

In case your cat is suffering from internal hemorrhoids, then your vet will most probably prescribe suppositories to reduce the inflammation and abrasions inside the rectum.

In some cases, surgery is advised, but this is only considered as a last option.

Along with medicines and salves, your vet might also prescribe stool softeners in order to reduce pain while defecation and to stop the condition from worsening further.

Dangers of leaving cat hemorrhoids untreated

One thing that you need to remember is that you should never try to treat your cat’s hemorrhoids by yourself at home. This is because there are other severe diseases whose symptoms mirror that of hemorrhoids like distended anus or colitis etcetera. On the other hand, it can also turn into cancer if left untreated for a long period of time, not to mention the pain and discomfort that your pet will have to go through during the whole process.

 

Preventing Hemorrhoids In Cats

While treating cat hemorrhoids on time is extremely necessary and important, it is simply not enough to keep your cat free from this painful disease all the time via constant treatment.

In order to prevent your beloved cat from undergoing this painful condition again, it is important that you look at lifestyle and dietary changes for your pet.

Since constipation is the major cause behind the formation of cat hemorrhoids, it is advised that you put your cat on a diet such that he or she does not suffer from this problem.

1.. Try to add more fiber content to your cat’s diet. For example, chose cat foods that have high fiber content and or add some small amounts of tasteless human fiber supplements to their food.  Always start with a little first and gradually increase till the cat is going without straining.

2.. It is also suggested that you always keep a water bowl or water fountain for your cat and encourage it to drink from it, by making it a place the cat will enjoy and associate with nice things.

Make sure that you fill your pet’s bowl with fresh water everyday, since cats as a breed can be very finicky in this area and will not drink stale water, even if they are thirsty.

A sedentary lifestyle is another reason that causes hemorrhoids and therefore, you should take care to build in some exercise into your cat’s daily routine. Taking care of all these things will definitely help in keeping your cat healthy, happy and hemorrhoid free.

 

Cat hemorrhoids in conclusion

Cats generally are not too prone to getting diseases, such as cat hemorrhoids, if they are looked after properly, but there are times when you are left with no option but to take them to the vet ASAP – cat hemorrhoids are one of those conditions.

Let’s face it, most pet owners love their pets almost as much as they would love their own children and therefore it is extremely stressful for pet owners to see their pets in pain or in poor health.