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My cat has diarrhea after new food. Is grass a cause? How to help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | neutered | 5 years and 5 months old | 8.5 lbs

How to help a cat with diherra...I changed my cats food on Monday and it’s now Friday and today I noticed he might have diherra. Just to make sure I wanna know what could cause it and how to make him feel better also he goes outside and eats lots of grass so I don’t know if that could contribute to it. But the poop is all around his back paw and near his butt and he seemed to get very little on the wall and I think he had an accident today while I was gone too.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Susan England-Foster

Veterinarian

Published on September 29th, 2017

I am sorry Phoenix is not feeling well. In the future I would recommend switching foods slowly over 1-2 weeks to prevent diarrhea. Dogs and cats can have sensitive stomach and get diarrhea if food is changed to fast. You can try going back to the old food and adding in a probiotic to help resolve the diarrhea. However if the diarrhea is getting worse or you notice any blood I would recommend taking Phoenix to a vet for a good physical exam and possible antibiotics to help resolve the diarrhea. i hope that helps and he feels better soon.

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Phoenix! It is most likely that the change of food is what has caused his upset stomach. If he eats a lot of grass this can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. I would try to offer him just plain boiled chicken (no bones) for a couple of days and then either go back to his old food or SLOWLY start to add back in his new food over a 7 day period. When you switch foods you always want to mix the old food with the new food for 7-14 days to slowly transition them to the new food. If this doesn't help to settle his stomach or he gets worse (vomiting, lethargic, not eating, etc), then I would strongly encourage to have your vet look at him. Your vet will be able to do a fecal, bloodwork and X-rays if needed. I hope this helps!

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