Maine coons are not only considered as adorable cats, but they are also a generally healthy cat breed. However, as most cats do, they will get sick at one point in time.
This can really cause a lot of worries, but if you know how to deal with these things, come crunch time, you will know exactly how to make your Maine coon feel better.
Are Maine Coons prone to diarrhea? Yes, and it is because they tend to be kitten-like in behavior even though they are already full-grown adults. They have big appetites as they have high energy and this somehow leads to them having sensitive stomachs. The trick is to find the right diet for them.
Of course, this answer is not all-encompassing. There are other Maine coons that go through their life without experiencing vomiting or diarrhea. Further, there are also external factors to consider when your Maine coon gets diarrhea as it can be a bacterial or viral infection.
You will learn more about this as well as some easy remedies to do. So keep on reading to see how you can make your Maine coon feel better!
The Genetic Predisposition Of Maine Coons
Generally, the Maine coon is a healthy cat breed. They also go as far as being branded as a “hardy cat” as they can pretty much tackle every obstacle that they face. As they are large and agile, they will not usually succumb to sprains and other body aches.
On the other hand, they are genetically predisposed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. This simply means that no matter how healthy your Maine coon is, there is still a high probability that this disease may affect their everyday life.
The alarming thing is, the symptoms of this disease is extremely similar to an old and ill cat.
Therefore, you always have to be mindful of the symptoms of your Maine coon for you to see if he or she is suffering from normal diarrhea or diarrhea that is caused by viral or bacterial infections.
What Is Polycystic Kidney Disease
This is a hereditary condition of Maine coons where there is a formation of cysts in their kidneys. At first, when they are born, the cysts are small. However, they tend to be larger as your Maine coon grows. For some, they just remain dormant and do not need any medical attention.
But for others, the enlarged cysts can damage the kidney tissues that are healthy. In turn, their kidneys will no longer function properly, and this usually leads to Chronic Kidney Disease.
Now, you may start panicking and rush your cat to the vet for treatment. But hold your horses, because it is still likely that your cat will function normally.
Also, it cannot just be surgically removed as the kidneys are vital as they make hormones, remove waste from the blood, manage blood pressure, and stimulate the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
Your Maine coon will surely live a normal life. It is just that his renal functions will decline later on. Thus, this is one of the reasons why your Maine coon is prone to having diarrhea. Here are the other symptoms of this disease besides diarrhea:
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Frequent urination
- Increased thirst
Causes Of Diarrhea In Maine Coons
Now that you are familiar with one of the biggest causes of diarrhea with your Maine coon, which is Polycystic Kidney Disease, let us now go over the other reasons as to why this is happening.
Allergy To Dairy And Gluten
As Maine coons have sensitive stomachs, some foods may not agree with them. Just like humans, they also have food allergies. Good thing, this is not detrimental to their health. Certain foods will just make them, well — poopy.
The most well-known foods that cause this are food that contains dairy and gluten.
Overfeeding
Maine coons always have the munchies. This is partly the reason why they are still kitten-like even though they are already adults. Just like Sphynx cats, they need to be fed a lot as they exhaust a lot of energy. This is a good thing right, as they will stay healthy? That is not always the case.
You will know that you are overfeeding your Maine coon if she suddenly starts vomiting or having diarrhea a few minutes after feeding her. She might vomit whole food or just runny mush. As for diarrhea, you will notice that her poop is a bit runny.
Eating Fast
You might want to calm down your Maine coon when you see him chow so fast. When this happens, it puts a lot of pressure on his stomach, which may result in regurgitation or diarrhea.
The worst-case scenario is that he will become constipated as his stomach cannot process the huge amount of food all in one go.
Too Much Wet Food
We have already established that Maine coons have sensitive stomachs and you should feed them much like how you fed them when they were still kittens. Therefore, you should find the right balance when it comes to their diet.
When you put too much wet food, their stomachs will not have a lot to break down. This also results in diarrhea and an upset stomach. The same goes if all you feed them is dry food.
What To Do When Your Maine Coon Has Diarrhea
You do not always have to rush to the vet when your Maine coon has diarrhea. The reason being it might just be a one-time thing and not that serious.
You will just end up putting more unnecessary stress on your cat when you take him to the vet only to find out that the solution is to just give him a lot of water.
Pierre’s Maine Coon, Maze, looking like a lion 
Give Plenty Of Water
Your Maine coon will certainly get dehydrated when he goes through diarrhea. Therefore, you have to make sure that he gets as much water as he can. This can be tricky if he does not want to drink on his own. A good trick is to add water to his next meal.
In this way, he gets to drink water as he is eating. Further, you can add a water-soluble supplement to the water which can perk him up.
Feed Yogurt
Make sure that the yogurt that you are going to give him is unflavored and unsweetened. Also, you should not feed him too much, two to five tablespoons will suffice. Yogurt can help stabilize his stomach.
It is also packed with vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and calcium. These can help in strengthening the gut health of your cat and also help in breaking down the proteins in his food.
Regulate Meals
Instead of giving full meals twice a day, you should change up the routine and feed him many times in small amounts. This will help his stomach recuperate while he is pooping all over the place.
In this way, your Maine coon cat can still get his full meal but his stomach will not be pressured to digest everything all in one go.
Change Diet
If you notice that he is still having bad diarrhea after changing up a few things, the food that you are feeding him might be the cause. So pay attention to the ingredients, try to stay away from food that includes dairy and gluten.
As for dry food, make sure that you get the no-grain variety as this can be hard for your cat’s stomach to digest. As for wet food, you might want to stay away from tuna as it contains a lot of mercury.
Consult The Vet
This is what you should do if your cat is still having severe diarrhea on the second day. Also, take a look at his poop and see if there is any blood. If that is the case, then you should immediately go to your vet as he might need to be put on a dextrose drip or be prescribed antibiotics.
Related Questions
Do Maine coons throw up a lot? Yes, throwing up is common in Maine coons as they tend to eat fast which results in regurgitation. Also, they tend to ingest a lot of cat hair which also induces vomit. Always check his vomit for blood or other substances to see if you need to see your vet.
Do Maine coons need special food? Not really, but you have to make sure that they have a balanced diet. This means that there should be a mix of wet and dry food. Also, you cannot give them too much wet food as this may result in diarrhea. Try to stay away from dairy and gluten.
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