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Treatment

Treatment is commonly given on an outpatient basis and improvement can occur quickly, typically within a few days and up to a few weeks. It is often recommended that the patient be placed on a highly-digestible diet to create less of an impact on the intestines during the healing. Antibiotics are also commonly prescribed to treat the bacterial growth.

Living and Management

It is important to monitor your cat's weight and protein levels (albumin) over time and ensure progress is being made toward a full recovery. Diarrhea must also be observed because if prolonged, it can lead to severe dehydration. In addition, repeat treatments may be required. The prognosis of this disease is positive when it is not associated with other serious medical conditions, such as intestinal cancer.

Prevention

There are currently no known preventative methods for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.