Does your cat have blood in the stool? It is normal to worry about this, but know that there are solutions to this problem. So, if your cat suffers from this problem, stay well with me, I explain everything about this problem, its causes and how to recognize them, and finally, how to solve this problem.
Cat that has blood in the stool: The different causes
Here are the different causes for which the stools of the cat can be bloody, for each one I explain to you how to recognize them.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea, which can cause irritation of the mucous membrane and therefore cause your cat to bleed when he relieves himself is the main cause of this problem. Several causes can cause feline diarrhea, such as stress, parasitic infection, toxins or bowel disease. I refer you to this article for more details.
To give you an idea of the precise cause, here are the elements for each to detect it:
- Stress: If your cat is afraid, on guard or has dilated pupils, he is stressed and you can reassure him by acting on the cause of his stress. Don’t forget that cats take a long time to adapt to change and that they are only as well if their environment is calm.
- Parasites: Recognizable in the stool and causing the cat to lose weight even if it eats. Don’t forget to deworm it after going to the vet to avoid any recurrence. Parasites, once in your cat’s body, will reproduce and his condition will only get worse if you don’t put a solution in place.
- Poisoning: Toxic plant or household products can be the cause. Especially in young cats who tend to stick their noses everywhere. If the problem does not progress quickly, take him to the vet.
- An intestinal disease: Affecting especially older cats and which can be acute or chronic. His diet will have to be easier to digest to avoid this type of problem.
- A food allergy: If you have changed something in his diet, your cat may be allergic to it and you will need to go back to the old foods for him to digest properly.
- A dehydrated state: Can also be due to an illness, you can for example add fish oil to the water so that he drinks more or put him in a water fountain for cats that he will appreciate more.
Constipation
Constipation can also bring this problem and its causes are similar to those of diarrhea, if your cat is constipated, you can give him easily digestible food to avoid a difficult transit.
What to do ?
The only solution if the problem does not pass within 48 hours, then going to the veterinarian is essential. But also pay attention to the type of blood, if it is red 48 hours is recommended but if it is black or dark red or tarry then urgent veterinary care is essential as it may be internal bleeding serious.
The veterinarian will be able to examine it and use medical devices if necessary to see the damage and find the precise source of the problem so that it can be treated in time in the most serious cases.
Blood types
The color of the blood allows you to form an opinion on the cause of the bleeding:
- Red blood: It is fresh and comes from the end of the digestive system ie the colon, the rectum or the anus and will be visible on the surface of the stool. These are usually more benign digestive issues.
- Dark Blood: Dark blood comes from the beginning of the digestive system, from the esophagus to the small intestine. Here, the situation is more worrying because it is generally about serious digestive pathologies. This color is due to digestion during the journey through the intestine.
What will the vet do?
The veterinarian, if you have to go see him, will start by asking many questions about his health and history. He will then auscultate the cat and can then do a fecal test to find the precise cause.
If nothing helps, then other examinations will be done such as an endoscopy or an x-ray to find the exact cause of the problem.
Then, an appropriate treatment will allow him to recover.
Cat with blood in the stool: The final word
A cat with blood in the stool should always be closely monitored, and if the symptoms do not disappear within 48 hours, a visit to the veterinarian will be essential. If your cat is very young or very old, then don’t wait because his body is much more fragile than that of other cats.