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If you observe blood in your cat’s stool, it may be anything from inflammatory bowel disease and food allergies to clotting disorders and cancer. Since blood in the stools can sometimes indicate some severe medical conditions in felines, so emergency veterinary attention is required in that case.
[This article was written by a qualified veterinarian. For more information please read our About page.]
Table of Contents
Possible Causes
- Numerous causes can bring on blood in the cat’s stool. Some are more serious than others.
- If your cat is older, there’s a prominent chance that blood in stool is caused by cancer. If she’s young, there’s a strong chance that some intestinal parasites make it happen.
- Diarrhoea can irritate the lining of the lower gastrointestinal tract, leading to bleeding. If your cat has soft stools or diarrhoea, they may start to appear bloody after a couple of days if the condition remains unchecked.
- Constipation is said to be the mother of all diseases. Constipation usually makes a cat strain to defecate. This sometimes may lead to ruptured blood vessels in the lower GI tract due to straining pressure. The stool after this condition often appears small and hard and may possess blood on the outside.
- Constipation and Diarrhea (Both) can be caused by toxin exposure, parasites, dietary changes or intolerance, stress, inflammatory bowel disease, foreign bodies, infections, and many other illnesses.
- Dehydration also causes constipation in cats. On the other hand, severe diarrhoea often leads to dehydration. Also, a condition called megacolon cases constipation in cats.
- Many disorders and diseases can cause GI problems that lead to blood in the stool. In some cases, the cat’s stool appears normal except for the blood.
[icon name=”info-circle” prefix=”fas fa-2x”] You may also be interested in our article on Common Health Problems In Cats
Other possible causes of blood in cat stools include:
- Food intolerance
- Anal injury
- Prostate disease
- A fractured back leg
- Lower bowel region injury
- Lower bowel cancer
- Colon irritation
- A fractured pelvis
- Rectum polyps
- Coagulopathy
- Colon polyps
- Perineal hernias
- Colitis
- Intussusceptions (an ailment that’s characterized by intestinal tract twisting or sliding).
If your cat’s stools are runny and loose with blood, colon inflammation could be the major cause, known as colitis. Colitis is frequently caused by anxiety and stress in cats.
Other Key Symptoms
If your cat has bright red blood in her stool, you may find other key symptoms of hematochezia too. Take a closer look and get your pet checked by a veterinarian for confirmation. Other symptoms to look out for include whining or straining during defecation, unusually frequent bowel movements, hard stools, diarrhoea, and bumps around the anus. If your cat has hematochezia, you might observe that her anal region is blocked by clumps of either fur or stool material. Some cats with hematochezia even possess classic signs and symptoms of the disease, including
- immoderate urination
- weight loss
- reduced appetite
- vomiting
- loss of energy
- excessive water intake
If you see any of those signs/symptoms in your cat along with bright red blood in the stool, contact your vet immediately.
Veterinary Evaluation by professional:
If your cat has blood in her stool, professional veterinary doctors can determine the cause by performing various diagnostic tests.
Vet-Doc might conduct some tests, which include:
- Urinalysis
- Colonoscopy
- Rectal assessment
- Complete blood count
- Faecal assessment
- Abdominal radiograph
- Coagulation profile
- Biochemical profile.
Depending on the tests mentioned above, by evaluating their results and by determining the specific cause of the condition, your vet-Doc might want to manage your cat’s bloody stools problem in any way possible. He may give antibiotics, recommend diet modifications, give fluid therapy, administer motility modifying medicines, and may give deworming drugs to your cat to make him/her feel better and eliminate the bleeding cause. If intestinal parasites are responsible for hematochezia in your cat, deworming is the most effective option.
Melena:
Melena is known as the emergence of digested blood within the stools. It is diagnosed easily. If your cat’s stools contain more dark rather than red blood, it could mean that she has melena. This condition can be lethal to cats and requires urgent care and treatment.
Causes of Melena:
Are all possible causes of melena in cats are:
- Cancer
- Bleeding ailments
- Blood consumption
What to do when there is blood in your cat’s stool:
- You should contact your vet if your cat’s bowel movements are abnormal for more than two days, even if you don’t see any blood or blood patches in the stool. Dealing with Gestro Intestinal problems can stop blood from coming in the stool.
- If your cat’s poop has been normal, but you see some blood only once, watch your pet closely for the next two days. If the cat shows any symptoms of illness or you see blood again in the next two days, then you must visit your veterinarian.
- If you notice your kitty had diarrhoea for a day or two, contact your vet-Doc to determine the cause of diarrhoea and try to resolve it as soon as possible. This applies whether you see blood or not in the stool.
- If you see your cat being strained to defecate, it means it is affected by constipation. Your doctor can help relieve your cat’s discomfort and determine the cause of constipation.
- Adding a teaspoon of pumpkin to the diet can help prevent constipation and relieve mild constipation in cats. However, once you look at the straining and the blood in the stool, it’s probably been a long time, and now veterinary care is needed.
- Make sure you follow your veterinarian’s advice for routine parasite screening. It is usually recommended once a year, but if your cat has abnormal bowel movements, it should be done as much as possible.
What tests will the vet perform?
When trying to figure out the cause of your cat’s bloody stool, your vet will first perform a thorough examination. After that, a stool sample may be needed to check for the growth of parasites and bacteria. Your doctor will look for organ dysfunction, blood cell count, and urinary tract problems with some tests. Abdominal radiographs known as X-rays may also be needed to look for foreign growths, bodies, or structural abnormalities. An ultrasound may also be recommended for a better abdominal checkup.
You may also discuss with your vet to diagnose your cat with Tritrichomonas foetus because a recent study by Chinese scientists suggests that Tritrichomonas foetus infection may lead to chronic bloody diarrhoea in domestic cats.
Treatment for blood in your cat’s stool:
The treatment usually depends on the actual cause of the blood in the stool. Give supportive medications and supplements that your doctor may recommend if the acute illness is not present at that time. This may also include the use of probiotics for some time. A diet change may also be necessary.
