When they find blood in their pet’s stool most owners get scared and head to the veterinary clinic. They will be right because a visit to the doctor will eliminate life-threatening diseases.
Calm down with simple reasons. And they are most often associated with non-life-threatening conditions, but there is an exception to any rule.
Examination of faces
First of all, the owner of the cat will have to think about the discharge. The presence of scarlet fresh blood most often indicates the presence of trouble in the lower intestines or in the rectum.
In most cases (not always!) this is a good sign. Dark blood indicates bleeding in the upper intestines or stomach.
The appearance of pus in the stool a large amount of mucus along with black stool. A strong putrid smell should cause great concern. In this case, a visit to the clinic should be immediate.
Causes of traces of blood in the stool
Bloody marks or drops indicate the presence of the following diseases or conditions:
It most often causes a change in feces. Too hard secretions cause cracks in the anus and rectum, and if constipation is a common problem, bleeding erosions develop there over time.
Negative reaction to dry food. This may be due to individual intolerance to the components or insufficient fluid. If a cat eats dry food, it should always have plenty of clean drinking water. With allergies, you will have to completely switch to natural “wet” products.
Diseases of the digestive system. It can be an ulcer, pancreatitis, diseases of the liver, intestines. The presence of ulcers and lesions of small vessels leads to the release of traces of blood in the feces.
Colitis, which is more common in debilitated and old animals.
Infectious diseases – colibacillosis, salmonellosis, intestinal tuberculosis and much more.
Enteritis affecting kittens. They have a sign of blood in the feces – the most alarming, because without immediate treatment, the pet will inevitably die.
The presence of the following diseases or conditions
- The presence of a foreign body. It can be a tubular chicken bone, a piece of plastic, an accidentally swallowed object with sharp edges.
- Neoplasms of the intestine and other digestive organs of a benign or malignant nature, metastases.
Prolapse of the rectum. The condition is diagnosed with chronic constipation, strong attempts in difficult childbirth, as a complication with prolonged profuse diarrhea. - Inflammation of the anal glands. They are located in the genital area and exit into the rectum. When blockage occurs, an inflammatory process occurs, accompanied by the release of fetid pus with blood.
- Internal bleeding caused by rupture or perforation of organs in case of injury, impact, falling from a height, falling under the wheels of a car.
- Poisoning with toxic substances, most often – rat poison. It doesn’t have to be in the bait; a cat can catch and eat a poisoned rodent. It’s deadly; you need to take immediate action.
- Blood clotting disorders – genetically inherited or caused by the use of drugs that thin the blood. In this case, blood can be released into the intestines and excreted with feces in the form of small veins, drops.
- Invasion of worms. This is the most common and most easily eliminated cause of traces of blood in the secretions. One has only to carry out deworming, as the manifestations of the toxic effect of parasites disappear, the appetite of the animal improves, the state of health and the condition of the coat improve, and weight gain begins.
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From the list it is clear that numerous reasons can cause the appearance of blood.
Some of them are very dangerous, many are fatal, so other accompanying symptoms cannot be ignored:
Fever, fever
Severe digestive disorders: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation
Refusal of food and water, intense thirst
Screams and plaintive meowing when trying to touch the stomach
Altered fecal odor
Too frequent or very infrequent visits to the litter box
Copious amount of blood in the stool, or increased with each new trip to the tray.
In the presence of these signs, the owner must urgently take the animal to a veterinary clinic.
Diagnostics
The veterinarian will examine the cat and send for a series of tests:
- Blood sample;
- Program (complex analysis of feces);
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
- Analysis of urine.
Additionally, the following examinations may be required:
- Colonoscopy;
- Radiography of the abdominal organs;
- Allergy test.
After the diagnosis is made treatment is carried out. It is prescribed by a veterinarian and completely depends on the underlying disease that provoked the appearance of blood in the discharge.
The treatment is specialized, that is, for helminthiases, anthelmintic drugs are prescribed, for inflammations of a bacterial nature, antibiotics, tumors, if possible, are operated on, foreign bodies are removed, etc.
Type of treatment
Its duration, preparations, dosages are selected by the doctor, taking into account the age and health of the cat, so any initiative in this matter can cause irreparable harm to the health of the pet.
Changes in therapy should not be made without the advice of a veterinarian, even if the cat appears to have made a full recovery and does not need further treatment.
