Cat pooped with blood: possible causes and treatment methods

The presence of scarlet drops or streaks in the feces is a signal that something is wrong in the cat’s body. This alarming symptom should not be ignored. After all, inaction can lead to severe internal bleeding and death of the pet. Therefore, it is important to understand the reasons for the appearance of blood in feces and in what cases the cat will need emergency hospitalization, and when treatment can be carried out at home.

Why does a cat poop blood?

If the owner regularly cleans the litter box, then without much difficulty and in time he will notice that his cat goes to the toilet with blood. Sometimes other impurities are found in stool that should not be there. For example, mucus, hair or helminth particles.

The most common reasons why this happens:

1. Poor nutrition. If a cat is fed food from the human table - cereals, bread, or cheap cat food, this leads to digestive dysfunction. Your pet may become constipated, especially if there is insufficient drinking water. Dry feces damage the intestinal walls, so when your cat poops, blood appears in his stool.
2. The pet eats bones. Cats should not be given bones, especially tubular ones, they are very hard and cannot be completely digested. Small sharp pieces injure the intestinal mucosa. As a result, the cat goes to the toilet with a lot of blood.
3. A pet has swallowed a foreign body - a wood chip, a fragment of a toothpick, a small piece of plastic. Any small objects with sharp edges that injure the intestinal walls are dangerous.
4. Food allergies. When an allergen enters the digestive tract, the body immediately reacts to it. An inflammatory process occurs in the intestines, which leads to disruption of the integrity of the mucous membrane. For this reason, a small amount of blood appears in the stool.
5. Blockage of the intestines by hair. This problem is common in long-haired cats. When they lick, they swallow their hairs. Whole lumps accumulate in the stomach. The movement of food becomes difficult, and the pet becomes constipated. It becomes difficult for the cat to poop because the hardened feces are difficult to pass out and damage the rectum.
6. Worms. Some types of helminths attach to the intestinal walls. They damage the mucous membrane, so the cat may poop with blood.
7. Poisoning by poison. If a cat likes to hunt and goes out for walks, then it cannot be ruled out that she could have eaten a poisoned mouse. Rodent control products cause internal bleeding.
8. Colitis. When the colon mucosa becomes inflamed, blood and mucus appear in the stool.
9. Tumors. If your cat poops blood, there may be tumors in his digestive tract. They can be benign or malignant. During movement, feces touch the tumor and injure it, so blood is released.
10. A side effect from taking certain medications. After treatment with antibiotics, the intestinal microflora is disrupted and dysbiosis develops. This may cause blood to appear in the stool.
11. Infectious diseases. Some viruses can cause hemorrhage, but other alarming symptoms should also be present - fever, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy. If a cat poops loose stool with bloody contents, most likely it is a viral disease. It is important to take him to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible, otherwise he will die from dehydration.
12. Often cats poop with blood due to diseases of the internal organs - due to liver problems, stomach ulcers, and pancreatitis.

Little kittens are very curious. During the game, they strive to stick their nose everywhere, so they can get into trouble. Potential dangers for them include small objects on the floor and open packages of detergents or cleaning products.

An angry cat may accidentally knock over the bottle and step its paw into a puddle. Further actions are known - the pet will begin to lick itself and get poisoned.

In most cases, if a cat poops blood, the responsibility lies with the pet owner. It is important to ensure that liquid and bulk disinfectants and laundry detergents are kept out of reach.

Risk group – neutered cats

You can talk about the benefits or harms of castration around the clock. And about ethical issues too. But the fact remains that this process inevitably affects the predisposition to hematuria and diseases of the urinary system of cats. Cats have their uterus and ovaries removed, which also leads to the same consequences. Especially if they are fed monotonous food.

Ginger cat

As a rule, after this the animals become lazy and move little. Metabolism and urine concentration change. They will not be able to avoid risk.

After this procedure, particles appear in the pet’s secretions, which collect into mixed lumps. They cause injury to the urinary system. This leads to a bad result.

Description of blood in stool depending on the cause

If the owner of a cat discovers that he has started pooping blood, do not immediately panic. The unusual color of stool does not always indicate the presence of red blood cells. The color of the stool may change due to the vegetables your pet has eaten. For example, after eating beets, feces become reddish.

If the cat went to the toilet a lot and bloody clots or scarlet drops are clearly visible in the stool, most likely there are pathologies of the lower intestines. In this case, blood is released that has not been digested. It retains its original appearance. This picture is observed with damage to the colon, rectum or anus.

The problem can be difficult to detect for a person without knowledge of medicine or veterinary medicine. For example, if a cat poops black feces, the color indicates the presence of digested blood. This means that bleeding has opened in the stomach, duodenum or small intestine. In this case, the stool often has a specific smell.

Attention! Black feces can also happen for another reason - if the cat has eaten activated charcoal. The pet could find a tablet on the floor and, out of curiosity, feast on it.

What does urine normally look like in cats?

Normal pet urine is clear and may be pale yellow, straw, or orange in color. In many ways, the shade of urine is determined by the nature of the cat’s metabolism and its diet. It contains no inclusions. Removing decay products, salts, enzymes, vitamins, and foreign substances from the body, normally animal urine does not have a sharp, specific odor.

What to do before visiting a doctor

If a cat goes to the toilet with blood for the first time, this is a signal that something is wrong in its body. A consultation with a veterinarian is necessary, but if it is not possible to go to the clinic on the same day, you should take the following actions:

1. Observe the condition of the pet. New symptoms may soon appear and will need to be reported to your doctor.
2. Carry out deworming. It is advisable to buy a drug that acts on different types of helminths. After 10 days, treatment must be repeated.
3. Clear the intestines of hairballs. A special paste will help with this. It is given daily, squeezing 4-5 cm out of a tube. Some cats eat it just like that, while others mix it into their food.
4. Change your diet. When a cat poops blood, the first thing you need to do is change his diet. It is advisable to buy holistic food and make sure your pet drinks enough water.

If your cat frequently poops blood or has other alarming symptoms, the problem cannot be ignored. The situation may worsen sharply, and then it will be much more difficult to help the pet.

Professional intervention

On the other hand, if there are repeated sightings of blood accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting, your kitten may be facing a serious health problem that requires immediate veterinary attention. Bring a stool sample to your local veterinary clinic and your veterinarian can perform a series of tests, including an ultrasound, urine test, and abdominal x-ray to find out the real problem.

Based on an accurate diagnosis, it is expected that prescribing antibiotics will help eliminate bacterial infections. If your cat has parasites, deworming may be recommended. Additionally, natural supplements such as slippery elm extract may help your cat, but be sure to consult with your veterinarian before trying it. This is because some cats may develop allergic reactions to natural ingredients. At the same time, you should strictly follow your veterinarian's recommendations for a special diet for your cat in order to achieve the most desirable results in the recovery process.

Finally, closely monitor every change in his behavior day by day to see whether his health is improving or not. Contact your veterinarian immediately if the situation worsens and take immediate action.

When to seek help from a veterinarian

Emergency help is needed if the cat has severe bleeding. Other symptoms indicate this:

• black vomit;
• lethargy;
• dyspnea;
• loss of consciousness.

If such clinical signs appear, you must contact a veterinarian immediately, otherwise the cat will die. To at least slightly reduce blood loss, ice wrapped in a bag is placed on the pet’s stomach. The cat is taken to the clinic with its head down, this will help prevent hypoxia.

You cannot put off a visit to the veterinarian when a small kitten goes to the toilet with blood. Ignoring an alarming symptom can lead to the death of the baby. After all, at an early age, any ailment is dangerous - kittens develop rapidly infectious and parasitic diseases.

It is worth scheduling a visit to the veterinarian if your cat is pooping blood and has other signs of poor health:

• oppression, reluctance to play;
• loss of appetite;
• mucous or foamy inclusions in stool;
• pain during defecation - when the cat defecates, it begins to meow and arch its back;
• the animal poops irregularly, diarrhea alternates with constipation;
• sometimes there is vomiting;
• if blood appears in the cat’s stool while taking medications.

Associated symptoms

With different pathologies, various accompanying symptoms will appear.

Thus, urocystitis and urolithiasis are characterized by:

• Pollakiuria (frequent urination);
• Periuria (uncleanliness);
• Excessive licking of the groin area;
• Staying in the tray for a long time.

With urolithiasis, in addition to the fact that the cat pees with blood, there is a periodic inability to urinate (urethral blockage).

For kidney inflammation:

• General malaise, lethargy;
• Fever;
• Decreased appetite;
• Acute pain in the entire abdominal wall;
• Prolonged, painful urination;
• Cloudy or pink urine.

In case of injury:

• Acute tissue pain at the site of impact;
• Hematomas, abrasions.

Prostate diseases are characterized by:

• Painful, prolonged urination;
• Changing posture when urinating;
• Uncleanliness;
• Discharge from the prepuce;
• Inability to urinate;
• Much more common in uncastrated animals.

If a cat has diseases of the reproductive system, blood may appear in the urine for two reasons. First, inflammation of the uterus or vagina can trigger inflammation of the bladder (urocystitis). After all, the urethral canal is in close contact with the vagina. Secondly, vaginal discharge (with blood) can get into the urine from the outside when the cat pees.

Symptoms:

• Violation of the reproductive cycle, frequent estrus;
• Vaginal discharge;
• Excessive licking of the groin area;
• Increased thirst;
• Fever;
• Increased abdominal volume;
• Lethargy, drowsiness;
• Decreased appetite;
• Mastitis (inflammation of the mammary glands).

Balanoposthitis in a cat, in addition to hematuria, manifests itself:

• Hyperemia (redness) of the penis;
• Excessive licking of the groin area;
• Discharge from the prepuce;
• Prolonged, painful urination.

Orchitis can only occur in uncastrated males. The urethra connects to the vas deferens, so if there is blood in the semen, it will appear in the cat’s urine from time to time.

Characteristics of orchitis:

• Swelling and tenderness of the testis/testes;
• Cats that are sexually active are susceptible;
• The frequency of urination may not change.

How to accurately diagnose the disease

Only a veterinarian can identify the exact reason why a cat is bleeding profusely. The animal owner’s task is to help the specialist collect anamnesis. During the consultation you will have to answer the following questions:

• what does a pet eat?
• does he go outside?
• whether there are poisonous plants or other substances hazardous to health in the house that the cat could reach.

The veterinarian will ask how often your pet poops with blood in it and if there are any other warning signs. For example, constipation, diarrhea, poor appetite, depression. During the examination, the cat's temperature is taken.

To establish the exact cause of blood in the stool, additional research will be needed:

• analysis of stool, urine and blood (general, allergen and biochemical);
• Ultrasound of internal organs;
• X-ray of the intestine;
• colonoscopy;
• If tumors are detected, a biopsy will have to be done.

Diagnostics

To diagnose the disease, you can collect a sample of cat feces without filler in a sterile container and take it with you to your appointment at the veterinary clinic. Feces are tested for coronavirus enteritis and protozoa.

Blood tests are also taken from the cat

to exclude anemia, blood clotting disorders, assess the general condition of the animal and the functioning of internal organs.

Using ultrasound

and
x-ray,
the presence of formations in the cat’s intestines and foreign bodies is diagnosed.

Colonoscopy

– examination of the intestines using a special apparatus (carried out under anesthesia).
Using this study, you can detect small polyps and intestinal tumors that cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound, and also take a biopsy
(a piece of intestinal tissue) for analysis.

How is the treatment carried out?

The treatment regimen for a cat that shits blood is developed individually, taking into account the cause of this symptom. When the test results are received, the veterinarian will prescribe medications and diet.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary. Cats with severe internal bleeding are treated in a hospital setting. In other cases, therapy takes place at home.

Effective medications

Since blood in a cat’s feces can appear for various reasons, the treatment is different in each case. List of drugs that are used for various pathologies:

• helminthic infestation - Drontal, Stronghold, Pirantel;
• problems with the liver or pancreas - Pancreatin;
• colitis – Enterol, Subtilis;
• allergies – Tavegil;
• infectious diseases – Gamavit, Fosprenil, Aminovit;
• bacterial infections – Enterofuril, Furazolidone;
• dysbacteriosis – Bifidumbacterin, Linex;
• hemostatic drugs - Etamzilat or Vikasol.

If an adult animal or kitten poops blood due to rat poison poisoning, then treatment should be started immediately. It includes gastric lavage and taking sorbents such as Enterosgel. In case of severe dehydration, the cat is treated with Regidron.

If the pet cannot drink, then the water balance is restored using droppers.

Traditional treatment

Folk remedies can only be used if the cat poops blood due to constipation. Vaseline oil is usually used to loosen stools. It is not absorbed in the upper intestines, but moves through it unchanged, lubricates the intestinal walls and softens the stool.

If your cat is often constipated, you need to look for the cause. Folk remedies give a short-term effect, but do not solve the problem.

The right approach to nutrition

During treatment, it is important to change the cat's diet. The main goal of the diet is to reduce the load on the digestive organs. Veterinarians recommend switching your pet to ready-made hypoallergenic holistic or super-premium food.

Bread, bones, fatty meat and processed foods should be excluded from the diet of a cat that shits blood. For constipation, you can add a little vegetable oil to the food. It is advisable to include fermented milk products in the daily menu - classic yogurt, kefir or yogurt.

Surgical intervention

The operation is indicated if:

• polyps or other neoplasms were discovered in the gastrointestinal tract;
• the pet has swallowed a foreign object;
• the cat cannot poop due to intestinal obstruction;
• internal bleeding began.

Treatment options for hematuria

The cat's treatment regimen is selected in accordance with the results of the diagnosis. In general (regardless of the diagnosis), it involves eliminating the root cause, stabilizing the pet’s health, and relieving the main symptoms of the disease. So, in particular, if there are signs of dehydration, the cat is prescribed drips with saline and glucose. If a bacterial infection is detected, the pet is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Along with drug therapy, work is being done to make changes to the cat's diet. Ready-made dry food and solid food are excluded from her menu. It is recommended to feed the animal with foods that are easily digestible.

Important: the therapeutic diet must be agreed upon with a veterinarian. Because only he can determine which food will benefit a sick pet, and which will aggravate his health.

In some cases, the pet is sent for surgery. This method is resorted to only when the cat’s life is in danger (blockage of the urethra, the formation of too large stones, the presence of a malignant neoplasm). The treatment program is selected individually. The veterinarian takes into account not only the cause of hematuria, but also the general condition of the pet and the characteristics of its body.

Preventive actions

The appearance of bloody inclusions in your pet’s stool can be prevented by following these recommendations:

• feed the cat high-quality food, do not give it prohibited foods and treats;
• do not leave small objects on the floor that the cat could swallow;
• worm your pet regularly;
• adhere to the routine vaccination schedule;
• ensure that the cat has constant access to clean drinking water;
• Brush the coat 2 times a week;
• do not let the animal go for a walk unattended;
• Store powder and disinfectants out of reach;
• For any alarming symptoms, seek veterinary help.

There are many reasons why cats poop blood – from dysbacteriosis and allergies to oncology. In any case, do not put off visiting the veterinarian. After all, timely diagnosis of diseases is the key to successful treatment.