Blood in the cat’s stool – Causes and possible diseases

bloodinthecatsstoolcausesandpossibledise 1961CC2D

Any pet that we decide to welcome in our home needs care that will ensure you enjoy a good quality of life and for this care we need a very important resource, our time.

We need time to accompany our pet, to pamper her and to be attentive to any change that may indicate an alteration in her health and these changes can be observed very clearly through food, urination and evacuation.

In this article we talk about the Causes of blood in the cat’s stool.

Is it normal to find blood in our cat’s feces?

Finding blood in our cat’s feces is not normal and should be interpreted as a warning sign, since everything that affects the digestive system may have a systemic repercussion on the organism of our pet, hence the feeding of the cat is one of the most important factors to maintain their health.

Elements such as blood or mucus should not be interpreted as normal signs when they are found in feces, but this does not necessarily imply that they obey a serious disease that compromises the animal’s life.

One of the first aspects that we must differentiate and that will be very useful to give the veterinarian adequate information is the color of blood, let’s see below why:

  • Red blood: If the blood present in the stool is red, this indicates that it has not been digested and therefore comes from the lower digestive tract, usually the colon or rectum. In this case we can find spotted feces or even observe how the blood falls when our cat defecates.
  • Sangre negra: On the other hand, if the blood present in our cat’s feces is black, this indicates that it has been digested and that it therefore comes from the upper part of the digestive tract. In this case the blood is more difficult to identify but it is characterized by having an appearance similar to that of tar.

bloodinthecatsstoolcausesandpossibledise F57A6D0D

What causes the presence of blood in the cat’s stool?

The causes of this disorder can be very diverse and the severity, the treatment and the prognosis will vary depending on each specific cause. Next we will see what are the main causes that can cause the presence of blood in your cat’s feces:

  • Errors in the feeding: An abrupt change in diet or over-feeding can irritate the colon and cause alterations in both the evacuation and the composition of the feces, causing the presence of blood in them.
  • Intestinal parasites: The intestinal parasites that can infest the gastrointestinal tract of your cat are common cause of the appearance of blood in the feces, in this case we will also observe signs such as discomfort, weakness and even weight loss.
  • Damage to the rectal mucosa: The rectum is a very vascular area and with great blood supply, this also means that it is a very sensitive and delicate area. When the cat follows a diet deficient in fiber, constipation and a greater effort to evacuate may occur, which can damage the rectal mucosa and cause it to bleed.
  • Colitis: The colitis is a term that indicates inflammation of the colon and that produces a bleeding in the mucosa of this intestinal tract that later is externalized in the feces with the presence of blood. In the cat, colitis can be caused by the colonization of bacteria of the genus Clostridium.
  • Trauma: Because of their independent and exploratory nature, cats are very susceptible to various types of blows and these can cause internal hemorrhages that, although they are not visible, are manifested through the presence of blood in the stool.
  • NSAID taking: NSAIDs are drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and can be used in both cats and dogs provided they are for veterinary use. They are usually used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Due to its mechanism of action, these types of anti-inflammatories reduce the secretion of protective mucus in the stomach and can cause bleeding ulcers in the gastric mucosa.
  • Tumor: A cause of blood in the stool may be the excessive growth of cells in the digestive tract, this does not imply that the nature of the tumor may be benign or malignant, something that the veterinarian will confirm.

bloodinthecatsstoolcausesandpossibledise 26D67DAB

What should I do if I see blood in my cat’s stool?

It is important that you go to the veterinarian as soon as possible because after this sign can hide serious causes, but reiterate that this is not always the case.

The veterinarian will take into account all the symptoms and signs present, perform a complete physical examination as well as blood and stool tests that allow you to define the underlying cause and treat it appropriately.

Finally we recommend that when you go to the veterinarian you provide the following information in order to find out the cause in a simpler way:

  • When the symptoms have appeared and if they have manifested more than once in the last months.
  • If the cat has lost its appetite and shows weakness.
  • It is important to take a stool sample and report any changes in the consistency or frequency of evacuation.
  • We must also report any strange behavior we have observed in our cat.

bloodinthecatsstoolcausesandpossibledise 44B12396

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Blood in the cat’s stool – Causes and possible diseases, we recommend that you enter in our section of Other health problems.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *