Blood in Cat Feces

Finding blood in your cat's feces is not normal and should be treated as an alarm signal. Anything that affects the digestive system may have a systemic impact on the body of your pet. As such, a cat's diet is one of the most important factors in keeping them healthy.

Elements such as blood or mucus shouldn't be treated as normal when found in an animal's feces, but neither do they necessarily mean that they are suffering from a serious disease that is endangering their life.

One of the first things that you need to distinguish, and something which will be very useful to relay to the vet, is the colour of the blood. Here is why:

• Red blood: If the blood found in the faeces is red, this tells you that it has not been digested and therefore comes from the lower digestive tract - generally from the colon or rectum. In this case you'll see stained feces, or even see the cat bleeding when they defecate.

• Black blood: On the other hand, if the blood found in your cat's feces is black, this tells you that it has been digested and therefore comes from the upper digestive tract. In this case the blood is more difficult to identify, but is characterised by its tar-like appearance.

There can be many different causes of this disorder, with the severity, treatment and prognosis varying according to each particular case. Below you'll see which are the main causes that cause the presence of blood in your cat's feces:

• Dietary errors: A sudden change in diet, or even feeding them too much, can irritate the colon and cause alterations in the defecation and composition of feces, causing the presence of blood.

• Intestinal parasites: A common cause of blood in your cat's faeces is the presence of intestinal parasites, which can infest their gastrointestinal tract. In these cases, you will also notice signs such as discomfort, weakness and even weight loss.

• Damage to the rectal mucosa: The rectum is a highly vascularised area with high blood flow, which makes it a very sensitive and delicate area. When the cat follows a diet with a fibre deficiency, it can lead them to become constipated and have difficulties in defecating. This causes damage to the rectal mucosa and causes them to bleed.

• Colitis: Colitis is a term that refers to inflammation of the colon which causes the mucosa of this intestinal tract to bleed. This leads to blood being found in stool later on. In cats, colitis may be caused by the colonisation of bacteria of the clostridium genus.

• Traumas: Owing to their independent and inquisitive character, cats are very susceptible to suffering different types of blows. These can cause internal haemorrhages that, even though they aren't visible, are manifested as the presence of blood in faeces.

• Taking NSAIDS: NSAIDs are drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and can be used in both cats and dogs as long as they are for veterinary use. They are generally used to ease pain and reduce swelling. As a result of their mechanism of action, these types of anti-inflammatories reduce the secretion of protective mucus in the stomach and can lead to bleeding ulcers in the gastric mucosa.

• Tumour: One cause of blood in feces can be the excessive growth of cells in the digestive tract. This doesn't imply that the tumour is either benign or malign, which is something that will need to be confirmed by the vet.

It is highly important that you go to the vet as soon as possible, because it may be caused by something serious. However, we reiterate that this isn't always the case.

The vet will consider all of the present symptoms and signs and conduct a complete physical examination as well as analytical tests on the blood and feces. This will allow them to detect the underlying cause and treat it accordingly.

To finish off, we recommend that when you go to the vet you give them the following information, which will help them to figure out the cause:

• When the symptoms appeared, and if they have manifested more than once in the last few months.
• If the cat has lost their appetite and seems weak.
• It's important to bring a stool sample and inform the vet about any changes in the consistency or frequency of evacuation.
• You should also inform them if you've noticed your cat exhibiting any strange behaviour.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Blood in Cat Feces, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category.