Cats Pooping with Blood: What to Do & How to Handle It

Firstly, let's delve into the analysis of color and shape: The color and shape of normal animal feces can vary greatly depending on the diet, as different foods lead to different digestive outputs. Over time, as the feces are exposed to oxygen, the bile pigments within them oxidize, resulting in a darker color. Normal feces typically contain between 60% to 70% water.

In clinical settings, pathological feces exhibit several changes:

1. Diarrhea or Watery Stools: Often characterized by an excessive amount of mucus from the intestinal mucosa, leading to increased water content. This is commonly seen in both infectious and noninfectious diarrhea, particularly in acute enteritis. Young animals with enteritis may pass green, watery stools due to increased intestinal motility. Hemorrhagic enteritis often results in the passage of dark red, watery stools.

2. Foamy Stools: Often indicative of bacterial infections in the small intestine.

3. Oily Stools: May suggest malabsorption due to issues with the small intestine or pancreas, or as a result of the ingestion of oils, either orally or via enemas.

4. Mucoid and Sticky Feces: While a small amount of mucus is normally present in animal feces and is mixed with the stool, making it difficult to see, visible mucus indicates an increase. This can occur in cases of small intestine inflammation, where mucus is mixed evenly with the stool. In colitis, the stool is mostly formed, and mucus may not mix evenly. Rectal inflammation can result in mucus adhering to the surface of the stool.

5. Bloody Stools: Commonly associated with anal fissures, rectal polyps, colitis, and sometimes with bright red blood that clings to the stool surface or is present at the end of defecation.

6. Black Stools: Often a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding disorders, infections, hemorrhagic enteritis, or other metabolic diseases that cause intestinal DIC.

7. Claylike Feces: Indicates bile duct obstruction from various causes, leading to the absence of bilirubin in the intestines.

Regarding common causes of blood in a cat's feces:

1. Constipation with Blood (Hard or somewhat hard, more common in autumn): If constipation is accompanied by blood, the stool may be firm, dry, and blood may be present at the end. In mild cases, a conservative approach can be taken, such as administering a probiotic like Meow Want, to address imbalances in the gut microbiome. Regularly feeding a cat's hairball remedy or grooming can also help prevent recurrence. Switching to a highfiber cat food can also be beneficial.

2. Colitis (Hard or moderate, more common in autumn): Colitis can also cause blood at the end of a cat's stools, often with bright red blood and mucus. Colitis is usually chronic. Cats with colitis can be treated with antibiotics like amoxicillin tablets, following the veterinarian's advice. After four hours, a probiotic can be given to regulate gut function. It is important to note that antibiotics and probiotics should not be given together, as antibiotics can kill beneficial probiotics, affecting their therapeutic effect.

3. Gastroenteritis (Soft or loose, more common in summer): Cats with gastroenteritis often present with loose stools and blood, along with a strong, foul odor and occasional vomiting. Treatment may involve feeding amoxicillin every 12 hours if the cat has diarrhea. After each dose, a probiotic should be given to restore gut function and reduce the side effects of the medication. Once diarrhea stops, the cat can continue taking probiotics until the gastroenteritis is resolved.

4. Intestinal Physical Injury (Throughout the year, more common during holidays): Cats have delicate digestive systems and should not be fed hard or sharp foods, such as hard bones, which can cause intestinal lacerations and lead to malabsorption, resulting in soft stools with blood. The owner should stop feeding these foods and switch to a liquid diet to prevent further injury. After about a week, the cat can gradually return to solid food. During this time, feeding a probiotic like Meow Want or a mucosal protective drug like sucralfate can help regulate the gut and improve the blood in the stool.

5. Parasites (Throughout the year, more common in summer): If a cat's feces contain blood and white wormlike creatures, it may be due to parasites. The stool may appear watery and jellylike, with blood at the end, dark red or brown in color. Treatment involves administering deworming medication under veterinary guidance, followed by probiotics to regulate the gut and alleviate any discomfort caused by deworming. Good hygiene practices, regular disinfection of furniture, and prompt disposal of garbage are essential. Remember to deworm your cat regularly.

It is important to clarify that there are misconceptions about deworming medications. It is not recommended to always use the same dewormer; instead, it is suggested to rotate dewormers every six months. Here is a summary of common cat parasites and the recommended deworming medications for reference.