Bloody diarrhea in kittens looks pretty terrifying to owners. But there’s no need to panic. Let’s take a closer look at this issue.
There are digestive tract parasites that can cause a little blood in young kittens; however if it’s intense red, it’s most likely due to some inflammation of the colon or rectum. A feline that has been bounced around from one place to another, fed whatever food was offered, and usually not fed effectively can have the issue, and it takes a little while to settle down.
Growing up, we never had less than eight felines, so I am very knowledgeable about all their behaviors, in addition to their physical ailments. Among those ailments is diarrhea. Ugh. Even kittens can’t make diarrhea cute.
Regrettably, kittens (and felines) can establish diarrhea for no obvious factor, and it might take detective work by both you and your vet to figure out the cause. As a veterinarian for more than 20 years, and chief of personnel at Animal House of Chicago, I have dealt with numerous cases of diarrhea in kittens, felines in age from birth through 6 months.
In my experience, the most common causes are dietary indiscretion (eating something that caused upset), a sudden change in diet and parasites.
Signs Of Diarrhea in Kitten
You might believe you know the signs of diarrhea; however they can be rather varied in any age cat. Regular, urgent pooping of loose, watery stools are the traditional signs that your feline has diarrhea.
Nevertheless, straining to poop can also be an indication, though it might be misinterpreted as constipation.
A kitten who has a bout of explosive, watery stool and remains stooped over as if he still requires to go while absolutely nothing comes out is experiencing diarrhea, not constipation. Other signs include:
- Fever
- Sleepiness
- Despair
- Anorexia nervosa
- Dehydration
It is easy to determine if an indoor kitten is having diarrhea — check the feline litter box. If you permit your kitten to go outside, diagnosis is harder — you have to observe your kitten as he goes, or discover his poop after the truth.
If you do determine loose, watery stool either indoors or outdoors and it persists, take a sample to your vet for analysis.
How Cat Owner Should React to Bloody Diarrhea in Kitten
Kittens, adult cats that are small in size, and geriatric cats are at different threat of ending up being dehydrated from even a single episode of diarrhea.
If your kitten appears OK after a single bout of diarrhea, it may be safe to monitor him. However, if you observe any sleepiness, fever or modification inhabits, call your veterinarian for an appointment as quickly as possible.
If your kitten appears fine yet has frequent episodes of diarrhea that do not seem to be resolving, it is also time to call your veterinarian for a non-emergency visit.
If your kitten is passing blood in his stools or if you notice any weakness or other signs of debilitation in addition to diarrhea, call your vet right away and have your kitten viewed as quickly as possible.
Red blood in the poop generally suggests a problem with the lower intestine/colon or rectum.
Black blood in the poop usually indicates a more significant problem greater up in the gastrointestinal tract.
Your vet, based upon a total physical and possibly some laboratory evaluations, might offer you showed medication( s) and a prescription diet.
If there is no blood, call your vet and ask about over-the-counter medications or choices for at-home treatments for your cat. Since there are many causes of diarrhea, the treatment will vary.
Attempt to identify how diarrhea began so you can prevent a recurrence. Overactive thyroid, food allergies, kidney failure, cancer, poisoning (from houseplants, rat toxin, human medications, and so on), parasites and infectious diseases, among other things, can result in diarrhea.
Acquire veterinary help if the cause isn’t evident or it is an ongoing issue. Food with fewer irritants or treatments for a disease may lower or remove diarrhea.
At-Home Treatment for Bloody Diarrhea in Kittens
1) Altering Food
If your kitten is otherwise healthy and his habits are normal, ask your vet if you need to withhold food (food only, not water) for 12 hours.
After 12 hours of withholding feline food, provide your kitten a dull food that is fat-free. Some choices are a fat-free prepared/canned kitten food, or cooked ground turkey and canned 100 percent pumpkin. If canned pumpkin is not quickly discovered, attempt fresh, cooked sweet potato.
It has been discovered that pumpkin or sweet potato is typically well endured and digestible even in pets suffering from diarrhea.
Mix parts turkey and pumpkin and provide your feline smaller portions often throughout the day up until diarrhea resolves.
If diarrhea does not determine in the first two to three days on a boring diet, consult your veterinarian if you haven’t already.
An alternative to this is a bland diet of ground beef and rice. While this is rather fat-free, even the leanest ground beef is higher in fat than turkey. Rice is undoubtedly bland and includes fiber, but it is a complex carb that tends to ferment in your cat’s intestinal tract.
This can make your kitten gassy, and you may see relatively undigested rice in your kitten’s poop.
For some cases of diarrhea, it may be required to customize the diet permanently. You might need to offer your cat special feline food to avoid certain active ingredients, plus include fiber, decrease fat intake and boost digestibility.
2) Natural Remedies
Slippery elm is a neutral fiber source that might work well to relieve episodes of diarrhea. It acts as a natural anti-diarrheal by decreasing GI inflammation; it can likewise serve as a non-irritating source of fiber to bulk the stool and slow its transit through the GI tract.
Consult your vet for dosage suggestions.
Lots of pet owners have success utilizing other organic solutions such as peppermint or chamomile. These may be especially helpful for the cramps and other undesirable GI symptoms that feature diarrhea. Homeopathic podophyllum is likewise an excellent solution to keep on hand to help in reducing a few of the side effects associated with periodic diarrhea.
Consult your veterinarian for dosage recommendations.
Metamucil can likewise be used to help resolve diarrhea. Including half a teaspoon of Metamucil into your kitten’s food, especially if he has soft poop, often firms up the stool.
A kitten with diarrhea needs more water by whatever suggests possible. Diarrhea causes the kitten to lose fluids, and the electrolytes in those fluids are essential to assist control critical physiologic functions. Pedialyte is an over the counter electrolyte beverage designed for babies and children and can be contributed to your kitten’s water.
Begin by providing water that includes 10 percent Pedialyte. If your kitten likes it, increase the amount of Pedialyte to 50 percent.
Pedialyte is available in several different tastes; however, I discover the first, clear, unflavored variety to be the most accepted by felines.
Veterinary Diagnosis
Bring your kitten to the vet if his diarrhea continues for more than a day, or if you observe lethargy, throwing up, fever, dark-colored or bloody stools, straining to defecate, decreased cravings or inexplicable weight-loss.
Your vet will examine your kitten for underlying health problems and probably take a stool sample to look for the existence of internal parasites, overgrowth of germs or other fecal problems. Your vet might likewise perform blood work to identify other possible causes of diarrhea.
Other diagnostic tests that might be recommended include X-rays, ultrasound, cultures, endoscopy, and biopsy.
The diagnostic tests performed and treatment suggested will depend upon how long diarrhea has been present and the seriousness of your kitten’s condition.
Professional Treatment from Vet
If your kitten is dehydrated, additional fluids may be offered either using an intravenous or subcutaneous route.
Offering fluids orally may not suffice to offset the dehydration because the liquids travel through the kitten too quickly to be correctly taken in. To spot dehydration, gently pinch the typically loose skin at the back of the neck.
When a kitten usually is hydrated, the skin snaps right to pull back. If the pinched skin flattens slowly or stays tented, the kitten is dehydrated. If the kitten seems dehydrated, take him to your vet right away.
1) If Bloody Diarrhea in Cat Caused by Parasites
If parasites are present, your vet must prescribe the proper de-wormer and/or other medication.
Not all de-wormers eliminate every sort of parasite, so the precise type of parasite(s) must be determined and the appropriate anti-parasitic medication(s) selected.
Often, de-worming should be repeated one or more times over a couple of weeks or more. Keep things clean to get rid of the worm eggs from your home.
The fecal flotation test done by your vet searches for worm eggs, and if no eggs are being produced, the test could be negative although worms could be present. For this reason, in some cases, even if the fecal flotation test is negative, an anti-parasitic medication might still be recommended.
1) If Bloody Diarrhea in Kitten Caused by Bacteria
Your veterinarian will recommend the proper antibiotic(s) if bacteria are triggering diarrhea.
Antibiotics might also be given if the intestinal tract has been damaged (e.g., blood in the poop may suggest an injured intestinal tract) and there is a chance that the injury might enable bacteria from the intestine into the bloodstream, perhaps causing severe disease.
In many cases of diarrhea, medications might be provided to decrease the rate at which the intestinal tract moves consumed product through. These drugs must not be offered if the kitten might have ingested a toxic substance or may have a bacterial infection, so it is always crucial to have a precise medical diagnosis before using these drugs.
Kitten Diarrhea Facts Cat Owners Should Understand
- Although it happens, kittens are not prone to diarrhea.
- Kittens who have regular hairballs may likewise experience periodic bouts of diarrhea, but this might show another problem, like inflammatory bowel disease, that needs to be investigated.
- Kittens who invest a great deal of time outdoors may be at an increased threat for internal parasites or ingestion of unsuitable food, which might cause diarrhea. If your kitten goes outside, inspect that your neighbors are not feeding him. Overeating or eating a food he is not utilized to can offer kitten diarrhea. Check your lawn and your neighbors’ lawns for poisonous plants that your kitten may have nibbled. The ASPCA
- Animal Poison Control Center has a list of toxic and non-toxic plants on its website.
If you decide to switch your kitten’s food, present it slowly, blending it with the old brand name in increasing amounts over a duration of days to guarantee a more straightforward shift for your pet’s GI tract. - Over-the-counter treatments like Pepto Bismol and Kaopectate can be harmful to cats due to salicylate toxicity. These ought to not be used! Always contact your veterinarian on the correct medication and dose for the weight and age of your feline.
- If any people in your household also have diarrhea, take your kitten to the vet and the relative to the medical professional immediately. There are some tiny parasites (Giardia and toxoplasmosis) that can cross species borders, which can be challenging to remove. These parasites have the perspective to end up being lethal to children, elderly adults and those with jeopardized health.
- Remember that your feline cannot control diarrhea. So please do not scold your feline for the mishaps. He can not help it, and including tension may make his diarrhea worse.
- Consult your vet. Your vet will ask you a series of questions to determine the severity of diarrhea. When did diarrhea begin? The number of bowel movements has your kitten had? What does the poop look like? Is your kitten uncomfortable?
- Know the signs of an emergency. Call your veterinarian instantly if your kitten has diarrhea and:
- Blood in diarrhea or the poop is black or tarry
- You believe your kitten might have consumed something poisonous or harmful
- A fever is depressed or appears dehydrated, or if your cat’s gums are pale or yellow
- Has not gotten all his vaccinations
- Seems in pain or discomfort
- Is likewise vomiting
Keep in mind: If you embrace a new kitty, have a fecal sample taken a look at immediately to dismiss a parasitic infection, and keep infected pets away from those who are not!
