My 5-week kitten has diarrhea with red stool. When to see vet?

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are many causes to diarrhea with a red perhaps inflamed anus. Parasites could be the cause or a bacterial or viral infection. I would take your kitten to your veterinarian soon for a fecal test where they will test his stool for parasites and bacteria and/or certain viruses that could be causing the diarrhea. They may Rx a medication to your kitten depending on what the veterinarian discovers on the fecal test. Best of luck! I hope this has helped.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Rose. Poor little girl! I'm quite concerned that she has diarrhea with bright red blood in it and is very lethargic. Based on this, I think she should see a vet now. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. I hope this helps!

Small specks of red blood during a bout of diarrhea is not unusual as the delicate lining of the back passage can become damaged from straining. As long as he is bright and alert, eating and drinking it would be ok to leave him but if any lethargy, weakness or vomiting occurs he should be seen urgently by your vet. Be sure he is up to date with deworming medication as intestinal worms are a common cause of diarrhea in young kittens

Hello, and congratulations on Poppy! Young kittens can have things like worms that may cause diarrhea, but other factors, like a diet change or stress, could also be the culprit. Bright red blood streaks in the stool is not entirely uncommon when animals have diarrhea as they sometimes strain to push out remaining soft stool, which can burst small blood vessels in the rectum. The blood itself is probably nothing to worry about unless is continues, but Poppy should be evaluated by a vet for the diarrhea. They will check a stool sample for parasites, like worms, and give her the proper treatment. While it is unlikely that you or your family will contract parasites from Poppy, it is always best practice to wash well after playing with her and after cleaning her litterbox until she has been dewormed in order to minimize the risk of transmission. Most kittens do have worms, and need at least two deworming treatments. I recommend contacting your vet in the morning. Good luck, and I hope Poppy grows to be a happy, healthy cat!

He does look very sore and any diarrhoea which lasts more than 2 days in young kittens should be treated as they can rapidly become dehydrated and malnourished if not absorbing food and water sufficiently. I would get a stool sample checked for parasites and also start him on a specialist, highly digestible intestinal diet for 3-5days followed by a good quality kitten food introduced gradually. Probiotics can also be helpful

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor kitty! It's time to see the vet again since her poo is bad again with blood in it. She may have have something like coccidia or Giardia causing this issue, and those can take a while to treat. I'd take her back to the vet in the morning. Best of luck.

As long as she’s feeling fine and eating and drinking she should be fine. Please get her back on cat food and water only and this loose stool should resolve without treatment. When cats have bowel irritation they can pass small amounts of blood. If she’s not eating well, not drinking or the diarrhea lasts more than a day then please take her in for an exam and treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Whiskey.