My normal cats have bloody mucus in their poop. Could it be food?

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! With blood present I think it is time for a vet exam (and bring a stool sample along). We can have intestinal parasites that are not treated by dewormer (such as Coccidia and Giardia). We can also have things like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or food allergy cause these issues. The vet can examine your kitty and based on the exam and history make recommendations and possible test and treatment options.

I'm sorry Marli is now having the same symptoms! Given that they are both having it, it could be they both ate something they shouldn't have, like a foreign object or plant. It could also be that they are constipated from their diet or lack of exercise, and straining to poop could cause blood in the feces. It's a good idea that you are taking both into the vet, hope they feel better soon!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I suggest you have him dewormed and I would also start him on a probiotic (Fortiflora). If you do those two things and the diarrhea doesn't start to resolve in a few days then you need to take him to a vet for an exam. ( https://www.1800petmeds.com/purina+fortiflora-prod10376.html ) ( https://www.1800petmeds.com/drontal+for+cats-prod10073.html ) I don't think the oral flea/tick med is the issue but of course it can be. If you use that again in the future and the diarrhea starts again then you can probably confidently say that it is the issue in which case I would stop using it. Usually if that is the case the diarrhea starts within 24 hours of administration. Two weeks later, it is not likely. The new food is also possibly the culprit but again, you didn't switch cold turkey and it doesn't sound like he is eating that much of it anyway. Again, possible but not likely. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The photo is very helpful- I can definitely see the blood and mucus in the stool. Certain liver and pancreatic conditions can cause this, as well as intestinal inflammation. Additional tests I recommend are pancreatic and liver function tests, bloodwork to determine nutrient absorption by the intestines, x-rays, and even an ultrasound. The most aggressive diagnostic would be an exploratory surgery with biopsies. You can talk to your vet also about changing your cat’s diet and adding probiotics. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you have!

Yes, they can have Giardia or coccidia without any signs of disease and it can be missed by the lab depending on the test. There are a few different possibilities with what you are describing though. It could be a parasitic infection, but could also be a bacterial infection, or colitis due to an adverse food reaction. Considering you are seeing blood, it's best to have your vet recheck her. They will help to narrow-down the cause of this and provide the necessary treatment. I hope that helps and Kitty gets better soon.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Fig! A diet change absolutely can be a cause of bloody stool. Blood in the stool indicates inflammation in the colon. Other possible causes are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, stress. I would change her back to the original food and hopefully the blood goes away. If the blood persists for the next 2 days I would have her examine by your Vet before the holidays. She may need antibiotics to help her get through this. I hope this helps and I wish Fig a speedy recovery!

You can add a probiotic to the diet to help and this can be purchased at any pet store or vets office. The other recommendation would be to find a different food. Try to pick one with a different meat ingredient than what you are currently on to see if it is a food allergy