Why is my exotic cat having diarrhea, yellowish stool, and blood?

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

The first and most common reason for it could dietary related. Other differentials may be parasite infestation and infective or inflammatory gastrointestinal disease. I would strongly recommend to start changing the diet (switch gradually over one week time), giving a bland one based on boiled chicken or white fish and rice/potatoes for a couple of weeks. If by then you will not notice any improvement,a check up and more investigations and/or treatment (antibiotic trial and parasite treatment) would be ideal. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Milo. This diarrhea could be caused by dietary indiscretion, a stomach illness, eating something rotten, or a foreign body among other causes. The concern here is blood in his stool. You can feed him his canned food, but I strongly recommend you take him into a vet now to get this treated. The vet can diagnose what is causing his bloody diarrhea and can treat him. Please take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

I am very sorry to hear that Ludo is experiencing this issue, I am sure it is unsettling. From what you are describing, diarrhoea which becomes liquid and has fresh blood in it, it sounds as though Ludo has colitis, or inflammation of the last portion of the large intestines. There are several causes of colitis in cats, ranging from bacterial infections, parasite infestations, IBD, or ingestion of contaminated food. Since you have only noticed one such episode I would continue to monitor Ludo at home. Provide a bland diet of boiled boneless chicken breast and plenty of fresh water. If the episodes continue, if Ludo becomes depressed, passes large amounts of blood, vomits, or seems very uncomfortable take Ludo to see his vet. I hope this answer was helpful and more importantly that Ludo feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the symptoms you are describing, it sounds as if Godol may be dealing with an infection. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would also initiate a bland diet as outlined below. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. You can also try a lysine supplement to help with a potential herpes viral infection. You can find lysine supplementation at your vet or at a local pet store. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry that Minnie isn't feeling well! I think because it has been 5 days that you should have your Vet check her out. Bring a stool sample. They likely will prescribe metronidazole (flagyl) for the diarrhea and possibly check her stool for parasites. The blood indicates inflammation and is common to see when the diarrhea has been going on this long. Common causes of diarrhea are: food sensitivities, ate something that didn't agree with her, bacterial or viral infections, toxins, metabolic diseases, pancreatitis, irritable bowl disease, intestinal parasites. I wish Minnie a speedy recovery!

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