My 3-month-old kitten has bright red bloody stool, no shots. What's wrong?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Prince. Congrats on your new kitten, but I'm sorry he isn't well! If he wasn't weaned and is now eating a kitten food, that could be causing the bloody diarrhea. I agree, it does look like his anus is protruding a bit. Given that he's eating and drinking and otherwise acting normally, it's fine to wait until the morning to wait to take him into a vet. He should see one first thing in the morning to get treated. Tonight, keep feeding him and giving him water, and keep him warm and comfortable. I hope this helps!

It looks like Ollie might be having a partial rectal prolapse, which can happen with diarrhea from things like parasites or from constipation. The blood might be related to diarrhea or if it's a small amount it could be from the rectum and from irritation. I would recommend seeing a veterinarian right away given his age - if it is a small prolapse it could get worse quickly and require surgical repair. The vet can hopefully determine the underlying cause and offer treatment.

This can commonly occur after intestinal parasites or stress from vaccinations. Your cat most likely need some antibiotics and possibly a probiotic to help get the gut health back to where it needs to be. Once this occurs the diarrhea should resolve. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would not give the vaccine if Kitty isn’t feeling well. If she has an infectious disease the vaccine will not prevent it from getting worse. Bloody stool could be from a virus, a bacterial infection, a GI foreign body, or parasites. Even if you have dewormed her, not all dewormers get every parasite. If the bloody stool continues I would recommend borrowing money to have her seen by a vet. Good luck and kisses to Miss Kitty!

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

Casper needs to be examined by the veterinarian. Bloody stool can be present for many reasons including parasites, bacterial over growth, improper diet, viral infection or poisoning. Bring in a fresh sample of the feces for parasite testing. The veterinarian may recommend an antibiotic, probiotic and a bland diet. You need to start ruling out the potential causes so that Casper gets the correct treatment. I hope this helps.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Donnie. Poor girl! Don’t worry about the photo, we’ve seen worse! I see a little bit of red but not a big amount. I’d keep an eye on her for now. If you keep seeing red in her poop or it gets worse, then take her back into the vet ASAP. Keep treating her as directed by the vet. I hope this helps!