How does malt paste help my cat's bloody stool and digestive issues?

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!

Hello. Fortunately, this is not an emergency. Cat stool is usually pretty dry, so occasional blood is not unusual. I usually recommend 1/8 teaspoon of Miralax twice daily, but you can go up to 1/4 teaspoon twice daily for a few days. Too much Miralax can lead to electrolyte imbalances, so if the blood & dry stool continues, your veterinarian might want to put Lilly on some Lactulose. Do everything you can to increase the liquids taken in by Lilly, including tuna water, or low sodium broth added to food or offered separately along with fresh water. See how this goes before seeing your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Since cats are obligate carnivores, they do not need the carbohydrates in dry food. Even grain-free dry food have carbohydrates since they are necessary to make a dry food. This is the best website I have found about cat nutrition. http://catinfo.org Merrick is a great food, so you might try stopping the dry food before you make any other diet changes, but my cats have been doing well on Wellness as another option for you. I have not had a chance to try it yet, but since you are in CA, Just Food For Dogs has started making food for cats as well. https://www.justfoodfordogs.com For a probiotic suggestion, I would consider VetriScience probiotics. https://www.vetriscience.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=900714120 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Barb. I'm glad to hear that she is still eating and acting like herself. If a cat experiences a bit of difficulty passing a bowel movement, they will strain. This can irritate the colon resulting in bright red blood streaks on the feces. Contact you veterinarian in the morning. Fecal testing will likely be recommended to rule out any intestinal parasites causing the blood. A diet modification may be needed to make it easier for her to pass stool if this becomes a repeated problem for her. You can add canned food for the extra moisture content or your veterinarian may recommend a higher fiber food or supplement. I hope this information helps!

I suspect food allergy or IBD. I recommend you try the following: 1. Change the diet to Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. I have had a lot of luck with clients using this diet and it has really helped. Change the diet slowly over a week's time to prevent further GI upset. ( https://www.purina.com/pro-plan/cats/sensitive-stomach-skin-cat-food ) 2. Start her on a good probiotic made for cats like Fortiflora. It comes as a 30 day course. I would do all 30 days. ( https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/fortiflora-cats-probiotics/ ) If after this, no improvement or the problem returns then more testing for IBD would be needed. I would not be worried about the blood unless it persists for days on end. I know it is concerning to you but it is just from the colon being irritated. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I am very sorry to hear that Petunia is experiencing this issue, I am sure it is unsettling. From what you are describing, a soft bowel movement which becomes liquid and has fresh blood in it, it sounds as though Buddy 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 Petunia at home for the time being. Provide a bland diet of boiled boneless chicken breast for a few meals, then switch to a sensitive stomach diet preferable by royal canin or hills science diet as these two brands are veterinarian tested and approved. I would also suggest using a broad spectrum de-worming treatment. Here are some helpful links; https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-cats/ If the episodes continue, if Petunia becomes depressed, passes large amounts of blood, vomits, or seems very uncomfortable take Petunia to see her vet. I hope this answer was helpful and more importantly that Petunia 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.