My old cat has bloody diarrhea. Is it cancer? When to see a vet?

Oh no, poor Elsa! At five months of age, it is very unlikely cancer is causing her to have bloody diarrhea. That would be rare for a cat her age. She could be suffering from intestinal worms, which are common in kittens, and that can cause bloody diarrhea. She also could have a GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, or could have a foreign body causing her these symptoms. I would have her seen by a vet today if possible. The vet can diagnose what is causing her bloody diarrhea and how best to treat it.

It sounds like Smokey has colitis, or an inflammation of the colon. In older cats that have this problem I worry about irritable bowel disease, hyperthyroidism and intestinal lymphoma (cancer). Since this has been getting progressively worse over the past year I would recommend taking her in to be checked out by the vet. They may recommend doing a fecal exam to rule out intestinal parasites, blood work, and possibly X-rays and an ultrasound. Good luck.

Chronic diarrhea in an older cat with vomiting can be a sign of an inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal cancer. The only way to differentiate between the two disease is a surgery to take biopsies of the intestines and have them analyzed. Based on the diagnosis, the diet may be changed or vitamin supplements or steroids may be added to manage her symptoms. They will check for parasite and check her labs for any renal or endocrine disease

I am very sorry to hear about Bella's diagnosis of cancer. Soft, bloody stool may be related to the medication she is receiving (if any), related directly to her cancer (not indicated what type of cancer she has), or it can be stress colitis (inflammation of the colon due to stress on her body). Regardless, it is best to ask your veterinarian for a prescription of medication for this problem. It is the quickest and safest way to help get this resolved for her. I hope she is feeling better soon.

There are many things that could cause his symptoms. Unfortunately they are non-specific and could be a symptoms of almost anything. Bleeding from the anus frequently signifies a serious disorder. Possible causes of bleeding from the anus can include polyps or tumors of the colon or anus, abscess or infection of the anal gland, constipation, blood clotting disorders, autoimmune disease or even certain types of poisoning. Any chance he ate a toxic plant or was exposed to any toxins? Intestinal parasites are another possibility. Whipworms are intestinal parasites. They are about 1/4-inch long and live in the cecum and colon of the cat, where they cause severe irritation to the lining of those organs. This results in watery, bloody diarrhea. They can also have weight loss and general debilitation. Whipworms are one of the most pathogenic (harmful) worms found in cats. Has a fecal sample been tested? Whipworms can also cause vomiting. Any chance the blood is dripping from his penis and not the anus? In younger cats a common cause of bloody urine is the presence of crystals in urine (crystalluria). When left undiagnosed and untreated, these crystals can lead to blockage of the urethra in some male cats. Has a urinalysis been done? This is the best I can tell you at this time. If you have more detailed questions or want to speak one on one you can also opt to do a private consultation with me. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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 would monitor Button for now, and keep an eye on her feces. If you see blood again, then yes I would take her into a vet. Her GI tract could have become irritated with the diarrhea, causing the blood in the feces. Should it be a one off occurrence, and she is eating normally with no more diarrhea, she does not require a vet visit.