Why is my senior Maine Coon sleeping more and has bloody stools?

Poor guy. He sounds ill indeed. Many disease processes can cause loose bloody stool including: intestinal parasites, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, lymphoma (cancer of the intestines), dietary indiscretion (eating something he shouldn't have), and even a bacterial infection. The first step would be to do a full panel bloodwork analysis, fecal exam and urinalysis done on Oliver. This should be ble to narrow things down quite a bit so that your vet can know what Oliver needs treatment wise. I would suggest scheduling an appt for him soon at your local vet. I hope that your pet Oliver is able to recover from his bloody stool and illness. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bloody stools can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Smokey evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

This bleeding indicates a severe colitis (inflammation of the colon). This could be from a severe infection, or cancer. The sleeping constantly is worrying that she is losing so much blood that she is becoming anemic and/or very dehydrated. Given the severity of the problems you are seeing, Misty really needs veterinary treatment, because there is nothing that can be done for her at home. I recommend taking her to the vet as soon as possible. Sometimes, these problems can be easily cleared with appropriate medication and other treatment. I hope that helps and Misty gets better soon.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Luna has lost his appetite and is showing signs of blood in the stool, I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. This could be due to severe irritation in the colon from diarrhea or there could be something more going on such as a foreign body obstruction. The sooner he is seen the better. 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.

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!

It is possible that this particular stool was difficult to pass and you helping to remove it may have caused a small amount of bleeding from the rectal tissue. Cats can become constipated, and if she has been passing less stool than usual, straining to defecate and had a decreased appetite I would recommend seeing a veterinarian. There are some other things that can cause blood in the stool as well including intestinal parasites, colitis or even inflammatory bowel disease. If the blood is persistent you should make an appointment to see your veterinarian as well.

Megacolon usually occurs after chronic issues with constipation in a cat so if Bunty has had constipation issues then this is possible. Even one bout of severe constipation would be enough to cause megacolon. Bunty would need X-rays to diagnose megacolon. Frank blood like you are seeing in Bunty's stool is usually indication of an issue with the colon so something like inflammatory bowel disease could also be going on. It's important to have Bunty examined by a veterinarian to start treatment for these issues. He may need a prescription diet to manage his digestive issues. A stool sample should also be checked for parasites. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Bunty is feeling better soon!