Homevet

If there is blood in cats stool (or blood in dogs stool) then it’s clearly worrying and concerning for pet owners,  and many people contact us about this. There are a lot of conditions that can cause this so we would advise not to panic, but to schedule an appointment with the vet within the next day where possible.

The normal faeces (stools) that a cat passes are brown colour and with good shape/ form. If a cat is having diarrhoea, the poo consistency changes to become soft, liquid, or watery. The colour may also change (lighter or darker). The one worry for everyone is blood.

Important or serious causes of blood in the stool in pets are:

Low blood platelets (clotting factors) which can happen with Tick Fever (in dogs), or with Immune Mediated diseases

Severe gastrointestinal bacteria or viruses like Parvovirus

Inflammatory bowel disease

Less serious but also fairly common causes of blood in cat or dogs stool are:

Gastroenteritis and colitis after a change in diet

Soft faeces from many causes (eg low fibre diet, or dietary change) causing colitis

Intestinal parasites like hookworms, tapeworm

Anal gland problems

Constipation

Rarer but serious causes of blood in the stool are:

Cancers

Foreign bodies in the intestines

Polyps

Toxins/poisons

Intestinal prolapses

The main thing no note is that there are many causes for blood in cats stool or blood in dogs stool, and mostly they are less serious; so don’t ignore the issue, but also don’t immediately panic- discuss the issue with your veterinarian first.

We might want to do a faecal test so please have a fresh stool sample to hand. Document the problem with photos also please. Feel free to call Homevet to discuss this concerning issue if your pet in Hong Kong has blood in the stool.