lots of bloof everywhere... is it really just diarrhea??

Question

Hi, I'm new to this whole thing so I'm sorry if I come off a little 'new'.
I have a kitten named Odin-1.5 yrs old, male tabby. The past few days I've noticed a bit of blood on our floor. I waited to see which cat it could be (have 2). My other cat is eating fine, full of energy, completely normal. Odin, not eating, I think he is drinking enough and today I've come to realize it's him.
This morning I found clotted blood on the floor, streaks of blood here and there. I thought to look in the litter for whatever reason and there were 2 big clumbs of blood. The vet couldn't say if it was mixed with fecies or urine because there was more blood then anything.
I brought him to the vet today, he has had this kind of problem before and had the same diagnosis, diarrhea. The only other thing that was abnormal (unless for cats it is normal) his temp was 39C. Odin's eating a strict diet of some can food she gave me and taking tylosin twice/day.
Can diarrhea really be it? Seems weird?

I did bring the sample in. No parasites, no worms. Nothing showed up in the sample but blood.. I have the sheet from the vet with everything on it. She said there's no discomfort and stomach felt fine, nothing she could feel in his rectum either. Only thing off, which I don't know if it is a big deal was his temp at 39C, not sure if thats normal or not. Other then eating a few bites a day, and bleeding all over the place.. he's normal. He's still very loving and cuddly. He has had attitude towards my other cat however, hissing, which is incredibly out of character.
I do have canned food, from the vet, he has to eat that for the next few days mixed with some meds. I've had to almost force feed him, and I am worried if he doesn't eat because its been a week of him not eating at least. He needs the nutrients. I don't make him eat too much but just a little, enough for him to be satisfied. Ahh, I don't know. A second opinion would mean another 150-200 and I'm not exactly loaded..

Sorry, just to add.. I'm just sort of at a loss.. I will have to wait out this treatment and see how it goes but it just seems to easy of an explanation. I've never bled from my butt because I had diarrhea, sorry to be graphic.. but for so much blood to come out, it's gotta be something more then just diarrhea? I'd like to know what's the cause to the diarrhea?? I know none of you can tell me that. I will be switching their every food to eukanuba or canadae, recommended by the vet.. I'm just really worried.

Answer 1

Have you tried worming him. The blood happens to mine when I need to worm them sometimes, but only certain ones.

Answer 2

Bloody diarrhea usually indicates some sort of bacterial infection. I foster kittens for an animal shelter, and when they come down with bloody diarrhea, they have me give them Albon twice a day for five days. After about 3 days, they're usually having mostly solid stools and by 5 days, the blood is completely gone. 2 ounces of Albon will run around $10 or so and depending on the cat's size and the vet's recommended dosage, will probably be enough for a five day treatment.

I would suggest keeping him separated from the other kitties at least until you can figure out exactly what is wrong. If you have a spare bedroom or bathroom you can keep him in, that's the best, but keeping him in a carrier is ok for the short term. Be sure to get him out and let him know that he's not being punished and you love him frequently. Make sure you wash your hands before and after handling him, and if you hold him, change your shirt before picking up the other kitties. That way, if it is something communicable, this should reduce the chances of the other kitties getting it.

If he's not eating at all, you can try a little canned cat food. If that doesn't work, a bland diet of a little cooked rice and some unseasoned cooked chicken chopped up really small and mixed together or rice with a little cooked hamburger will sometimes work to stimulate their appetite. Since he seems to be drinking well, you may want to supplement him with some pedialyte (my cat loves the stuff) or some canned cat milk (some places sell cat milk made for adults, but others only carry cans or powdered formula for kittens...either is fine). It might take a little trial and error, but I'm sure you'll have him back to his old self in no time!

Answer 3

Albon treats the parasitic infection coccidia - not bacteria. Your vet can do a fecal analysis to determine if coccidia is the cause of the diarrhea. It could also be a severe reaction to something he ate. Either way, it seems your vet needs to run some more diagnostic tests if the bland diet isn't helping.

Answer 4

Odin could have worms. Take him to the vet, who can get a stool sample and look at it under a microscope. Worms can cause both diarrhea and blood to be present

Answer 5

I can understand you being worried as bleeding does seem serious. I can also understand that vet visits are expensive so you could do what I do and call the vet and speak to the vet nurse as they see a lot of different cases and they can offer good advise. i have done this a couple of times and both times i recieved great advise without her even telling me to bring in my cat to see the vet (unless her advise didn't help, of course). You could ring around to a few different places and see what they say.

Answer 6

I would take Odin to another vet for a second opinion. Just to make sure its nothing serious.