Dark Stools with Blood

Rocky has been passing darker/black stools for a while now, but I just assumed it was a result of changing his diet. His feces are of regular consistency, perhaps a bit more soft.

Today when I was cleaning the litter I found that the litter around one of his poops was tinged red! It never occurred to me that there may have been blood in his poop..

He has been eating, drinking, and acting normally otherwise. The soonest I can schedule a vet visit for him is maybe this Friday or Saturday, might have to wait until Monday. Unless this is something life threatening, then I suppose I'll have to take him to the emergency clinic.

Has this ever happened to your cats before? Any information is greatly appreciated.

bijouandrocky said:

Rocky has been passing darker/black stools for a while now, but I just assumed it was a result of changing his diet. His feces are of regular consistency, perhaps a bit more soft.

Today when I was cleaning the litter I found that the litter around one of his poops was tinged red! It never occurred to me that there may have been blood in his poop..

He has been eating, drinking, and acting normally otherwise. The soonest I can schedule a vet visit for him is maybe this Friday or Saturday, might have to wait until Monday. Unless this is something life threatening, then I suppose I'll have to take him to the emergency clinic.

Has this ever happened to your cats before? Any information is greatly appreciated.

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What did you change his diet to? Is the food dark in color? Have you checked for any recalls on the food (just to be sure)?

If it were my cat, I'd get him into the vet this week. Dark, tarry stools can indicate bleeding in the upper GI tract. From one TCS member that I recall this happening, the cat had a stomach ulcer, which needed to be treated. Fresh, red blood can indicate bleeding in the lower GI tract/colon/rectum. Since your cat has both, I'd be concerned. Better to be safe and have him checked out. They'll likely want a stool sample. Ask when you call and they can instruct you on how to store it. As fresh as possible is best!

Let us know how it goes at the vet.  

Our previous cat also had bloody stools: this was the first symptom of what was most likely IBD. (Here's a link to Cornell's Vet School page about IBD) If your vet isn't too concerned about the blood (as multiple vets were not concerned about our cat's blood, saying it was colitis, typical and not much to worry about), do push to learn more about various potential causes or get a second opinion from a cat specialist if you don't already see one. If Rocky has IBD, it's key to figure things out sooner rather than later.

Our anecdotal story... Our cat lived to a ripe old age (at least 17) despite having numerous ailments that prevented us from getting a real diagnosis when she was older and we were a little wiser, but I wish we'd figured out her food sensitivities far earlier. Again, we're not sure of diagnosis because, among other things, Brooksie wasn't fit for invasive testing or anesthesia, but her last vets were certain she had lymphoma, which most likely developed from IBD. Looking back at her symptoms (which were very sporadic and inconsistent over the years, complicating matters) and blood tests, that makes sense. 

Since you mentioned the change in food, if Rocky's new food contains ingredients new to him, I might try switching his food back to what he was eating before the dark poops and bleeding started. Given that you seem to have noticed the blood shortly after the switch in food, perhaps there's an ingredient in the new food that's causing his problem.

Good luck! I hope you're able to get a vet appointment soon!

So we took Rocky to the vet this morning and they think its a food allergy reaction. We've been trying Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet, but apparently that's not cutting it for him. They prescribed a special hydrolized dry food (no wet food sadly). We were also prescribed metronidazole pills.

bijouandrocky said:

So we took Rocky to the vet this morning and they think its a food allergy reaction. We've been trying Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet, but apparently that's not cutting it for him. They prescribed a special hydrolized dry food (no wet food sadly). We were also prescribed metronidazole pills.

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I'm glad you were able to get some sort of diagnosis--I hope he can get normalized on the new food!

UPDATE: Blood is gone, but now diarrhea! Help!

So the blood in Rocky's stools has gone away after taking this new medication and eating the prescribed diet. However, starting yesterday he has been having really bad diarrhea. Tonight his diarrhea was just liquid.. no shape at all, and it was all over the inside of his covered litterbox.. His diarrhea is a yellow color, and I don't know if this is because of the medication or diet?

Also, my parents are getting tired of having to take Rocky to the vet and want to just take him off of his medication and see if the diarrhea stops. I'm just a 10th grader, so I can't exactly argue with them.. even though I'm the one mostly responsible for taking care of him.

I'm a bit worried because my parents are adamant against taking Rocky to the vet.. and I have no idea what to do! So frustrated Any advice helps!

Ugh...so sorry! How is Rocky now? Does he still have diarrhea?

It could be either the new food or the medication or both. The hydrolyzed dry diets, despite what they're meant for, don't always agree with them. The first ingredient is often corn or rice. Metronidazole is often used to treat diarrhea. However, some cats develop diarrhea from it or diarrhea gets worse. Do you know why metronidazole was prescribed? It's an antibiotic. If the vet felt it was a food allergy reaction, then I would think a new diet trial alone would have been a sufficient next step.  

Antibiotics are notorious for causing diarrhea. You can try giving him probiotics. Human brands are ok but you have to check the ingredient list to make sure there's nothing that might irritate him. (Yogurt will probably cause problems because of the lactose.) I'm sure other members have plenty of recommendations on good brands.

Well, the diarrhea did not stop after the medication was stopped. My parents still refuse to take him to the vet, so I tried switching him onto Natural Balance LID duck and green pea dry. He is still having diarrhea, but it is more "grainy" textured and has returned to a brown color. Before it was really yellow and more liquidy. I feel so bad that I can't do anything for him, I lack the money or the authority. He seems to be in a good mood despite this though, and his appetite has stayed normal.

samus said:

Antibiotics are notorious for causing diarrhea. You can try giving him probiotics. Human brands are ok but you have to check the ingredient list to make sure there's nothing that might irritate him. (Yogurt will probably cause problems because of the lactose.) I'm sure other members have plenty of recommendations on good brands.

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I will try looking for probiotics, does anyone have suggestions for any good ones I could buy at a super market/pet store? Could I give him fiber maybe to help with his poops? I'm open to anything that I would be able to do for him.

We've spent a couple thousand dollars on him, because of UTI and other issues.. I wish that I had money for him but I don't have a job (I do volunteer work instead). Rocky is such a great cat, and I love him so much, it just sucks that I can't do anything for him at the moment.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, it is much appreciated.

Going to try giving him some form of fiber for a few days. If that doesn't work I'm going to try is the probiotics.

I'm debating whether to give Rocky canned pumpkin or a fiber supplement. I'll research online to find what's best I guess. I have $90 saved up, I hope that's enough money to cover it. As for the probiotics, I'll visit my local pet food specialty store to see what they have.

Canned pumpkin is a great choice to start with - its nice and gentle on sensitive tummies too.

Be aware that probiotics can also cause diarrhoea initially. Try things one at a time so you can see what's helping. I find plain live goat's yogurt to be an easy way to give a little good bacteria without causing upset. While cats struggle with cow dairy, goat's milk products are generally very well tolerated.

A couple of members have found Advita to be a good probiotic. It's designed to be highly palatable too. Be aware that it has poultry liver though, so not a good choice if Rocky has a chicken allergy.

Just did a quick read through this thread.

1.) What food was Rocky on when the dark/bloody stool first started? What food was he on previously?

2.) Does he have a history of GI or food issues prior to this onset?

3.) Was the food your vet prescribed Hill's z/d or Royal Canin?
I ask because z/d is notorious for causing GI upset in cats, though it usually starts after 4-6 weeks on the diet.
I personally had issues with all of the prescription *dry* diets.
Royal Canin recently (within last year) made some changes to their formula and added soy protein. I am highly suspicious of this ingredient for any cat with food allergies/intolerances.

4.) Did you do a slow transition when switching Rocky's foods?

1) He was on prescription wet s/d for his urinary tract when the problems started. Prior to that he wad on natural balance LID duck dry, and venison wet in the evening.
2) Yes, previously he was having major hair loss and itching and scabby skin. We gave him antibiotics and had him on steroids for a while and switched to the natural balance which resolved that problem.
3)The hypoallergenic food brand was royal canin dry.
4) Yes, we followed the vets instructions and transitioned him over a week to the new diets.

Does Rocky go outside any or is he indoor only?

Did he have completely normal (consistency and color) on the NB diet? Or has his stool always been dark while on it?

Columbine said:

Canned pumpkin is a great choice to start with - its nice and gentle on sensitive tummies too.

Be aware that probiotics can also cause diarrhoea initially. Try things one at a time so you can see what's helping. I find plain live goat's yogurt to be an easy way to give a little good bacteria without causing upset. While cats struggle with cow dairy, goat's milk products are generally very well tolerated.

A couple of members have found Advita to be a good probiotic. It's designed to be highly palatable too. Be aware that it has poultry liver though, so not a good choice if Rocky has a chicken allergy.

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In what I found online, I heard of some human supplement called acidophilus that supposedly is safe for cats? I saw something called "fortiflora" but I don't know how that would be for his allergies. I'm not allowed to order stuff from online, so if the pet store doesn't carry Advita I probably can't do that.

First off I'll stick with trying the pumpkin and see how that turns out. Thank you for the feedback.

1) Strictly indoor only
2)He had normal consistency and color while on NB, it all started with the s/d and went downhill from there. I should add that his diarrhea returned a normal brown color after transitioning back to NB from the hypoallergenic diet, and I haven't seen any blood in any of the diarrhea.

Ok. I've been in the same boat multiple times over the last 3 years.

Certainly start with the canned pumpkin. You should see some improvement in 24-72 hours.

As for a probiotic, Culturelle is the safest one I have found for use in cats with known protein allergies. This is a human probiotic and can be found at most all pharmacies and in big box stores. Get the regular Culturelle, not the children's. My vet recommended 1/2 a capsule daily. It can be mixed into food, though I have had a cat just eat the capsule, LoL! and he is extremely picky! (Will only eat 1 type of dry food and will *only* eat Instinct LID turkey canned...only if it is from the 3 oz can.)

Hopefully the pumpkin will help!

Weeks of continued diarrhea can be very dehydrating... and a serious issue. It's important to address that!

As already mentioned in this thread, Metronidazole is great at combating feline diarrhea -- if it were me, I'd give it another go.

Avoid fortiflora for this situation - it has 'animal digest' - this can be any meat animal route, so really not good for allergies at all. Go with catpack 's suggestion of Culturelle - it has the advantage of being easy to find and has been okay ed by a vet

CatPack said:

Ok. I've been in the same boat multiple times over the last 3 years.

Certainly start with the canned pumpkin. You should see some improvement in 24-72 hours.

As for a probiotic, Culturelle is the safest one I have found for use in cats with known protein allergies. This is a human probiotic and can be found at most all pharmacies and in big box stores. Get the regular Culturelle, not the children's. My vet recommended 1/2 a capsule daily. It can be mixed into food, though I have had a cat just eat the capsule, LoL! and he is extremely picky! (Will only eat 1 type of dry food and will *only* eat Instinct LID turkey canned...only if it is from the 3 oz can.)

Hopefully the pumpkin will help!

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Thanks for this advice, I'll look for Culturelle if the pumpkin fails to work. If I had to go the probiotics route would I have to give it to Rocky for a certain amount of time? (ie 2 weeks, a month, etc) Or just until the diarrhea clears up?

PushPurrCatPaws said:

Weeks of continued diarrhea can be very dehydrating... and a serious issue. It's important to address that!

As already mentioned in this thread, Metronidazole is great at combating feline diarrhea -- if it were me, I'd give it another go.

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I was worried about possible dehydration too, so I've been keeping close tabs on his water intake and have been doing the test where you hold and release the skin, and it seems to be okay for now. Maybe I could try the metronidazole again if the pumpkin and probiotics fail to work.

Columbine said:

Avoid fortiflora for this situation - it has 'animal digest' - this can be any meat animal route, so really not good for allergies at all. Go with catpack 's suggestion of Culturelle - it has the advantage of being easy to find and has been okay ed by a vet

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Got it, I'll go with the culturelle then. Thanks for the information.