Chronic blood in kittens stool

js12

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Hi Everyone,

I have 2 Bengal kittens, both are 6 months old. They are sisters.

Ever since I got them, they have had blood in their stool that will not go away.

Vet did a bunch of tests. Did a basic parasite and worm test. Did another specific test for Giardia. Did another specific test for T.F.

All tests keep showing up negative.

Vet says the kittens are fine and the blood is probably from their diet. But I have tried some really healthy diets and nothing is working. Also tried probiotics and that did not seem to help either.

Vet wants to put the kittens on a prescription diet. Either Royal Canin or Science Diet. After reading the ingredients in these foods, I wanted to vomit. That is what the Vet thinks is healthy??? No way am I doing that.

So in any event, I am stuck with trying another diet now.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me please?

I appreciate it very much.

This is so frustrating.

Thank you!
 

bellel

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Did they test for Coccidia? Has your vet done xrays and sonograms to see their intestinal wall thickness (sign of IBD).)? What is so wrong with Royal Canin? The novel protein diets are quality.
 

bellel

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You want to stay away from grains and any foods that might produce food allergies, which this could also be. Do not buy hydrolyzed protein diets. Most cat food is crap. You have to read labels very carefully. Cats need a balanced diet that does not include fruit (like Into the Wild), but has mostly meat with supplemental vitamins and taurine included.
 

catpack

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I too think it would be worth checking for Coccidia and IBD.

While the outside lab testing for parasites is really good, it is not 100%. What medications (if any) have you tried? Have you tried Panacur and Ponazuril?

Also, what diets (brands and flavors) have you tried?
 

bellel

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And remember, YOU'RE not the one who has to eat this. They do. What you find gross may be exactly what they need.
 

mingsmongols

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The tests for tf are pretty inaccurate. You've got to catch the poop mid stream before it hits the litter and make sure to that you've gotten the bloody mucous part in their. Then you've got to have a PCR done to have even a hope of it showing up.
 
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js12

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Thank you for the replies, I appreciate it very much.

Yes, we have done a test for coccidia. When I first picked them up, they actually tested positive for coccidia, so I had them on Albon for 10 days. That worked, because I went back with another stool sample and at that time the test came back negative.

Albon is the only medication I have tried, and it seemed to get rid of the coccidia. I have not tried any other meds because the Vet has not recommended anything else. Since we have done all of these tests, she thinks this is a dietary issue.

The reason we have not done any sonograms or anything like that is because BOTH cats have the issue. So therefore the Vet is thinking that it must be something that they both have in common. If it were just one cat then she said she would do a sonogram on that cat.

I had the cats on Weruva canned food (chicken and turkey), and they were on the dry food, Halo's spots stew. Then I switched them to a limited ingredient diet. So on this diet, I am giving them Merrick duck wet canned food, and Natural Balance dry food, duck and peas. I figured this diet would work because there is nothing in it that can cause an allergy. The entire diet is really just duck and peas.

So where do I go from here? Do I change their diet again? Do I ask the Vet for another medication?

Spoke to the Vet this morning and she wants to start them on Hill's Science diet. I am not thrilled about the ingredients, but I am running out of things to try.

If anyone has anymore ideas I would appreciate it.

Thanks so much to all who have taken the time to respond.
 

catpack

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I would try them on a canned-only diet. No dry food or treats at all. I would also suggest trying them on one of Nature's Variety's LID canned foods as it doesn't have any gums/thickeners in it.
 

catpack

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I also want to add that I have dealt with some very stubborn cases of Coccidia this year. Three groups of kittens in total (3 in each litter).

Two groups had the PCR panel done (all neg.) and the other group has only been tested for Coccidia/guardians/worms...also negative. I had tried diet changes and different dewormers (drontal and Panacur), as well as courses of metronidazole without success. I had a decent amount of Ponazuril leftover from treating a large group of kittens and thought...what'S the harm. IT WORKED! I have had to retreat them several times and have cleaned/sanitized the areas appropriately. I am about to retreat 2 groups again with 2 rounds (maybe 3 to be on the safe side) after having been asymptomatic for about a month. Hoping this finally does the trick!
 
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js12

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Thank you CatPack, I appreciate the help.

I will try them on canned only and see how it goes.

Do you think I should ask the Vet for meds for the coccidia even though they are testing negative?

Thanks again!
 

kitty chew

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Have you tried giving them raw meat? Every cat is different. I was giving my kittens hills chicken and liver kitten food. As they got older i started giving them some raw meat as well. Mainly kangaroo, but a bit of beef and lamb also. This diet didn't agree with my male, and he started getting blood in his stools. My vet and the people from the cat shelter thought it was diet related, so i put them back on cooked meat. He's ok now. No more blood. But raw meat can be very good for cats, so maybe you should give it a go. I have read it can do wonders for cats with stomach problems. Just depends on the cat. Otherwise you could try giving them a bit of cooked chicken. Chicken can help with stomach problems. I make bone broth as a treat. I use thighs and wings. I cut the fat off, then cook it up, and pull the meat off the bones and cut it up. They love drinking the broth as well.
 
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js12

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Thank you for the suggestion kitty chew. I may end up trying that if all else fails. I have been giving it some thought, but I do know that a raw food diet for 2 cats can become very expensive.

As for giving them cooked chicken, I was told that some cats don't do well on chicken. Personally, I thought chicken would be fine, but they were on the canned weruva chicken and turkey, and they weren't doing great. But then again, it could have been from the dry food as well.

Do you think I could go back to giving them the canned weruva? Or should I stick to a limited ingredient canned food like natures variety or merrick?

Also, my vet says to not give them wet food. But Catpack recommended not to give them dry food. So now I am thoroughly confused.

This is very frustrating.
 

catpack

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I certainly understand your confusion!

I do recommend sticking with a Limited Ingredient canned food that is free of gums and thickeners.
(I always start with Nature's Variety turkey and move to duck if there aren't *any* improvements after 5-7 days of feeding.)

Weruva has a very high carb level (from potato), which can cause GI issues in some cats. Natural Balance has a high carb level as well (from peas...you can even smell it when you open the food, dry or canned.)

You could certainly try the prescription food if you want; but I would stick with the canned. Dry food is, by nature, drying and kitties that are having chronic diarrhea need help staying hydrated. If the kitties do well on a canned-only diet, then you can attempt adding in some dry and see how it goes.

I personally am a big believer in canned food being included in a cat'S daily diet. My current vet is a big believer in a canned-only diet.
 

catpack

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At the end of the day, it's very much trial and error when trying to figure out food intolerances. But, I think a good place to start is with a very simple Ingredient diet and go from there. Literally anything can be the cause.

One of my cats is allergic to beef and rabbit and can tolerate small amounts of carrageenan in his overall diet (he gets pancreatitis easily.)

Another is highly allergic to chicken/chicken products so much to the point that he had an allergic reaction to his FVRCP vaccine (made like our flu shot and uses egg.)

My RB baby Lucky was fed Cat Chow his entire life until he was 13 and started having major health issues that lead to exploratory surgery. Long story short, poor baby had developed a severe grain/gluten intolerance, as well as to pork and carrageenan/afar-agar. Once I pulled all of his "triggers" out of his diet he regained weight and made a remarkable recovery. I had him for another 4 years and lost him to pneumonia.

About half the cats in my rescue have some type of food sensitivity/allergy/intolerance to one thing or another.
 

kitty chew

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Thank you for the suggestion kitty chew. I may end up trying that if all else fails. I have been giving it some thought, but I do know that a raw food diet for 2 cats can become very expensive.

As for giving them cooked chicken, I was told that some cats don't do well on chicken. Personally, I thought chicken would be fine, but they were on the canned weruva chicken and turkey, and they weren't doing great. But then again, it could have been from the dry food as well.

Do you think I could go back to giving them the canned weruva? Or should I stick to a limited ingredient canned food like natures variety or merrick?

Also, my vet says to not give them wet food. But Catpack recommended not to give them dry food. So now I am thoroughly confused.

This is very frustrating.
it is frustrating! I haven't heard of those brands, but i live in australia. My vet also told me a dry food only diet was fine. I think a bit of both is better. It's hard when everyone tells you something different. Think you will have to try a few things until you find what works best for them. Good luck!
 
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js12

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CatPack, thanks so much for the help.

I looked up Natures Variety and it does seem like a great food, however very expensive. It's double the price of most other canned foods out there. And if I am giving them a canned only diet, this can be come quite expensive.

Do you have any alternatives to the Nature's Variety?

Also, one of the reasons I started giving them dry food is because there are times when I am not home for long periods. In these cases, they can simply eat the dry when they get hungry. So that is another issue I am having. I don't want them starving while I am gone.

I am all ears to any other suggestions.

Thanks so much!
 

catpack

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Yes NVI is pricer than many other foods; but, I think it is a good place to start with when trying to rule out a dietary issue. It is truly Limited Ingredient, contains no gums or thickeners and is very low in carbs (you can literally pick out the whole green peas that come in each can...typically only a few). It's not something they would necessarily have to be on for life.

As for feeding schedule...what is the longest timeframe you are likely to be away from the house?
 
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catpack

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In my experience, it only takes about 5-10 days to see some improvement if the diet is working. Things may not be 100%; but, there is should improvement in the frequency and consistency of their poop.

If it does work, I'd keep them on that particular brand/flavor for a few more weeks to give their tummies a chance to recover. Then, you can start introducing other things into their diet...one at a time. If you want them on dry food, try the NVI dry that is the same flavor as the can as the ingredients are very similar to the canned. If there is no issue after 2 weeks, you can try them on a different canned food...perhaps one of the Merrick LID cans.

Just make sure to chose one brand/flavor at a time and feed that for a few weeks before trying something else. This way, if they have a reoccurrence of diarrhea, you will know what caused it and we can try to help you narrow down the cause.
 

mingsmongols

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Nature's variety is definitely great for food allergies and sensitive stomachs but yea, the wet food is outrageously priced. If you fed four cans of wet a day at their $2 a can price your talking almost $3000 a year in just wet cat food.

It just seems unlikely though that two young cats are both having food allergies. They haven't been around long enough to develop severe allergies and bloody diarrhea is a strong sign of a Protozoa infection. Add to that, there both purrblood Bengals, and the Bengal breeders are having a horrible time controlling tritrichomonas in their catteries.

It seems worth it to test further, to send out colon flush samples to a lab for further PCR testing before spending what is going to end up being thousands of dollars a year on speciality foods.
 
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js12

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Catpack, what do you think about what MingsMongols said?

To be honest, I don't have a lot of experience with cats, and no experience with Bengals until now, but I tend to think that since both of them have blood in their stool it would seem weird that 2 young cats would have these food issues. I think MingsMongols might be on to something here.

From the beginning of this whole situation, my gut was telling me that there is a parasite or some sort of thing causing this blood and diarrhea.

Do you think there is something going on here that my Vet or the lab tests are missing?

If so, what could possibly be the next step?

Or, from your experience could these 2 young cats really have such a food intolerance at this age?

Thanks again!
 
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