Metronidazole Not Helping With Bloody Diarrhea In Adult Cat

[luvlace4]

Hi, I have 3 year old cat with no previous digestion issues. I recently got a new kitten and about a month and a half after, the older cat randomly went to the bathroom beside the litter box. However, the stool looked normal. The next day he used the kitten's litter box and didn't cover. The stool was softer than usual but still solid, and covered in large patches of bright red blood. I took in the stool sample to be tested... no parasites were found. The vet prescribed metronidazole saying it could be stress induced from the new kitty. I noticed blood in the stool a couple more times but, since he was now covering, I hadn't noticed any for a couple weeks. However the stool has been consistently soft bordering on diarrhea.

Jinx has been on the meds for 2 weeks, and today he has runny diarrhea. Also, today I found more blood in the stool. I'm going on call this vet Monday. He is still acting fine... Playing and eating. Any insight into what else could be going on?

I am not sure if this is relevant but Jinx was on Zyrtec for a short time before this started for a cough. The cough resolved after about 2-3 weeks and he was only on the Zyrtec for about a week.
Thank you!

 

[duckpond]

There can be many reasons for bloody stool, coccidia, giardia, other illnesses as well, besides parasites. I think a vet visit would be in order, so that he can be checked for other problems.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Sometimes the Metro can actually cause diarrhea rather than cure it, as with any other antibiotic. They tend to upset some cats' digestive tracts . But more disconcerting is the issue of the bleeding, which doesn't seem to be random at this point. I second that he needs to be seen again to try to find out the problem. Has he had a food change since the kitten came on board? That could be the problem, as food can bring it on if he has any food sensitivities. Or he could have certain parasites that a normal fecal float doesn't detect. How is the kitten? Does he have any of the same issues? I'm thinking if it's a parasite, they both might have them.

 

[luvlace4]

I haven't changed his food since he's been an adult cat. He's always tolerated it really well. In fact, he's always been very healthy.

The kitten on the other hand has had a rough start. He has several infections, worms, an irritated digestive tract from medications, worms and fleas. He has been treated for all of this. The little guy is doing much better now but still fighting a runny nose and eye irritation. The doc suspects we may fight herpes outbreaks for the rest of his life. He, however has fairly regular stool. It is softer sometimes than others, but always normal enough.
Jinx has an appointment set for tomorrow morning. I am trying to stay calm and hope for the best but I am a big worrier.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I was wondering if perhaps the kitten eats something different (kitten food?) and Jinx is getting into that food for a nibble or two. Just a thought.

 

[luvlace4]

I apperappre all the positive thinking. Unfortunately it's an all stages food so I have them both on the same thing. They both have extremely stinky stool and have for a while. Maybe we need to revisit the whole parasite possibility (wishful thinking). I'm not sure, but I'll update tomorrow and let you know what I found out!

 

[luvlace4]

Just wanted to give an update after the vet trip today. They did a full exam and took his temperature. Although they seemed a little surprised that the diarrhea got worse on the medication, she said she was still confident it was some type of colitis causing the blood. She gave me some sort of a probiotic paste and a liquid medication to try. If that doesn't work, we will send off a stool sample for a more sensitive test to see if we can pinpoint the parasite or type of bacterial overgrowth that might be causing this and medicate as necessary. They're going to call me to check in on Friday, and we will go from there. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some gradual, positive results over the next few days

 

[luvlace4]

Well, the diarrhea isn't any better I'm feeling so deflated. I guess we are going to do the pcr test. My biggest fear is they will not find anything and he will have some more serious internal problem.