Ask the Veterinarian/Blood in Stool

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Expert: - 10/29/2011


Question
I have a 6 month old female kitten, 2 months ago she had blood in her runny stool. It was only for two days and I thought maybe something she ate as it only happend twice. But then it happend again the month after for 2 days and now its happend again today. She has had worming and flea treatment as we have a dog but no injections yet and she has not been outside yet. Is this something i should be worried about? She isnt eating any different or behaving different although when we first got her she had cat flu but has had treatment and is fine now.
Thanks.

Answer
A two month old kitten needs to be wormed again, and she definitely needs to be vaccinated right away. It doesn't matter that she doesn't go anywhere, your dog and you can bring in viruses from outside to her.

Most commonly they get upper respiratory viruses right away. So get her to the vets and vaccinated soon.

Blood in the stool is commonly from two things:
1. Bad food, as in store bought grocery store brands and/or
2. Worms. Doesn't happen as often but certainly can contribute to the blood. Worms will re-hatch from eggs laid in between worm treatments hence the need for a new dose.

If you want this kitten to grow up really healthy and strong and to stop the bloody stool you need to switch her (slowly over 7 days) to Science Diet Kitten Growth. This food will give her the optimal nutrition she needs without the irritation that the food she is eating now is causing.

Cheap foods that have dubious ingredients are commonly the cause of this irritation in the colon, resulting in the blood in the stool.

So get her on some Kitten Growth and you will see a huge improvement in her stool, and in her health overall.

Hills Science Diet Kitten Growth:
http://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/right-food-for-kitten.html

http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-feline-kitten-indoor-dry.html

With over 50 years of Veterinary Research behind them, you can't go wrong with Science Diet for your pets health! It's what all of us feed our own pets. :-)

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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