Expert: Jessica - 10/10/2009

Question
First I would like to thank you for your time. I have had my kitten for about a month , she is now about 12 weeks old and her behind, it looks like the intestine lining is turning inside out. My husband thinks it might be hemmroids, but we are not sure and do not have the money to take her to the vet to get it looked at. If you know what it is please, email me at .  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Answer
Hi Michelle.  It's generally agreed upon by vets that cats don't get hemorrhoids, but I think you may be exactly right - her intestines could be coming out.  This is called a prolapse, and the most common kind is a rectal prolapse, where the last part of the rectum pushes out through the anus.  Very unfortunately, this is a life-threatening situation.  The exposed tissue is likely to die unless it is quickly pushed back into place, and as the intestinal tissue continues to necrose (rot, essentially), it will kill the kitten.  But before it is pushed back into place, the vet needs to assure that the tissue is still alive and healthy.  A plan also needs to be made to solve the underlying cause of the prolapse.  In kittens, this is often diarrhea caused by parasites.

There is really no way to address this problem without a vet.  You may want to check with vets to see if they will work out a payment plan with you.  Some larger hospitals also offer Care Credit, a credit card for medical bills (including vet bills) that charges no interest for 6 months.  If none of those options are available, some animal shelters are doing wonderful things for the kittens they take in today.

I hope it all works out!

Jessica