kitten with bloody poop??? PLEASE HELP!

[christa]

My 8 week old kitten just used the litter box and when we checked her to make sure she was clean, we discovered that she had blood on her butt. We're not sure what she did in her litter box, she covered it up too fast. What does this mean??? Please help!!!

[Traci]

How is she acting, and what are you feeding her? What is the consistency of her stools of late...normal and firm or runny with diarrhea?

Since you posted last week, have you had her seen by your vet yet?

[christa]

Her stools have been firm and normal lately. She has been eating dry food, Kitten Chow and drinking plenty of water. She still hasn't had her shots or wormer but we got her flea problem taken care of by a professional groomer. She has felt so good since we got rid of her fleas. She's been a ball of energy for the past 3 days. Even right now, she's biting at my toes. She acts like she feels great, but still, the blood worries me.

[Traci]

Blood in the stool could indicate stress or parasites. In which, you need to get her examined anyway, your vet can perform a fecal and deworm her appropriately (don't do this on your own, only your vet can prescribe safe/effective dewormers)

If this is the first you've noticed blood, keep an eye on her in the next few days, and check the stool for signs of increased blood. If there is, then don't wait, get her seen promptly. Your vet may also suggest switching her diet if he feels it is dietary related.

As for the flea problem, may I ask "how" the groomer took care of it? As mentioned in your earlier post, flea medications should not be used on young kittens and cats without a vet exam and for the vet to properly prescribe a safe/effective application. If the groomer applied any flea application, find out what it was. If she ONLY did a flea comb and bath, probably won't be a problem, but if she used a chemical application, you need to find out what she used.

Don't wait for kitten's spay schedule/appointment, all newly aquired pets should recieve an immediate exam by the owner's vet to ensure optimal health condition and to deworm, etc appropriately.

[christa]

The groomer used a regular shampoo safe for kittens.

When we got her home, she was really stressed out from the grooming, took her about 45 minutes to stop shaking (she was so scared) and then she laid on the couch and slept for about 2 hours. That was Thursday, today being Saturday. Could that be a possibility?

[Traci]

It could be residual signs of stress. And, it could be dietary or parasitic in nature, won't know until she's evaluated by your vet. The importance here is getting her seen regardless. You want peace of mind she is pronounced in excellent health.

[christa]

Thanks for your help. We'll keep an eye on her and get her to the vet asap.

[christa]

One more question (for now) . . . what is a good age to have her spayed? She's about 8 weeks now. The vet that does the surguries for the sheltar says they'll do it when they're 3 pounds. That seems too small for me. Any opinions on this?

[LisaLisa]

Christa,

I hope all goes well with your kitty. Please keep us posted.

Please check out this link about spaying.

http://www.cathelp-online.com/phpBB2/vi ... light=spay