Help Traci and davet

[momPaws]

I am upset because I thought I saw blood in Angel's stool on the side of her litter box along with a stool there. I have a vet appt. for Fri (soonest they could make it). Could that be caused by worms? I don't see any evidence of worms or blood on her butt or bed. She was treated for worms with Drontal and Strongid in Feb.
Her stool seemed like she was constipated and she threw up once yesterday so I gave he a little Laxatone yesterday and today. She kept her food down today.

[Auntie Debbie]

I hope Traci will respond soon, but it could very well be caused by constipation. Worms are another goody, and there are others. but a vet visit would be more advisable. Hope it's not serious.

[momPaws]

Thanks, Auntie D. Just as a PS- she is acting ok, playing and not acting sick. She ate pretty good today. I am feeding her dry food for sensitive stomachs and canned salmon...just a little of that 2x a day.

[Cleo]

Even though you can't get her into the vet until Friday, if you saved the stool maybe you can drop it off to them ahead of time so they can do a fecal test and have the results for you at your appointment.

[Traci]

If you mean her stool was hard, then she probably is straining to defecate, which could produce blood in the stool. Bacterial infection can also cause blood (and mucous). So can inappropriate diet if she isn't digesting it normally, or if the diet is deficient in certain nutrients or appropriate fiber source, etc. Your vet might suggest trying to collect a small sample of her stool right before the appointment so he can test it for parasites or bacteria.

If she was properly dewormed in Feb and you've seen no evidence of worms either on her fur or in her stools, chances are, she doesn't have worms.

By canned salmon, do you mean just canned salmon people eat? If so, please cease feeding it, as you want to stay away from as many fish sources as possible, to avoid pansteatitis (yellow fat disease) as well as nutrient deficiencies (or excesses) that can seriously affect health. If you think she likes fish, stick with the same brand of canned cat food as the dry food you're feeding, and only feed fish varieties once in awhile, not all the time (try chicken or turkey etc varieties). I wouldn't consider Purina canned high quality though, just my opinion. (I think you're feeding Purina Naturals?)

Make sure she has plenty of fresh water and is drinking it normally. Watch her and her stools in the litterbox closely and if she produces a large amount of blood at any time, and/or seems to be straining to defecate, anorexic, continues vomiting, get that appointment upped sooner.

[momPaws]

Am feeding her Fancy Feast Salmon as they fed her that at the rescue. And feeding her Purina for Sensitive Stomachs as she seems burby. She threw up once last week but I thought it was just a hairball. She has thrown up 2 x in the last 3 weeks.

Am going to take a stool sample in before the appt. Today there was a dark thing in her box - I don't know if it was just feces or a dried up piece of a tape worm...about 1/2 inch long by 1/8"...it was near the side of the box where there was a little blood. Will take itt witth the stool sample.

I was trying to stick to one food regime as at the rescue they skipped around food brands. So I guess the salmon should be rotated with the other Fancy Feast Brands.

I was also looking at Iams for Sensitive Stomachs - would that really be better than Purina?

PS - I like the Purina as the pieces were very small and she doesn't seem to chew her food much , but just swallow it whole...do all cats do that? She eats 1/2 - 3/4 C of dry food and 2 teaspoons of Fancy Feast Salmon/ day. (She's small - 9 lbs) Thank goodness for you as I would never know that fish could hurt her...I figured the oil in the salmon would help with hairballs. (She had a dental cleaning check-up before I got her)

[Cleo]

I stopped feeding my cats anything with fish in it a long time ago. My mom's cat and my sister's cat used to eat fish brands exclusively and they had chronic urinary problems. The vet related it back to the fish so Bella is on a poultry only diet and prescription dry food and Mimi gets chicken based as well with the tiniest bit of fish in it, like a 1/8 of a teaspoon. Transitioning her hasn't been so easy but when it comes down to crystals or chicken, I think she'd prefer the chicken.

Science Diet dry for sensitive stomachs is a small pellet food; we've used it before. Purina Naturals (green bag with lady & cat on the cover) is also small pellet.

I do feed my cats Fancy Feast but the Elegant Medleys line only. Don't know if there's a difference in quality but it stinks less and so does their poop.

[Traci]

I will never consider Fancy Feast a quality food, if you open any of the cans, they are full of oils and other gels. The only time I ever would suggest giving Fancy Feast is as a tempter to an anorexic cat, and even then, there are much better brands to tempt with.

A quality cat food, whether dry or canned, if properly balanced, already contains EFA'S. Fish oil supplements are available for cats who truly need them (i.e., a skin condition), but owners often give them in excess and they can cause more harm than good.

Hairballs can be controlled with proper diet, and adding a brushing regimin to the routine...brush her at least twice a week. If she vomits hairballs frequently (more than once a week), then it might be time to evaluate the diet, or rule out intestinal tract issues (inflammation). On the other hand, if she's vomiting food each time, then the diet may be responsible, or, she may be gulping her food instead of chewing it.

Tapeworms are segmented, they have the appearance of small grains of white rice, they are usually expelled in individual segments via feces or vomiting. Sometimes more than one segment is expelled. Roundworms are several inches long, and resemble strands of spagetti, are white or beige in color, and when expelled are usually accompanied with fluid or mucous or blood-tinged watery fluid.

What you found could also be a string of hairballs. Doublecheck your home to also make sure she didn't get into any yarn, string, thread, etc.

I prefer Science Diet Sensitive Stomach to the Iams brands, but that's just my preference. If you think she has a hairball problem, you might consider Science Diet Hairball Formula, but let your vet discuss her needs with you so you both can determine the appropriate diet for her needs.

[momPaws]

I took a stool sample in and negative for worms. So I upped her appt to Thurs. If it is a bacterial infection what happens...antibiotics? She is acting totally normal, eating, playing, etc. Hopefully that is a good sign.

[Traci]

Unlikely bacterial infection, unless she came from a shelter that didn't utilize proper care and sanitation measures. Campylobacter, clostridium, giardia, coccidia, e-coli for example, can all run rampant in a shelter environment.

Depending on the bacteria or microorganism will depend on treatment. All relatively with good treatment success providing its caught early on and treated appropriately.