What's going on when a kitten has bloody stools?

A kitten experiencing bloody stools may be due to causes such as feline distemper, enteritis, internal parasites, or accidental ingestion of foreign objects. The main reason for bloody stools is the damage to the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to bloody diarrhea. Since kittens are young, the causes of bloody stools are more diverse. It is recommended to find out the cause of the bloody stools in the kitten first before targeted treatment, to avoid blind medication that may exacerbate the condition. Preliminary diagnosis can usually be made based on clinical symptoms, deworming history, and vaccination history.

Firstly, if a kitten experiences bloody stools without completing the vaccination schedule or being vaccinated on time, consider viral infectious diseases as the cause, such as feline distemper. Also known as feline infectious enteritis, the clinical manifestations mainly include vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, dehydration, and a sharp decrease in white blood cells. Treatment mainly focuses on stopping vomiting, stopping bleeding, and消炎等，and when multiple cats are raised at home, the sick cat should be isolated in time.

Secondly, it may be caused by enteritis. The main characteristics of a kitten infected with enteritis are vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and refusing to allow touching of the abdomen. This is often due to eating spoiled food, poisoning, or lactose intolerance. In daily feeding, attention should be paid to feeding the kitten with clean food and water, and cat food as the main staple.

Additionally, if a kitten does not undergo regular deworming, internal parasites living in the kitten's gastrointestinal tract may also cause bloody stools. Most cases of internal parasite infections in kittens are caused by oral ingestion, damaging the intestinal mucosa and causing bloody stools. For example, coccidia and hookworms. Usually, when a kitten is infected with internal parasites, it will also accompany vomiting, weight loss, and even vomiting and passing parasites in severe cases. It is necessary to take the kitten to the pet hospital for testing to determine the type of parasite infection and then conduct targeted deworming.

Finally, accidental ingestion of foreign objects may also cause the above symptoms. Foreign objects can scratch the gastrointestinal tract, leading to bloody stools. After a kitten accidentally eats a foreign object, it may show symptoms such as dry heaving and panting. In severe cases, it can even lead to suffocation. It is necessary to take the kitten to the pet hospital for X-rays to determine the location of the foreign object and then remove it.