[jenniepepsi]

So, my mother has my grandmothers cat, he is still with us. (you may recal, grndma died last year in the summer)

We have taken him to the vet, and he has so many health problems. He is 17 years old, and the vet said at this point with all the problems he has, they are not going to be able to do anything other than put him down if something serious comes up.


Well today they found blood in his stool (he is incontenent and tends to poo in the bathroom rather than in his box or outside) and they called me lol, cause I took an animal health care class (college prep course for all 4 years of highschool) where I DID learn basic animal care, giving shots, and minor ailment treatment. But this is beyond me lol

It wasn't a lot. And it was mucusy.

He isn't in pain, or destress, he isn't biting his fur out (he did that when he had a resp infection a few years ago) he doesn't seem to be affected at all and is still eating, and obviously pooping :P


Is there anything we can do to help this problem? We are already prepared to wake up one morning to him being gone. We don't want to put him down unless he is in a lot of pain or the quality of his life is gone. But he is still OK, goes outside, still leaves us 'gifts' of dead birds lol. And seems generally happy. Should we just not worry about it?

[paleophlatus]

Hi,
Mucousy stool with blood in it is coming from a very irritated large intestine. Maybe something he caught and ate outdoors? Also, possible worms, or other parasites. While cats usually are worm free, his ranging habits open that up as a possibility. Old animals often don't show the signs of parasites as younger animals. If you can gather up some actual fecal material, without all the mucous, have the vets run that for parasites, including coccidia, & giardia. He should be healthy enough to withstand treatment for those, and maybe it will get him back on the straight and narrow?

Best wishes, and let us know what you find?

[jenniepepsi]

Thank you :) he is treated regularly for worms (several kinds) I'm not sure if that absolutely prevents them, or if it just reduces his risk.

I actually never thouht of the possibility that it could simply be blood from an animal he munched on.

Thank you.

[paleophlatus]

No, it isn't blood from something he ate... that would be completely broken down. The other animal (if there even was one) especially a dead one, may carry toxins from it's own demise, that are working in his intestine.

But, worms may still be the problem. You have the right idea in worming him "just because", but that may not be adequate. Before worming, a fecal exam may be a good idea, just to know what you may be dealing with. Not all wormers are effective on all types of worms. Now would be a good time to have one.

Not all parasites are even classified as worms. There are protozoan, and other one-celled organisms living in the environment, waiting for the right thing to come take them aboard. And, whatever the irritant, it may not be something you can kill.

Mucus is the body's effort to protect tissues often exposed to harsh environments, like the stomach and intestine. Or the respiratory systems, where it helps carry off dust, etc. by enclosing it. But this is off-topic a bit. Enough mucus in his intestine to be making up the major amount of his stool is an excessive amount, in response to what? Throw in a few drops and that may be just from a really inflamed spot of intestine, and a broken capillary... they probably used a test-strip for occult blood, which is really sensitive to even a hint of blood.

You may never learn exactly what is the source of the irritant, but I think you should give it a try. Not to greatly increase his lifespan, but to simply make his later year/s, more comfortable. And yours, with him, equally so. Did that come out right? Not your 'later years', just the time remaining with him, IF he is able to hit the litter pan again, consistently, which is presumably to make you more comfortable for however long. Better? If not, excuse me. (It would be easier to just erase all that, but then that would make a rather blunt ending, I think.)