Why does my cat have black stool? White feces in a cat: causes and diagnostic studies of possible diseases. Green diarrhea in a cat

Digestive disorders in cats are quite common. Especially in cases where pets have the opportunity to walk outside. There they can pick up and eat anything, and therefore there is no reason to be surprised at possible diarrhea. As a rule, all signs of indigestion disappear on their own within a couple of days, but sometimes it is necessary to urgently call a veterinarian. A particularly “good” reason is black diarrhea in a cat.

This phenomenon is called "melena". In most cases, it indicates the presence of a large amount of digested blood in the stool. And, as is easy to understand, in a healthy cat it should run only through the vessels of the circulatory system. It should be understood that melena and feces are not the same thing. If the stool is black, then the source of bleeding is somewhere in the upper parts of the digestive system. For example, this could be a perforated ulcer of the stomach or duodenum. Be that as it may, you urgently need to take your pet to a specialist.

Many of the causes of this phenomenon are so serious that your cat may bleed to death if he is not treated promptly by a veterinarian.

It’s not at all good when clots of pure blood are clearly visible in black stool. This indicates either very intense bleeding in the upper parts of the digestive tract (the blood simply does not have time to be digested), or structural damage to the intestines along their entire length. Here the clock can count.

Predisposing factors

The causes of melena are very numerous, but we will list the most typical cases often encountered in the practice of veterinarians:

• Infectious diseases. Viral infections that affect kittens and old pets are especially dangerous.
• Certain drugs. For example, if you “treat” a cat with aspirin, the appearance of black feces is almost guaranteed.
• Cancer. As malignant tumors grow, they destroy the surrounding tissue, so bleeding in such cases is common.
• Foreign bodies in the stomach or intestines. There are often situations when owners feed their pets “treats” like chicken and beef bones (which is strictly prohibited). They split to form sharp and long fragments resembling stilettos. The latter constantly scratch and cut the intestinal lining.
• Infiltrative and inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. This also includes autoimmune diseases, with Crohn's disease considered one of the most dangerous.
• Swallowing blood. And this happens - if a cat has some kind of injury to the throat or esophagus, he will constantly swallow the incoming blood.
• Coagulopathies. These are blood clotting disorders. An animal may be completely healthy in other respects, but the lining of its intestines (and not only) will bleed at every opportunity.
• Hormonal pathologies, accompanied by the formation of poorly healing and bleeding ulcers. For example, the well-known diabetes mellitus.
• Postoperative bleeding. Perhaps this is one of the most “harmless” causes of melena, but only if the feces are not blue-black. The latter indicates very severe bleeding, which by definition cannot be normal.
• Gastrointestinal ischemia(lack of blood supply). Often occurs with intestinal volvulus.
• Poisoning with heavy metal salts.
• Finally, everyone's favorites helminths. Some of their species “eat away” the intestines so much (hookworms, for example) that its mucous membrane begins to constantly bleed.

Diagnostics and therapy

So we found out why cats have black diarrhea. If you observe, in addition to the melena itself, the following signs, you should immediately run to the vet:

• Diarrhea.
• Vomit.
• Pale gums.
• Presence of bruising or other areas of bleeding (indicates coagulopathy).
• Weight loss.
• Poor appetite.
• Excessive drinking and “exorbitant” volumes of urine.

To find out the root cause of what is happening to the cat, the veterinarian will resort to various diagnostic techniques, including radiography, ultrasound, blood and urine tests, as well as other methods. How is it produced? Since melena is not a disease, but only its symptom, the primary pathology that directly leads to intestinal bleeding is treated.

But in any case, the veterinarian will first solve the problem of blood loss. Of course, ideally, a sick pet needs a transfusion, but in a veterinary clinic this is almost unrealistic. We do not have centralized “animal” blood banks, and targeted blood collection is carried out only in the largest veterinary centers. So blood loss is partially replaced with plasma or even saline. The main thing is to prevent collapse and reduce the load on the body’s blood depots.

Unfortunately, our pets are also susceptible to various diseases, in particular, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Some diseases in them may acquire varying degrees of severity, and be accompanied by clinical manifestations that characterize them. For example, one of the signs of serious digestive ailments is black feces in a cat, indicating that the disease is taking an unpleasant turn. The faster you respond to this symptom, the less severe the consequences will be. We will consider what this manifestation may mean in this article.

A change in the shade of a cat's feces, of course, is an indicator of various kinds of changes occurring in the animal's body. In principle, these changes could be:

• pathological;
• not dangerous.

In the first case, darkening of the stool indicates that there are some disturbances in the functioning of the organs of the digestive system, in the second, that some non-dangerous external influence was exerted.

Normally, the feces that your pets defecate should:

• have a brown color, while various shades are acceptable, for example, light or dark brown;
• have a medium density consistency;
• clearly defined sausage shape.

However, deviations from any of these parameters may often occur due to the influence of some reasons that are not dangerous and those that may pose a threat, for example:

• change of feed;
• organ diseases;
• introduction of new products;
• taking medications;
• various pathologies and other phenomena.

However, a serious pathology must necessarily be accompanied by other symptoms, letting the owner understand that everything is not as rosy as it seems to him.

Blackening of stool is in any case only a symptom

Table 1. Safe causes of darkening of feces in cats

Cause	Description
Taking medications containing iron	For example, most often darkening of the stool in healthy pets, provided that other aspects of their health are completely normal, occurs due to the animal taking special medications containing iron. The fact is that under the influence of this substance, stool oxidizes in the intestines, and it darkens; therefore, it comes out completely black. This change is not dangerous and goes away within a couple of days after the animal finishes taking these medications.
Eating large amounts of food containing iron	You will be surprised, but stool can also darken from food containing large amounts of iron. We are talking mainly about products such as: red meats; liver; other meat products. Provided that the animal often eats the above-mentioned foods raw, consuming not only iron, but also raw blood, which darkens as it undergoes digestion processes, it is not surprising that the cat’s feces acquire dark shades. There is nothing dangerous in this, the main thing is not to forget to feed your cats vegetables and dairy products so that his diet is complete.
Eating a lot of dyed foods	As you know, some foods that end up on a person’s table have the ability to turn stool black if they are overeated. However, it is no secret that if the food is healthy and suitable for consumption by animals, our pets can also try the foods that attract them. For example, some cats love cherries, which can turn their feces dark even if the animal eats only a few berries. The color of the feces will return to normal within a couple of days after the coloring product is removed from the animal’s food.

As you can see, in three situations there is a change in the shade of feces, which does not in any way imply any pathological processes. Therefore, if the darkening of the animal’s stool occurred only once and lasted no more than 2-3 days, and the cat’s well-being did not change in any way, you don’t have to worry: the pet is completely healthy and will soon recover. However, it is better to monitor your pet for a while just to be sure that he really feels well.

However, it is also necessary to monitor the clinical manifestations associated with blackening of the feces, which imply the development of any pathological processes in the cat’s body. Let's look at these symptoms in the table.

Table 2. Symptoms characterizing the pathological course of any hidden ailments in the cat’s body

Symptom	Description
Changes in stool characteristics	So, the first and main symptom that will be most noticeable to the animal’s owners is a change in such fecal characteristics as: color; form; consistency; presence of inclusions. So, provided that your cat still has some kind of gastrointestinal disease, the parameters of his feces may change as follows: the masses may acquire a black tint; the consistency will become liquid; the shape of the sausages will disappear, in other words, the feces will become shapeless; blood may be detected. Provided that the above changes occur, it is best to immediately seek help from a veterinarian.
Pain syndrome	Any pathological disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract are characterized by a manifestation such as pain. At the same time, unpleasant sensations bother the cat in the abdominal area. Unfortunately, you are unlikely to be able to find out their exact location, however, you can understand that the animal is experiencing pain by the following signs: the cat will tremble, either constantly or intermittently; the animal will try to move as little as possible; the cat will refuse hugs from the owner; periodically she will meow pitifully; sometimes animals hide in places that are difficult for humans to reach. However, there may also be manifestations of pain that are understandable only to you, and at the same time atypical for cats. The more attentive you are to your pet, the faster you will see them.
Change in body temperature	Provided that the darkening of the feces is associated with any pathology, the pet’s body temperature will most likely change upward, exceeding the normal limit of 38 - 38.5 degrees, and reaching higher levels.
Dyspeptic disorders	Provided that there are any pathologies and disturbances in the functioning of the cat’s body organs, various dyspeptic disorders may occur, such as: loose stools; flatulence; vomiting; in especially severe cases, streaks of blood can be seen in the vomit. As you can understand, such manifestations are very difficult to miss, and in any case they will indicate that your animal is sick.
Change in general condition	Provided that the darkening of the feces is associated with a disease and poses a danger, a change in the general condition of the animal will most likely also be observed. For example, it will become: behave sluggishly, even apathetically; there will be obvious weakness in the animal’s limbs; the cat will prefer sleep to wakefulness; weight loss will occur; the wool will become dull; other changes that characterize a serious illness will arise.
Appetite disorders	Another manifestation, very characteristic of serious illnesses, is refusal to eat food, or simply reducing its consumption to a minimum. Usually the animal stops eating so as not to cause activation, for example, of the digestive system, thereby protecting itself from repeated pain or other attacks, but continues to drink. Although, in some cases, the animal refuses water, which makes the situation critically dangerous due to the potential for dehydration.

The symptoms listed above, to which black stool is added, may indicate that bleeding has opened in some part of the gastrointestinal tract. Most likely, due to the blackening of the stool, bleeding will be found in:

• cat esophagus;
• stomach;
• small intestine.

The fact is that if bleeding occurs in the upper segments of the digestive tract, then the blood, by the time it reaches and mixes with the feces, darkens, giving the feces a shade that worries us so much. If bleeding were to occur in the cat's large intestine, the masses coming out would not be colored black, but:

• crimson;
• pink;
• or scarlet shade.

In any case, just because bleeding has started in the upper gastrointestinal tract does not give you reason to think that the problem is not particularly serious. In fact, if you do not have time to help your pet in time, everything can quickly end in death.

Note: If black feces and one of the accompanying symptoms listed above in the table are detected, it is strictly prohibited:

• hesitate;
• independently diagnose your pet;
• begin treatment for a self-diagnosed diagnosis.

By giving the animal the wrong medicine, you can only increase the intensity of the bleeding, which, in turn, can only lead to the animal leaving this world even faster, and at the same time with greater suffering.

Remember: Even if you have a veterinary education, it is very difficult to diagnose the disease without the ability to conduct hardware research.

Causes of blood in stool

At this stage, we already know that the reasons for darkening of stool can be:

• dangerous;
• not dangerous.

If in the second case we are talking mainly about taking medications containing iron and eating appropriate food, then in the first case we are talking mainly about bleeding. It is the blood that gets into the feces and mixes with it until a homogeneous mass makes the stool black, and thus you will know that something is wrong in the cat’s body.

Blood in the stool is a bad sign indicating that your pet is experiencing negative processes in the body.

The bleeding we are talking about now can open in one of the segments of the animal’s digestive tract. Other segments cannot be involved in this case (their disease is not excluded, but they were not the cause of the darkening of the stool), since the blood from them would in no way get into the gastrointestinal tract.

Bleeding may occur:

• in the esophagus;
• in the stomach;
• in different segments of the intestine.

In any case, no matter which segment of the gastrointestinal tract is involved, bleeding poses a fatal danger, so we do not advise you to brush it off. Next, we will look at a table within which the causes of bleeding in cats will be indicated. It is very important to understand that the reasons can be very different from each other, and which one is found in your case will depend on:

• medications required for use;
• prognosis for recovery;
• amount of time until death;
• duration of therapy, etc.

So, let's get started.

As you understand, the presence of helminths, if untreated, can lead to the death of a pet, but first it will be weakened and poisoned.

When attached to the walls of an organ, as we have already said, helminths begin to destroy it, which, in fact, provokes bleeding from its walls. Flowing further along the gastrointestinal tract, the blood is digested and becomes black, mixing with the feces and giving it the same shade. Thus, one of the reasons for darkening of feces in cats may be the presence of helminths.

Traumatic colitis or gastritisColitis and gastritis are pathologies that affect the following organs of the gastrointestinal tract in the appropriate order:

small part of the intestine;

stomach.

We talk about traumatic colitis or gastritis when their occurrence and development is caused by the entry into the digestive tract of a foreign object or food product that the gastrointestinal tract is unable to cope with. As a rule, we are talking about bones that careless owners give to their pets for food, and most often cause serious damage to the bones of cats:

fish;

avian.

Once inside the gastrointestinal tract, especially when cooked, when chewed, they turn into needles that are difficult for the stomach to digest. These same needles damage the delicate mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. From the damaged areas, in fact, blood oozes, which enters the stool, giving it a black tint.

Peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum, enterocolitis, gastritisThe diseases listed in this case are inflammatory in nature. Their development is characterized by the appearance of bleeding ulcers, more or less developed, in such segments of the cat’s digestive tract as:

stomach;

12-persiculum;

jejunum;

ileum, etc.

Blood oozes out of such ulcers very actively. In addition, it should be noted that the presence of ulcers and illness with similar ailments in itself means that the disease can progress, more ulcers will open, and bleeding from these ulcers will become more profuse.

Oncological processesOncology that has invaded the cat's gastrointestinal tract can also lead to the formation of lesions such as ulcers on the surfaces of the cat's mucous membranes. In this case, tumors of the following nature may also occur:

benign;

malignant.

Whatever happens in your case, this disease can also cause the stool to darken and eventually become black. I think you yourself understand that the help of a veterinarian in this case is necessary if you want to save the animal’s life.

Gastroenteritis in hemorrhagic formThis disease can affect both the stomach and some parts of the intestinal tract. At the same time, as it develops, the following happens:

gradual peeling of the mucous surfaces of the inside of the stomach and intestines;

damage to small vessels and capillaries, resulting in bleeding.

The ailments listed above, every single one, require:

• immediate assistance;
• correct diagnosis and determination of the nuances of the disease, such as the stage of development, for example;
• selection of the right drugs.

You cannot do any of the above on your own, as there is a high chance of harming the cat and aggravating the situation as much as possible. The only situation in which you can start treatment at home is helminth infestation. However, we do not recommend that you do this, as there is a high probability of relapse. The fact is that in case of severe helminthic infestation, anthelmintic drugs can be taken not once, but several times, supplemented by:

• putting the animal on a diet;
• taking enterosorbents;
• other procedures that make it possible to destroy not only very large worms, but also their larvae and eggs, as well as neutralize the damage caused to the animal’s body.

Such examinations, although they are aesthetically unpleasant, are of great benefit, since you can track the presence of helminths inside the cat’s body. There is only one minus: the segments of these creatures are noticeable in the feces only when the invasion can already be called serious.

Video - Blood in animal stool

Diagnosis and treatment of black feces in cats

Of course, black stool itself cannot be cured, since it is only a symptom of a disease. Therefore, in order to understand what therapeutic measures are appropriate to apply in a particular case, it is necessary to conduct a diagnosis. Here are the diagnostic measures we are talking about.

1. So, first of all, it is imperative to analyze the feces for the presence of hidden traces of blood in order to find out whether there really was bleeding, or whether your cat’s feces are black and liquid because he ate cherries and is now suffering from a sore stomach.

2. If blood is detected in the feces, the cat will have to be tormented a little more with diagnostic measures, such as:

• ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity;
• radiography;
• gastroscopy.

3. Provided that blood has been detected in the stool, it is also recommended to take biological fluids for analysis. Thus, the following studies are most often carried out:

• blood for clotting (coagulogram);
• general blood analysis;
• blood chemistry.

Provided that at a particular stage the veterinarian decides that the time has come to make a diagnosis, because he has accumulated enough information for this, then further research will be carried out only at the insistence of the owner. However, even if you are the most caring and meticulous owner on earth, as a rule, subsequent studies only confirm the doctor’s earlier conclusions.

Provided that the doctor has decided on the diagnosis, depending on what pathology was discovered, a variety of medications may be prescribed. Let's see which ones in the table below.

Table 4. Medicines prescribed to cats for treatment of black stool

Area of ​​application of the drug	Description
Hemostatic drugs	So, first of all, drugs that are responsible for stopping the blood are prescribed. The fact is that loss of blood in any case aggravates the disease, therefore, in order to seriously improve the animal’s condition and give it a chance to recover, it is necessary to use a remedy to eliminate bleeding. Here are the medications veterinarians usually prescribe today. All of the listed medications are products originally developed for human use, so you can buy them directly in human pharmacies. The dosage in this case must be determined by the attending physician.
Antiviral drugs	Provided that the disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract of your animal was caused by some kind of virus, it is necessary to take remedies that directly destroy this virus, otherwise all other treatment will not make sense. So, the following medications are suitable for cats: "Cycloferon"; "Interferon".
Gastroprotectors	To protect your beloved pet's gastrointestinal tract from the negative effects of all medications taken, as well as from toxic secretions associated with the disease, it is necessary to use drugs called gastroprotectors - protectors of the digestive tract. These drugs will include: "Almagel"; "Phosphalugel"; "Maalox"; etc. Believe me, these products will have an extremely positive effect on the state of your pet’s digestive system.

You have no right to independently determine the medications your cat needs, as this will most likely only worsen the situation.

Let's sum it up

Black feces in cats are not a disease in themselves. This is just a symptom that is typical for certain circumstances. Thus, black feces often appear in pets taking medications containing iron, cats that eat a lot of raw meat or liver, as well as in those animals that with great pleasure eat foods that stain feces, often atypical for this family.

However, in addition to reasons that do not in any way affect the health of cats, negative circumstances can also lead to darkening of stool, such as bleeding inside the gastrointestinal tract, provoked by a huge number of different diseases. Provided that you try to cure the cat yourself, you may kill it. Stop experimenting and go to a veterinarian who is guaranteed to provide you with professional help.

Cats often have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and other organs. Every owner of a four-legged pet should know which symptoms are alarming and require close attention. Timely detection of the disease and its proper treatment under the supervision of a specialist allows you to avoid serious complications.

A change in the color and consistency of the animal's stool can cause anxiety in the cat's owner. Such manifestations indicate disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. The causes of black feces in a cat can be different and indicate a minor malfunction of the body or a serious illness.

Reasons for changes in stool color and norm

If the pet is in good health and has a healthy, balanced diet, the color of the cat's stool should be brown, and its shade varies from light to dark. The consistency of stool should be medium and compact. Changes occur due to a change in diet, new foods, diseases of the internal organs, the use of certain drugs and bleeding. Serious pathologies are accompanied by other alarming symptoms.

When the pet is not bothered by anything, and the general state of health is normal, the cause of the change in the color of the stool may be the intake of iron supplements or a large number of foods in the diet that contain this enzyme. Large amounts of raw meat consumption contribute to the darkening of stool to black. In such cases, the owner has nothing to worry about if the pet is not bothered by any accompanying symptoms.

If the case of a change in the color of stool is isolated, and the cat’s behavior does not cause any suspicion, you can stop observing for a while. Urgent action is necessary if your pet exhibits the following symptoms:

• the presence of blood spots in the stool, they indicate internal bleeding;
• pain in the pet’s abdomen, the cat will be less mobile, will not allow itself to be touched, and slight tremors may occur;
• plaintive meowing, the pet withdraws from contact with people;
• increase in body temperature, in cats it becomes higher than 38-38.5 degrees when measured rectally;
• loose stools;
• vomiting, in severe cases with blood;
• general weakness, lethargic behavior;
• loss of appetite or complete refusal to eat.

These symptoms, together with changes in the color of stool, indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In such cases, you cannot hesitate, as internal bleeding can be fatal. It is not possible to diagnose the problem at home; an accurate diagnosis requires many studies in a hospital.

Why did my cat's feces change in color?

The factor contributing to this pathology most often is the presence of blood in the stool, but there may be several reasons for this. Bleeding occurs both in the stomach and in different parts of the intestines, which poses a mortal danger to the cat. This happens in the following cases, each of which requires an individual approach to treatment:

1. 1. Worms very often cause this problem. They live in the pet’s intestines, attaching to its walls, thereby violating their integrity. Once in the large intestine, the blood is digested and changes the color of the animal's stool.
2. 2. Gastritis or colitis of traumatic origin is an inflammatory process in the stomach or small intestine that is caused by foreign objects. Most often this happens if a cat eats bird bones. When chewed, splintered pieces are obtained that easily injure the internal organs of the animal. Perforations, wounds and microcracks on the walls of organs also appear from other swallowed objects.
3. 3. Peptic ulcer of the stomach, duodenum, gastritis and enterocolitis of the same type, all these diseases cause the appearance of bleeding ulcers on the walls of organs, which leads to blackening of the animal’s feces.
4. 4. Tumors of the small intestine and stomach, especially malignant ones, lead to the appearance of ulcers and internal bleeding.
5. 5. The hemorrhagic form of gastroenteritis leads to detachment of the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the stomach and some parts of the intestine, injuring small vessels and causing bleeding. This inflammation occurs as a result of complications from severe bacterial and viral infections; the cause may be an autoimmune disease of the animal, severe stress, disturbances in the process of blood clotting, complete intolerance to any food product, food component, or a severe allergic reaction.

Diagnosis and treatment of a cat

First of all, it is necessary to analyze the stool for the presence of hidden traces of blood. If the result is positive, then the following studies are required to determine the exact cause of the pathology:

• blood analysis;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal area;
• blood clotting test;
• radiography;
• gastroscopy.

If at some stage a specialist makes an accurate diagnosis, then there is no need for further research. Initially, veterinarians prescribe hemostatic drugs. Most of them are administered intramuscularly or intravenously, so treatment at home is not possible. The following medications are usually prescribed:

• Tranexam is administered every 6-8 hours, therapy is stopped after the bleeding has completely stopped, the dosage is calculated at the rate of 10-15 mg per 1 kg of cat weight, intravenously or intramuscularly determined by the doctor based on the general condition.
• Vikasol 1% is used for 3 to 5 days, injected into the muscle, dosed at 1-2 mg per 1 kg of pet’s body weight.
• Aminocaproic acid 5% is used at 7-10 mg per 1 kg of cat’s weight, up to 5 times a day, orally, sometimes used intravenously, calculating 1 mg per 1 kg of weight.
• Dicinone is administered intramuscularly 2 times a day, the course lasts up to 3 days, dosed at 10-12 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Treatment of the underlying problem begins after the bleeding has completely stopped. Otherwise, you can cause even more harm to the cat, since many drugs cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and other side effects. If a foreign object or tumor is present, surgery is performed. In other cases, the following drugs are used.

If the act of defecation occurs untimely and with long delays, this can lead to intoxication of the animal and other serious negative consequences. If you notice that the cat does not go to the toilet or meows and makes other sounds when defecating, spends a lot of time on this process, but often without results, if the feces are dry and the amount is small, you can talk about constipation in the cat. Constipation can be caused by an unbalanced diet, low protein food, dehydration, or the formation of hairballs in the esophagus. In cases of constipation and complicated bowel movements of your pet, you must contact your veterinarian and take the prescribed treatment.

If the stool turns black, this may indicate the presence of digested blood, which indicates internal bleeding in the upper digestive tract.

If blood is found in the stool in the state in which everyone is accustomed to seeing it, scarlet or bright red, it means that the blood has not been digested and bleeding is taking place in the lower parts of the digestive tract. In any case, the presence of bleeding in any part of the digestive tract should not be ignored and prompt assistance from a veterinarian.

If your pet's stool has acquired a greenish or yellowish tint, this may indicate problems with digestion of food, dysbiosis and other digestive disorders. If the stool is completely light yellow or even beige, white, this is an indication of a malfunction of the liver.

Grayish feces indicate problems with digesting the food you eat. If the feces are oily or watery, this may indicate failures in the absorption of excess fluid by the intestinal walls.

If any of the listed manifestations of changes in the quality, quantity, or consistency of your cat’s stool occur, you should immediately contact your veterinarian, take stool tests, and, having received the results and referrals from a specialist, begin treatment.

White feces in a cat are a warning sign that any responsible owner will recognize. Daily cleaning of the litter box will not only help maintain cleanliness, but will also help identify health problems with your pet in the shortest possible time.

Normally, cat feces are dark brown in color. Changes in the color and consistency of feces indicate improper functioning of the digestive system or some organ. Light-colored feces in a cat often indicate problems with the liver, more precisely, with the gall bladder. The fact is that bile turns feces brown. When food enters the small intestine, a catalyst is needed for its complete digestion, which is bile. If there is not enough bile, its consistency is changed or disturbed, food is not digested as it should be, and accordingly, bowel movements look abnormal.

White stool in a cat is a sign of illness. It is important to understand that the outcome of treatment may depend on your efficiency and attentiveness. The lack of bile in the intestines is not only a symptom, but also a guarantee that the cat will not digest food properly. As you know, it is from the small intestine that the body takes the main amount of nutrients and vitamins. You should see a doctor even if you see feces just light (not white). Colorless feces are often dry, which leads to intestinal injury. As a result, the owner observes mucous with blood, but as you understand, this is a consequence, not a cause.

The speed of the owner's response plays a very important role, since almost all the root causes that led to stagnation of bile are very serious. Having discovered that the cat’s feces have turned white, you need to establish strict observation for 1–2 days. Your task is to understand whether your pet eats and if the answer is yes, then whether he has a sharp reaction to high-fat food. You need to monitor the amount of water consumed and the frequency of stool. During bowel movements, the cat should not strain, and if you observe this, you need to check the moisture content of the stool. Dryness may indicate improper feeding or dehydration.

Important! and their fragments consumed by the cat often result in loss of color in the feces. Based on the experience of owners who actively discuss the health of their pets on forums, it has been established that the consumption of bones leads to problems with the liver and digestion of food.

Try to analyze your pet’s behavior, observe its mood and well-being. When a cat doesn't feel well, it becomes lethargic or irritable. If such changes are observed, you need to tell your veterinarian. The fact is that during the examination they try not to prescribe medications to cats, but if the animal is in pain, then this rule is not entirely relevant. Gallbladder problems may be obvious if you pay attention to the right things. When your cat is unable to digest certain foods, you will experience decreased appetite and weight loss.. Aversion to junk food is a reflex to which the cat obeys unquestioningly.

Read also: Feline immunodeficiency (FIV): what it is, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Under certain events, a small amount of bile and, accordingly, a decrease in its outflow can be considered normal. When dehydrated, all available moisture is used to form blood and protect mucous membranes. After undergoing treatment, and other conditions that have a detrimental effect on the liver, a decrease in the activity of the gallbladder is also predictable.

The owner should not treat the cat themselves, but a detailed history will never harm the diagnosis. Write down all your observations and assumptions, even if they seem insignificant to you.

Read also: Hematuria in cats is a hidden threat to the urinary tract

When faeces are discolored, the root cause of the condition may be oncology. If the disease is not in a severe stage, it is quite difficult to confirm the diagnosis. A small tumor, especially if it is located in intestinal loops, may not be visible during examination even with modern equipment. It is worth understanding that an oncological tumor does not need to reach gigantic sizes in order to metastasize. Metastases, in turn, can affect all organs and not only those nearby.

Diagnostics

They begin to look for oncology if none of the above diagnoses are confirmed. If the case is not complex, the tumor is found in the liver, gall bladder or ducts. Secondly, the stomach, small and large intestines are examined. If there are no results, that is, as a last resort, the doctor may suggest a diagnostic operation. It is worth noting that in this way it is possible to identify oncology even in the early stages.

Before agreeing to such drastic measures, you must ensure that all alternative options have been exhausted:

• Expanded– violation of norms may indicate the development of ailments of any organ or vital system.

• Blood chemistry– Abnormal liver function tests indicate that the problem is in the liver or gall bladder.

• Stool analysis– is one of the first to be carried out, since the excrement may contain tissue debris (inflammation), sand (cholelithiasis), bone fragments (a cat can steal a bone from a trash can), atypical toxins (poisoning with liver damage), etc.

• Analysis of urine– shows the general condition of the body.

• abdominal examination– if the cat constantly has white feces, several ultrasound examinations are performed (on an empty stomach, after drinking water, after eating, etc.). Using ultrasound, you can identify cysts, neoplasms, degeneration of cells into fibrous tissue, obstruction of the bile ducts, stones and sand in the gallbladder.

• Radiography– allows you to identify tumors, cysts, changes in the shape of the liver, etc.

• Biopsy affected tissues (most often the liver).