cat has blood in stool and very lethargic.

by R Plumb
(Wickford, UK)

Sidney is our 14 year old tom. Normally the cheeky one of the three toms we have, always bright, alert, looking for food and only normally leaves the home to go to the toilet. He is of course well fed twice a day with water and Hills Science Plan. He had a Drontal tablet and Advocat spot on flea treatment 16th June. On the same day we put the three in the local catery we use every year whilst we went off on a two week holiday. On our return 2nd July we picked them up, asked how things had been and way told as well as the Hills food we provide all had been also eating wet food, Whiskers and that Sidney must have been hungry as he groweled when approached, something he has never done. We thought nothing of it, brought him home and off he went, appearing to be his normal self up until 7.30 a.m 7th July. He left the house half way down the garden he stopped for a drink of water. On raising his head he walked a few paces, stopped and lowered his head as if he was looking at a spider or some creepy crawly. He stood, head lowered for a period then rather than going on to the top of the garden to do his toilet he moved back toward the house, stopped and defficated. Concerned about this strange behaviour I inspected the stool, which was firm, but appeared to have a very small amount of dark blood in it. When I picked Sidney up he cried out softly and on examination I noticed red blood pooling in the lower part of the right eye! I took him straight to our vet at 9.00 a.m. A series of tests were carried in the early part of the day, which included; Blood pressure (okay)- Ultrasound of the eye (Okay) - General Health Profile, which when queried I was told was a Blood test (Okay) - Full blood count, sent to specialist (Okay). Based on these results I was informed condition could be one of two things; Traumer or an infection of the eye and whilst this infection, I'm sorry and cant remember the name, is normally found in yonger cats its not unknown to be found in older cats sometims. To cover the second possibilty the vet gave me eye oitment (Chloramphhenicol 1% w/v) and eye drops (Pred Forte 1% W/V) both to be applied twice daily. I brought Sidney home and once the sedation had worn off he appeared his usual self. I started applying the medication that evening the 7th and applied last on the evening of the 9th (last). I arose early 5 a.m this morning to find Sidney in his bed and very lethagic and when gentley picking him up under his front legs/stomach he cried out, groweled and curled his paws/claws up. He is moving about but very slowly, has urinated in his dirt tray, has not eaten or taken a drink of water, most unusual. He is a the moment sitting head down on, I have refrained from applying the medication. I will of course be taking Sidney back to the vet, however, with your considerable expeience you may have come across the same or a similar problem and therefore look to you for a second opinion please.

Regards
Rod Plumb

Reply
Hi
Luckily I have not encountered this myself personally. however i have had cats who stop eating completely and who have this very lethargic slow moving behavior. This has normally be done to a virus, like flu and usually passes in a few days.

The strange thing is my own two cats are both suffering from some odd virus themselves at the moment whereby they have stopped eating and drinking and move very slowly. Again the vet has done blood work and cannot find a cause. However he says it is odd for both cats to go down at the same time and so is suggesting that it is something they have both eaten. Its a real puzzle and very worrying.

Unfortunately in situations as your own there is often no definitive answer and sometimes lots of tests have to be carried out over a period of time to determine the cause or if your lucky the whatever it was passes.

Your cat is rather old now and the blood in the feces is a bit of a worry. If you don't mind would you be able to let me know what your vet says to you after your next vet visit. It may help me provide future information to other visitors to my site.

i hope your cat is better soon

best wishes kate

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