Stress may cause cat's symptoms

jkoch

By Dr. John Koch

Question: My son recently brought home a little puppy. The puppy has had shots, been wormed and seems healthy. Everybody seems to be getting along reasonably well. My concern involves our cat. She is about 7 years old and has been with us ever since she was a kitten. She has always been healthy but is now passing a little blood in her stools. The stools are formed with little streaks of blood on them. She eats well and doesn't act sick. Could she have picked up something from the puppy?

Answer: It is possible, but it doesn't sound likely. The most likely reason is stress. Cats are prone to stress, and what you describe is a recognized feline reaction to stress. Suddenly sharing the household with a new puppy is going to test the nerves of most kitties. If stress were causing the problem, I would expect resolution on its own in a few weeks.

There are other possible reasons for blood in cat's stools. They include parasites, a change in diet, excessive hair in the intestinal tract, constipation, infected anal glands, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and a poor-quality diet.

Blood in the stool is a symptom that is potentially serious. Bright blood usually means the large bowel is involved. If black, tarry stools are seen, that usually means the bleeding is occurring in the stomach or small intestine. Black, tarry stools are a more ominous symptom. Anytime blood is seen in a pet's stool, you should check with your veterinarian. It is likely that you will be advised to have the animal and its stool examined.

Dr. Koch is a Cape Girardeau veterinarian.