9 month old kitten has stools containing blood and mucous

[flora745]

Our kitten, Chester, is 9 months old.  He has had blood and mucous in a lot of his stools pretty much since we bought him from a breeder 3 months ago.  

We have taken him to the vet 6 times and he has been on a low allergen diet (Hills Prescription zd) for some time.  He has been treated for collitis, worms, Giardia and has also received an anti-imflammatory injection (which seemed to help for 2 to 3 days).  Chester is now on steroids but the problem is back.

Last night he got desparate as I was cleaning his tray.  He dripped bright red blood all over the floor and then hopped into the bath tub and did his thing there.  His stool was soft and surrounded by a largeish pool of bright red blood with a bit of mucous.

Last night I decided to try him on bottled water instead of tap.  I am hoping this will work as I don't know what else to do.  In all other ways he is just a healthy normal kitty, albeit a little small for his age.

Does anyone have any other suggestions ?

[PrettyKitty1]

Wow....that's interesting. I'm happy your kitty is getting better. That is always great to hear :-) Oh...and you can thank God he isn't an IBD cat. The symptoms were the same and trust me...taking care of one is very, very difficult!

PK

[flora745]

We've confirmed that the drinking water is the cause.  We started boiling filtered water for Chester almost a week ago after he had a really nasty tummy upset.  It started to work straight away - much to our amazement - and he has been 100% better ever since.  We;ve even started to give him some of his favourite foods to eat again with no issues.

We're all really happy that he's getting better.  Who knows, he might grow a bit now !

Thanks everyone for your help :)

[PrettyKitty1]

I'm sorry you have to deal with this. For kitties, it is very uncomfortable as well. Has the vet performed a biopsy at all? With a biopsy they will get a diagnosis; but I truly think your cat's colon is very irritated. A biopsy would help. He is pretty much allergic to certain ingredients contained in the food and it is up to you to find out what the best care for him is. Sounds like he is an IBD cat. Owning an IBD cat isn't easy. IBD leads to cancer in the colon if the diet isn't changed. I wouldn't keep him on steroids long term as steroids makes them diabetic.
My almost 3 y.o cat Abby is also an IBD cat. The raw diet was really the only thing that helped and you will find a lot of info on www.catnutrition.org
Read the author's story. You might see yourself on there. If you don't want to do raw diet or hommade diet, then ask your vet for Hill's d/d the duck and peas formula. My cats are both on this diet and it works. I'm not happy about feeding them Hill's but it's working so far and my cat has a history of liver disease as well.
Let me know if you need more info.

[flora745]

Thanks.  I might read up on IBS while I wait for some more feedback on the forum.

We all feel so sorry for little Chester.  He is such an adorable little kitten and we have all fallen for him hook, line and sinker.

[LindaTX]

Poor kitty.  It sounds like you could be dealing with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).  It's not that unusual but it does requies a special diet.  There are people here on the forum who have dealt with this and I'm sure they will be able to answer any of your questions on this subject. Good luck with your kitty.  I hope he feels a lot better real soon  :)