My cat has black runny stool but is eating and purring. What to do?

She may just have some inflammation in her stomach/interstines. Hairballs usually cause vomiting but anything that causes gastrointestinal inflammation can cause blood in the stool. If she seems fine otherwise than you could monitor her for a day and see if it resolves. If not, she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. Your vet can run some lab-work to help diagnose and then prescribe medications to help treat. You could also add a probiotic, like Fortiflora or Proviable, to her diet and see if that helps.

Hello. Digested blood will give the stool a tarry appearance & consistency, very different from the consistency of normal stool. My guess the probiotics, new food & wormer have all contributed to the odd stool color. It should normalize within a week or so as things have a chance to get back to normal. Thanks for contacting Boop by Petco.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Vomiting can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. Also, black stools are usually a sign of bleeding in the stomach or small intestine which could be also due to the conditions mentioned above. For this reason, I highly recommend that you have Midnight evaluated by an emergency veterinarian that is perhaps open for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as I am afraid he is likely becoming dehydrated. They would be able to check for these possibilities and also check his hydration status and give him medications to make him feel better. I would not recommend Vaseline for hair balls especially since the hair balls are less of a concern with the other more concerning symptoms occurring. Good luck and have a good night!

There are a number of concerns here but the development of blacker stools can be indicative of internal bleeding and requires urgent veterinary assessment and a check up of kidney function and dental health (swallowed blood can be detected in stools). It sounds like she has also suffered from colitis and/or pancreatitis (soft, slimey, malodorous) in the past and diet change to a high fiber, low fat complete food may help depending on the findings of her physical exam and blood/urine tests

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Blood in the stools can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jasper evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Vomiting and diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal ulcer, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. The blood in the vomit and the dark stools are very concerning as that can be seen when there is significant gastrointestinal disease. For this reason, I highly recommend that you have Logan evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as I am afraid he is likely becoming dehydrated. They would be able to check for these possibilities and also check his hydration status and give him medications to make him feel better. Good luck!

A very common reason for having bright red blood and soft stool is a condition called colitis. This is an inflammation in the colon that commonly results from a change in diet or a stressful event. You could start by feeding a bland diet of plain boiled chicken breast and plain white rice. You could also add fiber in the form of canned pumpkin puree. As long as he is acting normally, you could see if just the bland diet will resolve it. If you see other signs such as lethargy, vomiting, poor appetite or diarrhea, I would strongly recommend taking him to a veterinarian for evaluation. They may recommend a fecal exam to look for parasites or recommend x-rays and blood work to look for the underlying cause.

It is possible that this particular stool was difficult to pass and you helping to remove it may have caused a small amount of bleeding from the rectal tissue. Cats can become constipated, and if she has been passing less stool than usual, straining to defecate and had a decreased appetite I would recommend seeing a veterinarian. There are some other things that can cause blood in the stool as well including intestinal parasites, colitis or even inflammatory bowel disease. If the blood is persistent you should make an appointment to see your veterinarian as well.

Black or tarry stool is a serious and concerning symptom that can sometimes indicate a bleed in the stomach or upper GI tract. Other issues such as parasites, food allergies, or ingestion of certain items may also cause the stool to darken or change colors. If Rowan continues to act oddly, has additional dark or tarry stool, or shows new symptoms of illness, seeking veterinary care in person ASAP is best.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Blood in the stool can be observed from conditions such as intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, colitis, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have Bingo evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for parasites for example and see if he needs to be on anti-parasitic medications. Therapy would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night!