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My old cat has diarrhea and purple blood in her poop. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Maine Coon | Female | spayed | 6 lbs

My cat has a had diarrhea on and off for a few days. She has been to the vet , got blood work and had a fecal test. All good , but she hadn't been eating and is now on a different food but eating well and looks good (she's 20). We noticed a little bit of purple blood in her poop (pic attached). Is this serious ? I know the diarrhea is probably from the change in food but towards the end of her pool looks a little purple. (Not normal)

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 26th, 2018

I wouldn't really be worried about this at this stage. The purple color may be a bit of digested blood but it could also be due to some colon irritation. I suggest you continue what you are doing and if it persists then you should call your vet to ask them about it. They have more information about her health than we do. My only other suggestion is to put her on a probiotic: like Advita or Fortiflora. This should help with the diarrhea. ( https://vetapprovedrx.pharmacy/advita-powder-for-cats.html ) The box has 30 packets - put one packet on her food once daily for 30 days. It is very palatable so there should be no issue with her eating it. It may even entice her to eat better. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 1st, 2020

    I'm concerned the purple may be blood? The diarrhea could be due to many conditions including eating something he shouldn’t have, bacterial over growth, parasites or even organ disease. If the diarrhea has continued beyond 24 hours, I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check him for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. I hope Pepper starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

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