# red poop!?



## euphoria066 (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm not sure exactly how freaked out to BE about this. 

I've been out of the country for the last week or so, and left my two cats with my brother and his wife (they also have two kittens.) the cats spent most of their time in the spare bedroom away from the kittens, which really isn't used much, and I checked pretty thoroughly before we left for anything the cats could eat (because they're brats) they've been in the other rooms in the house, but only when my brother was home, and he says he's like 99% sure they haven't gotten into anything weird.

my kitties came home today, and both of them are a little sick... a bit listless, a bit of diarrhea, and apparently jango threw up a few times today (which I didn't know until I picked them up, which of course is too late to get them in anywhere... geez, thanks, bro.) despite his assurances, I'm fairly certain the cats ate something a bit weird that has upset their stomachs.

now, I'm not TOO worried about them yet, boba seems okay really, just a bit o the runs, but I'll probably take jango to the vet tomorrow if he hasn't perked up by the morning, just in case.. his fur looks kind of weird to me. but here's the kicker. chad (my bro) mentioned that jango's throw up was "pinkish" which I thought was kind of odd but could be chalked up to different treats with a high colour content or something I figured.. but he just took a poop, and I watched him, and while still being runny and I'm sure horrible for my kitty it was also kind of.. red. I mean, not blood red. if this was blood red we'd be hopping in a cab and on the way to the hospital.. but just red.. kind of a tomato soup mixed with poop colour.. all even, not swirled or spotted or anything which would make me think blood, just... toned red. 

what do you guys think? some kind of food or not-food dye? or do you think this could be some kind of blood mixture that I've never heard of before and therefore I should go dashing off to vet immediately?


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## Darkcat (May 27, 2010)

I don't know, but that sounds pretty freaky. I hope they feel better soon.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

My first thought was a dry food that has red dye in it, like Meow Mix or some of the Purina's or Alley Cat brands of cheap cat food. I've noticed when cats eat 'colored' food, their deposits are 'colored', too. ...but I don't like the listless and vomitting accompanying the diarrhea and odd color. 
I think I'd be calling my vet Monday morning, bright/early, to run it past them.


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## euphoria066 (Jan 10, 2010)

we ended up taking him to the emerg vet (who does NOT have good reviews, but it's sunday so choices were awfully slim) because I can't coerce him to eat anything at all (not even TUNA!) and he seems to puke up all the water he's drinking, so I decided it was just too much.. the vet's keeping him there overnight to keep him on an iv because his fluids were so low, and I guess that's that. he thinks he MIGHT have some kind of parasite? poor little man, he's always so sickly... my other cat seems to be almost over whatever they have already. 

the vet didn't really have anything to say about the red poop.. so I guess he's not concerned about it? 

heidi, my thought was some kind of weird dry food or treats too, but chad says he didn't give them anything but the food I left with them, which was a combination of evos and wellnesses, all wet.. chad gave them a little bit of before grains dry on saturday morning, but I don't think it contains any colouring, so I'm at a loss on the red still. chad scoured his house for me today (I think he feels pretty bad that jango's sick..) and he couldn't find anything at all.

ah well, I'll keep you posted on what the vet says! maybe he'll get an idea about the red.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

*_closes eyes to send good thoughts and healing wishes for you and Jango_*


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

I just hope its not bloody poop. That could be a sign of so many bad things (at least for us).


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## euphoria066 (Jan 10, 2010)

just to update everyone, jango spent the night in the hospital on an IV (omg it was so expensive, I'm really glad I put a pretty significant slush fund away awhile ago.. crazy emergency vets.) and responded really well to the fluids and some treatment with metronidazole, and we picked him up at 6 today and he's wonderful. seems really happy to be home, tail up in the air for the last 5 hours.

that's generally prescribed for Giardia, right? the vet said that it's possible that because my brother's kittens came from a breeder that has lots of cats that they could have actually have been born with a parasite that doesn't affect them at all. strange! 

the vet said that he thinks that because both my cats have been exposed to whatever parasite those kitties have, they will be okay around each other from now on, but I'm wondering if anyone has any information or experience with something like that.. can they catch it again? we generally all go home for special occasions and animals come with us, so is that going to be a dangerous situation for my cats and wallet from now on, or should they be okay?


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## catlady2010 (Feb 4, 2010)

It's so weird how the vet told you because they were born with giardia, they won't be affected. That does not make any sense to me but I am not sure. Have those kitties been treated for giardia yet? Giardia can be serious. My cat had the same exact symptoms and I rushed him to the vet that night and he had giardia. He's completely fine now. I did, however, have to take him back to the vet after I completed the medication and do a fecal exam, he came out positive for giardia so we had to treat again.But usually the 10 day course of metro takes care of it. They can definitely catch it again, it's just like any other parasite. It's very contagious, even to humans. And you have to make sure you don't expose your cat to that again because it can be deadly (maybe urge your brother to deworm his kitties?). I don't think it's possible to become "immune" to giardia like your vet is suggesting. Honestly, I can't believe your vet said that, I hope he's not just saying that so you could come back and waste your money again :?


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## euphoria066 (Jan 10, 2010)

I hope not too, because he does have very bad reviews, but I'll definitely tell chad that he should maybe get a fecal test done for his kitties, or at least a deworming. and until that's taken care of, I will take special care to keep them apart!


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