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Kitten's bum bleeding?

kaylachristine

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Hi, I'm quite worried about my 5 month old kitten. Tomorrow is a holiday so if it doesn't clear up I'll call the vet when they're open Monday. I've been using Kirkland Baby Wipes to clean her after using the litter box, and I see now that they have aloe and chamomile in them. I feel really bad because I think maybe those have caused the irritation :( She saw that vet on Friday and we were told she has a URI. Her sneezing has gone done, but she's been having diarrhea for several days. I just noticed today what I thought was a poop stain on her, but when I put coconut oil on it to loosen up, it was actually blood. I'm not going to use the baby wipes on her, just damp rags to clean her, but I'm wondering how serious this is. I've only had her home for 4 days. Food wise I've been feeding her Orijen dried kibble and raw food at the breeder's recommendation. She's been drinking lots of water. Thanks so much in advance.
 

Lynn W

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@kaylachristine ..I use wipes on my boy, but not on his bottom..I just use wet wash clothes on him for that when needed. She may have diarrhea from the meds that she has been on. I'd get her to the vet as soon as you can.
 

Yoda mom

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It's not uncommon for newly brought home kitties to get a URI as well as poo issues till they settle in
I agree to not use the wipes

Always a good idea to have a wellness check with new kitties for s baseline (some breeders contracts have a clause ) and you bring a fresh poo sample for testing for giardia etc to rule out if thst is the source of poo issues -
and to get any medications on board of necessary to clear things up-

Orijen is high protein - can cause poo issues -
years ago I had to switch to same companies Acana that has Lowe protein .
But they got greasy on the US Acana grasslands.
I actually switched them to Nutrisource cat and kitten in the blue bag that is prided for use for digestive health and no recalls -
Now I just feed and go

There are several Raw feeders thst can chime in about feeding kibble and Rae at the same time
@Xandria, @Condo commando

Your avatar pic is adorable ! What is her name?
Will be following closely for updates
 

Cinafina

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I use WaterWipes (baby wipes) because they are only water with a drop of grapefruit juice. Most wipes have propylene glycol (and lots of other additives/chemicals) in them which is not good for cats (toxic in any considerable amounts). The waterwipes are totally adequate for a post-litterbox clean. I don't know if your wipes could have caused a URI, I'm a new sphynx owner myself and mine's a boy, and I have no experience of URI's (yet anyway, fingers crossed!). My Butchie is 7 months old and he's not been having diarrhea, but very loose and stinky poo for a few weeks now, and after a visit to vet has been given antibiotics for colitis. There would sometimes be just a drop of bright red blood on the wipe after his toilet visit, but then the other day quite a lot of bloody mucus in the poo. That's when I decided it was time for a check-up! I'm not saying that's what your kitten's got, but a bit of blood is common in cases of constipation or diarrhea. It can go away by itself, or she might need something for it - is she lethargic or seem dehydrated? I also wondered what you meant by the sneezing being gone? If the blood is bright red it usually means the issue is in the colon, in other words near the exit, but if it dark the problem comes from further inside the intestinal tract.
 

Condo commando

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Feeding raw and kibble together can definitely cause issues. You can feed those if you space them far enough apart that the cat has completely digested the other one. But don't mix them in the body at the same time.

Since you've only had the kitty home for 4 days, it could be the problem was already there so I would ask the breeder to tell you everything he/she can think of. For the sake of the kitty they need to be honest.

I would take the kitty to the vet because of the internal bleeding. That's a sign of something else going on. In addition, bleeding can lead to iron deficiency (anemia) so I would guess the vet will recommend doing blood work to check.

Basically you want to get out in front of any problem before it blossoms into something bigger. Sending positive vibes your way!
 

Xandria

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hi there. To be honest, either feed kibble or raw food. Both at the same time can cause some digestive issues.All that said, she could be just adjusting to her new environment and stressed out.

Try to avoid using any wipes on her bottom. I find if I have to, I use the following: Huggies Natural Care® - Fragrance & Alcohol Free Baby Wipes Otherwise, a warm moistened cloth will do the trick, but don't rub too much.

Veterinarian visit would be a good idea. If you can bring a stool sample, all the better.

Where in Canada are you located? If you are in Vancouver, I have an amazing veterinarian who is well-versed in Sphynx.

Please keep us updated. Hugs.
 

Toa and Ross

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@kaylachristine welcome to sphynxlair. Is that your girl with you in your avatar? What's her name? Being a new sphynxmom is exciting and brings a lot of worries sometimes.
Lots of kittens get an uri when they go to their new home. Same with diarrhea. The diarrhea could be caused by several thing:
- the meds she gets for the uri
- stress about the move to her new forever home
- eating kibbels too soon after the raw food. Eating raw food and kibbles together can cause tummy issues. If you want or need to feed them both it's important to make sure there is 2-3 hours between the kibbles and the raw .

And about the babywipes: we all make this kind of "mistakes". So don't be hard on yourself.

Hopefully your little girl will be better soon so you can fully enjoy being a sphynxmom.
 

kaylachristine

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Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
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Points
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@kaylachristine ..I use wipes on my boy, but not on his bottom..I just use wet wash clothes on him for that when needed. She may have diarrhea from the meds that she has been on. I'd get her to the vet as soon as you can.
Thanks for the tip, I feel bad for not realizing that beforehand. I've been using a warm wet papertowel on her since yesterday, and that's doing the trick! I stopped feeding raw & kibble at the same time (what the breeder had recommended) and am just feeding kibble at the moment. No diarrhea since the post yesterday, and no bleeding either. Thanks for your help!
 

kaylachristine

Lairian
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
40
Points
29
It's not uncommon for newly brought home kitties to get a URI as well as poo issues till they settle in
I agree to not use the wipes

Always a good idea to have a wellness check with new kitties for s baseline (some breeders contracts have a clause ) and you bring a fresh poo sample for testing for giardia etc to rule out if thst is the source of poo issues -
and to get any medications on board of necessary to clear things up-

Orijen is high protein - can cause poo issues -
years ago I had to switch to same companies Acana that has Lowe protein .
But they got greasy on the US Acana grasslands.
I actually switched them to Nutrisource cat and kitten in the blue bag that is prided for use for digestive health and no recalls -
Now I just feed and go

There are several Raw feeders thst can chime in about feeding kibble and Rae at the same time
@Xandria, @Condo commando

Your avatar pic is adorable ! What is her name?
Will be following closely for updates

Thanks so much for all your advice :) Since I took away the raw, she has not had diarrhea since I made the post yesterday and no bleeding either. I think both at the same time in combination with the medication was too much. My little baby's name is Violet! :D Thanks again.
 

kaylachristine

Lairian
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
40
Points
29
I use WaterWipes (baby wipes) because they are only water with a drop of grapefruit juice. Most wipes have propylene glycol (and lots of other additives/chemicals) in them which is not good for cats (toxic in any considerable amounts). The waterwipes are totally adequate for a post-litterbox clean. I don't know if your wipes could have caused a URI, I'm a new sphynx owner myself and mine's a boy, and I have no experience of URI's (yet anyway, fingers crossed!). My Butchie is 7 months old and he's not been having diarrhea, but very loose and stinky poo for a few weeks now, and after a visit to vet has been given antibiotics for colitis. There would sometimes be just a drop of bright red blood on the wipe after his toilet visit, but then the other day quite a lot of bloody mucus in the poo. That's when I decided it was time for a check-up! I'm not saying that's what your kitten's got, but a bit of blood is common in cases of constipation or diarrhea. It can go away by itself, or she might need something for it - is she lethargic or seem dehydrated? I also wondered what you meant by the sneezing being gone? If the blood is bright red it usually means the issue is in the colon, in other words near the exit, but if it dark the problem comes from further inside the intestinal tract.
She hasn't been lethargic at all-- lots of energy and is drinking plenty of water, but not what seems to me to be excessive. That was a typo on my part, whoops, I meant the sneezing has gone away for the most part, maybe one sneeze a day right now! I don't even know if she's sneezed today to be honest. After input to avoid raw and kibble at the same time, I took out the raw for now (which she didn't eat much of anyways) and have just given her free access to the kibble. Since I posted yesterday, she's had no diarrhea and there's been no blood either. I switched to using a wet warm papertowel to wipe her bum and will reserve the wipes for paws and her skin if she looks a bit dirty. Thanks so much for your help, appreciate it!
 

kaylachristine

Lairian
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
40
Points
29
Feeding raw and kibble together can definitely cause issues. You can feed those if you space them far enough apart that the cat has completely digested the other one. But don't mix them in the body at the same time.

Since you've only had the kitty home for 4 days, it could be the problem was already there so I would ask the breeder to tell you everything he/she can think of. For the sake of the kitty they need to be honest.

I would take the kitty to the vet because of the internal bleeding. That's a sign of something else going on. In addition, bleeding can lead to iron deficiency (anemia) so I would guess the vet will recommend doing blood work to check.

Basically you want to get out in front of any problem before it blossoms into something bigger. Sending positive vibes your way!
It's really interesting to me that this seems to be common knowledge about not mixing raw and kibble, but that's what the breeder recommended! Hm. I eliminated the raw from her diet for now, and since my post yesterday, we have had no diarrhea and no blood either. Yay! I'm going to be taking her in to the vet at some point this week for peace of mind, but I'm happy that she seems to be fairing a lot better already. Thanks for your help, appreciate it :)
 

kaylachristine

Lairian
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
40
Points
29
hi there. To be honest, either feed kibble or raw food. Both at the same time can cause some digestive issues.All that said, she could be just adjusting to her new environment and stressed out.

Try to avoid using any wipes on her bottom. I find if I have to, I use the following: Huggies Natural Care® - Fragrance & Alcohol Free Baby Wipes Otherwise, a warm moistened cloth will do the trick, but don't rub too much.

Veterinarian visit would be a good idea. If you can bring a stool sample, all the better.

Where in Canada are you located? If you are in Vancouver, I have an amazing veterinarian who is well-versed in Sphynx.

Please keep us updated. Hugs.
Thanks for the tips-- I've cut out the raw and am only feeding kibble now, and since I posted this thread yesterday, we have had more solid poops and no bleeding :D So I am very relieved. I've been using a damp warm paper towel to wipe her bum and those are working great. Maybe a dumb question, but what's the best way to bring a stool sample? Do you pick up a container from the vet beforehand, or just like scoop it into a Ziploc bag?! I live in Edmonton. The vet I went to for her first checkup was one I could get into within the 72 hours mandated by the breeder, but going forward I will be taking her to a vet local sphynx owners and also the breeder have recommended to me. They were booked up so I couldn't get in for her first checkup, but going forward I definitely want to see someone who is knowledgable about them. Thanks for your help :D
 

kaylachristine

Lairian
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
40
Points
29
@kaylachristine welcome to sphynxlair. Is that your girl with you in your avatar? What's her name? Being a new sphynxmom is exciting and brings a lot of worries sometimes.
Lots of kittens get an uri when they go to their new home. Same with diarrhea. The diarrhea could be caused by several thing:
- the meds she gets for the uri
- stress about the move to her new forever home
- eating kibbels too soon after the raw food. Eating raw food and kibbles together can cause tummy issues. If you want or need to feed them both it's important to make sure there is 2-3 hours between the kibbles and the raw .

And about the babywipes: we all make this kind of "mistakes". So don't be hard on yourself.

Hopefully your little girl will be better soon so you can fully enjoy being a sphynxmom.
Thank you!! Yes, her name is Violet :smug: I've taken raw food out of the equation, and since this post yesterday, she's had more solid poops and no bleeding, so I am very relieved that she's doing better. She is so precious and I'm loving being a sphynx mama so much already :D Thanks very much for your input.
 

Yoda mom

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Messages
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@kaylachristine , thanks for the great update on Violet! So happy for you both!

For the poo sample I buy small plastic containers from the dollar store- bought the 3 pack -

Keep us updated often
Look forward to your journey with us :)
Hess smooches sent to sweet Violet

Glad you got things resolved :)
 

kaylachristine

Lairian
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
40
Points
29
An update for everyone— we went to the vet yesterday, and she was so lovely!! I had to go to a different vet for her 72 hour window check up because we couldn’t get in soon enough, but this vet now is going to be where we always go. She has a sphynx from the same breeder, which I thought was awesome. She gave us some medication to help with the soft stool, but everything else is all good I am relieved!!
 
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