![]() Complete blood count: May reveal anemia (low red blood cell count), thrombocytopenia (low platelets), increased white blood cells.It will be necessary to run baseline tests which include biochemical profile, complete blood count, and urinalysis to determine the overall health of your cat and look for any abnormalities in the blood, serum and urine which may narrow down the possible cause. This will include questions about other symptoms you may have noticed, any medications, supplements or poisons your cat may have ingested. Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination of your cat and obtain a medical history from you. Nervous system disturbances (excitability, loss of balance, seizures).In addition to vomiting, symptoms will vary depending on the underlying cause. Vomiting (which may or may not contain blood).Other symptoms will depend on the underlying cause, common signs to look out for include: ![]() The most obvious symptom is black, tarry and greasy feces. Infection – Hookworm, histoplasmosis, salmonella, campylobacter, parvovirus, coronavirus.Cancer: Several cancers can develop along the gastrointestinal tract causing bleeding.Inflammatory diseases: Inflammatory bowel disease, colitis.Systemic diseases: Liver disease, pancreatitis, chronic kidney disease.Blood clotting disorders: Disseminated intravascular coagulation, which is caused by multiple factors such as parasites, infection, inflammatory conditions, liver disease, snake bite, shock, pancreatitis and inflammatory conditions or thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets).Ingestion of blood: Nosebleed, bleeding in the lungs, dental bleeding.Mucosal trauma: Foreign body or injury during an endoscopy procedure.Gastrointestinal ulcers: Erosion of the lining of the stomach due to stomach acid, poisons, chemical burns or certain medications such as NSAIDs and corticosteroids.Melena isn’t a disease in itself, it is a symptom of an underlying disorder. The colour and tarry texture is due to the breakdown of hemoglobin in the blood by bacteria in the stomach.Ī large amount of blood is required to cause melena, therefore it should be treated as an emergency as there are several potentially serious causes of this condition. This bleeding may originate from the pharynx, lungs (where the blood is coughed up and then swallowed), esophagus, stomach or upper small intestine. The dark colour of melena is due to digested blood in the feces. For information on hematochezia, read here. This article looks at what causes melena in cats. Hematochezia is the presence of bright red blood on or throughout the feces which originates in the lower gastrointestinal tract.Melena refers to blood in the stool which is black and tarry, this type of blood in the stool originates in the upper gastrointestinal tract. ![]() The type of and appearance of blood can give a clue as to the possible cause. ![]() Treatment: Find and address the cause and supportive care such as fluids where necessary and in severe cases, a blood transfusion.īlood in the stool can refer to melena or hematochezia.Symptoms: Aside from black and tarry stools, symptoms can vary depending on the underlying cause.Causes: There are several causes of melena including ulcers, ingested foreign body, swallowed blood, tumours, trauma, infection, and poisoning.About: Melana is the medical term for dark, tarry stools, which are caused by the presence of digested blood. ![]()
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