In article ,
shared the illuminating thought...
I have three MC's (7 year old male, 4 year old female, 1 year old female)
all neutered/spayed.

The youngest is having difficulty with loose stools or she's experiencing a
menstrual cycle (as best as I can describe it). She definitely has the
loose stool problem, but it is accompanied with a clear mucus-like
discharge. She is eating and drinking and is responsive and otherwise
normal though I think she is displeased with her current hygienic state.

I cleaned her up this morning and got rid of the loose stool (just like
taking care of a baby) which she initially did not enjoy but she's somewhat
happier now and lets me approach her.

We had another MC female (deceased) who occasionally, say in a 3 to 6 month
range, would also have the clear discharge which was accompanied by an odor.
This would last for a few days and then things would clear up. When this
happened before, the vet said that sometimes there might be material left
during the neutering process that could cause this kind of response.

The other female (living) had the loose stool problem when we changed food
(Nutro) and it disappeared when we changed back (Iams).

Any thoughts?


Have the anal glands been checked? Normally, the hardness of the stool
expresses them a little each time a cat defacates. This gives the stool
the odor that identifies the cat to other cats. When the stool is loose
for too long, the glands don't get expressed properly and the fluid can
leak out, get impacted, or express when the cat grooms.
I'd have the vet check her anal glands, express them if necessary, and
keep her food to whatever she is used to. Changes in diet can cause
loose stool. If changing, change gradually over a week or two by mixing
in amounts of the new food with the old food.

A cat's heat produces little blood and little odor (to humans). If she
is not spayed, she could be in heat. Menstrual cycle apex in cats is
called heat, it is when they are ready to breed. They do not ovulate
until copulation. If she is spayed, she doesn't have a uterus or ovaries
to produce any fluids.

This sounds more like an anal gland thing to me. The fluid tends to be
clear (or semi-opaque) brownish or whitish, and it has a VERY distinct
and not very pleasant odor that is quite noticable to humans.

----------------------------------------
~kaeli~
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
Kill one man and you are a murderer.
Kill millions and you are a conqueror.
Kill everyone and you are God.
----------------------------------------