Kitten with diarrhea
Kitten with diarrhea
Hello. This is Koli. I have a ~10-week old kitten that I picked up from the street about a month ago. I already took her to the vet and he dewormed her twice, and gave her a treatment with flagile (somethng like that) for about a week because she has diarrhea and her stomach was a bit distended. She already finished her treatment and she seems to be ok, she plays and eats well but still has diarrhea, and her tommy gets bigger sometimes but not a lot, it seems closer to normal. Im starting to worry because it has been a month and I keep calling my vet but he hasn't solved my problem. He suggested to change her diet, which I haven't been able to do because she keeps eating the food of my other cat. (I kept them separate for 2 weeks in case she was sick. Btw, she had fleas too, so we had everything cleaned up and put the thing for the fleas in both cats. They are now together.) I have two questions. First, what should I do with the kitty's diarrhea?? And second, is it ok to have her already playing around with my other cat eventhough she has diarrhea?? I appreciate your help!! thnk you
Re: Kitten with diarrhea
Has the kitten been tested for feline leukemia or anything like that? Or is the vet just assuming it's a simple problem and not really looking into it?
I know it's partly because I had a bad experience and have become a little paranoid... But chronic diahrrea or constipation in a kitten always worries me. That and some swelling of the stomach and lethargy were the exact symptoms of a kitten I wanted to adopt who then tested positive for leukemia and was put to sleep by its owner. :/
I'm thinking find a new vet who will look into things more thoroughly.
I know it's partly because I had a bad experience and have become a little paranoid... But chronic diahrrea or constipation in a kitten always worries me. That and some swelling of the stomach and lethargy were the exact symptoms of a kitten I wanted to adopt who then tested positive for leukemia and was put to sleep by its owner. :/
I'm thinking find a new vet who will look into things more thoroughly.
Re: Kitten with diarrhea
See a new vet immediately! Your current vet is obviously not qualified!
Get copies of all records on your kitten from the previous vet, see a NEW, more experienced vet TOMORROW, ask for a fecal exam to detect presence of worms, and ask the vet to review kitten's records for the type of dewormer the first vet used. It could be that your kitten was overburdened with worms and the treatment wasn't given appropriately, or that it was a totally inappropriate dewormer he used.
It could also be coccidia or giardia, these both could be treated with flagyl, but treatment may need to be extended. Only a fecal exam will determine their presence and whether or not treatment is successful.
It could also be kitten's diet. What are you feeding her? She cannot eat adult food, she MUST be on a high quality kitten food, like Iams Kitten Food. Do NOT feed her milk of any kind, no cow's milk, no goat's milk, etc...most cats and most all kittens are lactose intolerant and milk will cause diarrhea or constipation. Do NOT feed adult food, low quality food, human food, etc, feed her ONLY quality kitten food. (if she is old enough, she can be fed dry Iams Kitten Food, the dry form would probably be better for her than canned).
She could also have a malabsorption problem, bacterial infection or viral disease. If she's at least 10 weeks old, it's possible to test her for FELV/FIV, discuss this with the new vet and get testing done!
If she has chronic diarrhea, then she is also most likely dehydrated, this needs to be addressed appropriately, and NOW. Your current vet obviously doesn't have a clue and your kitten deserves better than that. She's depending on your to get her the care and treatment she needs by a competent, committed vet, so see a NEW vet TOMORROW, do not wait on this!!
Get copies of all records on your kitten from the previous vet, see a NEW, more experienced vet TOMORROW, ask for a fecal exam to detect presence of worms, and ask the vet to review kitten's records for the type of dewormer the first vet used. It could be that your kitten was overburdened with worms and the treatment wasn't given appropriately, or that it was a totally inappropriate dewormer he used.
It could also be coccidia or giardia, these both could be treated with flagyl, but treatment may need to be extended. Only a fecal exam will determine their presence and whether or not treatment is successful.
It could also be kitten's diet. What are you feeding her? She cannot eat adult food, she MUST be on a high quality kitten food, like Iams Kitten Food. Do NOT feed her milk of any kind, no cow's milk, no goat's milk, etc...most cats and most all kittens are lactose intolerant and milk will cause diarrhea or constipation. Do NOT feed adult food, low quality food, human food, etc, feed her ONLY quality kitten food. (if she is old enough, she can be fed dry Iams Kitten Food, the dry form would probably be better for her than canned).
She could also have a malabsorption problem, bacterial infection or viral disease. If she's at least 10 weeks old, it's possible to test her for FELV/FIV, discuss this with the new vet and get testing done!
If she has chronic diarrhea, then she is also most likely dehydrated, this needs to be addressed appropriately, and NOW. Your current vet obviously doesn't have a clue and your kitten deserves better than that. She's depending on your to get her the care and treatment she needs by a competent, committed vet, so see a NEW vet TOMORROW, do not wait on this!!
..........Traci