Kitten Problem

Raskolnikov

My girlfriend and I have just adopted a kitten. However, we know absolutely nothing about cats. We're now having a problem, the cat seems to be have diarrhea. We have talked to the vet and he suggested that Iams would help this. We have been giving this to the cat, however it isn't helping. Can anyone make any suggestions? It's getting really annoying because the cat is dragging its ass along the floor and licking it's butt :pac:

The Gnome

The butt dragging could be worms and the diarrhoea could be a reaction to milk. So get some worming tablets and cut out milk if you're giving it and see if anything changes.

Also consider a different vet for a second opinion.

Incheerocket

Yeah, you should really get it wormed, they can go down hill fast if it continues to have the squits, have you wormed it?? and no milk just water. as far as the Iams goes personally I wouldn't bother, its a lot more expensive and I think a good quality kitten food from supermarket like Whiskas kitten would be OK. Iams is marketed here as a superior quality food but its just an off the shelf in US. I see it as no better or worse than Whiskas.

mary123

Iams is in my opinion not great plus there company tests on animals. I always have my kittens on RC as i find it is the best also great for inside kittens as the trays dont stink half as bad.
Also have u actually seen the vet or was advice over phone, i would really get this checked in person as the kitten can get sick real quick.

MsFifers

The poor kitten. If you have only recently adopted it, it could be the stress of the move etc. Can you find out what it was being fed on before you took it in? Changing a cats diet can cause this problem to happen.

If you are changing a cats food you should do it gradually - mix in a bit of the new food with the old for a few days. I had my kittens on Hills Science Diet Kitten food - it was great for them and they were in good health after they settled in with me. Royal Canin is also a decent brand. YOu can get these brand from big pet food shops and in vets - not in the supermarket.

Also - no milk. Make sure the kitten is drinking water - it can be v. serious if it gets badly dehydrated.

And - as has been suggested, it may need a worm tablet - check with the vet about what is appropriate for the kitten's age.

Raskolnikov

We haven't been giving him milk and he definitely doesn't have worms.

Will bring him back to the vet if he doesn't improve in a few days.

Rancid

Don't wait too long, kittens can go downhill very fast with diarrhoea, even if they're drinking water, they can still get dehydrated.

bigpinkelephant

Raskolnikov wrote: »

My girlfriend and I have just adopted a kitten. However, we know absolutely nothing about cats.

Here is the first problem.

If you are going to adopt an animal it is best to learn how to look after it BEFORE you get it, not after.

How do you know the kitten doesn't have worms?

evogirl

more than likely its a change in diet that causes diareha. aswell as the stress of moving to a new home.
i have adopted several cats over the years and found that if you cannot find out what she was previously eating, give her dry cat food and gradually add different foods as she settles down.
best of luck with her x:)

boomerang

You sound more annoyed by the kitten's behaviour (scooting/licking its bottom) than concerned for its welfare. If you've ever had bad diarrhoea (say from food poisoning) you'll remember how uncomfortable your bottom feels during that time. It's no different for the kitten. He's just trying to ease the discomfort the only way he knows how. Your kitten may be extremely sick. He's a fragile, young animal who is clearly not feeling well. Don't leave it another few days on a "wait and see" basis. Please take him to the vet NOW if you haven't already done so.

Can I ask did you get this kitten from a rescue group? Has it been vaccinated and wormed already? If the kitten is unwell then the rescue group should be told and they should be able to give you back-up and advice.

Has the kitten been actually seen by a vet, or did you just talk to a vet over the phone? Has his temperature been taken? He could have enteritis. If he is dehydrated then he may need a subcutaneous injection of fluids from the vet. If it is a gastro infection, then he most likely needs antibiotics and some special recovery food that will be easy on his tummy.

Worst case scenario, he could have FIE (feline infectious enteritis) or even panleukopenia (feline distemper) which is extremely dangerous.




And by the way, there is no such thing as a "good quality kitten food" from the supermarket, just as there is no such thing as "good quality dog food" from the supermarket. I wouldn't touch any of the supermarket brands, they are so unhealthy. Any of the dogs/cats I foster that have been fed these brands usually suffer from skin allergies (itchy, red and inflamed skin), hyperactivity (from the artificial colours, flavours and preservatives - many of which are already banned from human consumption) and they have the WORST runny, smelly, bulky poos. It's the equivalent of feeding your pet a Mc Donalds.

All my foster kittens are fed on Royal Canin kitten food. While it is more expensive, it is excellent for their tummies, their poos and really improves their all-over condition.

forestfruits

had a kitten with diarrohoea changed to a lower protein dry food- apparantly the higher protein content didnt agree with him, also agree with the no milk thing! Kitten is now 3 milk still gives him the runs!!

The Sweeper

Can the OP confirm for us please that you physically presented your sick kitten to a vet who examined it and stated that he or she was content there was nothing wrong with your kitten other than a sensitivity to the food you are giving it? If not, take your kitten to a vet. Persistent diarrhoea is very dangerous in a kitten - especially if it's making the poor thing so uncomfortable that it's scooting its bottom along the floor.

(Scooting can also be a sign of impacted anal glands in a cat and should never be ignored, though that's not likely in such a small kitten.)

With sick kittens, you don't get to say "It's Monday, we'll give it till Friday and then go to the vet". You have to go on Monday, or on Tuesday morning, because the kitten will become dehydrated and prone to secondary opportunistic infections if it is in a weakened state.

And if you know nothing about cats, don't mistake the occasional attempts to play that a sick kitten would make as a sign that it's fine. A healthy kitten can pratically drive you mental - it'll be 100mph for half an hour solid at a time, followed by a half hour of sleep and another hour of 100mph madness.

If you can state definitively that the vet physically saw the kitten and ran some tests and diagnosed nothing except that food needs changing, then we can all make suggestions on what else you can try. Otherwise, it is dangerous to the health of your pet to simply decide you'll try everything suggested here first and THEN go to the vet.

vibe666

mary123 wrote: »

Iams is in my opinion not great plus there company tests on animals.

lol, they make cat food, I'd be worried if they weren't testing it on animals!

another vote for feeding him whiskas (just bicuit till his back end clears up) and not giving them milk, only water. people don't seem to realise thatcats have an intolerance to the high level of lactose in cows milk.

once he's healthy again you could give him a little bit of cat milk to try, but only a small amount as a treat and only when he's fully recovered from whatever is wrong with him now.

how old is he? has he had his vaccinations?

go into a good pet store and get a book about cats and read it, it's not like buying a telly, you need to know what you are doing or you could end up inadvertently causing it's death.

Raskolnikov

First of all, the kitten is fine now. I woke up this morning to find a nice solid stool in the litter tray. Secondly, are you always so quick to jump on peoples backs? Like I said, we had taken the kitten to the vet (I mean, a vet would hardly diagnose a patient over the phone). He checked him out and gave him his second batch of shots. We have only had him a week, so it was probably just a case of the change in surrounds, diet and travel that he had been through.

mary123

vibe666 wrote: »

lol, they make cat food, I'd be worried if they weren't testing it on animals!

Not so funny when they test the ingrediants of washing powder and the such to animals.

The Sweeper

Raskolnikov wrote: »

First of all, the kitten is fine now. I woke up this morning to find a nice solid stool in the litter tray.

Excellent, I'm glad the kitten is okay.

Secondly, are you always so quick to jump on peoples backs? Like I said, we had taken the kitten to the vet (I mean, a vet would hardly diagnose a patient over the phone).

Actually your vet will give you information over the phone. Often times they suggest 'bring him in' if it sounds serious, but it's an unfortunate fact that vets are only people too. They make mistakes and can make incorrect assumptions - plus some vets don't like certain animals. Sounds mad, but it's true. One of my local vets is very much a dog person, so we bring our snappy JRX to her and she doesn't mind if he tries to bite her during an exam (finds it cute, unbelievably). Another of the vets prefers big dogs, and doesn't like dealing with cranky cats. It happens.

He checked him out and gave him his second batch of shots. We have only had him a week, so it was probably just a case of the change in surrounds, diet and travel that he had been through.

Again, great that he had his shots and that it's just a change in diet and surrounds that has him off colour.

MsFifers

Raskolnikov wrote: »

First of all, the kitten is fine now. I woke up this morning to find a nice solid stool in the litter tray. Secondly, are you always so quick to jump on peoples backs? Like I said, we had taken the kitten to the vet (I mean, a vet would hardly diagnose a patient over the phone). He checked him out and gave him his second batch of shots. We have only had him a week, so it was probably just a case of the change in surrounds, diet and travel that he had been through.

Glad he's better! The same thing happened to my two when I got them first - they ended up overnight in the vets because they were worried about them getting dehydrated.

As soon as they got over the tummy problem, they then got ear mites and an ear infection, and then a cold! They cost me hundreds in the first few weeks!!:D

vibe666

mary123 wrote: »

Not so funny when they test the ingrediants of washing powder and the such to animals.

oh please, you're not falling for that (very old) peta propaganda are you?

wolfpawnat

All vets will recommend Hills and Iams, why would they do this you ay ask, because they stock these foods so they want you to pay through the nose for the most expensive food on the market, but one question, blow fish is expensive, is it the best for you.
Cheaper foods have less amounts of vitamins and minerals in them (yet enough) to keep your kitten very healthy, dont buy the big brands, they can be too rich for their little bellies. With moving home, rich food and full milk they can get diarrohea.
My advice, a good dosage of drontal kitten, only th recommended amount and kitten food from tesco, dunnes, etc and finally if your giving the kitten milk, give it half milk half water. that should do the trick:)