What causes kitten diarrhea?

You might think that a change in your kitten’s diet caused diarrhea, but it’s probably not the issue. Cats in the wild eat all kinds of things. And their bodies are perfectly capable of digesting everything from feathers to bones. It’s estimated that a mere 5% of diarrhea in cats is caused by something they ate.

Cows milk, however, is the exception. BluePearl Speciality and Emergency Pet Hospitals state that kittens can’t digest cow’s milk. although they’ll happily lap it up, it’ll only cause kitten diarrhea. Aside from cow’s milk, other likely culprits include:

• Intestinal parasites and worms
• Viral infection
• Bacterial infection
• A malformed colon or rectum

A very nasty cirues that causes kitten diarrhea is panleukopenia, which we know as feline distemper. Similar too parvovirus in puppies, feline distemper causes issues in the GI tract includingvomiting and diarrhea and can be deadly. Kittens between 3 and 5 months old are often affected. However, since it’s so widespread, nearly every cat is exposed to it at some point during their life.

How do I know if my kitten has diarrhea?

Kittens naturally have softer poop  than adult cats. Baby cats don’t have hard and dry poop like adult cats. But consistently shapeless or liquidy stool is an indication of diarrhea. It’s also common for kittens with diarrhea to have accidents outside their litter boxes and for them to leave remnants of their accidents on their paws or tails.

When should I take my kitten to the vet?

If your kitten has diarrhea, it might be indicative of a more serious problem. Be on thelookout for other symtons including:

• behavioral changes
• sliggishness
• vimiting
• discolored poop
• blood in stool
• loss of appetite

If your kitten has any of these additional symptoms along with diarrhea, get them to the vet ASAP. However, if your kitten is acting normal and doesn’t have any other symptoms, it’s safe to wait a day or two before calling the vet. If your vet is concerned, they might prescribe a specific food for a day or two to see if it helps.

Veterinarians recommend that kittens have at least two or three deworming treatments since parasites are the most likely cause of kitten diarrhea. These medications rid kittens of tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms.

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