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I have a 5 month old kitten that has had diarrhea for

Sent to Cat Experts May 25 06:56 PM

I have a 5 month old kitten that has had diarrhea for 2 weeks. It started 2 days after his third and last FVRCP vaccination. He lost his appetite for about 2 days, but since then has had great energy and normal appetite. He seems very healthy except for the diarrhea. I took a stool sample to the vet and they said it was normal for parasites and bacteria counts. A friend who is a vet said that kittens get diarrhea all the time, and we should not worry about it. Another vet said to put him on antibiotics. I lost my last kitten to FIP, and am very worried. Your input would be appreciated. Thank you.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $8
Answer
May 25 7:07 PM (11 minutes and 2 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
Ask your vet to check for coccidia. That is very common in kittens and can be treated with Flagyl. The other thing that we have been seeing more of lately is giardia -- you almost have to take the kitten IN for them to check for this, as the stool sample has to be extremely fresh. My vet uses a loop to get a small sample when giardia is a possibility. Both of these things can be treated and cured. It really ISN'T normal for a kitten to have diarrhea.....if you are feeding it milk, that can also cause loose stool. Good luck with your new baby, and congratulations! Images available only to Customers.



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Lori McLaughlin
Your veterinarian should ALWAYS be consulted first and foremost when your pet's welfare is at stake.
1 Other Expert Agrees with this!
Lori -- Feline Healthcare -- 100% Positive Feedback on 2823 Cat Accepts
14 yrs health care mgmt & issues relating to cats, reproductive issues and multicat environments
Reply
May 26 1:14 AM (6 hours and 7 minutes and 9 seconds later)
         
Reply to Lori's Post: Thank you, but this answer is not helpful. I have read that coccidia is only usually a problem for kittens who are under 12 weeks, and mine is 20 weeks (plus - wouldn't the stool sample have shown this?) - and I highly doubt he has giardia. He would not have had any means to get giardia, and he does not have explosive diarrhea. I think giardia is highly unlikely, and I am very familiar with the symptoms in humans. He came from a breeder, and she has not had any diarrhea problems with her other cats. He has not had any access to unpure water. I just don't see how he would have contracted giardia. I have not been feeding him milk, so this is not a likely source either.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
May 26 10:47 AM (9 hours and 33 minutes and 21 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
Any cat, no matter what the age can contract coccidia. If the vet did not specifically check for coccidia, they could have missed it. I have had adult cats with coccidia in the past. Giardia can be found in ANY water source. Even here, there were problems with reports of giarida in the city water system the summer before last. Another possibility is a food allergy to what you are feeding. Many cats have problems with food containing corn gluten. The majority of commercial foods (even top of the line brands) contain it. You might want to try a different food that does not contain corn gluten to see if that helps. Lifes Abundance, Innova and Felidae are three brands that do not contain corn. Diarrhea is not normal for kittens and when you see it, there is something causing it-it may be something very simple, but it does need to be addressed, especially if it's a continuing thing-a loose stool once in a while isn't cause for concern, but a consistent problem does need investigation.

Please Press ACCEPT if my answer helped solve your problem.
Lori McLaughlin
Your veterinarian should ALWAYS be consulted first and foremost when your pet's welfare is at stake.
Lori -- Feline Healthcare -- 100% Positive Feedback on 2823 Cat Accepts
14 yrs health care mgmt & issues relating to cats, reproductive issues and multicat environments
Reply
May 31 12:30 AM (4 days and 13 hours later)
         
Reply to Lori's Post: Lori -

Thank you for your answer. If giardia were the problem, then our other cat, and my husband and I should all be suffering from it - we all drink the same water. I will try the foods that do not contain corn gluten, and call the vet to see if they checked for coccidia (they said the stool sample was negative for parasites, so I don't know if that was included or not).
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
May 31 7:30 AM (6 hours and 59 minutes and 41 seconds later)
         
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Lori -- Feline Healthcare -- 100% Positive Feedback on 2823 Cat Accepts
14 yrs health care mgmt & issues relating to cats, reproductive issues and multicat environments
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