Kittens have a way of getting into everything, which sometimes leads to a bout of diarrhea. And sometimes we humans can accidentally cause it ourselves, whether by feeding them human food or suddenly switching their food. Follow these steps to help your kitten feel better!
1. Decide if it’s serious.
When your kitten has diarrhea, the first order of business is to determine if it’s time to visit your veterinarian. If your kitten is lethargic, refusing food, vomiting or has blood in their stool, don’t try to deal with this at home; take your best friend to see their veterinarian right away. If you aren’t certain whether your kitten needs to come in, call your VCA care team to help you determine the best next step.
2. Bring a stool sample in for a fecal test.
Assuming that your kitten is lively, eating as usual, not vomiting and has no blood in their diarrhea, then your next step is to collect a stool sample and bring it to your veterinary hospital for a fecal test. The fecal test will check for worms and other parasites that might be causing the problem. To identify the parasite, the stool needs to be fairly fresh, so although it may not be the most pleasant thing, try to collect a recent sample. It’s okay if there’s a little litter in it, but make sure you’re not just submitting a clump of litter.
3. Contact your veterinarian to see if they recommend a temporary diet change.
The old “chicken and rice” option is no longer recommended in most cases. There are specific veterinary diets that have been balanced and designed to use short term to treat diarrhea. Your veterinary team can let you know which one they recommend for your situation. They may also recommend supplements like probiotics or others. Please do not use human products for your pets; they are not the same.
Once your kitten has normal stools again, you can start slowly mixing in their regular food over the course of a few days to get them back to a regular diet.
4. Pick up medications (if needed).
Based on the fecal test results, your veterinarian may prescribe dewormers or antiparasitic medications, as well as recommend cleaning your home to remove possible sources of infection in the house or yard.
5. Reassess.
If your kitten fails to improve while on medications or if the diarrhea persists for more than 2 days, then it’s time for your kitten to visit their veterinarian. Of course, if at any point your cat shows warning signs like lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting or blood in the stool, you should contact your VCA care team right away.
Fill out this Diarrhea Questionnaire before you head to the veterinarian to help determine the cause.
