Why would my kitten have diarrhea?

Question

I recently adopted a stray kitten a week ago, and so far she has been perfect. But in the last few days she has had diarrhea. All I have been feeding her is kitten chow. She does not appear sick in anyway. She still her playful self.. The only reason this has been a problem is because evey time she uses the litter box she gets her paws dirty and spreads f***s everywhere. I ddon'tknow if she has worms or not. I've been watching her go to the bathroomand her stool is liquidly and brown almost green. And I dont think shes been eating people food because I watched her. Is it possible that I am feeding her too much food because I keep a bowl filled with kitten chow that she has accessed to at all times?Are there other reasons why she might have diarahea?

Answer 1

I don't know how old she is but I think she may be better off on kitten formula if she's very young. I'd also take her to the vet to rule out a parasite or something else. You do need to get this under control and quickly as kittens came become dehydrated very quickly.

Answer 2

If it is a stray kitten, it may be that you have just changed the food she is used to, which can cause an upset stomach.  

Dry food is meant to be the best for kittens and usually stay away from Whiskas cat foods as they seem to be too strong for little tummys.  

If you are really worried then I suggest either taking her to the vets or at least ringing them for advice.  

You would probably know if she had worms as you would see them in the litter tray.  

I wouldnt leave this problem too long though

Answer 3

Diarrhea in a kitten can quickly turn serious. She's losing a lot of fluids this way. Make sure she drinks plenty of water, and get her to the vet as soon as possible so they can find out what is causing it and treat her.

Answer 4

change of food can give them diarreah, but the problem is prob round worms, go buy some inexpensive piperzane wormer, follow directions carefully!  and id say she will p**p out a bunch of worms and then shell be fine !  Good luck ;)

Answer 5

it sounds like shes got worms

Answer 6

Whether she has worms or not, she need to be seen by a vet regardless. Stray kitties need updates on shots and a dewormer and if you can, get her tested for FIV and FeLV.

Diarrhea, like vomiting, is a symptom. A very common symptom. And since none of us are vets, we can't diagnose the kitten like a vet can. What I do know is that diarrhea can lead to dehydration very quickly in a kitten and should be treated as soon as possible. Make sure she has 24/7 access to water. The way you can tell if she's dehydrated is by lightly pinching the skin between the shoulder blades (the scruff of the neck) and lift it up. If it slowly returns back to normal, then she is dehydrated and needs Sub-Q fluids as soon as possible.

Good luck

Answer 7

the cat has to get used to the new food...or it could be allergic to something it it's food. ask a vet, who might ask for a sample of its p**p to test it. good luck, i hope all works out.

Answer 8

From your description, I think it could be these things, which you've identified yourself-

1.) Diet- Even if it was a stray cat, it won't be used to the food you're given it. Changing a food from a cats' original diet- even if it was a literally rubbish diet, because it was stray- can cause a minor stomach upset. This normally lasts a short time, so if it is that, I should expect for it to be over soon, and for her to settle.

2.) Too much food- Cats who are used to being hungry may overeat because they've learnt from a young age that food is easy come, easy go. Her bowl doesn't have to be constantly topped up or filled up- there should be instructions of how much to feed her, in weight, on the back of the packet. Only feed her that much, split into two or three meals a day- don't keep topping up the bowl, it encourages overeating.

3.) Food type- If it's a wet food- sorry, I don't know what kitten chow is- then this could also be causing the diarrhoea, because wet food is 70% water and will literally pass through a cat, especially a kitten. If it's a wet food, consider changing to a dry food, which will be better nutritionally for them.

4.) Worms- If she's a stray, there's a high chance she has worms, but luckily this can be sorted quite quickly with a dewormer. The strongest and best- which I would advise- are from the vet, so it may be wise to take her there anyway to ask for a vet diagnosis on the diarrhoea. If you can't get her to a vet, you can get weaker, over the counter ones from a pet shop, but they normally only kill one type of worm, not all types.

It could be any of these things. If it continues and/or you suspect worms, I'd advise a vet trip.