# 2 Month old Kitten and Diarrhea **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767 "2002-09-26T21:53:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![isam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@isam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/1 "2002-09-26T21:53:12Z")
Please help! I went to my vet and they said that if my kitten has worms that the antibiotics they give her wouldn’t work. In the meantime, she is sitting here constantly defecating. She seems alert and tries to drink. The doctor said to fix some chicken broth and rice boiled and see if she would eat that. She doesn’t seem to, yet the runs continue. She seems to be getting dehydrated, although i’ve tried to give her water with a small oral syringe (the type thats used to administer medicine) regularly and she seems to drink on her own as well. I was just wondering if anyone here knows of something I can do for her so she can stop having the runs and regain her strength. There must be someone here who has had something similar happen and knows what I can do. I realize this isn’t normally a place to ask for any sort of medical advice, but I was thinking since there are so many people here, someone is bound to know something. And that something could very well save the life of my kitten. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/2 "2002-09-26T22:04:17Z")
[http://www.petsdoc.com/html/askthevet/askthevetquestions/kittendiarrhea.html](http://www.petsdoc.com/html/askthevet/askthevetquestions/kittendiarrhea.html) > [@](#): > > Mild, temporary diarrhea in kittens is often related to the stress of a new environment and changes in the diet. Nervousness causes the feces to be expelled before sufficient water absorption. New diets cause a shift in the normal bacteria and digestive enzymes. > > A more serious condition may be present if the diarrhea persists more than several days, becomes very watery, or has mucus or blood. Any sign of the kitten being sick or depressed is also cause for concern. The causes of persistent or severe diarrhea include parasites, infections and poisoning. In these cases, you should have your veterinarian examine the kitten as soon as possible. Be sure to have a fresh stool sample for the doctor to check for parasites. > > A kitten with diarrhea needs to drink extra water, so have plenty of water dishes readily available. Try not to change the diet much, dry kibble being the best. Avoid milk and dairy products, and fresh meat products during bouts of diarrhea. Make sure you’re communicating with your vet so he knows the kitten has diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/3 "2002-09-26T22:23:45Z")
> [@](#): > > I went to my vet and they said that if my kitten has worms that the antibiotics they give her wouldn’t work. If she has worms? The vet couldn’t tell?? I just dealt with tapeworms in my two cats, and diarrhea was not a symptom. In fact I probably would have never noticed them if the vet hadn’t seen them during an exam. If it’s tapeworms, it’s just one pill given once, and the tapeworms will be gone in a few days. But you’ve got to make sure that there are no fleas on the cat. Fleas are the carriers of feline tapeworms, so if there are still fleas hanging around, reestablishment of the life cycle of the tapeworm is assured. If you’re giving the cat any dairy, quit it. ---
**Author:** ![isam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@isam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/4 "2002-09-26T22:36:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > \*\* > > If she has worms? The vet couldn’t tell?? > > I just dealt with tapeworms in my two cats, and diarrhea was not a symptom. In fact I probably would have never noticed them if the vet hadn’t seen them during an exam. If it’s tapeworms, it’s just one pill given once, and the tapeworms will be gone in a few days. But you’ve got to make sure that there are no fleas on the cat. Fleas are the carriers of feline tapeworms, so if there are still fleas hanging around, reestablishment of the life cycle of the tapeworm is assured. > > If you’re giving the cat any dairy, quit it. \*\* I’m about 95% sure she has tapeworms, the problem is that i’m not sure if its possible to be able to give her a pill at this age. She is only 2 months. And she has what i’d consider pretty severe diarreah. I’m not giving her any dairy products. Whats strange is her runs smell terrible, i’d describe them as a rotten milk type stench and are very yellow and watery. Probably TMI though. Thanks for your response. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/5 "2002-09-26T22:42:56Z")
You can get puppy and kitten worming syrup which can be given from two weeks of age onwards. In Australia, you can purchase it from pet shops. You may need to purchase it from your vet elsewhere. I’m surprised that your vet hasn’t mentioned that she should have been wormed before now and advised you of the most appropriate medication to use for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/6 "2002-09-26T22:47:13Z")
**You’re** 95% sure she has tapeworms. **You’re** not sure if she’s old enough to take a pill. She has what **you** would consider to be serious diarrhea. **—\>** What does the **vet** say? ---
**Author:** ![isam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@isam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/7 "2002-09-26T22:48:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\*You can get puppy and kitten worming syrup which can be given from two weeks of age onwards. > > In Australia, you can purchase it from pet shops. You may need to purchase it from your vet elsewhere. > > I’m surprised that your vet hasn’t mentioned that she should have been wormed before now and advised you of the most appropriate medication to use for this purpose. \*\* You wouldn’t happen to have a specific name… because I dont recall seeing such a product to get rid of tapeworms … only round and ringworms. But regardless, thanks for the information. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/8 "2002-09-26T22:53:38Z")
I put tapeworms +kittens +syrup into Google and got [this page](http://www.google.com/search?q=tapeworms+%2Bkittens+%2Bsyrup&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) of hits. As you can see, the website are from all over the world, so you should be able to find a brand-name which is available in your area. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/9 "2002-09-26T22:55:16Z")
It seems incredibly odd that a vet would prescribe antibiotics for your kitten informing you that they would be ineffective if kitty has worms and yet not prescribe a wormer. What were the antibiotics prescribed for? ---
**Author:** ![isam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@isam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/10 "2002-09-26T23:02:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by reprise \* > \*\* > What were the antibiotics prescribed for? \*\* He didnt prescribe anything yet, only told me to try the chicken broth and rice method first. I’m just wondering what I can do to kill the diarreah. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/11 "2002-09-26T23:44:26Z")
i have a cat that as a kitten had terrible poo problems. we went through a lot of meds. finally after tons of tests the answer came, and we hit the right med, and she is a lot better now. if you live in an area with a vet school it is easier to get tests done. try pediacare to help kitty with dehydration. get the vet to do fecal tests. if you can, have the kitten stay at the vets for a day for them to observe. my vet didn’t realize how bad malenka was until she was there for a full day. they went into full war mode after smelling the poo a few times. the poo could strip paint off the walls of the house down the street, it was incredible how such a big smell could come out of a cute itsy bitsy baby. with malenka i had to grind up dry kitten food for her to eat. wet food would just make things worse. this is a really serious thing in such a young kitten. get kitty to a vet as soon as you possibly can. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/12 "2002-09-26T23:50:01Z")
Take Kitty to the vet, post haste. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/13 "2002-09-27T01:58:30Z")
Whenever my cats have the shits I give them good old Kaopectate, as suggested by my vet. Peppermint flavor. (Closest thing to ‘catnip’ flavor you can find.) Ask your vet. For a full grown cat I give 2cc (2 eyedroppers) every four hours. Ask your vet about this. ---
**Author:** ![isam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@isam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/14 "2002-09-27T02:26:09Z")
Thanks for all the responses guys! I took her to the vets office again today and they recommended feeding her some gerber chicken instead of the boiled rice and chicken. They also gave me a dewormer for her. Lets hope all goes well. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/15 "2002-09-28T00:53:52Z")
baby food is good. my girls love the beef flavour. i hope things go well with her. keep the vet’s office in the loop, esp if things don’t “firm up” in a day or two. how did she “doo” today? ---
**Author:** ![isam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@isam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/16 "2002-09-28T07:26:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rocking chair \* > \*\*baby food is good. my girls love the beef flavour. > > i hope things go well with her. keep the vet’s office in the loop, esp if things don’t “firm up” in a day or two. > > how did she “doo” today? \*\* so far so good. she seems to be sleeping less and is walking around more. her ‘doo’ was better as well… still a bit soft, but a definate improvement over what she had before. I’m continuing to give her water and baby food. With luck she’ll get over whatever she caught and be better soon. Thanks for your concern 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AK\_dog\_doc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@AK\_dog\_doc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK_dog_doc)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-month-old-kitten-and-diarrhea/129767/17 "2002-09-30T14:49:22Z")
Erm… in defense of vets, we can’t “tell” if animals have parasites unless we can run a test and get an answer. Parasites in animals with diarrhea are particularly hard to detect since the fecal sample is diluted (if, in fact, an owner is even able to acquire one… sometimes the stool is too watery.) We may _suspect_ worms (or other parasites like Giardia) based on signs, age/species/lifestyle of the pet, and/or geographical area, but you can’t know unless you test. Also, parasites may only produce eggs intermittently, so if you catch them on a low or no production day, you may get a false negative (to say nothing of trying to detect them when they’re present but too young to produce eggs, or if you have a single-sex infestation)… Tapes don’t typically cause diarrhea in my experience, but any animal with diarrhea should have a fecal done as part of the minimum database, and I usually do a direct smear and a float (your vet will know what this means). Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine is a not-uncommon problem in young animals and is generally addressed with antibiotics. I think what your vet meant about them not working if there were worms is not that the antibiotics won’t do what antibiotics do, but that if worms are present, the diarrhea might not respond to just antibiotics - the kitten might _also_ need a wormer. Meanwhile, the kaopectate is a good idea as sypmtomatic therapy… it has fiber, which is often your best friend when dealing with diarrhea. (Kaopectate is kaolin, a type of clay that is soothing to the gut, and pectin, which is a plant fiber - the stuff they use in jams to firm it up. Same goes for stool.) It is **VERY IMPORTANT** that (especially in cats) you do **NOT** use a product with either aspirin (salicylate) or Tylenol (acetamenophin) in it!! Dogs don’t tolerate Tylenol well and cats do even worse with it and aspirin both. Naturally I can’t see your cat from here and so I’d go with what your vet decides (since he/she has had the benefit of actually examining the kitten 🙂 ) Good luck with that… it sounds as if your kitty is on the mend (I do hope so, since persistent diarrhea can be hard on them and is at minimum wearysome for both cat and owner). Poor little mite. I came a bit late to this thread (I usually get flagged to them by **Tranquilis** , but I was out of town. At a vet meeting, actually. How ironic.) But in any case I’ll subscribe to this thread so that if you have other questions I’ll get the alert and get back to you.