Like other animals, kittens sometimes have digestive issues that can result in loose feces. However, since occasionally diarrhea is a sign of a more serious underlying condition, your kitten is depending on you to assist it.
Causes
There are many reasons why kittens get diarrhea, some of which occur more frequently than others. Regardless matter the cause, diarrhea that lasts more than a few days should never be ignored.
- Dietary changes: A kitten may get diarrhea as a result of any dietary changes, including treats, drugs, nutritional supplements, or edible toys, but this condition is normally temporary. Diarrhea typically goes away after a few days of eating the new meal because the body becomes used to it. If you feed your cat a variety of foods, snacks, etc., diarrhea could also happen regularly, especially if the kitten has a delicate digestive tract. Your kitten may need to adjust their diet and experience diarrhea if they ate something they shouldn’t have, like dog food or human food that fell to the ground.
- adverse drug reactions Despite occasionally being helpful, pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics and painkillers, can have detrimental effects. Unfortunately, diarrhea is a frequent adverse reaction to many drugs. Call your veterinarian as soon as possible if you have any reason to believe your pet will experience loose stools or any other potential side effect from a prescription.
- The intestinal tracts of kittens and other animals are home to worms, more generally known as intestinal parasites. In some cases, worms and/or their eggs leave the body through feces, but in other cases, your veterinarian will need to do additional tests in order to properly diagnose and treat an infestation. Kittens usually develop diarrhea from intestinal parasites because they disturb and irritate the intestinal lining.
- Environment-related stress Just like people, kittens can encounter stress in their lives. When a kitten is moved into a new house or frightened by something in its environment, it may develop diarrhea as part of its body’s “fight or flight” response, much like a dog or child might.
- Kittens frequently consume and chew on harmful substances due to their curiosity. Sadly, these compounds can pose a risk to kitten health and can result in a variety of symptoms, including diarrhea. Even pesticides used to get rid of fleas and ticks can be harmful to kittens and cause diarrhea if they come into contact with them.
- Disease and gastrointestinal issues: Numerous diseases and digestive system problems, including poor vitamin absorption, low vitamin levels, and others, can cause diarrhea.
Symptoms
Diarrhea is defined as having frequent, watery feces. Diarrhea causes a kitten to lose a lot of fluid through its feces, which causes them to become highly dehydrated and weak.
WARNING
Dehydration may end in death if left untreated.
Some kittens who experience diarrhea might not make it to the toilet in time and wind up having accidents. They might also get dirty paws if they step in poo or have feces stuck to their tails or behinds.
Prevention
There are a few simple things you can take to help avoid diarrhea in kittens.
- Implementing dietary changes gradually is best done by fusing the old and new meals together. Over the course of a week, gradually introduce more of the novel food until your kitten is accustomed to the change.
- Use probiotics: Antibiotics may remove some of the beneficial bacteria from a kitten’s system in addition to the bad bacteria when the kitten is taking antibiotics. Ask your veterinarian about giving your kitten probiotics to help improve its intestinal tract if it needs to take medication for a disease.
- Since adult cats and kittens can catch intestinal parasites from the outdoors or from other animals, it is important to get regular fecal testing. By getting your kitten’s waste checked for worms at least once a year, you can help prevent diarrhea brought on by an infestation.
- Utilize measures to prevent parasites: Parasites like fleas, worms, and ticks can make kittens uneasy in addition to spreading diseases to them. This is because of the discomfort they bring. These parasites can cause diarrhea in your cat and can be managed or prevented with a variety of monthly preventatives.
- Use pheromones: Using pheromones in your cat’s habitat can help it stay calm even when environmental stress is occasionally inevitable. These will help to soothe your kitten and lessen the possibility that it will have diarrhea as a result of the stress of the house changes.
Treatment
Depending on the cause, you might need to consult a veterinarian to treat your diarrhea. If dietary changes were made, diarrhea may go away on its own as the kitten gets used to the new food or if it is treated, depending on whether it is kept up. However, if diarrhea is caused by parasites, an infection, or if it lasts longer than two to three days, you must insist that your veterinarian examine your kitten. Your veterinarian could advise adding more fiber to your kitten’s diet or prescription kitten-safe anti-diarrhea medications. If your cat is already dehydrated or is in danger of getting dehydrated, it might need fluids administered intravenously or subcutaneously.
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