ASK DR.CLAIRE
My new kitten has diarrhoea, what should I do?
Diarrhoea is really just a symptom and can be the result of many underlying causes. We really need to find the cause of the diarrhoea so that we can treat your kitten’s problem (not just the symptom). This will help us reach the best treatment plan too.
Some of the underlying causes of diarrhoea in kittens might be:
- Stress associated with change of their environment
- Dietary change induced diarrhoea
- Infectious disease (bacteria, viruses, parasites)
- Gut problems (inflammatory bowel disease, tumours, obstructions, food intolerance or food allergies)
- Abdominal or metabolic problems (kidney, liver, pancreatitis, spleen, electrolyte abnormalities, diabetes)
- Direct irritation of the stomach
- A reaction to toxins or other drugs
- Dietary indiscretion (some kittens are more inquisitive than others when it comes to putting things in their mouth)
If your kitten is otherwise healthy (bright, happy, great appetite and good weight), that’s a great sign, but she needs to be monitored closely as kittens can deteriorate and become dehydrated from fluid loss quickly.
However if your kitten is flat or the diarrhoea is continuing she really needs a hands-on examination from your local vet to treat the symptoms, but also get to the bottom of the problem.
Your kitten’s diet is an important consideration in diarrhoea cases. Sometimes eliminating the problem part of the diet that is causing or caused the diarrhoea, is all that’s needed. Sometimes they need a short term (1 week) bland home-cooked or commercial food, and then be slowly transitioned to a longer term, balanced one.
If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.
We’re here to help!
Chat soon, Dr Claire