Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got my first kitten last week. I got her from a friend who had a litter of 4. The problem is that she has many bowel movements a day and it is always runny. There has been times that she hasnt made it to the litter box and made little drops on the carpet. I thought it was her wet food which I took her off and it made no difference. She is now on just dry Kitten Chow. There are no other problems and I have no idea what is wrong...help please...

Kittens tend to get the "runs" very easily. However, there is a danger that your kitten could become dangerously dehydrated if the diarreah is left unchecked. There is also a possibility that your kitten has picked up a parasite or some other tummy bug and needs medical help.

Let us know what the vet says!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

okay, so more to report...and sadly nothing good, i was not able to get her the vet for financial reasons that day. so last nite( tuesday) me and my boyfriend came home and there was white stuff everywhere, stuck to her, on my carpets, and other places, my bofriend informs me that it looks like the COOKIE ghe let her eat!!! COOKIE! with yes, chocolate. now im not the smartest person about animals but isnt that very bad? now every since, she is not pooping, she is squirting, she is so miserable, i have her in the room with her litter box just so i can control the damage a little bit. i went to a pet store and got her wormer and gave it to her this morning it has helped little to none. the "squirts" are no longer white but brownish. i am so scared i have fallen in love with my Bella (corny, officailly Princess Bella Nicole lol ) but i dont have a lot of money to spend on a vet could this be a cmbination of the cookoie and worms? or worse? the rest of the litter isnt sick, but they are still feeding off of their mother does this make a difference? im sorry for all the questions but i am completely lost....what is a "good" price for a vet? please help i appreciate all feedback thanks

Please, you HAVE to take her to a vet! You are risking her life if you don't get her digestion straightend out. Please borrow some money, or call around - many vets will make payment arrangements with you. You sound young, maybe your parents can lend you some money, can your bf pitch in a little? Your kitten surely needs a professional check-up, something which you can not get online.

The problem is that you have taken her too early from her mother. Yes, it would be much better if she could go on nursing for as long as she and the mother want to. Mother milk is the best for kittens, for their immediate health, development and strength. If you could bring her back to the mother and let her nurse for another month or even a little longer, that would be the perfect solution. You can always take her back later.

When you took her form her mother she obviously went through a sudden change in diet, and that is something kittens have trouble with. Because of that she got the diarrhea, obviously she could not digest the food you gave her properly. Again, a vet will be able to advice you which diet to feed her, based on her health status, weight, etc.

And please, do NOT give her OTC wormers! They are not only useless in many cases, they can be downright dangerous! Do NOT give her any medication without the advice of a qualified vet! It is really dangerous, ESPECIALLY in a young and ill kitten.

Borrow some money, sell something, talk to a vet about delayed payments ... DO something!

This little kitten needs to see a vet ASAP. Her life may be in danger. The symptoms you are now describing are very serious, plus the cookie may have made things worse. Do call around and see if you can find a vet who will take payments.
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

so yes i did, she went to the vet this morning, my roomates parents fronted the money for us . she stopped eating lat nite so we just did what we had to. heres the diagnosis...she is very underweight ( 1 1/2 lb) and dehydrated. she has a bacterial infection in her intestines. she has a strict diet and medicines and she should be back to normal in 2 weeks. i am so happy but i feel horrible i really didnt know how bad it was. and i still dont know where it came from. as far as i know the rest of the litter is fine. vet also said that dry food is bad? i never heard that. thanks guys for everything even the yelling lol

I'm glad you went!

As I said before, 7 weeks is too early for kittens to be taken away from the mother. Yes, some will do well, but others won't. Yours didn't. The problem is the change in diet when it's taken from the mother - change in diet can be a problem at any age, but the smaller the kitten, the least likely it is to cope with it.

Please, follow your vets instruction to the letter, give her the meds and closely monitor its food intake, elimination, and weight (do you have a kitchen scale?). Don't give it dry food if your vet decided against it. He might have said that because she's dehydrated, moist food will give her adequate fluids. Give her nothing else but what your vet adviced. No cookies! When did he say to come back for another check up? You are not out of the woods yet, this kitty needs to be closely monitored.

Good luck! And keep us updated on its progress!