Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got 2 Maine Coon Kittens from a Cattery. One is older than the other by about a month. The younger one has been having problems with diarrhea since I bought him home. I took them to the vet and they were treated for coccidiosis after doing a fecal test. They were given meds for 2 weeks twice. They were on soft food until about a week and a half ago where I switched them to Taste of the Wild Feline dry food.

They were also given meds for the diarrhea to stop it. Well they both are gaining weight and eating well, but the little one still has diarrhea on and off.

I am getting ready to do anothe fecal testing to see if they still have worms.

Any suggestions?? They are kept in their own seperate room with their own litter box.

Thanks
Tom

Hi Tom,

Any change in diet can cause diarrhea in cats so changes should be done gradually, by mixing the new food in with the old. Some cats are extremely sensitive to diet changes.

I highly recommend that you give your cats some probiotic in their food. This often helps to restore intestinal health. You can get some from your vet, or buy some from any pet store. I am using a probiotic called OptiGest and it has worked very well for my baby.

If the probiotic doesn't help the problem you might ask the vet what additional fecal tests can be run. The standard fecal flotation test would not indicate something such as giardia, which is a parasite that can cause diarrhea. Some labs even offer something called a "fecal panel" which may be helpful when the cause of diarrhea cannot be established using standard tests.

I'm hoping that your cat will improve using probiotic alone. Please keep us updated on how he does.....

Regards,
PHKitkat