Yucky poo

Sorry in advance for the gross topic...

Smudge, our little 9-10 week old foster kitten has had some strange poos recently. They've been loose but not quite the gross diarrhea poos she was doing when we first got her. The one she just did was more... "jelly-like". When I shook the litter tray it shook like jelly.

It's a light colour, and she's been doing loose stools for a couple of days now. It doesn't seem like "diarrhea", and she's eating well, and still had boundless levels of energy.

She's been eating the big kitties dry food recently as well as her own, and DH was trying to fatten her up by feeding her whenever she wanted food. After about a day I realised he was overfeeding her, and got him to stop - that's about when the loose stools started.

She eats Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lovers Soul dry and wet, and the food the big girls get is the Nature's Variety dry.

She's due to go back Friday for her weekly checkup. Should I wait until then and take in a sample if she's still doing the strange poos, or do you think any sort of ongoing loose stool issue should be checked immediately?

Thanks

The loose stool could be from getting a different food--this often causes upset to kitties' digestive tracts. Has she been wormed? My only concern with waiting until Friday is that if she continues to have loose stool, she may get dehydrated. If she is eating and drinking normally, and she doesn't show signs of dehyrdration (http://www.petplace.com/cats/dehydra...ts/page1.aspx), I would think it would be okay to wait until the Friday appointment. You may want to call the vet to see if they want you to bring a fecal sample with you to the appointment.

Originally Posted by cloud_shade

The loose stool could be from getting a different food--this often causes upset to kitties' digestive tracts. Has she been wormed? My only concern with waiting until Friday is that if she continues to have loose stool, she may get dehydrated. If she is eating and drinking normally, and she doesn't show signs of dehyrdration (http://www.petplace.com/cats/dehydra...ts/page1.aspx), I would think it would be okay to wait until the Friday appointment. You may want to call the vet to see if they want you to bring a fecal sample with you to the appointment.

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Thanks for the advice. Just after that, she drank heaps, and I thought that was good - keeps her from being dehydrated.... Then she kept drinking. And kept on drinking! I'll see how she is tomorrow, and if I'm unsure, I'll take her in - better to be safe then sorry.

She has been wormed - when she was about 4/5 weeks old. Do they ever need it a second time so close as a booster or anything like that?

I may be wrong, but I've been told that they need to be wormed a least twice, preferably 3 times.

Since you have a vet appointment, I'd bring a fresh sample in with you and ask about it. It can't hurt to have it done again.

Ferris was wormed at 8 weeks old, I brought him home at 12 weeks, and he DID need to be wormed again with two doses three weeks apart. He had very loose stool when I brought him home, and at first I thought it was food changes, but it turned out to be worms.

Don't bother bringing in a sample unless you catch it while your cat is going to the bathroom. Some vets won't take it if it has litter in it because it's contaminated. The vets like it fresh and will take a sample when you bring your kitten in.

Sounds like worms or giardia - be sure she's checked out completely for those.

Originally Posted by axroacs

Don't bother bringing in a sample unless you catch it while your cat is going to the bathroom. Some vets won't take it if it has litter in it because it's contaminated. The vets like it fresh and will take a sample when you bring your kitten in.

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I've never heard that before. We've always taken ours in with some litter on it and haven't had a problem.

I've taken many samples into the vets at the shelter from foster kitties and any loose stools I notice from kitties at the shelter, and they've never had a problem.

I guess it helps to have fresh stuff, but I'm not going to follow Smudge around with a plastic bag, and hold it under her while she goes...

Thanks anwyay, I will take a sample in for them!