Digestion Issues in 4 Month Old Kitten?

Hi,

My kitten is now 4 months old and I have had her since she was 8 weeks. She originally came from a hoarder environment, so I think has food issues. However, my concern is that she definitely eats too fast, but she gags after eating (no vomit) and sometimes does this thing where she gags/sneezes and spittle comes out. The spittle smells like food and she actually licks it up. Pumpkin didn't help settle her at all. The gags are almost like burps and smell of the food. I will not feed her dry - I am now breaking her food up into 5-6 servings per day and while that is all well and good while I am not working, that's not going to be doable when I start working again. Also, it is helping a bit, but she is still gagging at least once a day and is still doing that. I have switched her food 3 times, but the only common denominator  is that all of them had chicken. Perhaps even this young she is intolerant to chicken? If it is gas/acid reflux, I do NOT want to give her an antacid as I know how bad they are. She does fart a lot too, which at 4 months old, she shouldn't have this much gas anymore.

I need help!

Thanks

I had somewhat a similar situation. I found that my cat has issues with chicken. He not only farted a lot but had diarrhea as well. He burped a little but not as much as yours is doing. I transitioned to Instinct Raw Rabbit Bites (but I do give him Instinct Rabbit Kibble as well) and he's pretty much fart free and his stools are perfect. Mine also gobbles up his food like there is no tomorrow so I bought a dish with dividers in it. It's suppose to make it a little harder for the cat to gobble all at once. Mine is made of some kind of plastic, which you don't want if you feed raw but I got it before I fed raw. It's actually a small dog dish but it's small enough for a cat. I've seen stainless steel ones online. I only put his kibble in my plastic dish but it helps him not eat so fast.

It's worrisome because I have been trying to figure it out so that I can help her, but I have been unable to. I use smaller portions on a large dinner plate, which does slow her down, but she is still gagging/burping or whatever it is - That gag/sneeze thing freaks me out. I haven't been able to find much online about what she is going through either.

Also, for a kitten that only eats moist food, she actually drinks more water than any of my previous cats who were on dry food only. A lot of strange behaviors with her that I am not used to that may or may not be problems.  She doesn't eat out of plastic ever.. Her cute kitty dishes are a no go because she eats way too fast out of them. So far other than when I spoon fed her, the large plate and smaller portions are the only thing to slow her down. It forces her to lick it rather than inhale it. It's just that she is still having some issues doing it this way.

She might have worms, has she been dewormed?

She has been dewormed and her poop has been checked. At this point, we can't find anything wrong with her. Haven't done blood work, but I plan on doing basic blood work before she gets spayed if this isn't fixed. However, I am wondering about the intolerance to chicken because she is failing to gain the amount of weight that she should and I read that as one of the symptoms. Rather than gaining a pound a month, she gained almost a pound in month two and slightly less than half a pound in month three. Any ideas of if you still gradually introduce a new food if it is a suspected allergy/intolerance? Or maybe a different protein of the same brand? Right now she is on Welness Core for kittens.

dolphin005 said:

 
She has been dewormed and her poop has been checked. At this point, we can't find anything wrong with her. Haven't done blood work, but I plan on doing basic blood work before she gets spayed if this isn't fixed. However, I am wondering about the intolerance to chicken because she is failing to gain the amount of weight that she should and I read that as one of the symptoms. Rather than gaining a pound a month, she gained almost a pound in month two and slightly less than half a pound in month three. Any ideas of if you still gradually introduce a new food if it is a suspected allergy/intolerance? Or maybe a different protein of the same brand? Right now she is on Welness Core for kittens

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If you think it's a food problem, try introducing frozen Instinct Raw Rabbit Bites to her meals. It worked for me. It says you can serve it right from the bag but my cats won't eat it unless I thaw it out. I put a day's worth in a glass container overnight in the fridge. Both my cats did not do well on Wellness Core Kitten.

Also, have you had her mouth checked for possible ulcer? Just a thought.

Her mouth has been checked. She has seen the vet twice since I have had her. I am starting to wonder if it is my fault. When I got her at 8 weeks old, I didn't continue her diet of dry food that the foster home had her on. I immediately put her on wet food. I thought it would be okay at that age since she had only been on "solid" food for a couple of weeks. I am sure part of it is how she eats and perhaps the food, but I feel horrible if it is my fault. How do I fix this? Pumpkin didn't seem to do much. Now, mind you, it was pure pumpkin puree and not the stuff sold in pet stores that has ginger etc with it... I want to help her. I hope it is just the food and nothing serious and not my fault.

dolphin005 said:

 
Her mouth has been checked. She has seen the vet twice since I have had her. I am starting to wonder if it is my fault. When I got her at 8 weeks old, I didn't continue her diet of dry food that the foster home had her on. I immediately put her on wet food. I thought it would be okay at that age since she had only been on "solid" food for a couple of weeks. I am sure part of it is how she eats and perhaps the food, but I feel horrible if it is my fault. How do I fix this? Pumpkin didn't seem to do much. Now, mind you, it was pure pumpkin puree and not the stuff sold in pet stores that has ginger etc with it... I want to help her. I hope it is just the food and nothing serious and not my fault.

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Don't feel bad. I battled with almost the same thing for about 6 months. Looking back I needed to do a more gradual introduction to new food than I did at the start, however. For my cat, it wasn't an overnight remedy. It took over a month before my cat was fairly normal. Mine had the stool problem. If you decide to give him Instinct Raw Rabbit, try just a couple pellets for a few days, then up to to 3 or 4 more etc. If it's a chicken problem, you won't see much results until he starts getting less of the chicken and more of the rabbit. I've heard where it's taken several months for the kitten's bodies to adjust, especially having such reaction as yours is now. Don't give up, just be patient. 

You're going to want to get her healthy before you have her spaded, it's an operation. If she were my kitty, I'd have blood work done now to see if there is anything going on. Also, basic blood work doesn't tell all but it's a start.

I do feel bad, especially if it is my fault for not transitioning her when I got her. I didn't think it was a big deal to put her right on wet and stop the dry at 8 weeks old. People start cats and kittens on new food all the time without transitioning. Like if you get a kitten from someone and don't know their food or you find one.  The other foods that I have tried her on over the last two months have definitely been a gradual transition. 7-9 days. Like I said, the only common denominator is chicken. I also assume the speed at which she eats contributes, which is why it is a bit better since giving her smaller portions several times a day and on a larger surface, but it is still happening.... Since it has been a little over two months since I got her, you would think she would have bounced back from me not transitioning her at 8 weeks old from dry to wet. I don't know that she didn't have this issue before I got her either. She has never vomited. 

I don't know where to get the Raw Rabbit in Canada.

dolphin005 said:

 
I do feel bad, especially if it is my fault for not transitioning her when I got her. I didn't think it was a big deal to put her right on wet and stop the dry at 8 weeks old. People start cats and kittens on new food all the time without transitioning. Like if you get a kitten from someone and don't know their food or you find one.  The other foods that I have tried her on over the last two months have definitely been a gradual transition. 7-9 days. Like I said, the only common denominator is chicken. I also assume the speed at which she eats contributes, which is why it is a bit better since giving her smaller portions several times a day and on a larger surface, but it is still happening.... Since it has been a little over two months since I got her, you would think she would have bounced back from me not transitioning her at 8 weeks old from dry to wet. I don't know that she didn't have this issue before I got her either. She has never vomited. 

I don't know where to get the Raw Rabbit in Canada.

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You might have to go through a lengthy transition period since your kitten has had these issues for awhile but unless there are no other issues (get a blood test) her tummy has been going through a lot lately but should bounce back in time. You can call your pet stores and see if they carry frozen rabbit food, they also might be able to refer you to another store. You can also check out Instinct's website and find a location near you if they are any. http://www.instinctpetfood.com/locator

Frozen rabbit food isn't cheap, that's for sure but the main thing is to get your kitty back to normal and go from there. Just remember, baby steps.

Some kittens/cats have tummies of iron, some are more sensitive (like mine is). I thought I'd never get my kitten back to normal. I mean I tried everything from Metamucil for his tummy, vet visits and tests, prescription medicine and nothing worked until I got rid of the chicken ingredient. Slowly, as I gave him more rabbit over the coming weeks, he started getting better. I too was expecting a quicker response but it took time. I made the mistake of thinking he was getting better and added more rabbit than I should have so I had to cut back and give it to him even more slowly than I anticipated.

Also check with your vet and see if he/she recommends that you should withhold food for 24 hours (not water, just food) before you start transitioning. My vet recommended doing that for my kitten.

I would be very careful witholding food for 24 hours for any cat but especially a 4 month old kitten.  If doing this I would certainly talk to a vet before hand to make sure all risks are known.  Have you looked for any foods which have limited ingredients esp no chicken?  This might help isolate if there is an intolerance to chicken if nothing else.  You might also want to look in to more active feeding methods like interactive feeding games to slow her eating and getting her to take food in smaller quantities.

Is her weight healthy for her age and general build?

I did find the food at a store close to me via the website, but money is an issue right now. I am currently looking for work, so I think raw food will have to wait. I really hope there is an easier fix. Perhaps I am not giving it enough time. I'm just really worried and scared. I know where it is coming from. I lost a cat at the young age of 9 back in November and it was sudden/unexpected. It has traumatized me and I am still grieving. I was very close to Raven. I have lost other cats before and they were hard, but this was harder and still is. I took a leap of faith in January and got Luna. I knew I was going to be more paranoid with her, but I also didn't expect issues - especially this soon. So, because I also feel guilt associated with losing Raven, I feel like it is my fault she is like this because I put her straight on to wet food when I got her. However, that being said, she did come from a hoarder house and definitely eats waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too fast, so there is a chance it is not my fault too.  Getting rid of chicken might be the easiest way to go right now. The blood work will be next.

MServant - There is no way I would remove food for 24 hours without vet's advice. Luna would lose her mind and I wouldn't be able to handle the meltdowns she would have.... As far as her health, heart, chest, poop and everything else is good on both vet visits.  However, one little issue came up - From 8 weeks to 12 weeks she gained a pound (very good) - However, from 12 weeks to 16 weeks, she failed to gain a whole pound and only gained half - She should have gained a pound. So, that could be either an intolerance or maybe not enough food. She was eating 3/4 of a normal sized can, so we upped to a whole can split up into 4-6 servings. Which I can do while I am home with her, but when I get a job, that will be tricky.  There has to be a way to fix this

I have debated interactive feeding games, but I am now dead set against dry food - I might buy Orijen dry and just give her a small amount. I was spoon feeding her for a few days and that slowed her down because it forced her to lick the back of the spoon. Now what I do is give her 1/6 of a can 6 times a day, but I put it on a large dinner plate and spread it around so that she has to lick it. That has slowed her down significantly, but she is still having digestive issues. Not after every meal like before, but still every day. At least I think they are digestive issues - Still not sure, but they do seem like hiccups/gagging etc - She does fart still. Just no vomiting. She has never vomited.

Having lost another young cat it is always going to feel stressful with another kitten, even without any difficulties coming up so no wonder you are anxious.  It might be intolerance with the food that causes her gassiness and maybe with the little bits she brings back up but it is sensible you are checking it all out with your vet as well as trying what you can with her food. Esp when her weight gain slowed up a bit.  Hopefully this will all settle down and you will soon see her thriving and enjoying her food without any problems. 

It could well be that she feels a need to guzzle food because of what her home was like before you adopted her and the spreading her food around the plate sounds like a good idea.  Other members might have more ideas on interactive feeding for wet food as well as I'm sure some have mentionned this when I have talked about what I do with Mouse's food (he has a prescription dry food for his teeth).  

I've also heard some cats can have issues with keeping food down because their stomach is pretty much level with their mouth and gullet, and just like some young human children - sometimes the swallowing and associated sphincters which keep the food in the stomach take a little more time to strengthen and work properly.  Raising food bowls up from floor level so the cat can eat without putting their head down sometimes helps along with the feeding in smaller quantities and more regular meals that you are already doing.  Sounds like you are doing a pretty good kitty parent job to me. 

Yeah, it's a tough call as to what is causing this - I hate not knowing and I hate that I am having a hard time fixing it - It could be serious - It could be nothing - It could be an intolerance - it could be something she outgrows on its own - and it could be my fault - The only thing we know is that this isn't common, but that's doesn't mean it is serious. I just don't want it to become serious. 

I definitely understand her food issues and I tend to think the two are related and not necessarily my fault for not transitioning when I brought her home. Like I said, she definitely comes after my food aggressively. Not violent, but determined and you really have to work to keep her away from it. If you drop something, she is quick to go after it. Perhaps if switching protein/food again doesn't work, I will start another thread for interactive wet food ideas.

I will never feed a cat dry food again no matter what a vet says. Not after what I read on catinfo.org and other research I did starting from there. She is a DVM and has been for close to 30 years, so it's not information that isn't backed up...

As far as raising food, I was trying to figure that one out, but since she is still small, so short of buying something, I didn't have too many options for that, but that's how I got the idea to use a dinner plate and spread the food around.

The wet vs dry food is an open question for me as there are vets, nutritionists and scientists with all sorts of different views with different evidence quoted - too much for me to make sense of and I figure we all do the best we can within our resources.  Things like how the food is put out and how it can be eaten are also important and I think you are being very sensible paying attention to these things too.  

For raising the food up off the floor or surface where you feed your cat you could position the plate up on top of a small box or a bowl - anything which lifts it so that it is closer to your kitten's body height.  It only need to be a couple of inches high.  The aim is to reduce the need for the cat to bend their head down to eat, so that when they swallow it is easier for the food to travel down the gullet and also reduce the risk of any food or contents of the stomach to backflow out.  It might not help at all but worth trying to see if it helps.

Ok, now I am in a pickle lol. I have one can left of her Wellness Core kitten and I told the owner of the pet food store almost two weeks  ago that I needed him to order the food. They are out and order won't be in until Tuesday. I will be out of food for Luna tomorrow night. I called Petsmart and they carry wellness, but not the purple kitten food. Would it be okay if I gave her the other Wellness kitten food without transition since it's the same brand?

I put the dinner plate on the bottom of a muffin tin to try and elevate it 0 best I could do for now..... Wet vs. dry is a personal choice but reading catinfo.org is worth a look. Either way, I don't judge anyone  for their personal choices,

Most of us manage to run out of a regular food at one point or another, or suddenly find a kitten or cat refusing to touch their regular favourite.  It is more important kittens and cats have access to food than a little concern about if an unfamiliar food might stress their system.  I would put down this other food and try her with it - after all, there are many cat carers who are not aware or the risks of giving different foods from meal to meal esp with kittens  (including me when I had my first two kittens), and many more cats who survive from day to day without choices and will feed on what ever they can get access to.