Roundworms

Hi, I just joined this site.  Wanted some cat people to communicate with.  I rescued a cat 3 mos ago, a female about 9 mos. old.  She was pregnant.  Now she has 5 adorable kittens 7 weeks old.  Anyway, I noticed she threw up a roundworm so I took her to the vet.  He gave her a drontal.  That was 3 weeks ago.  I took her in again yesterday and he gave her the 2nd one.  She has roundworms in her stool.  Now she has diarrhea and she has lost 3 lbs.  She was already malnourished when I found her.  I am just wondering if the worms could've caused the diarrhea and if she will get better once they are all gone.  I feed her every 3 - 4 hours as much as she will eat.  I hope she can put some weight on.  The kittens are pretty much weaned now.  I thought they were draining her, but maybe it was also the worms.  Any advice is appreciated!

It is common that cats will get diarrhea after being medicated for the worms. 

Within WHAT time frame did she lose 3 lbs?  From the time of the last deworming???     What are you feeding her?  Can you find a higher calorie food for her...and maybe try adding in an egg yolk ever couple of days to her food to add in more nutrients and calories.  Some cats will just lap them up.  You can give it either cooked or raw. 

I agree with the above and the questions there. You can even give this egg yolk every day, if you so wish.  Can you get goats milk to her?  Raw is good, but almost any full fat goats milk is useful. Good and easy digestible nourishment, and cheaper than kmr.

And yes, 5 kittens will drain, even if they begin to eat themselves.  Being so big, they also take much milk from her....  The the highest demand is really now, at the end of nursing, not in the beginning as we instinctively think...

Ah, kittens must be dewormed too, they surely got round worms from momma. You can use drontal or Milbemax, which are mild all round preparates, or Pyrantel which is a very mild preparate for round worms.  (or at least, Pyrantel is potentially mild, I presume it may depend on the brand too).

@Sabrinasmom

Yes, she lost 3 lbs in 3 weeks.  She is eating Blue Buffalo kitten food mixed with Blue Buffalo canned food.  I have been giving her some chicken breast or ground turkey in addition to the cat food.  She eats constantly. She was already skinny when I found her, but that may have been from the worms.

She was just dewormed 2 days ago and now I am starting to notice much less stool in the litterbox, so I think maybe now she is getting the nutrition that the worms were preventing her from absorbing.  Before, she was going 2 or 3 times right after eating, but today she only used the litterbox 3 or 4 times the whole day, so I think it's getting better. The kittens were all treated for worms too.  She still has a really runny stool though.  I am hoping this clears up soon.  The kittens are growing big and they all have solid stool - always have, so not sure why just mom.  Poor Sabrina.

S sabrinasmom

It sounds like mom needs treating for parasites. Runny stools from parasites can keep her from absorbing needed nutrients as well.

What color is her stool?

I'm guessing she may need treatment for Giardia, which is a common parasite that causes runny poops. It can be treated with Panacur or metronidazole. Call your vet and ask about this. It sounds like your mama cat is still not well yet.

Thanks.  I will call him and ask.  They checked a stool sample and didn't find any parasites  I know there are some things they won't give her as long as she is nursing.  She can't start her vaccinations until she is separated from the kittens, which will be Thanksgiving.  Her stool is tan.

Tan stool color is better than yellow. Not all parasites show up on the fecal. Do ask about treating for giardia.

You can mix a tablespoon of canned, plain pumpkin into her wet food at each meal. It helps to firm up stool. Sprinkling probiotic powder into the food helps the flora in the gut as well. And a tablespoon of plain, full-fat yogurt is good for the gut.

I had a 2nd fecal analysis done on Sabrina and no parasites were found either time.  The vet did give me some Albon to give her for 10 days.  Her stool is better, still very soft but not diarrhea.  She's been on the Albon for 5 days now.  I am wondering if it could be a food allergy.  She seemed to do okay when I had her on salmon, but after the kittens were born I switched to Blue Buffalo chicken kitten food.  They are 8 weeks old now and will be going to their new hones in the next few weeks.  I thought I'd transition her back to fish and see if that helps.  Any thoughts about this?

Thank you!

I had a 2nd fecal analysis done on Sabrina and no parasites were found either time.  The vet did give me some Albon to give her for 10 days.  Her stool is better, still very soft but not diarrhea.  She's been on the Albon for 5 days now.  I am wondering if it could be a food allergy.  She seemed to do okay when I had her on salmon, but after the kittens were born I switched to Blue Buffalo chicken kitten food.  They are 8 weeks old now and will be going to their new hones in the next few weeks.  I thought I'd transition her back to fish and see if that helps.  Any thoughts about this?

Thank you!

Did the fecal check for Giardia specifically?

Yes, they checked for Giardia and coccidia.  She gave her Albon for coccidia because she said it sometimes does not show up in the stool.  The vet believes it may be food related because she still has a voracious appetite, uncommon with these 2 parasites and they've done 2 stool samples a couple weeks apart and found a lot of undigested food and no mucus or parasites in the stool.  Today I got her some Blue Buffalo Limited Ingredients food with pumpkin and probiotics for sensitive stomachs.  I will slowly switch her over to that over the next week and a half.  I've been giving her a little plain yogurt. She seems to be feeling better, crying less for food and relaxing a little.  I think when the kittens have gone to their new homes it will be less stressful.  They are wild.  I will weigh her again in a couple of days and see if she has gained any weight.

I agree it may be food related. I think slowly switching her food is a good idea. Let us know how this goes. I hope she continues to improve.

Thank you very much!  I will let you know and I will have some pictures to post.  The kittens are so cute, every one is black like their mother. 2 will have longhair though. 

I look forward to seeing pictures! I love black cats! I have one of my own and he is very handsome. He was cute as a button as a kitten. [emoji]128522[/emoji]