Very sick kitty

My kitten has been very sick for the past couple days. He has had very runny diarrhea and has vomited a couple times. He has become extremely lethargic and I have to hand feed him to get him to eat, although he is still drinking water at least. I took him to the vet yesterday and she gave me some parasite medication and told me to give him rice water to help with the diarrhea and to call her back today (I haven't got hold of her yet though). But later on yesterday I took in a stool sample which tested negative for parasites and worms although I am supposed to keep him on his medication. She mentioned it could be distemper but he has no fever so it seems unlikely. I'm so worried about him I don't know what to do he has gotten so thin in just a couple days and we don't know what it is

Has anyone experienced anything similar with a kitten or have any other ideas of what it could be? One thing is I did feed him a little cheese the morning he got sick, which I though was causing the diarrhea but it is now the third morning and he still has it, can food intolerances last this long? He is the runt of his litter and had runny stools since I got him but not so lethargic and diarrhea this extreme until Sunday morning. If anyone has any ideas, or experience with this (hopefully positive experience I am worrying myself sick here) please share.

I'm sorry to hear about your kitty . Cats have varying degrees of lactose intolerance. Its quite possible your cat is extremely allergic to the milk. However, it could be something entirely else. I'd do some research on distemper and see if things line up. It would be so sad if thats what it is though .

Distemper usually causes a fever which he doesn't have, so we are really really hoping it isn't distemper, but he will get tested for it if nothing else works.

Does anyone know how accurate the tests for worms and parasites are? His showed negative but the vet wants him on the medication anyways, are they hard to find? I am so worried I've only had him a short while but have really grown attached to him as has my other kitten

I'm sorry to hear about your kitty. I do know that worm/parasite tests can be inaccurate. When i first found Lucky she tested negative but 3 weeks later when i back to the vet they gave her a worming pill and she passed a 3 inch long round worm. I think if the worm isn't releasing eggs into the stool then they test will appear negative. I'm not sure about with other parasites.

I hope the vet figures it out soon (and I pray it's not distemper)

Also did you bring in a sample or did they get it fresh? There are many microorganisms that will die within 10 minutes (I think, its pretty fast) and won't be seen unless its a fresh sample.

There are a number of micro organisms that can cause diarrhea and do not show up in all tests. My boys, especially Napoleon, suffered from runny stools for a couple of months before the vet found what was causing it and gave them the right antibiotic.

Well he went poo in the car on the way home from the vet. By the time they tested it about 45 mins had passed. I just gave him deworming medication and he threw it all up again. I might have to take him in to get iv hydrated if his diarrhea doesn't stop by tonight. I feel so bad for the little guy, he's so sick. Could it be possible that his intestines are obstructed by something? I haven't seen him eat anything weird but with kittens you never know. He threw up all his breakfast too I don't think he digested any of it

Aw, poor little fellow. Can the vet do an x-ray to see if he has an obstruction?

I'll ask her about the x-ray. She asked me if he was the type to eat weird things and I said no, she didn't ask much more on the subject. She thinks parasites is the most likely. It is so frustrating because if it is parasites how can I get rid of them he won't even keep his medication down. I have to give him 3 different medications plus food and rice water. She said if he was an older cat we would be giving his intestines a break from food but since he's so young and skinny he just can't afford to not eat anything right now. I just gave him some more chicken and hope he will keep it down this time. Meeka just went and gave him a head bath too which was cute (he probably tastes like chicken from it spilling on him). She seems to want to take care of him, lying with him when I'm not, what a good older sister.

Just curious, how old is the kitten and what kind of litter are you using? Regular or scooping type?

The kitten is almost 8 weeks and I am using this type of litter:



He is still very lethargic today but seems a bit more interested in his surroundings which I think is a good sign...

I haven't seen that litter where I have shopped, and I can't read all the information about it.

The reason I asked is that a kitten that young plays in hte litter a lot, and is still learning to use it right. They tend to ingest some.

Clumping litters get stuck in their intestines (the same way it clumps in the pan), but plain litter does not.

And if the litter has chemicals, or perfumes, it could possibly cause allergic reactions, especially with a kitten that young. You never know.

I'm not saying this is the problem. However, it is one that is often overlooked, and it probably couldn't hurt to ask about it to be on the safe side.

Hmmm hadn't thought of that. The litter is non-clumping. I got this little blurb off google:

Clear Choice Cat Litter is the evolutionary cat litter that offers convenience and performance never before available. Made of silica crystals, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s has superior absorption quality when compared to traditional or clumping cat litters. Last up to a month for an adult cat. Keep away from children.
-Odour Control
-No Dust


He still has diarrhea and now seems to be fighting off a case of rhino. Poor little guy he needs a break from being sick!

I am praying for the little one!

Originally Posted by batgirl2good

I am praying for the little one!

Click to expand...

Aaaaw thanks. It's nice to hear

I know that litter and brought some back from France when I had the car there, because it is non clumping and dust free, important for Wellington's asthma. It does have some odour control crystals though, but no perfume that I can detect. It doesn't stick to feet and I would say that a kitten is extremely unlikely to ingest it.

I had a "barn kitten" a few yrs ago. He was quite a mess when I got him ie herpes, uri, among others. It took 2-3 months to clear all his stuff up. He too was lethargic but did imrpove. Have you tried moist cat food mixed with a bit of water??? Or human baby food with meat-just make sure no onions on label..
Where did this kitten come from?? Other littermates and how are they?? I've had runts also and they do seem to need some extra care for a while. You haven't been trying lots of different foods as that could upset his stomach to-it seems to take a couple of weeks before their stomach calms down from that.
Good luck with the little guy!!!

I'm sorry to hear he is so sick and I'm sending many prayers that he gets better soon!!

GailC - The kitten came from a barn cat who now lives in a home. I called the lady and asked about the other kittens and she said they were all doing fine and no one else has told her of any problems. I was feeding him blended boiled chicken when he was really sick, now I've got him on a special canned food for sensitive stomachs which the vet gave me.

I also give him digestive enzymes and probiotics and a few other medicines. He still has diarrhea but it is not as watery as before. He has runny eyes and sneezes a bit too but it doesn't seem to be getting worse which is a blessing. I just hope he doesn't miss out too much on the learning kitten behavior because he has been so sick during a vital learning period for him.

Aww, bless his little heart! I wonder what is going on.....I hate to hear of a kitty being so sick. I am going to send lots of GET WELL SOON vibes to the 'lil guy! Hope he gets better quickly!! {{{get well soon}}} and my thoughts are with you at this time.