Kitten Diarrhea... Again... Does Dry Or Wet Typically Cause This??

[srhfoster]

Hi again,

I'm trying to learn about how to determine the cause of diarrhea, and I've tried to go through threads about diarrhea in both the health and nutrition forums. Please forgive me if I've missed something and am asking redundant questions.

We've had my 5-month old kitten about 4 weeks now. He had a bad bout of diarrhea right after we got him, around September 6th, and it returned this past Friday. He is still eating, playing and drinking well, and this bout is more "cow pattie" than constant "chocolate milk". I took him to the vet after 4 days last time, and tests all came back negative for parasites. After a day or two of Hill's prescription I/D from the vet, canned pumpkin and Fortiflora, it cleared up until now.

When this second bout started I was still giving him the I/D that we got from the vet, about one 3-oz can per day at 3 separate feedings, but had been trying to combine some wet Fancy Feast Kitten turkey with it. He also free-feeds 4Health All Life Stages dry food (not grain-free) with his 3 adult cat siblings.

Do you think maybe he is either (1) sensitive to the FF kitten (which I've stopped) or (2) sensitive to the 4Health dry, or (3) eating too much of the dry because I'm not feeding enough wet??

Once we get this cleared up, he needs to come off the Hill's diet - I know that is not ideal at all for long-term use but I had already been trying to slowly transition to something new and that didn't go well. I'm not sure how to do this, and I imagine the vet will just have me buy more of his prescription food.

It's very frustrating and scary trying to give healthy food. I have to say my 3 older cats grew up on Kitten Chow and Indoor Purina Cat Chow (that I have since found to contain horrible ingredients), but they never had diarrhea with it. I switched everyone over to 4Health once we got the kitten and the rescue group suggested that I research current nutrition theories.

I don't know what to do to make him feel better. I'm sure his tummy must hurt. :-(

Thank so much for any suggestions.

 

[mamahen]

I have one kitten right now that can't eat anything but either Purina one healthy kitten or Blue Buffalo grain free kitten. If I give her any sort of canned, either vomiting or diarrhea.

A couple of the others can only have maybe a TBL of grain free turkey or chicken split into 2 feedings.

Since mine are fosters, I like them to be able to eat anything. This time around it's not happening.

 

[srhfoster]

So far, we haven't had any vomiting. My little guy LOVES to eat, particularly the wet food. I have to feed him in a separate room from the others because he finishes quickly and tries to get into his siblings' wet food. He also seems to like the 4Health dry food, as I see him nibbling at the dry bowl a few times a day.

 

[orange&white]

If you don't know his worming history and he hasn't had a wormer, I would give him a broad-spectrum one, either Drontal from your vet or you can buy Panacur or Safeguard over the counter. Parasites don't always show up on fecal tests so the problem is possibly worms.

If he is still having the runs after worming, then there is something in his food which is not agreeing with his digestion. Sadly, there is not a way to say that dry food or wet food is the culprit. You'll need to feed nothing but a single food at a time to see what helps and what doesn't. It's trial and error.

I'd try a wormer first.

 

[missmimz]

This info should help you. I would put him on s boulardii, which is a probiotic that will treat the diarrhea. Then I would upgrade the food. Wet food only, no cheap kibble. Look for something with meat as the primary ingredient, because cats are obligate carnivores and can't use or digest things like wheat, corn, and veggies. Instinct, Tikicat, even fancy feast classic are good options.

My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

 

[maggiedemi]

Which 4health dry food are you using, is it the one with the purple label?

 

[srhfoster]

Which 4health dry food are you using, is it the one with the purple label?

Yes, the 4health dry is a cream bag with Purple Label - "all life stages" dry.

I would put him on s boulardii, which is a probiotic that will treat the diarrhea.

And thanks for this suggestion also. I will find this probiotic immediately. He's getting better, but as it appears he may have a sensitive stomach, having this around will likely be handy.

Thanks.
Sarah

 

[Alejandra Rico]

I had a similar problem with my Freya, and found out that her diarrhea was caused by the dry food se was eating (kittens's Royal Canin). At that momment she was eating wet food y and free fed kibble. Fortiflora did nothing at all for her, even though she had It for 9 consecutive days. As soon as I stoped feeding her RC, she started having normal stool and has never had a problem again in more than 3 months.
My suggestion, if you have already dewormed your kitten, is to follow other posters' advice and only feed one tipe of food for some days to find out which of them is causing the problem.

 

[BrattyBratBrat]

After dealing with vomiting and diarrhea for 3 weeks, and 2 negative worm/parasite tests I decided to try Dr Goodpets digestive enzymes for cats. Her poop cleared up overnight! She is also zooming around the house and playing which she never really did before. it costs $13 from Chewy.com, but you can go to Amazon to read all the excellent reviews it has gotten and seems to have changed the lives of many gastro kitties. I wouldnt recommend buying from Amazon though.