My week-old bottle-fed kitten has diarrhea. How can I fix it?

Kitties can't digest human milk well. This is likely what gave your little one diarrhea. I would switch back to the KMR and start mixing in small amounts of wet kitty starter formula food. You can also mix in 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to help harden her stools and continue feeding her kitten only food. If he stools are not getting better after 24-48 hrs then its best to take her to your vet for a short course of antibiotics to get her bacterial flora back to normal. I hope that your ktity feels better soon! Best wishes and take care!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Kitten formula is very hard on the GI tract. I recommend weaning bottle fed babies at 3 weeks slowly over 1-2 weeks. I would get a different brand of formula and mix it 50/50 with the old one. Add more water to it. Start mixing the formula with canned kitten food and get him weaned off formula in the next week or so. He should also be dewormed as well. Good luck!

Diarrhea in a kitten this young is definitely very concerning, as is the stoppage of nursing. The fact that the mother is separating her young is a bad sign, as this is usually what the mother will do when she senses one of the kittens is sick, or possibly contagious to the others. You may need to start bottle feeding and/or transitioning to hard food sooner than later to preserve the kitten's health. I would not let this go on for more than a few more hours, as dehydration and hypoglycemia are real concerns in an animal this young and fragile. You may also want to look into obtaining some antidiarrheal medication from your veterinarian. Hope this helps.

Hello. Use a cardboard box as a nest box. Put in a towel, & then a disposable diaper to absorb liquids. Change as needed. Put a heating pad under 1/2 of the box, so the kittens can move as they need more or less warmth. Feed a Kitten Milk Replacer, either a premade liquid or a powder you mix as needed. If you cannot find a kitten milk, this is a formula you can try: 1/2 cup whole milk 1 egg yolk 1 drop multivitamins ( pet or children's ) 3 crushed Tums ( or calcium based antacid ) Feed every 2-3 hours during the day, but do not wake them to feed them. They should do OK all night. If diarrhea persists, you can temporarily add more water to the diet to meet fluid needs. Consider taking a stool sample to your veterinarian for parasite analysis. At 3-4 weeks, start to introduce a solid, soft diet. Good luck & thanks for rescuing the kittens. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would actually recommend starting with a vet visit to check for intestinal parasites at his age. And then explore different food options or pursue other testing as the vet recommends, because there is almost certainly an underlying issue (although that doesn't mean it's something serious or dangerous. Probiotics, a short course of antibiotics, a hypoallergenic diet can all help with diarrhea in cats. If you can't get to the vet and want to try fiber, you can mix in unflavored metamucil with his food (aiming for about 2 tsp) once a day to see if that helps, but it's probably going to be a waste of money (both for the metamucil and the wasted food if he won't eat it). Good luck!

I would recommend starting off with a good dewormer. Also you can add a probiotic or fiber to their diet. If the diarrhea is not resolving I would recommend taking them to a vet for a fecal exam and good physical exam. Some parasites like coccidia need special medications to treat. Hope Mila feels better

If you haven't already, I would schedule a vet visit to make sure there isn't a health issue causing the digestive issues, rather than the formula. Parasites (very common in kittens), blockages, GI upset, etc could all be causing the problems and can often present as fussy kittens with little bloated bellies. If they're not passing any stool or urine, that is also a concern. I wouldn't offer a probiotic as they are both very young, and it may just mask a different problem that could need treatment. KMR and other kitten milk replaces are the best option as they are formulated to provide the right nutritional balance for the kittens. You will likely need to be feeding smaller amounts more often to ensure they get enough and to keep them from getting too full and uncomfortable. Feeding them while they are on their bellies (like they would be while nursing) can also help ease digestion. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/