Why does my cat have a sudden pot belly and prominent spine?

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say what the cause of the rounded abdomen may be without examining Binx first. If she is not spayed and has interacted with a male cat, she may be pregnant. Other options include a parasitic infection, mass or tumor, or abdominal fluid due to Feline Infectious Peritonitis or another cause. A good exam with Binx's veterinarian is needed soon in order to determine the cause of the rounded abdomen. It is good to hear she appears normal otherwise, but I would take her in to see her vet to have her evaluated.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the X-rays, I can see that Mara's abdomen appears to be filled with fluid. It is obscuring his liver and intestines from being seen and there may even be a small amount in his lungs. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what the fluid is from the x-ray alone. His blood work shows some abnormalities with his electrolytes, which may be if he is not eating or from fluid in the abdomen. Mara also has a high white blood cell count, these are the cells that are responsible for fighting off infections and increase if there is one present. Your vet can run some additional diagnostics, and perform a tap and remove the fluid as well as a blood test to determine if Mara is infected with FIP, a mutated form of a common virus that cats are exposed to. I hope this helps!

That could be caused by an accumulation of fluids in the abdominal cavity caused by FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). A check up and single radiograph (or sometimes only clinical examination) could confirm this clinical suspicion and give you treatment options. Unfortunately the prognosis for this disease is poor. Differential diagnosis could be represented by parasite infestation. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes a pot belly in a kitten can occur from intestinal parasites. However, it appears that your veterinarian has already ruled this out. Sometimes kittens do tend to have a pot belly appearance that it is not associated with anything concerning and it can be normal. If she is otherwise doing perfectly fine, I would not worry much about this. If at any point she developed any gastrointestinal signs such as diarrhea, inappetence and/or vomiting, have her evaluated by your veterinarian. Otherwise, enjoy your kitten!

Congratulations on your new kitten and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm glad to hear that he is doing well at home. The enlarged belly can be due to parasites (or worms), which are not uncommon in kittens. He should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian within the next few days, and it would be very helpful to bring a sample of feces with you in a ziploc bag or disposable container (it shouldn't matter if there is litter in the feces). This will help the vet determine if your kitten has parasites, and if so, which ones they are and the best medication to use to treat them. Unfortunately, some parasites are actually transmitted by fleas, so those will definitely need to be treated as well. While the enlarged belly is likely due to intestinal parasites, it is important to make sure that your kitten does not have a viral or bacterial infection or has ingested a foreign body. These scenarios are unlikely as long as he is active and eating well. The vet will also have recommendations on how to treat the fleas, do a general exam, and make sure that everything else is normal! Good luck with your new kitty!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As your kitty grows, his belly will naturally look a little bigger each day. Cats often have a fat pad around their belly, which when palpated fells like fat that isn't actually in their belly, but on the outside skin area. If Storm's belly is actually big, then intestinal parasites are often the cause at this age; however you will almost always see loose or soft stool associated with this. A fecal exam and appropriate dewormer is the answer to this issue if the case. Based on your photo however, everything seems to look normal for Storm, so its best to palpate his belly or have your vet feel his belly to determine if additional testing and treatment are needed. Best wishes with your fur baby Storm moving forward! Take care.

Poor Lucky! There are several causes for a swollen abdomen like parasites and fluid in the abdomen. I would have your vet take a look at him as soon as you can to see what the cause is. If there is fluid in the abdomen, it could be a serious condition that needs to be treated. It could also be FIP which isn't treatable but he needs to be seen to be diagnosed. Hopefully, since he is still eating, he just has some intestinal parasites which your vet can easily treat. I hope this helps and he feels better really soon.