5-day-old kitten bloated, constipated. Should I dilute formula?

I'm assuming you are feeding her a kitten formula, so I would try diluting it a bit with some water to see if that helps her pass feces. If that doesn't help, then yes I would take her back into the vet. Best of luck.

If there is cat formula available I would start him on that, it's more nutritionally balanced for cats and should help stop the diarrhea. This website https://www.thesprucepets.com/kitten-supplement-formula-552272 offers several recipes for homemade kitten formula. Copper actually looks old enough to get started on solid foods. Get some dry kitten food and add some kitten formula, let the dry food absorb the liquid then mash it into a gruel and put it in a shallow dish for her to eat. It will be messy, and she will probably need a bath, but she'll learn how to eat solid food this way. Alternatively, you can get canned kitten food and mix some formula with it to make it into a gruel and feed that. Put another dish in with just the wet or dry kitten food, you'll be surprised how quickly she picks it up. Make sure she has plenty of fresh water in a shallow dish. She may not drink much while she's eating wet food, but if she ends up eating more dry food you'll see her drink more. Good luck with Copper!

Hello. You do not indicate their ages, but if they are approaching 3 weeks, you can begin offering some soft food in addition to their bottles. I would add 1/4 teaspoon Miralax to the bottle, but only 3 times a day. Once the stool starts to soften & become more regular, decrease to 1/8 teaspoon of Miralax 3 times a day. As you transition to the soft diet, you can also add the Miralax, if needed, but stop once the stools become a little runny. Make sure you are worming the kittens with pyrantel pamoate every 2 weeks. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor fluid intake, low fiber diet, food sensitivities and intestinal parasites can all contribute to constipation in kittens. I recommend adding a probiotic/fibre supplement such as fortiflora and ensure she is kept up to date with deworming medications. Monitor for feces production, she may require another enema if not resolving

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Kachie! Constipation is serious in pediatric puppies and kittens. Since it has been a week I urge you to take Katchie to the Vet and see if an enema is needed. Kitten milk replacer/formula commonly causes GI problems, either diarrhea or constipation. After every bottle feeding the kitten needs to be stimulated with a warm wet soft washcloth over the anus and genitals. I always recommend bottle fed kittens be weaned sooner, around 3 weeks. So I would start offering canned kitten food mixed with formula and decrease bottle feeding. By 5 weeks she should be off formula and eating kitten food 100%. I wish Kachie the best!

Yes, I would give the powdered until you can get more liquid. I would not consider it dangerous to switch back and forth between the two. Constipation is quite common with all the formulations (liquid or powder) unfortunately. I would recommend the following which may help: -Dilute the formula an extra part with water. So instead of 1:2 ratio, use a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio. Use a 1:4 when dealing with a kitten who has hard stool, or very young kittens who just switched to formula. -Add 1-2 drops of oil to their formula. This can be canola, olive, or mineral oil. Use this when dealing with hard stool, along with dilution. -Use 1 mL of canned pumpkin along with a 1:3 dilution. Do not use if the stool has been hard. So, I would try these things to see if they help. Hope this answers your question. If not, please feel free to post again! Best wishes!

Thank you for the clarification. Puppies often get constipated when they are on formula. It is best to dilute the formula a bit more with water and usually that helps. You can also give the puppy a drop or two of mineral oil or olive oil (NO other types of oil) on her tongue. DO NOT force it down her throat. Only do it once, don't keep giving it to her. These things should help. If they don't, you may need to take her back to the vet for an enema.