My 1-month-old kitten is constipated. Is pumpkin safe to feed?

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!

Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Acil, she is super cute! It sounds as though Acil may be constipated. If she is a bottle fed kitten that is sometimes a side effect of the Kitten Milk Replacer. I usually recommend starting bottle fed kittens on kitten food as early as 3 weeks to help prevent constipation. The safest and best thing for her is for you to bring her to a Vet today. She is very young and constipation can be very uncomfortable. There are no safe human medications to give her. Cats do not handle human medications due to their metabolism. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Roxzy is adorable! What are you feeding him? At 5 weeks I would be sure he is eating canned kitten food (or dry if he can) and that you aren't still giving him kitten formula. Formula can be very constipating. If you are feeding him kitten food then he may need another day or 2 to get comfortable in his new environment to have a bowel movement. Get him on canned kitten food otherwise. If he still hasn't pooped by Monday night he should be seen by a vet Tuesday. Sooner if he becomes lethargic and stops eating. Constipation can be serious in young animals. Good luck!

Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet. I strongly advise taking Acil to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

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!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You can trying giving the paste hairball treatment to the kitten to see if it helps. But if she is straining a lot or vomiting or acting sick at all she needs to be seen by the vet again. Kittens can become obstructed by worms or foreign bodies (string, toys, etc) which could be a serious emergency. But if she is otherwise eating and drinking well then try the laxatone or similar hair ball product. Feeding canned kitten food instead of dry may also help.