My week-old kitten had diarrhea, now isn't pooping and shivers.

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!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You should offer a small amount of food about 3-4 times daily and in really small kittens, every few hours might be needed. Eliminations and the frequency thereof, are dependent on many things depending on food intake, type of food, water intake etc. As long as she is not straining and trying to poop, it could be up to another 24-36 hours. She is getting accustomed to her new and that is probably slowing up the fecal elimination process. Again, no straining to have a bowel movement usually means that everything is ok, especially if the kitten is eating and drinking normally. Just keep monitoring for a bowel movement and monitor behavior, appetite, etc. If things change and you are unsure have your veterinarian evaluate the kitten. I hope everything works out ok.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Boba. As long as she is eating, gaining weight and seems comfortable, she should defecate soon. Make sure you are stimulating her after each meal. Apply a warm cotton ball to her genital area. This replicates the mother licking her and will help her to urinate and defecate. If she stops eating or her belly appears distended, then she needs to see a veterinarian. In this case, an enema may be warranted. I hope this information helps!

It is very common for a cat to not have any bowel movement for a couple of days after having diarrhea because it takes time for stool to build up again in the colon after an episode of diarrhea. I would be concerned if she is straining to defecate without producing any stool, vomiting or not eating. If everything seems normal other than the lack of stool production, then I would just give it a little more time. My guess is that she will pass some stool tonight or tomorrow. If she has not passed stool by tomorrow night, I would have her examined on Friday before going into the weekend. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Make sure what you are feeding the kitten is an appropriate kitten milk replacer. Kittens this young are not able to regulate their temperatures well, so make sure you have her on a heating pad set on low with a towel on top. There should be an area for the kitten to move off if it gets too warm. Make sure you are not overfeeding the kitten. A kitten needs 2 tablespoons ( 30 mls ) per 4 ounces ( 115 grams ) of body weight daily. Divide the daily amount into equal portions for each feeding & fed every 3-4 hours until bedtime. Stimulate the genital area after each meal, but do not be concerned if she does not have a BM each time. You can try feeding her a congee, which is often tolerated by the sickest kittens. Take 1-2 cups chicken broth ( low or no salt added ), add 1/4 cup white rice & a tiny sliver of fresh ginger. Boil for 2 hours. While cooling, add 1 Tbsp good quality protein powder - egg or casein, not soy. Stir together very well. The mix should be a bit thick. Drip into kittens mouth 1/2 - 1 ml at a time. Hopefully she will start to turn around. Just keep at it. Good luck.

Liliko may have intestinal parasites especially with being so young. I would recommend bringing her to a veterinarian to have her stool checked and get a routine dewormer. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I am a little concerned about your kitten because at 4 weeks of age she should be a little fireball & not require stimulation to move her bowels. She should also be eating a canned kitten food with a little replacement milk mixed in. If she has not been dewormed, this would be a priority as intestinal parasites like roundworms can make a kitten pretty weak. She may also be a little dehydrated if you have not seen her urinate. I truly hope you can have her seen by a veterinarian soon. Little babies like this can be pretty fragile. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.