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My new kitten has diarrhea and smelly gas. Is a vet visit urgent?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 1 day old | 2 lbs

Hi! I just received a kitten about a day ago. They said she is only a month old. I bought her some kitten food with some goat milk. Ever since we picked her up she has had some awful smelling gas, and diarrhea. I'm really worried and don't know if it's too early to bring her to the vet. Help!

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 26th, 2017

Your kitten probably has colitis, which is an inflammation in the colon. This can be caused by stress, diet or changes in diet, and/or intestinal parasites. I would guess that Zia probably has all of these issues going on.

It is not too early to take her to the vet. In fact, I would recommend it. Severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration which can be very serious in a little kitten.

Your vet will need to check a fecal sample and may prescribe some antibiotics and probiotics and a dewormed for your kitten.

I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
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