My new kitten is scared and has a hard, swollen belly. What's wrong?

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!

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.

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.

This could be an umbilical hernia, or an infection of the umbilicus (belly button). I'd recommend having this kitten examined by your vet to see if any treatment is needed. If it is a hernia repair might be recommended when the kitten is older.

I am having some difficulty understanding what you are saying. From the picture, I would be very concerned about more than just Zity's eye. His skin on the face also is not normal. This could be caused by a severe bacterial or fungal infection, viral infection, mites, among a few others. His eye itself looks very unhealthy, and it may have a corneal ulcer, which would need specific veterinary treatment to try to save it. Terramycin will help with minor bacterial infections, which I do not think this is a minor infection. An enlarged abdomen in a kitten can be caused by a severe intestinal parasite infestation, FIP, low blood protein, congenital defect, among a few others. Zity should have both the distended abdomen and the eye/face problems evaluated by a vet as soon as possible.

I would recommend an immediate check up to determine the underlying cause of the swelling. Gastrointestinal parasites are common but other causes like feline peritonitis infection can be present as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

The most common cause is usually intestinal parasite infection. Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Amaru should be dewormed. This will likely need to be repeated in 2, 4 and 6 weeks. An exam can be done to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any pre-existing conditions. Consider having him tested for FeLV and FIV. This is done with a quick in-clinic blood test. Feed a food quality canned kitten food. If he checks out healthy, discuss an appropriate vaccination plan with your veterinarian.