My 3-week-old kitten has parasites and bloody diarrhea. Is dewormer working?

It is normal to see some blood and diarrhea when giving worming treatment. These symptoms usually last for only two to three days. Because Gypsy is so young, it will take more than one treatment to kill all the worms. The treatment you gave now will kill the adults already in her system, and the next treatment will kill the ones who have yet to become adults. If the blood in the diarrhea persists longer than 3 days, I would take her into your vet, as there may be another cause for these symptoms.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This really depends on a lot of factors. It depends on how much blood Tiger may be losing and if this is truly from diarrhea being caused by the parasites. If a diagnosis of parasites was established and you are giving the deworming as instructed by a veterinarian then it would be reasonable to see if this was just a one time episode of bloody stool and to have him examined if it continues. However, if a diagnosis has not been established by a veterinarian, I think it would be best to have a veterinarian look at Tiger as this diarrhea and bloody stools may be unrelated to parasites in which case it is not going to improve with the dewormer. Good luck and have a great day!

It is possible Coco has intestinal parasites. You would need to submit a stool sample to your veterinarian for confirmation. A physical exam would be recommended to rule out other causes. If intestinal parasites are diagnosed, your veterinarian can dispense or administer the appropriate dewormer. It may need to be repeated in 2, 4 and 6 weeks. He should be eating a quality kitten food. Fish alone is not a balanced diet for a growing kitten. Discontinue the milk as well since it may cause stomach upset.

Kitties can't digest human milk well. This is likely what gave your little one diarrhea. I would switch back to the KMR and start mixing in small amounts of wet kitty starter formula food. You can also mix in 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to help harden her stools and continue feeding her kitten only food. If he stools are not getting better after 24-48 hrs then its best to take her to your vet for a short course of antibiotics to get her bacterial flora back to normal. I hope that your ktity feels better soon! Best wishes and take care!

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! With blood present I think it is time for a vet exam (and bring a stool sample along). We can have intestinal parasites that are not treated by dewormer (such as Coccidia and Giardia). We can also have things like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or food allergy cause these issues. The vet can examine your kitty and based on the exam and history make recommendations and possible test and treatment options.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Even though you do not seen worms, it is possible that Cupcake still has gastrointestinal parasites causing her diarrhea with blood. GI parasites are one of the most common causes of diarrhea in kittens, and are easily treatable with deworming medication from your veterinarian. Other possibilities include viral infections and/or dietary indiscretion (eating something she shouldn't have). Regardless, I recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian so he/she can perform an analysis of her feces to determine if and what parasites are present, and prescribe the appropriate treatment. I do NOT recommend purchasing products from either a pet store or food store, as these medications are not regulated and/or proven to be safe and effective for use especially in young kittens. I hope this is helpful!

Poor Luna! There are many different parasites that she could have been passing in her stool -- roundworms, hookworms, or tapeworms. She most likely acquired parasites from her mother either through the placenta or milk. Pyrantel pamoate is a common dewormer used to treat both roundworms and hookworms, but it is not typically started until 2 weeks of age. However, this medication is extremely safe and may be used off-label prior to 2 weeks of age. Ideally, I do recommend taking Luna to a vet to first determine the type of parasite present, and then determine the best treatment for her. It is important to note that not every dewormer treats every type of parasite. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Luna!