My kitten has a pot belly, but tests are negative. Is it normal?

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!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kittens often seem to have bloated bellies. Sometimes it is just their immature anatomy, sometimes it is internal parasites, especially roundworms. If she is eating a wet kitten food, she is probably getting a fair amount of liquid every day. You usually will not see such a young kitten drinking water consistently. It would be a good idea to take the kitten to your veterinarian for a fecal analysis & proper health check. They will determine what, if any worms the kitten has, & administer the proper medication. Take care.

Hi and thanks for your posting. Kittens are frequently born with roundworms they get through their mother's during pregnancy and through nursing. A pot belly appearance can indicate an intestinal worm infection. The good news is deworming Meena is not complicated and requires just a few rounds of deworming solution you can obtain from your veterinarian. A fecal test is run before and after treatment to confirm Meena has cleared the infection. During the course of deworming treatment, you may see worms passed in the stool. I would schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon so she can get dewormed. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say what the cause of the rounded abdomen may be without examining Binx first. If she is not spayed and has interacted with a male cat, she may be pregnant. Other options include a parasitic infection, mass or tumor, or abdominal fluid due to Feline Infectious Peritonitis or another cause. A good exam with Binx's veterinarian is needed soon in order to determine the cause of the rounded abdomen. It is good to hear she appears normal otherwise, but I would take her in to see her vet to have her evaluated.

Hello. Just about all kittens will have roundworms & this can definitely contribute to a pot-bellied appearance. You should be able to find a kitten wormer with pyrantel pamoate at any pet store. It is safe for kittens 2 weeks & older. Just follow the label directions for administration. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As your kitty grows, his belly will naturally look a little bigger each day. Cats often have a fat pad around their belly, which when palpated fells like fat that isn't actually in their belly, but on the outside skin area. If Storm's belly is actually big, then intestinal parasites are often the cause at this age; however you will almost always see loose or soft stool associated with this. A fecal exam and appropriate dewormer is the answer to this issue if the case. Based on your photo however, everything seems to look normal for Storm, so its best to palpate his belly or have your vet feel his belly to determine if additional testing and treatment are needed. Best wishes with your fur baby Storm moving forward! Take care.

Jasper could still have intestinal worms. It will take at least two deworming treatments in order to kill all the worms in his intestines. The first kills the adults already present, while the second kills the adults who had not yet hatched at the time of the first deworming treatment. I'm not sure how old Jasper is, but he will need one every two weeks until he is 12 weeks old. Then one every month until he is six months of age, and after that he should be dewormed once every three months. If it has been two weeks since his last deworming treatment, you will need to get one from the vet. Should Jasper be up to date on his deworming treatments and has been dewormed at least twice, then I would take him into the vet for an exam to make sure there isn't a medical cause behind the pot belly.