My 8-week kitten was stepped on. Why is he pooping and lethargic?

Poor kitty. I’m assuming the leg was splinted already? If not the vet needs to splint the leg so that it is stabilized and has a chance to heal. Also kitty ness to be on oral pain medication in addition to the injection the vet gave him, which usually only lasts for about a day or two. If he is in pain then he will continue to refuse food. Additionally I would check with the vet to see if the the anti internal bleeding injections have a side effect of inappetance. He may need to reduce the dosage or stop it altogether. Consult with your veterinarian on this since legally they are the ones who need to change any prescribed medications for kitty. I would also recommend bloodwork analysis to check for internal damage to kitty’s kidneys or liver. I hope this helps and that your kitty gets well soon. Best wishes and take care.

Lethargy can be concerning and indicate a medical problem, but it's encouraging to know that he is eating and eliminating well. Sudden lethargy is not too concerning in a kitten unless you are noticing other signs of illness, heavy breathing, or pale gums. Kittens can normally appear very lethargic at certain times of the day. It would also depend on how long this has been going on. If it's less than two hours, then I wouldn't worry. If it's longer than four hours then I would be more concerned. If it's been all day, then this would be a strong indicator that something is wrong. I would have to examine butterscotch to tell if this is an emergency. I would definitely recommend an emergency visit he is breathing heavily, or has pale gums. Otherwise, he's likely OK to wait the night and go to the vet in the morning if he's still lethargic. If you have further questions or need further clarification, then you may consider having an online consult with one of our vets on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This way, you can send unlimited pictures and have a text conversation with a vet. I hope that helps and all is well with Butterscotch.

That is very concerning and he needs to be examined by a vet to determine the extent of his injuries and determine the best way to treat. Please call your vet or take him to an emergency clinic so he can be examined right away. He may need an anti-inflammatory and other medications to treat the trauma.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Grey should really be seen by a vet as soon as possible., If this is not an option, you should keep him rested and offer small amount of water and liquid food every 2-3 hrs. You may have to use a syringe if he is not taking food by himself. Unfortunately, human painkillers are dangerous to cats and there are no home remedies either that can be helpful for Grey. It is hard to say what happened to him, he may have broken limb, muscular discomfort or painful abdomen from internal organ trauma. He needs full clinical assessment to find out what has happened.

The soft stools could be cause by trauma from the fall, a parasite, or an infection. The best thing would be to have a vet examine him to see if he has any injuries from the fall. If you can't get him to a vet and he is otherwise acting normal then you could deworm him with a broad spectrum dewormer, feed him a bland gastrointestinal diet, and add a probiotic to his food and see if that helps clear up the soft stools.

I would still recommend taking your kitten into the veterinarian to have an x-ray performed. She may have fractured the leg and just have a small hairline fracture without bone displacement. She would still need a splint or cast placed to help the bone heal. She may also benefit from some pain medication as well. As for the blood in her stool, I would recommend having a fecal examination performed by your veterinarian. It is very common for young kittens like this to have intestinal parasites that need to be treated with specific dewormers. There are other causes of blood in the stool as well such as dietary indiscretion, foreign bodies, viruses, or stress. Your kitten will likely need antibiotics and a dewormer to help the diarrhea clear up. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It sounds like Bent may not be feeling well if he is hunching up when you touch his belly, isn't walking and is very lethargic. Illness, digestive upset, diseases and more can all cause these symptoms, so it is best to schedule an appointment with your local vet. They can help figure out what's causing Bent's illness and get him feeling better.