My new kitten has a swollen belly and diarrhea after Miralax. Help!

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.

Hello. You do not indicate their ages, but if they are approaching 3 weeks, you can begin offering some soft food in addition to their bottles. I would add 1/4 teaspoon Miralax to the bottle, but only 3 times a day. Once the stool starts to soften & become more regular, decrease to 1/8 teaspoon of Miralax 3 times a day. As you transition to the soft diet, you can also add the Miralax, if needed, but stop once the stools become a little runny. Make sure you are worming the kittens with pyrantel pamoate every 2 weeks. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi Taylor! I'm very glad that you found Lily, what a relief for you! Likely, her stomach problem is related to intestinal worms. That would cause her constipation and a swollen stomach. Lily will need a deworming treatment as soon as possible. I recommend Drontal, which is available by prescription only from the vet. Drontal is my recommendation for Lily because she could also have tapeworms from being outside so long, and OTC deworming treatments do not contain the medication needed to kill tapeworms. In addition, after being missing for so long, she will need a check up from the vet to make sure she is healthy, and the vet can prescribe her the Drontal while at the visit. I would have Lily seen by a vet tomorrow for a health check and Drontal. Tonight, you can give her a teaspoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps her poop. Please have her seen by a vet first thing in the morning.

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 fluid intake, low fiber diet, food sensitivities and intestinal parasites can all contribute to constipation in kittens. I recommend adding a probiotic/fibre supplement such as fortiflora and ensure she is kept up to date with deworming medications. Monitor for feces production, she may require another enema if not resolving

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor thing! I would add in a probiotic like Purina Fortiflora and I would get a prescription intestinal diet form you Vet like Hill's i/d. It isn't wrong to deworm her again despite the negative stool sample since she was so infested with worms. Hopefully those 3 things in combination will nip the diarrhea. Good luck!

Hello, sorry to hear about Budi. You may gently wipe his rear with a warm cloth to stimulate him to defecate. However, Im concerned that Budi may have something else going on such as FIP, a heavy burden of parasites, or even a viral infection. I would recommend having him re-evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible as he may need emergency care to relieve has abdominal distention. Hope this helps and best of luck.