Why are my 4-week-old kittens' bellies swollen? Is it worms or food?

Wizzy is so cute! He may have intestinal worms causing the swollen belly, those are common in kittens. Give him a deworming treatment. He doesn't need nutritional supplements, his kitten food will provide all the nutrients he needs. To help him wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality kitten formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with kitten formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry kitten food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until he is eating the dry kitten food only. Best of luck.

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.

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.

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!

It is difficult for me to say without seeing them. My best guess is that they have this appearance due to intestinal parasites (worms). You should speak to your vet about getting a product to deworm them. Best wishes.

I am sorry your Kitty is not feeling well. Unforutnaly with the information you provided it is hard to give really good advice. I would recommend taking her to a vet as soon as possible. If she is young ( under 4-5 weeks) I would recommend bottle feeding her with kitten milk replacer every 2-3 hours. If Kitty is older than this you can take dry kibble and mix with warm water every few hours. I would not recommend giving milk to older kittens because it can upset Kitty's stomach. I would also recommend a good round of deworming . Hope that helps

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.