Why isn't my outdoor cat gaining weight? Could it be parasites?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing the cats, it is hard to say. I recommend taking them to the vet with a fresh stool sample to rule out other parasites. Not all deworming medications treat all intestinal parasites. If negative, I would have both cats tested for feline leukemia and FIV. These are infectious diseases that could cause poor growth. Good luck and kisses to the kittens!

Intestinal parasites can be picked up from the environment. If this is a tapeworm you saw (looks similar to a grain of rice), fleas can transmit tapeworm to cats. I would recommend treating Venus with a product called Profender, which will treat intestinal parasites including tapeworm. I would also consider using a flea and tick preventative such as Revolution or Frontline. I would also consider bringing a stool sample to a veterinarian to help diagnose what kind of intestinal parasites these could be. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your foster kitten. His hair coat appears rough and he may have a crust on his nose. Has he experienced any respiratory signs such as coughing or sneezing? This would be unrelated to the diarrhea, but a compounding illness could result in poor weight gain. I would recommend checking him for panleukopenia just to be sure. If the vet will not run bloodwork, you can test a fecal sample with the dog parvovirus test. Otherwise I would consider a new diet if seeking a second opinion is not an option. I like Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Gastrointestinal High Energy canned formula. The veterinarian should be able to write you a prescription for the diet. I hope this information helps!

The most common cause is usually intestinal parasite infection. Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Amaru should be dewormed. This will likely need to be repeated in 2, 4 and 6 weeks. An exam can be done to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any pre-existing conditions. Consider having him tested for FeLV and FIV. This is done with a quick in-clinic blood test. Feed a food quality canned kitten food. If he checks out healthy, discuss an appropriate vaccination plan with your veterinarian.

If your kitten has not been wormed yet, I suggest you worm him with a kitten wormer and again in 2 weeks. If he has intestinal parasites he would have a problem holding weight and it could also cause diarrhea. You should also take a fresh stool sample to your veterinarian for a fecal exam. If this does not help, if your kitten's diarrhea does not clear up, or if he does not gain weight, or if your kitten gets lethargic or appears ill, he should be seen by a veterinarian for an exam. Make sure you feed him a good quality kitten food.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would deworm him. Intestinal parasites are almost always present in young animals as they are passed from the milk. He could be getting more lean but this could also be an early warning sign that something is going on. I would collect a stool sample and have him seen for his first vet visit. The Vet can do an exam, test his stool, feline leukemia and FIV test him and consider giving his first vaccination. I wish you and Noah the very best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I agree that a heavy worm burden can cause what you’re describing. In fact, it is the most likely reason. You can try an over the counter cat dewormer from a pet store. Follow the directions exactly in terms of amount and number of treatments. Hopefully, that’s all it takes to get her feeling better. Unfortunately, there are other (much less common) things that can cause large belly, weight loss, and lethargy including: FIP, heart failure, liver failure, cancer, protein problems, etc. So, if the dewormer doesn’t help, you may have to decide if you’d want to take her to the vet for further testing or if you’d like her humanely euthanized, etc. Best wishes and thank you so much for taking care of this stray!