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Ask the Veterinarian/3 month old kitten diarrhea/sneezing

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Expert: - 11/2/2011


Question
Hi,
My kitten is almost 4 months old, has been vaccinated, and on the Science Diet since he was brought to the animal hospital when he was very young. He drinks lots of water and eats regularly(no human food) but he has had diarrhea for almost 2 weeks now. I took a fecal sample into the vet and he tested negative for parasites. He also sneezes a few times a day about 5 times in a row. I plan on taking him into the vet by the end of this week but i am worried about the little guy and was wondering if anyone knew why this could be happening to a seemingly healthy kitten who gets all he needs. His sister doesn't have any of these problems and they are always together. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Paula

Answer
Well I am guessing he has had vaccinations but maybe he has a virus of some other type. That would explain the sneezing, but the diarrhea could be from a protozoan parasite. He also should be wormed again no matter what his fecal results were. He could also be sneezing from a new cat litter, or dust on the floor or smoke in the house.

Round and other worms do not always shed their eggs and so a fecal exam could be negative and he could still be infected.

He should also be tested for coccidia. This won't be killed by regular wormers and needs its own type of medicine.

You could give him a little boiled white rice or add some pumpkin to his food to help with the diarrhea. Rice helps dry them up a little and pumpkin adds fiber.

He is on the best cat food around so don't change that. If you are giving him any milk stop now because they are lactose intolerant once they are weaned.

So get him checked again for protozoan infections and get some rice into him in the meantime. There are some homeopathic diarrhea melt-tabs for babies that work for cats as well. We used them for squirrels so they are safe.
I hope he gets well soon.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

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I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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