Expert: Jessica - 10/25/2009

Question
I just recently got two kittens for my son. They are sisters but one has had bad diarhea since the second day of having her (we have had them for ten days now) so they are a little over 7weeks. If I keep them in the kitchen with litter box near by she will go in it but if I let her out of kitchen she goes to bathroom on carpet. I don't know if its because she just can't make it in time as it does seem as though she really can't make it. She has persistant diarhea and her belly looks big. She eats well(maybe a little to much) and still plays. Her sister is perfectly fine no diarhea eats normal and is playful. I believe she may just have a case of round worms or tape worms or both due to her always being hungry and the diarhea but want to treat her properly any advice on what to give her and how much would be greatly appreciated. I know you shouldn't really start deworming until atleast 8weeks is it ok to treat her at her age or should I wait? Thank you for your time and expertise. Have a good day and god bless.

Answer
Hi April.  It's okay to treat her for tapeworms using Tape Worm Tabs.  These are available online and at pet stores, and they contain the same medication that vets most commonly use to kill tapeworms.

However, I can't advocate the use of any over-the-counter roundworm treatments labeled for kittens.  These contain piperazine-based ingredients, and while generally considered safe, their safety record is actually rather poor when compared to the treatment that most vets use - pyrantel pamoate.  Piperazine-based products can cause reactions ranging from vomiting to central nervous system symptoms (tremors, convulsions and death) and even intestinal rupture.  The best idea is to get the kitten to the vet for her first dose of dewormer, which can be given now, and they will send you home with the second dose.  There ARE pyrantel pamoate dewormers available on the market.  They aren't labeled for kittens in the U.S. (although they are in other countries), but are labeled for use in puppies.  It is almost always a very bad idea to use a puppy product on a kitten, but this is one instance where it is done routinely and safely.  Nemex is one such dewormer.  This is a very watered down version of what your vet would most likely give the kitten.  Because it's not actually labeled for use in kittens, you'd be using it at your own risk.  If you do decide to go for it, the dosage is the same as for puppies by weight.  But again, having the vet check her out and give you the prescription dewormer would be ideal.

Some kittens can have diarrhea from protozoan or bacterial infections, including coccidia and giardia.  They cause symptoms similar to what you're describing and can become life-threatening.  The vet may want to put the kitten on an antibiotic to treat these germs if she were brought in to the office.  In my experience, this tends to be automatically prescribed for kittens suffering diarrhea and bloated bellies.  A fecal sample may be helpful in determining which antibiotic should be used.

Also, if she seems to be gorging herself on food, this can contribute to indigestion and diarrhea.  You may want to try feeding her controlled portions more often.

Until she is a few months older, I would provide a litter box in every room possible.  She's so tiny right now that her litter habits probably aren't the strongest, in addition to her belly problems, and you want to encourage her to use the box by keeping one easily accessible to her no matter where she is.  As her litter habits solidify, you can start moving inconvenient boxes toward a more convenient spot, and then eliminate the ones that are no longer necessary.

Hope she's feeling better soon!

Jessica