Expert: Jessica - 7/8/2009

Question
i have a 2 wk old kitten that just started getting diarrhea i have been caring for her and her brother since they were a day old her brother died this morning 18 hrs after the vet drained an abscess he had on his paw my lil girl started getting diarrhea for the last 2 feedings she still eats her usual and she is on kitten formula but petsmart was out of kmr so i had to get the walmart brand but she has been on it for a little over a week her eyes are open and she has a strong meow and her pee is normal any ideas??? i foster her from an animal shelter so her origins are unknown thank you for your time and all that you do

Answer
Hi Jennifer.  Diarrhea can sometimes result if the formula is too rich or if the kitten eats too much at once.  I would try to feed her smaller meals more frequently for now and see if this helps.  I'm not sure how often you are feeding her, but I feed my two week olds every two hours day and night, just as mom would, and this works out better than the recommended feeding schedule on the formula package.  At three weeks, I go down to feeding every three hours, and at four weeks, down to every 4-5 hours.  I know it seems extreme, but my success rate at raising kittens doubled when I started adhering to this feeding plan.

Also, you may want to thin the formula out a little bit in case it's too rich for her, just for a day or two.  You should mix 5 cc's of formula with 1 cc of water or unflavored Pedialyte.  Thicken the formula up to full strength after a couple days, or sooner if the diarrhea improves.

But the kitten might have a bacterial infection that's causing the diarrhea, too, so you should contact the vet.  If this is the case, only antibiotics will help.  A description of her stool or a stool sample may help the vet determine if it's likely that bacteria are playing a role in the occurrence of her diarrhea.

I hope she’s feeling better soon!

Jessica