Expert: Jessica - 8/30/2010

Question
My pregnant cat, who is feral, has had very bad diarreha for the past 3-4 days. For the last two days she has been losing a lot of fluid (not urine). I can feel the kittens moving but I am concerned that she has lost so much fluid but labour has not yet started. She is eating and drinking normally and otherwise behaving normally.  

Answer
Hi Shirley,

I always have to advise to err on the side of caution with pregnancies.  It's excellent that the babies are still moving.  It's a concern that she's had diarrhea for several days, and that she's having some sort of discharge.  I would suspect that she may at least be suffering from some dehydration from the diarrhea at this point, and that there may be complications with the delivery, if she's unlucky.  Fortunately, it sounds as though you are able to get your hands on her, so a vet visit, while difficult, should be possible.  The vet should be able to determine through a physical exam and/or x-rays whether the kittens need help being delivered.  A shot of oxytocin can give mom a little extra help with contractions, as long as she's physically capable of bearing the little ones, or a c-section may be necessary.  Some subcutaneous fluids can help correct dehydration.  The vet will likely want to send you home with some medications to try to correct the diarrhea.  An antibiotic/anti-inflammatory called metronidazole is often the first line of defense, along with a dewormer.  As her body will be under great nutritional demand as she begins nursing her litter, it's very important to get the diarrhea under control.

Good luck!

Jessica