Behavior

[Ellie]

Thanks you guys.....I feel really stupid and like a bad mom.....

 

[WitchyWoman]

What kind of raw meats? I have a lot to learn..

There is a huge amount of excellent info about cat nutrition here http://www.catinfo.org/
Lisa is, imo, one of the most knowledgeable about feline nutrition and has worked with a member here to formulate a diet specifically to address liver malfunction in the cat.

 

[Ellie]

The dried pumpkin I use says to mix 1-2 teaspoons hydrated for 0-20 lb pets, 1-2 tablespoons for 20-50 lb pets and 2-5 tablespoons for 50-100 lb pets. I'd start with 1 teaspoon and if that doesn't help firm up the stool, try 2 teaspoons the next day.

OK.....I will pick some up tomorrow. Do you give it everyday?

 

[WitchyWoman]

Thanks you guys.....I feel really stupid and like a bad mom.....

Nonsense. You've come here to learn and we'll help all we can. By the way, 6 weeks is way too young for a kitten to go to a new home. Twelve weeks is the usually recommended minimum age.

Has your vet run a full PCR test for diarrhea? If not, you may want to ask for that. Blood could be coccidiosis or perhaps he's simply a bit constipated.

 

[SavannahLuv]

I got him at 6 weeks old. Breeder offered me fancy feast which I refused. I use premium food. loose stool on and off with occasional blood since he came to me.

This would be the change in diet. Kittens have very sensitive stomachs and going from fancy feast to a premium food (or changing to any kind of food can cause loose stools. Sometimes the premium foods that are very high in protein can just be too rich for kittens. Unfortunately, it's a learning process of what we want our fur babies to eat vs what they can/will eat.

Please do lots and lots of research before switching to a raw diet. It is a big commitment and not everyone is able to do it. I know, I personally am not able to commit to making my own raw at this time so I buy Darwin's commercial raw food... but it's not cheap. I spend anywhere from $130 to $180 a month on Shango's food, but am fortunate enough to afford it and it's the only thing I can get Shango to eat. He's never ate any kind of dry kibble and isn't a fan of most wet foods either as his main food source.

 

[DumaLove]

What kind of raw meats? I have a lot to learn.....do buy at grocery or pet store or online? I have read that a raw diet is not necessary???

These are the recipes I use. There are quite a few other posts on the same subject. I get all my meats from the grocery store with the exception of rabbit. I also feed pork and it is basically the same as the beef recipe, except the muscle meat is pork. I use beef liver if I can't get the pork liver.
http://www.savannahcatchat.com/threads/recipes-for-homemade-raw-chicken-beef-or-rabbit-mix.6252/

 

[SavannahLuv]

Oh, yes I just realized the 6 weeks old part. That is very, very young for a kitten to go to a new home. No wonder the poor baby has digestion issues. Even without the change in food, a kitten that young is very likely to have digestion issues which is why most breeders won't let their kittens leave until they are at least 12 weeks old.

 

[SavannahLuv]

OK.....I will pick some up tomorrow. Do you give it everyday?

When Shango was having loose stools, I gave to him every day for maybe 3 days. Then his stool firmed up and I stopped giving it to him. The dried pumpkin I purchased earlier this year has a shelf life until March of 2018 so I just keep it in the cabinet in case I ever need it again which is why I opted to buy it vs canned pumpkin.

In addition to his raw food, every day before bedtime Shango gets 1 3oz pouch of Weruva Pumpkin Lickin Chicken food. It's chicken with a pumpkin soup so he still gets pumpkin on a daily basis. I'm not sure how much pumpkin is in the food pouches though... I don't think it's very much.

You just want to make sure they don't get too much pumpkin/fiber or it could have the opposite effect and can actually cause diarrhea.

 

[Ellie]

Nonsense. You've come here to learn and we'll help all we can. By the way, 6 weeks is way too young for a kitten to go to a new home. Twelve weeks is the usually recommended minimum age.

Has your vet run a full PCR test for diarrhea? If not, you may want to ask for that. Blood could be coccidiosis or perhaps he's simply a bit constipated.

Indeed 6 weeks was too young....I feel bad about taking him so young, but it's what it is. Thank you for all the help. Yes they have even sent out his stool for testing they don't do. It's normal. vet is thinking possible IBS

 

[Ellie]

Oh, yes I just realized the 6 weeks old part. That is very, very young for a kitten to go to a new home. No wonder the poor baby has digestion issues. Even without the change in food, a kitten that young is very likely to have digestion issues which is why most breeders won't let their kittens leave until they are at least 12 weeks old.

We'll, I am praying he will be OK. I feel bad enough that I Took him so young. I would rather not dwell on the mistake both the breeder & I made. I would NEVER do anything to put an animal at risk. PS....The breeder was TICA and has since closed his cattery.