Diarrhea and parasites

[Akila]

Hi all,
Can anyone tell me how many rounds of deworming a kitten is suppose to have? Akila wasn’t eating well yesterday, and this morning she had diarrhea. I collected the stool, and because her first vet appointment is tomorrow I took her and the sample to an emergency vet hospital. The vet said the sample would take a couple of days so she put her on a medication for parasites, because she said according to her records that I brought from the breeder, she only had 1 round of deworming. The vet also said that even if she doesn’t have parasites this medicine won’t harm her.
I gave her the medicine but is it better safe then sorry, or jumping the gun before the results come back?
Ugh!!?

 

[John Popp]

Has the kitten previously had solid stools? I wouldn't hesitate on giving the dewormer, but I would want to make sure the kitten is well hydrated. You can check this by pinching and lifting the fur right above the shoulder blades. If it snaps back, they are hydrated, if it tents up they need to take on some water.

Can you fill us in on what your kitten is eating and if their diet is different than when it was at the breeder?

 

[Akila]

Akila has had solid stools. This is the first sign of diarrhea I have seen. The breeder was feeding a homemade mixture of ground chicken or ground turkey with an egg, pumpkin and vitamins added. I have made this for her, but lately I have been feeding her Rad Cat chicken or turkey and Merrick Backwoods kitten chicken and duck. It comes in a pouch. She really won’t eat the kibble but Ileave kibble out for snacking and because my Egyptian Mau is a kibble eater.

 

[Akila]

She is hydrated which I am amazed about, because she really doesn’t drink water. I have given her ice cubes and sometimes she will lick those.
I asked the vet if some of it could be nerves since my Mau seems to just want to give this kitten a hard time. I have her in the spare room right now away from the Mau so she can relax.

 

[John Popp]

When switching foods, make sure you do so gradually. Add in 20% per day of the new food until you have completed the changeover. This gives the intestinal flora time to catch up with the diet changes.

 

[Ninja-n-Bear]

Our boys had loose stools after eating those same Merrick pouches. I think it's the starch they add.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

If you fed a pouch of that food instead of mixing in a little like John suggested above, you could upset your kitten's system causing diarrhea just from that sudden diet change.
So saying that, if the vet gave fenbendazole or pyrantel, they are very mild medications and should be fine for your kitten.

 

[Akila]

The vet gave me Panacur and Metronidazole-FLAGYL- for her? Also Akila has stopped eating the raw that is why I gave her the Merrick. All she tries to do is bury the raw food. I’m wondering if I should just go back to making the concoction the breeder was making?

 

[DumaLove]

I would not give Flagyl unless I had a positive test result.

And yes I would go back to the other Raw the breeder was feeding. As long as it did contain bone and organs?? You need to make sure it’s properly balanced if it is homemade.

 

[Akila]

Akila has an appointment with the vet this morning. I will be discussing food, diarrhea, giving this medication, and spaying. It was the emergency vet hospital that gave me the medication to give her since she doesn’t have a real vet yet. Akila’s first appointment with her forever vet ( ) is this morning. Also should she have been dewormed more then once?