What Causes Kitten Diarrhea?

Kitten diarrhea can be tiresome for both you and your kitten. Your kitten may get a sore, irritated bottom after a severe bout of diarrhea. And you may spend your day cleaning kitten poop stains out of your carpet.

Kittens are so delicate that it seems as though the smallest things can bring about diarrhea in kittens. And with kittens, diarrhea can either be a symptom of a minor problem or a much bigger illness.

How does kitten diarrhea develop? Diarrhea develops as food quickly passes through the small intestines undigested and comes out as watery, loose stool. Food is supposed to be digested in the small intestine. However, somehow the process is interrupted and food continues through the small and large intestines undigested.

The large intestine’s job is to reabsorb undigested water, however, with diarrhea this process does not occur. Okay, now we’ve gotten the biology out of the way. Let’s learn about the causes of diarrhea.

Common Causes of Kitten Diarrhea

• Intestinal Parasites

  Kitten worms and parasites can create havoc in your kitten’s digestive system. Roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, giardia, and coccidia, can all cause kitten diarrhea. Giving your kitten antiparasitic medications will help get rid of worms.

• Viral and Bacterial Infections

  Because kittens have relatively immature immune systems, they are particularly prone to developing viral and bacterial infections. Feline infectious peritonitis and feline distemper are two of the more deadly viruses that can cause diarrhea.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an inflammation of the intestinal lining. The exact cause of the disorder is unknown. Inflammatory Bowel Disease can cause severe diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. It is controlled by dietary modification and anti-inflammatory medications.

• Overfeeding

  Feeding your kitten too much food can contribute to kitten diarrhea. Overfeeding is characterized by large heavy stools. It’s very easy to spoil and overfeed kittens. Owners want to show their kittens love and affection. But, moderation is in order. If you notice that your kitten is gaining too much weight, see your vet. Your vet will give you instructions about how often you should feed your kitten.

• Dietary Changes

  Minor changes in a kitten’s diet can cause diarrhea. A kitten may be used to a certain type of food. Sudden, abrupt dietary changes can cause your kitten to get an upset stomach. Gradually change your kitten’s food. Mix the old brand and new brand of food together at first and gradually decrease the amount of the old brand over the course of a few days.

• Feline Leukemia

  Feline leukemia is a virus that attacks the immune system and can cause bloody diarrhea. It can cause severe problems in kittens including cancer and death. Feline leukemia is often hard to diagnose as it mimics other illnesses.

• Food Allergy

  Kittens are prone to developing food allergies. Some kittens are lactose intolerance. They cannot digest cow’s milk and lack the enzyme lactase required to digest dairy products. Corn is another frequent allergen. It is used as a filler in many brands of kitten food. Soy and wheat can also cause allergies. All kittens are individuals. Therefore, different kittens will have different allergies.

• Fatty Diet

  A fatty diet can cause diarrhea as well. Feeding a kitten too many oily fried foods can be irritating to its sensitive stomach. Avoid giving your kitten greasy human food as a dietary staple.

• Poisons

  Do you have any toxic houseplants around house? Or any open household cleaning products? Poison can be a major cause of kitten diarrhea. If you think that your kitten has been exposed to a poison, see your vet immediately.

• Antibiotics

  Your kitten may be taking antibiotics to fight off a bacterial infection. Ironically, antibiotics can cause diarrhea. Your kitten’s stomach has “good” and “bad” bacteria. “Good” bacteria enables your kitten’s stomach to breakdown food. “Bad” bacteria is what makes your kitten sick. Antibiotics do not recognize good bacteria from bad bacteria and will kill off all stomach bacteria. This sets up an environment to create diarrhea in kittens.

  The problem is easy to solve. Add good bacteria back into the stomach by giving your kitten yogurt or probiotic (acidophilus bacteria) supplements.

• Anxiety

  Is your kitten anxious or stressed? Kittens are very sensitive to changes in their environment. Moving, vacations, and meeting new faces can all bring about a case of kitten diarrhea. Make your kitten’s transition as smooth as possible. Bring familiar toys and treats with your kitten when traveling.

• Hyperthyroidism

  Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. This overproduction of thyroid hormone speeds up many of the body’s functions including food digestion. Hyperthyroidism is somewhat common in cats and can be treated with antithyroid medication or surgery.

• Cancer

  Certain types of cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea is common with intestinal cancers and end-stage cancer.

• Diabetes

  Diabetes involves the body’s inability to metabolize carbohydrates and sugar. The hormone insulin helps the body process sugar. With diabetes, insulin is either not made and/or is not used properly by the body. Diarrhea is one of the many symptoms of diabetes. By providing the body with synthetic insulin and making dietary changes, diabetes can be controlled.

Treating Kitten Diarrhea

Taking care of a kitten sick experiencing diarrhea can be emotionally trying. Your kitten may be weak and tired from losing a lot of fluid from the diarrhea. And your kitten may have a poor appetite and not want to eat. But there are ways to help your kitten feel better while recuperating.

• Eliminate the underlying bacterial or viral infection
• Give your kitten extra fluids; chicken broth is good, but no soups with onions. Onions are harmful to felines.
• Hold solid foods for a couple days to help the stomach calm down; gradually introduce solid foods back in the diet feed soft bland diet rice
• Keep your kitten’s backside dry and clean; use moist cloths or baths if necessary
• Mashed pumpkin and sweet potatoes can be great in helping to form solid stool
• Your kitten may need intravenous fluids if dehydration from diarrhea is severe.
• Give medications for uncontrollable diarrhea. Do not, however, give anti-diarrheal meds for infections. Taking anti-diarrheal meds stops the body from eliminating infections. Also, keep in mind felines cannot tolerate aspirin-based anti-diarrheal medications.

Remember…kitten diarrhea can be a sign of a serious problem. See your veterinarian to determine the cause.

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