8 week old kitten - diarrhea

[snowgirl1]

We've just got an 8 week old kitten and he seems to have really bad diarrhea. He's hardly eating anything, but has drunk water. We've bought specialist kitten food (dry) from the vet and have cooked plain chicken for him (the woman I got the kitten from said to give him plain boiled chicken).

I've got him booked in with the vet for a health check on Saturday morning, but my husband thinks that a kitten this young with diarrhea that's not eating could go down hill really quickly and I should try to get an emergency appointment sooner at another vets. Do I go sooner or should Saturday be okay?

I would go sooner tbh as they can dehydrate quickly. The vet may be able to prescribe something to help. One of mine got pro kolin paste when they were doing runny poo. What was the owner of the kitten feeding them? Did you give new food gradually as changing food quickly can upset them? Are you giving any wet foods?

He needs to be seen by a vet now. Don't wait. Call your local surgery and ask for the location of the nearest veterinary hospital and go there ASAP.

dementedpixie The woman I got him from said to give him boiled chicken - so I assume that's what she was giving him and so that's what I have offered him. He got wet food on the first evening, but then had diarrhea so switched to offering chicken.

OliviaStabler why a veterinary hospital and not just a vet??

I've got an appointment at a different vet's at 5.30pm this evening. Hope he's okay (the kitten, not the vet).

Boiled chicken isn't a complete kitten food for weaning. Wonder if they had diarrhoea already. 8 weeks is quite young to be away from their mum. Definitely see a vet

What's on the dry food as some cats can be sensitive to cereals

OliviaStabler why a veterinary hospital and not just a vet??

Either is fine but I assumed you might not have access to a normal vet. Apologies.

Hope kitten is ok... just to say that 8 weeks is very young to be separated from its mother. I've just got a kitten that's 11 weeks and it was 8 weeks when it was placed in its first home. Though otherwise active and lively, he's had diarrhoea too. The vet wormed him yesterday and he's on antibiotics - first normal poo today and it's full of dead worms. So hopefully this vet will treat the source of the problem! This happened to my other cat when she was a kitten, though she came to me at 13 weeks - I found a grain free (more expensive!) diet helped and she's still on it.

I've been to the vet and she said the kitten wasn't dehydrated and is lively and she's given me worming treatment, so hopefully that will do the trick.

Awww bless him. Glad he's on the mend. His poor tiny tummy