Why is my 10-week-old kitten's tummy bloated on infection meds?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kittens often seem to have bloated bellies. Sometimes it is just their immature anatomy, sometimes it is internal parasites, especially roundworms. If she is eating a wet kitten food, she is probably getting a fair amount of liquid every day. You usually will not see such a young kitten drinking water consistently. It would be a good idea to take the kitten to your veterinarian for a fecal analysis & proper health check. They will determine what, if any worms the kitten has, & administer the proper medication. Take care.

It can take a few days for the stool to get back to normal after having diarrhea. If you haven't yet, I would have your kitten examined by a vet for intestinal parasites, such as worms, Giardia, or coccidia, that can cause a persistently bloated appearance. If a kitten eats a lot, they will appear bloated, but it goes down over time until the next meal. If she is on wet food, and especially if you are adding water, then you may not see her drinking any water by itself. Wet food has a high water content, and she may be getting everything she needs from her food. If she is eating normally, then I would not be concerned about her water intake. Just make sure she has easy access to fresh, clean water.

She has received a lot of medications and this can upset the normal bacterial balance in the bowel. I would feed boiled chicken or fish plus a probiotic and fiber supplement such as fortiflora exclusively for 7-10days to allow the bowel to rest and recuperate. Investigation for chronic inflammatory conditions may be required if persisting

Congratulations on your new kitten and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm glad to hear that he is doing well at home. The enlarged belly can be due to parasites (or worms), which are not uncommon in kittens. He should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian within the next few days, and it would be very helpful to bring a sample of feces with you in a ziploc bag or disposable container (it shouldn't matter if there is litter in the feces). This will help the vet determine if your kitten has parasites, and if so, which ones they are and the best medication to use to treat them. Unfortunately, some parasites are actually transmitted by fleas, so those will definitely need to be treated as well. While the enlarged belly is likely due to intestinal parasites, it is important to make sure that your kitten does not have a viral or bacterial infection or has ingested a foreign body. These scenarios are unlikely as long as he is active and eating well. The vet will also have recommendations on how to treat the fleas, do a general exam, and make sure that everything else is normal! Good luck with your new kitty!

If he seems to always be hungry and appears bloated then it would be worth making sure he is well up to date on wormer. The fortiflora should help also, and then if it continues to be an issue I would try him on a good for gastrointestinal/digestive issues and see if that helps. Failing that consult your vet in case he has a gut issue.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At almost 9 weeks old feeding her that small of an amount that frequently is not needed. I think feeding her 3 times a day until 4 months old is fine then after that twice daily. At this age she should have started vaccines and had her stool checked for parasites. A big belly can occur after eating (but goes down), from intestinal parasites and if there is abnormal fluid in the belly (from FIP). If Noushmc hasn't been to the Vet she should be seen to start her routine care. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

Hi and thanks for your posting. Kittens are frequently born with roundworms they get through their mother's during pregnancy and through nursing. A pot belly appearance can indicate an intestinal worm infection. The good news is deworming Meena is not complicated and requires just a few rounds of deworming solution you can obtain from your veterinarian. A fecal test is run before and after treatment to confirm Meena has cleared the infection. During the course of deworming treatment, you may see worms passed in the stool. I would schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon so she can get dewormed. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!