My kitten has weak legs, isn't eating, and is incontinent. Is it contagious?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Kittens may have diarrhea and low energy due to a number of conditions including intestinal parasites, viral infections, or a change in diet. I recommend having both kittens examined by a vet as soon as possible, as it is likely that the condition is contagious. To speed up the diagnosis, I recommend bringing a stool sample from the sick kitten in a disposable container for your vet to check for parasites. It is important to have the sick kitten evaluated as kittens can quickly become dehydrated and have low blood sugar, making them feel even worse. While it is unlikely that your son got sick from one of the kittens, it is possible. I recommend that you have him seen by a physician if you are concerned.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kitten. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today. His behavior is worrisome. Even if you are not able to locate his pain, it sounds like he is sore if he is limping. There is a viral disease in kittens that can cause a fever, lameness and ulcers in the mouth. His veterinarian will examine him and determine if this is the case or if he has another problem. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry to hear your kitten is not doing well. Despite her size and age, I would recommend she be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The swelling in her leg could be due to infection, a congenital issue, trauma or another underlying issue. She needs to be eating regularly in order to maintain adequate blood sugar levels and grow. Good luck!

I would still recommend taking your kitten into the veterinarian to have an x-ray performed. She may have fractured the leg and just have a small hairline fracture without bone displacement. She would still need a splint or cast placed to help the bone heal. She may also benefit from some pain medication as well. As for the blood in her stool, I would recommend having a fecal examination performed by your veterinarian. It is very common for young kittens like this to have intestinal parasites that need to be treated with specific dewormers. There are other causes of blood in the stool as well such as dietary indiscretion, foreign bodies, viruses, or stress. Your kitten will likely need antibiotics and a dewormer to help the diarrhea clear up. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Diarrhea in a kitten this young is definitely very concerning, as is the stoppage of nursing. The fact that the mother is separating her young is a bad sign, as this is usually what the mother will do when she senses one of the kittens is sick, or possibly contagious to the others. You may need to start bottle feeding and/or transitioning to hard food sooner than later to preserve the kitten's health. I would not let this go on for more than a few more hours, as dehydration and hypoglycemia are real concerns in an animal this young and fragile. You may also want to look into obtaining some antidiarrheal medication from your veterinarian. Hope this helps.

Given that Lola has had a spinal infection, it could be that the nerves to that leg have been damaged. She may need more time for the leg to return to normal, but I would have her seen by a vet again to have it assessed.

I am sorry to hear this! Yes, it is possible he picked up something from the new kitten even if she was asymptomatic. I would recommend taking them both in and having them tested for infectious diseases and worms at a minimum. I hope it is nothing too serious but better safe than sorry! I hope this helps!