We have 3 foster kittens 6 weeks old today. Over the past 5 days or so, their stools have gotten gradually softer to where now they are varying degrees of diarrhea. They are still nursing and only really started eating wet food about a week ago (introduced it at 4 weeks, but they didn't have much interest until 5). Their stool started like toothpaste, and then got a bit firmer, then softer, softer to where now it seems like one has good stool but two of the others have declined to where today it is liquidy. They were dewormed and vaccinated for the first time 3 days ago, and at that time I thought maybe they were a little soft, and mama cat definitely was having some issues (just a little mushy, not liquidy). Now mama cat is having normal stool again. My only thoughts are that it's just due to the switch to solid food in increasing amounts, or that it's a reaction to the dewormer. I put some pumpkin in their food tonight and sprinkled a bit of probiotic powder. I didn't have any good probiotics left, so I need to get some more as I'm not sure these ones will do any good (they're cheap, non-refrigerated human ones).
Any other ideas? Our last foster litter arrived to us sick and had absolutely terribly diarrhea issues for weeks on end and it was a nightmare to deal with and keep everything clean and disinfected. I really, really had hoped not to have to deal with that this time! I thought with having their mama from a month before they were born, we would be unlikely to be dealing with any infectious diarrheal diseases. Dearly hoping this is nothing infections and I can nip it in the bud. I will be taking stool samples in to the shelter if it doesn't resolve in the next day or two (my schedule the next two days is such that it would be extremely difficult for me to get samples in, so that will only happen if it becomes emergent)
Kittens seem good otherwise. They have all hit 2 pounds already at just 6 weeks.
Any other ideas? Our last foster litter arrived to us sick and had absolutely terribly diarrhea issues for weeks on end and it was a nightmare to deal with and keep everything clean and disinfected. I really, really had hoped not to have to deal with that this time! I thought with having their mama from a month before they were born, we would be unlikely to be dealing with any infectious diarrheal diseases. Dearly hoping this is nothing infections and I can nip it in the bud. I will be taking stool samples in to the shelter if it doesn't resolve in the next day or two (my schedule the next two days is such that it would be extremely difficult for me to get samples in, so that will only happen if it becomes emergent)
Kittens seem good otherwise. They have all hit 2 pounds already at just 6 weeks.