Diarrhea when adding a new raw food

[pawpurrints]

My kittens have been eating raw chicken for a couple of weeks now (I just up'd their intake), and so I introduced rabbit to the 3 kittens the other day.  I bought a bag of Primal rabbit nuggets.  They gobbled it down!!

My question is that we've fed it twice now, and yesterday, all 3 had diarrhea poop.  Brown liquid squirty sounding poop LOL  I only saw one instance (all 3 went one after the other in the litterbox).  They're not squirting it out uncontrollably, but it was diarrhea.

Is diarrhea normal after introducing a new type of meat?  If so, how long should I expect it to last?  I've only fed it to them twice (once per day).  The other meals are still chicken and/or kitten formula.  They are super active kittens who don't act sick at all.  And so far, knock on wood, no diarrhea all over the place; just in the litterbox.

 

[vball91]

It most likely is from too quick an introduction to rabbit. Try feeding a meal with 75% chicken 25% rabbit. If no issues then 50/50, then 25/75 then 100% rabbit.

 

[vball91]

Oh, one other thing, are you feeding them any probiotics? If not, they should help.

 

[pawpurrints]

I need to get more probiotics.  I ran out a couple of weeks ago.  Good ideas, though.  I'll try both.

We fed the rabbit by itself because we happen to have run out of chicken AND formula, and couldn't get to the stores in time. 

 

[ldg]

They're not using the litter box more often than usual?

My experience in introducing a new protein too rapidly was at times diarrhea, other times it was vomiting. But when it was diarrhea, it would happen the once - MAYBE twice - and no urgency, not like they were sick, everything else (activity levels, etc.) were the same, and it resolved quickly. So if that's the case, then I would think it was just the introduction of the new protein.

 

[pawpurrints]

No, they weren't pooping more than normal.  It just so happened that I was changing out the litterbox, and put it back in the cage, that one by one, each took a turn pooping -- they were squirting that stuff out  LOL  it was liquid, but brown.  But it was just that one time.  All the other poops before and after were normal, and they weren't pooping more or less than usual.  Activity level is the same.

 

[ldg]

Then it was just the new protein being introduced. :nod: That's the one great thing about diarrhea on raw when it's just a new "thing" - it resolves really quickly! :lol3: