My kitten is so tiny and bloated!

[Finka]

My kitten name is Berry. His momma was a feral cat around neighborhood and we like to gave her food whenever she visited us. One day she had 3 kittens, hiding them somewhere.
Then my neighborhood showed me where the kittens were, they're so skinny 4 weeks old kittens and crying for food. I kept looking for their momma and she's sick like almost dying. Then I fostered the kittens gave them KMR. Their momma died at night and I took care the kittens.
A week later another 2 kittens died, berry was all alone.
His condition was up and down, only 270 grams in 5 weeks old. Had very bad flu too and vet gave it antibiotic and vitamins. I also gave it Urgent AD for his weight and his health improve, gain 100 grams in a week, but his flu recovery is very slow.

He's now 3.5 months old ate like a pig , poop normally, play normally, but I concerned with his bloated tummy. It's hard and so big.
There's no parasites, he had deworming already. Vet gave him medicine for tummy gas and told me to watch if it makes a change. So far nothing change after 3 days medication. He has appointment next week for x ray and until then I wonder of what you think.

1. His appetite is like a pig
2. His last weight is 745 grams
3. He's very active and love playing around
4. He breaths normally and doesn't seems bothered of his tummy
5. Tummy is hard after eat a lot. After not eating overnight is still bloated but not too hard.
6. Both vet and I doubt if it's FIP since he got that big tummy for so long
7. He's just sooo tiny. I had 7 weeks foster kitten and their size were almost the same.
8. Poop normally, brown and in shape
9. Still had flu after two months, but now is much much better

I wonder if anyone ever had this case before.
Oh, anyway sorry for my english

 

[1 bruce 1]

What a cute little kitten!
Sometimes they need deworming more than once. I'm not a vet and certainly not an expert, but that photo to me shows a kitten potentially with worms and lots of them. What did the vet worm him for, specifically? Different types of worms need different worm medications, did they do a stool sample check to see what type of worms he has/had?
Your english is fine, my friend, and thank you for caring for this little foundling.

 

[mackiemac]

Sometimes, kittens and cats can have protozoan infections, and these are not cleared with most of the usual dewormers that are used for "worms". The most common protozoan infections in the US, and in Texas where I am, are Coccidia, Giardia and Tritrichomonas foetis. Giardia is sometimes treated with a medicine called Panacur (or fenbendazole), but often another drug called Flagyl (metronidazole) is used along with it or by itself. Coccidia is treated nowadays with a medicine called ponazuril (usually used in horses, but often used in a diluted form off-label in cats), or the old standby, Albon (fenbendazole). Currently, the most effective known therapy for cats diagnosed with T. foetus is a drug called ronidazole. This antiprotozoal drug is not currently approved for use in cats in the United States, but your veterinarian may choose to prescribe it. You or your veterinarian will need to get this drug from a special compounding pharmacy that custom blends the medication. The affected cat should be isolated from other cats in the household until the end of treatment to prevent them from becoming infected as well.

These parasites are not visible to the naked eye, and they are not shed in every stool sample. Sometimes it can take a few tries to isolate these protozoa, or other kinds of tests to confirm the infection. They are one reason why it's recommended to run a parasite check on each kitten vaccine visit, especially if a cat or kitten is showing symptoms.

Our kitten Rain (16 weeks old now) tested strongly positive for Coccidia on her first sample, and when we retested later... she was still positive after the first round of treatment, and then came up strongly positive for Giardia on the second test as well. She had never been outside from the time she came home from the shelter, and our older cat has been negative for years. So, she had been carrying these protozoa with her from the shelter, or possibly before she got brought in there. She had other illnesses as well, including Calicivirus and Bartonella, so she was rather underweight. She had soft stool, and despite being underweight, she was a little pot-bellied.

This kitten's feral history, slow weight gain, and hefty appetite with the slow weight gain makes me suspicious that there may be another parasite in there. Protozoal infections can certainly kill kittens, as well. And stool may not always look abnormal, either. Outdoor and feral cats can contract these organisms through feed contaminate with feces, through contact with feces and/or grooming after coming in contact with feces, or through contaminated drinking water. They can also re-infect themselves by grooming after using the litter... get poop on fur, lick poop off while grooming themselves or another cat... bingo, re-infestation!

If this was my kitten, I would repeat the stool check, and as a tech... I would do a float and a direct smear using absolutely FRESH stool. Protozoa like Giardia and "Tritrich" can be distorted and difficult to recognize on a float, especially in an older sample. Giardia and Tritrich are mobile organisms... flagellates. The float solution used for most "worm fecals" stops a lot of the movement that makes these two a lot easier to ID. The direct smear doesn't damage the organisms much, and they can keep moving. The test may need to be repeated a few times over several visits to get a positive test, as the organisms may not appear in every sample... like I said earlier. But it's important to get a positive ID, especially between Giardia and Tritrichomonas because they do take different medications. Coccidia is pretty distinctive and not motile, but it too takes a different medication, as explained above.

For the time being, make sure to scoop and clean the litter box EVERY day, possibly doing a complete clean and litter change-out to prevent picking up a re-infection, wipe the kitten's back legs and bottom with kitty wipes to remove as much stool as possible (bathe if possible and wash the feet), and keep the food and water bowls spotlessly clean and away from the litter.

I know that's a lot of info, but these are quite common issues in kittens and outdoor or feral cats.

 

[Finka]

What a cute little kitten!
Sometimes they need deworming more than once. I'm not a vet and certainly not an expert, but that photo to me shows a kitten potentially with worms and lots of them. What did the vet worm him for, specifically? Different types of worms need different worm medications, did they do a stool sample check to see what type of worms he has/had?
Your english is fine, my friend, and thank you for caring for this little foundling.

I thought worm is very possible cause too but I gave dewormer since the first time I fostered him, even though he never vomit or shows any worm in his poo. I had two cats so I have dewormer in stock. Since it didn't make any change for his belly, I thought maybe because it wasn't strong enough, then I brought him to vet to test, the results was negative, but vet still gave drontal. Well nothing change too. But I realize that berry fart often. When he's sneezing he farts loud too, I laugh and feel sorry at the same time.
Even though he's really active, I'm still afraid if he will suddenly ill.

 

[Finka]

Sometimes, kittens and cats can have protozoan infections, and these are not cleared with most of the usual dewormers that are used for "worms". The most common protozoan infections in the US, and in Texas where I am, are Coccidia, Giardia and Tritrichomonas foetis. Giardia is sometimes treated with a medicine called Panacur (or fenbendazole), but often another drug called Flagyl (metronidazole) is used along with it or by itself. Coccidia is treated nowadays with a medicine called ponazuril (usually used in horses, but often used in a diluted form off-label in cats), or the old standby, Albon (fenbendazole). Currently, the most effective known therapy for cats diagnosed with T. foetus is a drug called ronidazole. This antiprotozoal drug is not currently approved for use in cats in the United States, but your veterinarian may choose to prescribe it. You or your veterinarian will need to get this drug from a special compounding pharmacy that custom blends the medication. The affected cat should be isolated from other cats in the household until the end of treatment to prevent them from becoming infected as well.

These parasites are not visible to the naked eye, and they are not shed in every stool sample. Sometimes it can take a few tries to isolate these protozoa, or other kinds of tests to confirm the infection. They are one reason why it's recommended to run a parasite check on each kitten vaccine visit, especially if a cat or kitten is showing symptoms.

Our kitten Rain (16 weeks old now) tested strongly positive for Coccidia on her first sample, and when we retested later... she was still positive after the first round of treatment, and then came up strongly positive for Giardia on the second test as well. She had never been outside from the time she came home from the shelter, and our older cat has been negative for years. So, she had been carrying these protozoa with her from the shelter, or possibly before she got brought in there. She had other illnesses as well, including Calicivirus and Bartonella, so she was rather underweight. She had soft stool, and despite being underweight, she was a little pot-bellied.

This kitten's feral history, slow weight gain, and hefty appetite with the slow weight gain makes me suspicious that there may be another parasite in there. Protozoal infections can certainly kill kittens, as well. And stool may not always look abnormal, either. Outdoor and feral cats can contract these organisms through feed contaminate with feces, through contact with feces and/or grooming after coming in contact with feces, or through contaminated drinking water. They can also re-infect themselves by grooming after using the litter... get poop on fur, lick poop off while grooming themselves or another cat... bingo, re-infestation!

If this was my kitten, I would repeat the stool check, and as a tech... I would do a float and a direct smear using absolutely FRESH stool. Protozoa like Giardia and "Tritrich" can be distorted and difficult to recognize on a float, especially in an older sample. Giardia and Tritrich are mobile organisms... flagellates. The float solution used for most "worm fecals" stops a lot of the movement that makes these two a lot easier to ID. The direct smear doesn't damage the organisms much, and they can keep moving. The test may need to be repeated a few times over several visits to get a positive test, as the organisms may not appear in every sample... like I said earlier. But it's important to get a positive ID, especially between Giardia and Tritrichomonas because they do take different medications. Coccidia is pretty distinctive and not motile, but it too takes a different medication, as explained above.

I know that's a lot of info, but these are quite common issues in kittens and outdoor or feral cats.

Thank you for the informations. I think I need to have second opinion from another vet, just in case if they find something because the recent vet never mention any of this.

 

[mackiemac]

I thought worm is very possible cause too but I gave dewormer since the first time I fostered him, even though he never vomit or shows any worm in his poo. I had two cats so I have dewormer in stock. Since it didn't make any change for his belly, I thought maybe because it wasn't strong enough, then I brought him to vet to test, the results was negative, but vet still gave drontal. Well nothing change too. But I realize that berry fart often. When he's sneezing he farts loud too, I laugh and feel sorry at the same time.
Even though he's really active, I'm still afraid if he will suddenly ill.

Gas is common with protozoal infections. I am not diagnosing your kitten, mind you... but suggesting that he be checked carefully for these kinds of parasites. It can be helpful to have the fecal test sent out to a laboratory, where they will look very closely. That was how Rain, our baby was diagnosed.

I used to see quite a bit of protozoa when I was still an active tech, so I understand how common it is, and how easy it is for vets to get a little short-sighted. Hope you get it all sorted out!

 

[mackiemac]

Sorry, I misspoke... Albon is sulfadimethoxine, not fenbendazole as I originally stated. Fenbendazole is Panacur, I had several drug names in my head and they got scrambled up, LOL!