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- Jun 7, 2016
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I have two kittens, eleven weeks old, who I posted about when they were first born as it was all very touch and go and there were a lot of complications with their mother etc. In any case, they survived - thrived, in fact! - and are very happy, sociable, bouncy little mischief-makers today.
However, I did have problems weaning them at first: despite very gradually and carefully adjusting their diet onto a high-quality kitten food, they both (the smallest first) started getting diarrhea constantly, and quite a lot of fresh blood alongside. I tried to make their diet as simple as possible (eg chicken) and obviously wormed them etc, but it wasn't helping - though they were as active and energetic as ever.
Anyway, the vet said they were completely fine, just greedy and sensitive so they were inflaming their guts. She gave me Royal Canin Sensitivity Control for them for a few weeks and that really seemed to work, poos became much more solid and normal etc. Then she said they could switch back to kitten food...but after a few weeks back on that it's happening again. So I'm going to buy some more Royal Canin in bulk, but I had a couple of questions:
- which Royal Canin should I get? I suspect the vet's surgery doesn't actually have many varieties in stock so she just gave me the most appropriate of what she had, and I didn't think to ask while there what I should buy in future as I didn't know the range yet. Sensitivity Control obviously works, but there is also a Gastrointestinal one, which obviously seems even more specifically aimed at their problems! Can anyone advise whether there's a huge difference or a reason, say, that the Sensitivity Control was actually a deliberate choice (eg more appropriate for kittens perhaps)?
- do you think they are going to potentially have sensitive digestive tracts their whole lives? I wonder whether something about their womb environment (they had two stillborn siblings) or start in life might have affected them. I've had cats younger than them before who have eaten anything and everything with no problem - these two want to as well, which is always difficult, as they're getting to the acrobatic age when they can reach everything if they really put their minds to it!
If they do have a tendency to digest poorly, what can I do to offset it or help them have an interesting diet that doesn't hurt them? ...Or is there a chance they'll grow out of it when they reach adulthood, especially if I can keep their intestines calmer now in kittenhood?
Thank you! Please let me know if you've any follow-up questions and sorry for my longwindedness...
However, I did have problems weaning them at first: despite very gradually and carefully adjusting their diet onto a high-quality kitten food, they both (the smallest first) started getting diarrhea constantly, and quite a lot of fresh blood alongside. I tried to make their diet as simple as possible (eg chicken) and obviously wormed them etc, but it wasn't helping - though they were as active and energetic as ever.
Anyway, the vet said they were completely fine, just greedy and sensitive so they were inflaming their guts. She gave me Royal Canin Sensitivity Control for them for a few weeks and that really seemed to work, poos became much more solid and normal etc. Then she said they could switch back to kitten food...but after a few weeks back on that it's happening again. So I'm going to buy some more Royal Canin in bulk, but I had a couple of questions:
- which Royal Canin should I get? I suspect the vet's surgery doesn't actually have many varieties in stock so she just gave me the most appropriate of what she had, and I didn't think to ask while there what I should buy in future as I didn't know the range yet. Sensitivity Control obviously works, but there is also a Gastrointestinal one, which obviously seems even more specifically aimed at their problems! Can anyone advise whether there's a huge difference or a reason, say, that the Sensitivity Control was actually a deliberate choice (eg more appropriate for kittens perhaps)?
- do you think they are going to potentially have sensitive digestive tracts their whole lives? I wonder whether something about their womb environment (they had two stillborn siblings) or start in life might have affected them. I've had cats younger than them before who have eaten anything and everything with no problem - these two want to as well, which is always difficult, as they're getting to the acrobatic age when they can reach everything if they really put their minds to it!
If they do have a tendency to digest poorly, what can I do to offset it or help them have an interesting diet that doesn't hurt them? ...Or is there a chance they'll grow out of it when they reach adulthood, especially if I can keep their intestines calmer now in kittenhood?
Thank you! Please let me know if you've any follow-up questions and sorry for my longwindedness...