diarrhea and vomiting

Question
Yesterday my 7 month old kitten had diarrhea - I had to wash her bottom twice because she didn't seem to want to clean herself which is so unlike her - and then she vomited twice - once was a lot and the second time was just a very little.  I feed her peas and corn along with organic wet and dry food.  She loves this and one of your specialists said that it is ok to give her the vegetables.  When she vomited it was a little hard with black, white, and green (the peas).  I talked to many people and they think that it was a hair ball. The thing that worries me the most is that she went to the bathroom 2 more times yesterday (both were diarrhea)and she did not go at all today.  When I talked to the emergency pet hospital yesterday they said to take away the food and water - which I did - for the rest of the day.  I gave her water and mostly dry food with just a little wet and veggies today.  She didn't eat a lot and I was wondering if I should be worried about her lack of going to the bathroom.  Thanks for your time and effort.

Dana Mallon


Answer
Hi Dana.  I wouldn't get too worried just yet.  If the vomiting has stopped, I would see how the next 24 hours go on a gentle diet.  My personal recommendation would be to feed her boiled chicken breast.  You can add in some boiled white rice if she'll eat it.  You can also feed her chicken baby food (make sure it's chicken and broth or water only - no onion or wheat ingredients).  This diet is okay to follow for the next 3 days while her stomach settles down.  I would stay away from the dry food for now if possible.  It's harder for her to digest than freshly cooked meats, baby food or canned food.

It's expected that when a kitty isn't getting her food in, she will not produce stool.  Truly, there is nothing to worry about, even if the kitten eats her full ration, unless the kitten this age goes more than 48 hours without a bowel movement.  When it approaches 72 hours, then it really starts to become a worry.

I would give her until the morning.  If she's not back to normal in every way, I'd get her in to the vet and let him or her narrow down what's ailing the poor baby.

As an aside, I don't really recommend corn as part of a kitty's diet, only because it is quite hard to digest and is actually allergenic in many cats, causing gas, diarrhea, and itchy ears and skin sores.  Boiled rice is a better source of carbs because it's easier to digest and does not tend to cause allergic reactions in cats.  The peas are just fine for her.  Make sure her veggies make up only a very small part of her diet (5-10%)if you're feeding her a balanced commercial cat food, as well.  Too many carbohydrates will cause her to become chubby.