feeding young kittens

Question
Hi Jessica,
I have a question regarding a litter of 4 kittens that I rescued when their mom was killed by a car. They are currently 10 days old now, and I have been feeding them KMR liquid food every 3-4 hours, and about 2 teaspoons per feeding. Most kittens seem to be doing well, but I've noticed some diarrhea problems with a few of them. One kitten in particular is getting a little bit sore on his bottom, and seems to have it the worst. I don't notice anything else odd about it, except for it is pretty runny and he has some gas issues- so I think he is okay otherwise. I read that either I could either:
1) mix the KMR with one part water
or
2)put in some plain yogurt
or
3) put in a bit of canned pumpkin
To thicken his stool. Do you have any suggestions to get rid of this?
Thanks, Elin

Answer
Hello!

I wouldn't water down the KMR.  He'd need to eat more of it to get the same nutrients, and he'll probably feel too full to do so.

I also wouldn't add any pumpkin to a kitten's diet.  A diet high in fiber isn't appropriate for kittens because it can interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the diet.  Growing kittens need to derive every bit of nutrition their food provides.

Adding a bit of yogurt may help, but only if this diarrhea is due to an imbalance of bacteria in the intestinal tract.  

Unfortunately, the best thing to do here is to get the kitten to the vet, and I must say it's urgent.  Kittens this tiny quickly become dehydrated and malnourished from diarrhea (and when I say quickly, I have seen it kill kittens in 24 hours).  Treatment options may be limited by his young age.  However, he may suffer terribly if nothing is done.  Even at 10 days, antibiotics may need to be prescribed to save him, or perhaps the vet will find some other cause for the diarrhea.

Another possible suggestion - have you tried using the powdered KMR, which you reconstitute as needed with warm water?  I prefer to use this with mine.  It stays fresher.  I have found this tends to make firm stools (sometimes TOO firm).  I may well be worth a shot to try with your little ones.

Are you keeping them on a heating pad?  If kittens get cold, it interferes with digestion and often causes diarrhea.  I assume this is not an issue because this kitten seems to be doing worse than the others.  But if the kittens aren't on heat, you should put them on a heating pad on low to medium heat until they're about 5 weeks old (unless temperatures in your home get very hot).

Finally, you should apply a thin layer of an antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin) to the kitten's rear to help sooth it and prevent infection.

Wishing you the best!

Jessica