Kitten With SEVERE Flatulence Problem

Please Help! I'm embarassed to death!

My 13 week old male long haired domestic kitten has got such a severe flatulence problem he is almost becomming an embarassment. He smells rancid! Anyone who picks him up - if they rub his belly the wrong way, they're in for a shock!

He's currently eating Max Cat food by Nutro the same as my other 2 older cats and they have been on it for a few years now with nothing like this happening. I thought that because he was a kitten and his intestines were still developing - that like human babies - these things will pass with time as they grow, but this doesn't seem to be getting any better. Even his feces smells stronger than I think it should (compaired to the other two cats) and it's not completely solid yet. Yesterday he had diareaha but that appears to have gone away now.

I have checked his stool for worms and don't see anything. My other cats have had them in the past so I'm sure of what to look for.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've never had to go through this before so I'm completely confused as to what would make him do this.

Just because worms are not visible to the naked eye does not mean your kitten does not have some kind of parasite. Many kinds of parasites and worms can only been seen under a microscope. The first step is to take a stool sample to the vet for analysis. The diarrhea may be an indication of a problem.

After you do this, and if he checks out o.k. the next thing I advise is giving him kitten food - 3 or 4 small meals a day. Flatulence can often be caused by kittens gulping too much air when they eat, so more meals may make him eat more slowly, and kittens really need the extra protein in kitten food. If you are giving him any milk, that could cause the problem too.

If the problem still persists, then I'm afraid you'll just have to put up with it. Kittens often are extremely stinky! One kitten in the last litter I fostered was so smelly, I thought he was rotting away - LOL!!
Get a clothespin for your nose and take heart that this problem will go away.;)

Well... I spoke too soon. I caught him a few hours ago squatting on a blanket that was by the door. He has diareaha again.

This time however, I was able to get a "close" look at it. There were little (and I mean TINY) white dots in it. They were smaller than the head of a pin. The dots were speckled all over with consistancy.

I was wondering if those were worms that weren't hatched yet. As well, if his mother was a barn cat it doesn't surprise me if she had worms when she had the litter. If he was born with them, how come they're just hatching now? Also, how soon can I deworm him. As I stated he's 13 weeks. I know it's too young for the over the counter stuff (that's 6 months isn't it?). How old should he be for a vet to see him? Approx cost ($CAN) for a visit like that would be appreciated too. Does he need to get his series of shots or just can be dewormed.

Thanks again for all your help!

If his mother was a barn cat, then this kitten is nearly guaranteed to have some sort of parasites, passed on from mom, who probably eats mice and other small animals. Your kitten probably had them all along, they may be just in such numbers now they are becoming visible.

He can taken to the vet and dewormed now. Do NOT use any over-the-counter stuff. You don't know what he needs to be treated for,and don't want to medicate him unnecessarily!

Since he was born in a barn to an unvaccinated mother, he really needs a check up at the vet for diseases, and a fecal exam. Your other cats will need to be treated for whatever kind of parasites are found, as well. You probably won't need to bring them in if your vet knows you well and you know how much your cats weigh.

You can call around to find out how much vets in your area charge for a complete check up and stool analysis, but it really must be done.

If he checks out healthy (other than the worms or parasites) it's up to if you want shots or not. I personally do not vaccinate healthy, indoor only cats. There is no need for it, and it carries risks of it's own. If your cats go out, they should be vaccinated, at least against rabies and FeLV.