Diarrhea from sour milk?

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that your kittens are not nursing well.

Before I can answer, I have a few questions:

How old are they?
Is the momma cat eating well and acting healthy?
Are the kittens eating anything at all?
Are the kittens bright and happy?

Thanks!


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Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Dr. Marie replied:

OK, thanks for that info!

At this age the kittens should definitely be eating regular kitten food. If they will not eat kibble then perhaps you could start out with a canned kitten food. And, if they won't eat that then you can use some warm water to make a soup out of it so they can eat that.

I am concerned by the fact that they have had diarrhea for 2 weeks. This is likely not because of mom's milk. If mom had infected milk she would be quite ill and not feeling well herself. There may be something else going on such as intestinal parasites.

It's not a bad idea to try an over the counter deworming medication.

Sometimes, kitten milk replacer can actually cause kittens to have diarrhea so the sooner we get them on to canned food the better.

It is also possible that they have something more serious such as a bacterial infection. If this is the case then they will need to see the vet for appropriate antibiotics in order to get better. Kittens don't have a lot of reserves to fight dehydration so if they have had diarrhea for 2 weeks it is really important to get them well soon!

So, I would try offering them soupy canned kitten food, stop the milk replacer, give them some dewormer and if things have not improved in a day or two then a vet visit is in order.

Regarding mom...it usually can take a few weeks for the milk to dry up. But, the kittens will keep trying. Every time they nurse then it starts up the milk production again. So, you may need to continue to keep them separate for a while more.

I hope they are doing better soon!

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sounds like you are doing a great job!

If you gave them dewormer 2 weeks ago, you should give them another dose now. Roundworms (which are really common in kittens) often need two doses given 10-14 days apart to fully get rid of them. If it has been longer than 14 days then give them a dose now and repeat it 10-14 days from now.

It's hard to say why mom had soft stool, but it's likely not because of sour milk. Sour milk usually happens as a result of mastitis which is an infection in the mammary glands. If she had this she would be really sore in her mammary glands and quite sick.

I hope everything goes well!

Dr. Marie replied:

Yay! Glad to hear that there is solid poop. :)

You're very welcome.

Dr. Marie.