6 months old make kitty, lethargic, didn’t eat his dinner and diarrhea. This evening. Doesn’t seem to be but he’s just

Hello! My name is ***** ***** I have over 15 years of extensive experience in both a clinical setting and animal poison control. My areas of expertise are animal poisoning, cat and dog health, and cat behavior. I will be happy to assist you today!

I'll do my best to provide you with helpful information for any concerns you may have about your pet's health, but please keep in mind that in some cases, a visit to the vet is necessary for proper care. I apologize in advance if it takes me a bit of time to respond, I want to ensure I provide you with the most accurate and comprehensive information. Thank you for your patience!

• I'm sorry to hear Beans isn't feeling well! When is the last time he ate?

Did he eat this morning?

Has he been behaving normally otherwise? Acting playful, etc?

Any discomfort when you feel around his tummy?

Any changes in diet recently? Or new treats he hadn't tried before?

Oh no! That sounds like a possible culprit right there. Anyone is bound to have a bit of a sore stomach after so many treats. You haven't seen any vomiting, though?

Thank you for answering all of my questions! Diarrhea is fairly common in a cat, and dietary changes are the most common cause of diarrhea. Generally an upset stomach that causes diarrhea (or even a little bit of vomiting) will resolve on its own at home after a couple of days. Frequent diarrhea can also result in small amounts of blood or mucus in the stool, and this is normal and nothing to worry about.

There are some steps you can take at home to help treat diarrhea. However, if you see large amounts of blood in the stool or the diarrhea is repeated and profuse, it is important to seek veterinary care. For mild cases, you can use an over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication like Propectalin along with a probiotic like FortiFlora to help restore balance to Beans' gut bacteria. Both of these products can be purchased online.

If you're not seeing any response to the medications, or you start to see additional signs developing in Beans, that's when you want to get him in to be seen. Things like parasites are simple to treat, but can cause bouts of vomiting and diarrhea on a chronic basis if left untreated.

If you want to try a bland diet to help, plain boiled white chicken breast mixed with cooked white rice is a good home-cooked bland diet for cats. You can also get bland canned diets from your vet. Some vets will require a vet visit to obtain these, some will not.

It's important to note that a cat's liver does not break down body fat easily, and if a cat goes without eating for three or more days, they can develop liver damage. Anorexia in cats is always a serious matter and should be addressed immediately by a veterinarian. If Beans is not eating throughout tomorrow as well, then that is another indication that he needs to get in to be seen.

Perfect! Is there anything else you'd like to know or ask about this? I'm here to help!

Yes, we do also want him getting water as well since he's losing fluids with the diarrhea. But don't force the issue. If he's not really drinking on his own you can try adding plain unflavored pedialyte to some wet food to get him some hydration, or add some chicken stock (not broth which will often contain onion and/or garlic) to either his food or his water to "flavor" it.

I'm glad I could be of help! If there are any changes in Beans' health, don't hesitate to reach out to me to follow up. I'm here to provide support and info, so just let me know if there's anything else I can do. Take care and good luck getting him on the road to feeling better!

You're welcome!