Does my kitten have worms?
I have three full grown cats and 4 12 week old kittens(trying to find homes). Recently one, only one, of the kittens started acting funny, he wasn’t playing like normal and started sleeping a lot. Then he started throwing up every so often, but he hasn’t done that in a week or so. I thought he was getting better. But the last couple days he’s even more lethargic, won’t eat much (I usually feed the cats dry food, tried to tempt with wet food that kitten has had before and liked), looks very underweight, and he cry’s a lot. I think it might be roundworms because we live in an apartment building and have had a slight problem with roaches (I see one or two a month),and that is where, I’ve read, cats usually get roundworms, but I haven’t seen any signs of worms in the litter box nor were there any in the vomit, so now I’m not sure. I can’t really afford a vet right now, if I could I’d go right away, but if at all possible I really need to avoid a vet bill right now. If anyone knows what this might be I would appreciate your suggestions.
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It is a possibility the kittens have worms, most do. They come from the mother. I have never heard the connection between roaches and roundworms, though.
The kitten really should see the vet since he is showing all the signs you say. But I can also understand financial problems and setbacks.
So the best thing to do is contact your vet and explain your situation. See if they will let you just bring in a fresh stool sample for analysis. If so I would get it from this one if possible, since he seems to be the sickliest. This would be part of the kittens’ initial wellness examination anyway. After the vet/vet tech identifies the presence and type of parasites, they can give you the proper wormer. Luckily, the wormer usually given for roundworms is a liquid, about the consistency and color of pancake batter, has a pleasant taste and is easy to give. (It will be in a needle-less syringe and you just squirt it in their mouth.)
This little guy needs to eat, so take away the dry food and try tempting him with a little meat flavored baby food-just be sure it is the ones without onions. I keep the Gerber and BeechNut brands on hand for my cats. Warm it just slightly in the microwave and stir to be sure there are no hot spots. Baby food does not have the nutrients for a regular diet, but it is okay to help jump start a kitty eating.
Is he drinking? You can give him unflavored Pedialyte. The most important thing is to be sure he does not get dehydrated. Checking for dehydration is easy. Pull up some of the loose skin on his back at the shoulder blades. Let the skin go..if it snaps back into place, that is wonderful and what we want to see. If it eases back into place, he is becoming dehydrated. But if it stays tented, he is dehydrated, it is an emergency and you will need to find a way to take him to the vet. There is no way to rehydrate him from this point at home. I hope this is not the case for you.
A couple of other things to check and let the vet know when you take in his stool sample: the color of his gums and if he has a fever. His gums should be a nice flesh pink, it they are pale or white, this is a problem. Also, check for fever. A kitten’s normal fever is higher than ours at about 100-102.5F, so he will feel warm to you, but if he feels extremely warm, he has a fever and should see the vet.
I hope kitten feels better soon.
Purrs to you and kitten.
Sorry but the only thing you can do is take your kitten to the vet.
call your vet
Any time a kitten is lethargic you need a vet asap.
Kittens will play through a lot of pain. We found a 5 week old hungry, covered in fleas, full of worms – still playful. (he’s healthy now)
Kittens’ health can go downhill fast. Although almost all kittens tend to have worms, this sounds like something much more serious.