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My young cat has diarrhea after spay/vaccines. How can I help her?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 10 months and 15 days old | 7 lbs

On Feb 28th my 9 month old cat was spayed along with receiving her distemper and rabies vaccine. Everything went great and incision site is perfect. About March 13th she started having diarrhea. It's been about 3-4 days now. Other than the diarrhea she's perfectly normal, eating, drinking and playing. Is this something she needs to be seen for or would you have any suggestions on how to stop the diarrhea?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on March 16th, 2017

I'm glad that Nymeria isn't feeling lousy as a result of her diarrhea! Since it has been two weeks since her vaccines and spay surgery, I doubt that they are related to her current issues. A few causes of diarrhea can include parasites, stomach upset from diet, viruses, etc. If she hasn't had a recent fecal examination, I would call her regular vet about having a stool sample analyzed for the presence of parasites. Try changing her diet to a different protein source (e.g. chicken instead of fish) and avoid treats, table scraps, or dairy products since cats are lactose intolerant. Adding a probiotic, such as FortiFlora, to the diet can help some cases of diarrhea. Call your vet in a few days if the diarrhea persists, or if Nymeria begins vomiting or stops eating at any point.

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on January 5th, 2019

    I'm sorry to hear Mariquita isn't doing well. Some things you hadn't mentioned were food allergies which could cause diarrhea if there is an ingredient in her food that is making her ill. Your vet can try a food trial with you that involves narrowing down the ingredients fed to her and then reintroducing them over time to see if any triggers the problem. There are also prescription diets available for sensitive stomachs and food allergies that may help with the diarrhea as well. In some cases, probiotics can also help such as adding plain yogurt or a little pumpkin puree to help firm up the stool. If the above suggestions don't help, another workup from your vet to see if there was anything else missed may help.

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