Siamese kitten, weight and diarrhea

We are a 3 cat household.  I have 2 cats from the same litter who are about 18 months old (1 1/2 yr).  Both have always been very heathly, even after a bought as babies with a viral infection that spread to their eyes (or at least, this is what I was told by the shelter I adopted them from).  Jack suffers from awful ear issues, which I have helped treat by changing their food to one which doesn't contain seafood.

In May, I took in a litter of kittens along with the mama cat.  All kittens as well as mama were adopted except for one, which I kept.  Tucker is a Siamese mix who had an umbilical hernia, which was corrected with surgery.  Since then, Tucker (now 6 months old) has grown steadily, is very active and playful, eats fitfully, and is very affectionate.  His coat is full and shiny, and his mucous membranes (gums, eyes) appear normal and pink.

My concerns:
~When Tucker was recovering from his surgery, he picked up some fleas, which I haven't been able to get rid of.  My other two are showing no symptoms of flea infestation.  Tucker has been treated with Frontline, and wears a flea collar, neither of which have helped.
~My aunt stopped by and was concerned that Tucker seems a little thin.  Not ever having had a Siamese before, I am unaware as to what is normal.  I'm not sure of his exact weight, but he couldn't be more than about 5-6 pounds.  He is also smaller in stature than I would have expected for a 6 month old kitten.  I wonder if this could be in part due to the hernia?  Could it have caused him to not absorb all the nutrients he needs to grow efficiently?
~Tucker has a chronic case of diarrhea.  He hasn't lost any weight, but hasn't been gaining either.  Again, he doens't appear to be unhealthy, has pink gums, and a cool moist nose.  I wonder if this could be due to a disagreement between his little system and the food he's eating?  I'm afraid, though, to change the food because all 3 cats are eating it.  I'm worried about Jack's ears, as it was difficult to find foods without seafood in them.

Any insight and/or advise would be great.

[therese83]

I dont think the hernia has anything to do with it.

Any chance he has worms or a parasite (microbiological)  how about getting a stool analysis?

It is important to find out the cause of diarrea (diarrhea) and it should always be taken seriously.

[Savas]

Lord, you're using front line And a flea collar?

It sounds like Tucker has a case of low level pesticide poisoning. All the symptoms you describe (diarrhea, inhibited growth (ie size) fits)).

I don't care what the vet says, if he advised you to do this, he's just bloody wrong. No harm, no foul, though, you meant well.

If you've got a continual low level flea problem, then you probably need to treat your house/apartment for fleas as well. Rugs, bedding, etc... either a flea bomb or powder/spray with plenty of vacuuming (not the normal cleaning you do, this is a "special cleaning regime" for flea deterrence"). That plus the front-line will do the trick.

Personally, I'm against flea collars. They tend to cause problems in the long run (health wise) and to be dangerous for your cat.

Otherwise, what wet and dry foods are you feeding your cat? That could be an issue as well.

Otherwise; I've got a cat with a bad ear problem as well (scratches them bloody). I'd suggest a product called "Yucca". Its an anti inflammatory and a natural antibiotic.

It tastes TERRIBLE but it works like a charm. Just put a bit on your finger and rub it on your cat's gums. Then apoligize after he's done being offended with an appropriate treat. :-)

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Good morning Suzi...congratulations on your multi-cat household!

Lets talk about the flea problem first.   As Savas has mentioned, you likely have an infestation of fleas in your household.  First and foremost, all three cats in the house need to be treated (Frontline or Advantage should work well).  Then, find an area treatment product that contains an insect growth regulator (IGR) in it.   This ingredient is important to help stop flea eggs from hatching and larvae from maturing.   Then, as Savas says, VACUUM, VACUUM, VACUUM!!

I recommend vacumming prior to using the area treatment, then vacuum daily for 2 weeks.   At the end of two weeks, use the area treatment again.  Be sure to spray under tables and furniture as flea larvae love to go where its dark.

And yes, dispose of the flea collar...they are pretty useless.

When was the last time Tucker was seen by the veterinarian?   If he does indeed weigh 6 lbs and he is 6 months old, he is probably right on track.  But, as therese mentions, the possibility of intestinal parasites exists if he has not been dewormed recently.  These worms can be passed to the other cats and to members of your human family too.  Hookworms and roundworms can cause diarrhea and be a reason for a lack of weight gain.  Take a fecal sample of Tucker's to the veterinarian for a stool examination.  You might need to separate Tucker for a day or night with a clean litter box in order to get this.

What diet did you end up putting all of the cats on?  

We'd be interested in hearing how things progress...keep us updated!!

Take care...

Tomcat