Caring For Two 5 Week Old Not So Healthy Kittens

[Andrea Oliveira]

how should I give it to them? and in what amount?
Please check your private messages, I've sent you one

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

The big bellies were what worried me the most because they even struggle to walk after eating sometimes.
My worry about free feeding is the runt not getting enough food because her sister blocks her out sometimes.
I haven't started them on dry food because they reacted badly to eat a few days ago when I introduced it and had diarrhea, so I was holding until their gut situation is completely cleared.
I just don't understand if my runt is eating only wet food and drinking KMR, how come her poop is so hard?

Oh I forgot to reply to this, yes they have been dewormed, about 10 days ago

 

[Sarthur2]

Don't force it! It's good they stop when full.

 

[Sarthur2]

They do not need pedialyte right now.

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

Are you feeding the liquid KMR or the powdered?

KMR powdered feeding instructions
KMR liquid feeding instructions

Kittens are little pigs so it's recommended to feed them as much as they will eat as often as they want. 3 or 4 canned food meals a day is typical but some kittens may want more meals. Kittens need a lot of food for growth. I don't think 5 week old kittens have strong enough jaws for dry food

Im feeding them powdered one, its all I could find.
I just worry about how extended, bloated and hard their stomachs look. Sometimes they even have trouble walking.

 

[Sarthur2]

Give them less KMR. Let them eat wet food mostly.

The KMR should be mixed one tablespoon of powder with 2 tablespoons of water. You are making it too strong and it is constipating them.

 

[Sarthur2]

Also, add 2-3 drops of olive oil to the formula mixture for now.

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

That is the mixture I am doing. One tablespoon of powder and two of water.
How many times a day should I give this ratio of KMR to them? and still should I mix just a half a tablespoon in the wet food as I did yesterday?

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

As I said it really is a pattern, yesterday I woke up to feed them, my runt has a small, hard poop that hurt her. After drinking her milk she passed a much bigger one and softer, a good consistency but I could still see she was struggling.
Now the same thing happened, 4 am hard small poo. Drinks KMR, at five am poops a bigger softer one

 

[StefanZ]

Pedialyte is most important when having diarrhea...

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

They do not need pedialyte right now.

I have another question. My ruby just peed on my bed (I’m guessing it’s becsuse it’s quite soft. When I noticed I removed her and she finished peeing on the floor. When I cleaned it up I realized it has almost no color and almost no smell, is that normal for young kittens ? I also notice that they pee more now that they are having KMR, is that also normal ?

 

[StefanZ]

Kmr is giving extra fluid, in excess of what is in wet food. This means prob just they are well hydrated.

It could be some problem too maing them pee but its less common.

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

Kmr is giving extra fluid, in excess of what is in wet food. This means prob just they are well hydrated.

It could be some problem too maing them pee but its less common.

I spoke to the vet on the phone and she said not to worry that almost odorless and colorless pee is what they aim for in small kittens.
Thank you so much for your reply and help!
I am learning so much from this forums. Yesterday when I wrote this thread I actually thought I was doing everything wrong and that somehow they're health was paying for my mistakes, mainly when it came to the size of their bellies. But you all reassured me, and that made me have my first good sleep in 4 days! Thank you! before i kept checking the web and all that appears is everything is serious and life threatening, you feel so desperate!

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

Oh and just one more question, is it normal at this age that they can't groom themselves so well? I notice mainly when theyre bellies are rounder that they can't really reach the back of their back legs to clean?

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

The vet actually told me on the phone to stop the antibiotics. They have been on them for two days only but she says that if they are doing better and gaining weight there is no need for you to keep giving it to them for another 3 days. (The vet that did prescribe them did so for 5 days.)
This one (my preferred vet) told me to stop and if I see that they are getting diarrhea again to start back again.
what is your opinion on this?

 

[Sarthur2]

Finish the prescription. I find it odd advice not to.

Clear pee means the kittens are well hydrated.

They will get better at using the litter box and grooming themselves as they mature.

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

she believes the antibiotics are causing constipation

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

My bigger one Arya she purrs a lot. She purrs when she is full, purrs when she is falling a sleep and when i cuddle her, sometimes even when I play with her. Is it normal to purr so much? My runt doesn't purr nearly as much, only sometimes when im cuddling her.
Here are some photos for added cuteness
She has also been getting a huge belly like her sister

 

[Andrea Oliveira]

Do you think her eyes look swollen or irritated?

 

[StefanZ]

she believes the antibiotics are causing constipation

Now, here are two different principles re shortening down the prescibed serie of antibiotics.

1. What the vet says about causing constipation.

2. What is THE problem with shortening of the antibiotica serie: you are essentielly breeding forward resistent bacteria... The bacteria easy to kill off, these individuals in this clan of bacteria whom are weaker, do die off first. The patient feels better. If you quit instead of proceeding the full serie, the danger is big there are others, survivors, the tough ones, whom survive - and multiply. Next time the clan, the colony consists of descendants from these tough ones, these whom do have all some ability to resist...

That is why its important to kill them all, these bacterias... We dont want these whom have this somewhat resistant ability to survive, and de facto to concentrate, to enrich the colony till almost all are more or less resistant...