1 Week Old Bottle Baby Not Eating Help*

[samanthalogan]

Are they eating it?

I guess so

 

[Sarthur2]

I’ve never heard of kittens weaning this young and without teeth. Most kittens are not ready to wean until 5-6 weeks old.

 

[samanthalogan]

I’ve never heard of kittens weaning this young and without teeth. Most kittens are not ready to wean until 5-6 weeks old.

Me as well! After countless kitten lady videos I know she would not approve. I hope the foster parent will learn to stop giving it to them after they start to get diarrhea, cause I’m sure they will.

 

[Sarthur2]

Or she will need to go back to syringing because they will lose weight from not eating.

 

[danteshuman]

I was watching a kitten lady video on it and how shelters start weaning kittens at 3 weeks old (because they are over booked/do not have enough people to feed the babies overnight.) It isn’t great for the kittens but it beats putting them down. A foster family should wait until 5-6 weeks!

Now I would love to express my concern about this practice (& maybe later you can.) I would instead ask if you could reunite them and take in your boys siblings to (which is better for him & them!) That way the babies keep getting the milk they need and the comfort of nursing they definitely need! That said they could eat a slurry/kitten gruel add of canned pate. You could argue your boy needs special care so he can’t go to them. They will probably foster other kittens before the issue gets resolved but it will help his siblings.

* I had 5 week old kitten piranas that were chewing through all the nipples! They didn’t like the syringe without the nipples. So the oldest two I gave KMR in a saucer and the runt got the last remaining nipple for an extra week. That week made a difference! The two bigger ones suck/nurse on their binkies to this day, the runt does not (we were running low on funds between formula, vet visits etc. ..... plus the bigger two could chew through new nipple in two days!!! ) They were all weaned completely by 8 weeks because I let them decide. I kept offering saucers of KMR between wet food feedings until they all refused it at 8 weeks ...., OK part of that was just us not wanting to waste the very pricey formula but the mom offers them a little milk that long. ... sometimes to 12 weeks.

 

[samanthalogan]

Hello everyone. Unfortunately last night, our orange baby, Finn, passed away. I would not like to get into details right now as I’m still very sad, but I just wanted to let you all know. He was very loved. And I am grateful to have been able to love him for the mere ten days I had him.

 

[Sarthur2]

I’m so sorry you lost little Finn. RIP sweet boy. He definitely knew your loving care for ten days. I hope his sister continues to thrive.

 

[samanthalogan]

Thank you all so very much for all the love and comfort! It was very hard losing Finn, and I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve been on. Lamb Chop, his brother has been a lot of work. But he is good! He is about 5 weeks. I think he is very slow at growing. But he is the sweetest thing.

 

[danteshuman]

I’m happy to hear lamb chop is doing better!

 

[Willowy]

Oh my goodness he's so cute!!!

I will say that the one litter I raised with their mother actually started eating her dry food when they were 3 weeks old. I couldn't figure out a way to stop them so they just kept right on munching. The one I kept also nursed until he was nearly a year old so eating solids doesn't mean they don't still want milk. I don't think it's ideal to start them on solids at that age but I guess it didn't do them any harm.

 

[samanthalogan]

I thought I would update you all on Lamb! I can officially say he is a foster failure. All that I’ve gone through with him, I couldn’t imagine him being with me. He still has ongoing diarrhea, so we took him to the vet today, and they decided to keep him for the weekend. I LOST IT. I had to leave before I made a scene in the lobby. I couldn’t imagine having to give him back for someone else to adopt him. We’re hoping his blood work will show why he has such constant diarrhea! But other then that, he is the sweetest boy. He loves to cuddle, and play. First picture is Lamb and his late brother, Finn the day I picked them up, and second is Lamb Chop today.

 

[Sarthur2]

Aww, I hope the vet finds the issue. It’s sooo hard to leave them. What has he been eating? Is the diarrhea bright yellow?

 

[samanthalogan]

Aww, I hope the vet finds the issue. It’s sooo hard to leave them. What has he been eating? Is the diarrhea bright yellow?

He is currently on Purina pro plan soft and hard kitten food! No his diarrhea has been brown, almost chocolate milk color. And it looks like it too, no form whatsoever.

 

[Willowy]

Have probiotcs been tried? Bottle babies often don't have a good microbiome.

 

[samanthalogan]

Have probiotcs been tried? Bottle babies often don't have a good microbiome.

Yes! He has been on a probiotic for a very long time. He is now 7 weeks old, and he is 1 pound with chronic liquid poop. I don’t know what to do for him anymore. He is now on Albon and Reglan. He has been Parvo tested many times, as well as many fecal samples. I give him sub q fluids daily to keep his hydration up. He is so small and skinny. I just want him to get better. Does anyone have any recommendations for what to do next? Could he need bloodwork? Will raw food help? Will switching him to a single protein kitten food help? Any suggestions would be wonderful.

 

[Sarthur2]

Try the Blue Buffalo dry chicken kitten food:

https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-wilderness-kitten/dp/36708?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Blue Buffalo&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5Kb7pIKU5AIVwp-zCh1tVAmCEAQYAiABEgKhAfD_BwE

Along with the corresponding chicken wet food:

https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-wilderness-kitten/dp/36714

These foods are excellent. Meat first and grain-free.

It sounds like your little guy has a super sensitive system. He may for the rest of his life. Stay away from fish. Use only poultry.

samanthalogan

 

[catsknowme]

Have you tried firming his stools up with boiled-rice water? You could consult a holistic vet about adding gentle herbs such as red raspberry leaf and slippery elm; if you use SE, please know that slippery elm can interfere with absorption of the modern medicine so give it opposite or 2-4 hours away from Rx doses. Herbs can be made into teas/decoctions and blended into wet food; the contents of capsules can be sprinkled onto food as well.

 

[danteshuman]

I’m happy to hear you are keeping him. If the blue buffalo chicken (that was recommended) in a week or two next I would try making my own cat food with just one protein source (beef) and eliminating all common allergens (corn,peas etc.).Then if his tummy got better I would continue feeding him the beef homemade food but also look for a limited ingredient beef wet food. * if this works then you have a kitten with food allergies. We can help! It is a long slow process. First you find a food they are OK with, then every other month you give them a very small amount of what you think they might be allergic to (chicken, wheat, peas, corn, duck, fish.) You record how Lambchop responds and read EVERY ingredient in every label.

Once you have him balanced out on homemade you can try to find a wet food he can eat to make it easier on you. Then give him half of one serving for one meal one day and wait 47 hours to see if it effects him. If not slowly add in more 1/2 meals until he can safely eat the canned for 2 weeks with no sypthoms.

 

[danteshuman]

* because he is a kitten I would try to get him balanced out on wet food first (feed him 4-6times a day) and then try to find a Limited Ingredient Diet (L.I.D.) dry food he can eat. If/when you do I would keep him on it for the next 6-12 months to let him grow up and test him to find out what else he is allergic to.

You can try adding white rice (or Ferber unflavored baby rice cereal) to his food to help stop him up with his diarrhea problem. You can also talk to your vet about a kitty ‘antihistamine’ for his allergies. If he isn’t allergic then something is really wrong and I would take him to vet. Honestly because I am worrier I would take him to vet anyway and ask to be shown how to give a saline IV (and what syrup to rub on his gums) plus an anti diarrhea medicine .... so if his runs get worse you can keep him hydrated & energized (& warm!) until you can rush him to the vet.


I’m rooting for you Lammy!