1 week old kittens - Stray mom, kitten breathng rapidly and twitching

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #41

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
Just got some unflavored pedialyte and Fleet Pedia-lax. Is there a video that can show me how to give them a suppository? I know it needs to be very small but how to out it in if you cut a piece off?
Follow directions with the formula but you can use unflavored Pedialyte instead of water for dehydrated kittens. Better to contact a no-kill shelter to see if you can foster them with the shelter's support. Kittens with URI can crash fast and quick reaction time with treatments such as nebulizers and Clavamox can save them. Twitching while dreaming is normal. Hold the kitten next to your ear, do you hear any wheezing or clicking noises when they breathe?
They do have a bit of a click sort of noise sometimes when they breath out, but they have stopped sneezing for the most part.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
You shave a tiny piece of the glycerin suppository and gently push it in. It usually brings on a poop in 10-20 minutes.

A clicking sound can indicate pneumonia. Do they seem to be struggling to breathe?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #43

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
You shave a tiny piece of the glycerin suppository and gently push it in. It usually brings on a poop in 10-20 minutes.

A clicking sound can indicate pneumonia. Do they seem to be struggling to breathe?
Sometimes they "meow" but no sound comes out. They seem to breath pretty fast too. They seem to breath ok when they eat, like they don't gasp or try to get the bottle out of their mouth.

ALSO! We finally got them to poop! One had kinda like runny toothpastey poops, the other 2 had runny at first and then more and more solid as it came out. They pooped quite a bit each.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
Also I should add: the trick we used to get them to latch was watering the formula down less. Originally we used 1 tablespoon of powder per two table spoons of water. We are now using 1 tablespoon formula per 1 tablespoon water, with just a few extra drops of water so it's not too thick. I read that should help with dehydration because they will get more nutrients
This may help with more nutrients but dehydration will be even worse! Perhaps add a few droplets of water between the feedings, so they are still hungry but gets extra water.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #45

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
This may help with more nutrients but dehydration will be even worse! Perhaps add a few droplets of water between the feedings, so they are still hungry but gets extra water.
Okay will do! What if we do one feeding the thicker formula with pedialyte. Then the next feeding with the more diluted formula with 2 tbs water per 1tbs formula?

I ended up not needing to do the suppository, we got back from the store to buy pedialyte and tried one more time and they pooed a ton! Woo for that 😳
 

happykitty

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
200
Purraise
79
Location
Southeast USA
Sometimes they "meow" but no sound comes out. They seem to breath pretty fast too. They seem to breath ok when they eat, like they don't gasp or try to get the bottle out of their mouth.
The fact that they are eating is a good sign, it may just be congestion you are hearing but please do keep checking daily by holding the kittens side right up to your ear and listening for any worsening. Kittens can make rooting noises when they are hungry but this is a different sound. Good idea to have Clavamox on hand now in case you end up needing it.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #48

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
The fact that they are eating is a good sign, it may just be congestion you are hearing but please do keep checking daily by holding the kittens side right up to your ear and listening for any worsening. Kittens can make rooting noises when they are hungry but this is a different sound. Good idea to have Clavamox on hand now in case you end up needing it.
They are eating quite well now! They are purring all the time now too, sneezing still happens occasionally but the clicking sound is purring I'm pretty sure. At first we couldn't really tell but now that they are getting fatter and not so dehydrated it's much louder. They also don't have any eye discharge or nose discharge/goobers either. Except than when they sneeze, it's very clear, tiny miniscule droplets. They are up to 171, 172 grams, and the smaller one who is (still) kinda fussy about eating is 169 grams. All of them are much more active now, besides the smaller one. Kinda worried about him as he is reactive to touch but doesn't often start going wild and crying when we open the basket, like the others do. Others are crawling around a lot now and trying to climb their basket even.
I think the smaller one is going to be opening his eyes soon? I can't tell for sure but it looks like they are opening in the inner corners very very slightly? I'll see If I can grab a pic next feed time.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #49

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
As far as the clavamox, how much would I give them? Through their formula I'm guessing as well? I know they sell it in a liquid form.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #50

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
A little update- the small one isn't mewing anymore, refusing food/barely swallowing the dropper drips. Hes super lethargic as well. I don't expect him to make it through the day to be honest.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
A little update- the small one isn't mewing anymore, refusing food/barely swallowing the dropper drips. Hes super lethargic as well. I don't expect him to make it through the day to be honest.
Yeah sounds bad. Cease kmr, use just pedialyte or "sugar water".
Perhaps this may buy some time, or at least make the end easier...
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
Also you can smear a droplet of white caro syrup or honey on his gum. Gives some quick energhy
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #55

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
Vet appt tomorrow morning! He is taking 2 or 3 pulls from the bottle and being done instead of outright refusing. Maybe 1 or 2mls but that's it. Has to get syringe drips otherwise. Still lethargic 😕
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #57

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
So the pedialyte and sugar water helped him quite a bit. Hes still not liking to eat but we can get him to suckle and get 2 or 3 good pulls out. Also using the syringe to get an xtra ml or two in him. Hes mewing here and there now, especially if we take another kitten out of the basket. Also crawling around albeit kinda weakly, and hes purring again. I'm pretty sure I can keep him going until the vet visit. Hes still weighing low, 170-172 while the others are in the 180s high 175s. Seems to be gaining strength back I hope.

He also pooped earlier. It was pretty solid instead of the toothpastey stuff like last time, but it had started to come out of him by its self, as when I picked him up to stimulate a tiny bit was poking out his bum. Bad or good? Also there was an instance with the bigger one where we had him against my chest, petting his little head and back and he peed on me, no stimulation down there or anything.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #58

nels.mika

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Messages
40
Purraise
67
Honestly I'm wondering if they aren't older than we think, and that they were severely underweight when we found them? They were relatively active when we got them though so I'm not sure.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
T
Honestly I'm wondering if they aren't older than we think, and that they were severely underweight when we found them? They were relatively active when we got them though so I'm not sure.
Its certainly fully possible they are somewhat older but much undernourished.

Re the pedialyte instead of kmr or food. Its no remedy for all, although it works sometimes.

The main thing, with a dying kitten (or human) the digestion system stops working. So it helps no longer to feed them, the food just stays inside and rottens. So the only that works is pedialyte and sugar water. Easier to take yes, but also, the sugars are taken directly into the blood, without needing to be digested.
So it buys time at best, and they dont need to have the rottening food inside if the worst happens...

Here, Im very glad to hear he is better. This gives even some hope for survival...

Im not sure how to interpret he is peeing and pooing by himself... Its good the system works after all... But also, its a sign he is much sick. Severly sick humans are too often soiling themselves no?
So, I think its somewhat positive after all.

Just to fight on!:
Let him be warm, comfortable, have these fluids as much he takes, you do massage him with your forefinger, you do pray...

If prayers helps the sick one may be discussed, but praying helps YOU to endure, to find the strengh and patience....
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
It sounds like he was very constipated, and feels better now. So glad to hear he is eating. Kittens do sometimes pee and poop by themselves, which is okay, but you should still stimulate as it helps keep things moving.

The weights are in the range of 10-12 day old kittens. They should ideally gain about 4 ounces a week and weigh 8 ounces at 2 weeks and 16 ounces (one pound) at 4 weeks. They will begin cutting their baby teeth at 4 weeks old, and should gain a pound a month for the next few months.

So they sound on target, but he sounds like the runt who got dehydrated which resulted in constipation. He may have been getting pushed off nipples and when he didn’t get enough nutrition he became weak.

Keep working with him as you have been doing and you will hopefully save his life! Keep us posted! :)
 
Top