2 Week Old Bottle Baby Kittens: Constipation and Diarrhea

fostermommy212

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I am a foster for local rescue groups in my area and was asked last week to foster 2 kittens who are now between 2-3 weeks old. A few days ago the smaller of the two (the male) became constipated so I read thinning out the KMR might help him to go. It did but now the other kitten (the female) has diarrhea. I switched them both back to the regular formula but her diarrhea has been going on now almost 24 hours. She doesn't seem dehydrated and she's very alert and responsive but her crate is a mess between every feeding and she also goes while she's eating. Will this pass once her body adjusts back to the regular formula or is this something I should act on now? (Vet) Any advice is appreciated. 
 

StefanZ

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Exactly WHAT formula do you use, what brand?

im continiuing to write soon
 

StefanZ

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On that much diarrhea  using pedialyte is always good.  For example, to dilute the kmr with.  

Im pasting in an older post

PEDIALYTE

Pedialyte, continuation.  Exactly which you give, depends on what you do have at hand.    Ask your neigbours for help, if the shops are closed!!!

If bought, the best is some unflavored baby version.   But if flavored are the only one at hand, you can use them to begin with.

Of homemade,  do you have mineral salt and glucose sugar = dextrose?  These salt respective sugar source are the best

If  you havent,  common kitchen sugar, and white caro syrup, or even honey, are OK.    Even common white sugar works, but much slower.

One basic receipt, is

1 litre water.   1,5 tea spoons salt  1,5-2 soup spoons  sugar source...  A little baking soda= bikarbonat, if you have.   Boil up, let it be room temp again. Use.   Dont spare too long.

Another is,   take some rice,  boil it too long, more than in a food recipe.

Use the water, add some salt.

My favorite at this moment, is you take a bottle of a good minerale water.  They contain lotsa of different, good salts and electrolytes.

You let the gas out, and add some sugar source, about half soup spoon  in a 33 ml bottle.   Be sure the sugar gets  diluted in there as it shall.

And voilá, you do have an excellent home made pedialyte...

Make sure the pedialyte you give, is body warm.

Basic home made pedialyte is the main weapon against the great manslaughter  Cholera,  so dont underestimate this....
 

StefanZ

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Re constipation, it helps sometimes to dilute somewhat more the kmr, its true.

If you have an reliable brand of kmr, it may be instead better to give some few drops of water between the feedings.   As well hdrated helps often against constipation.

If it doenst helps, so one or two drops of some coldpressed olive or vegetable oil in the kmr, usually helps.

Sometimes a change to another brand of kmr, or to goat milk is what is good. 

Always so with an so so kmr brand, but in fact, sometimes even with an otherwise reliable brand...

Can you get hold of RAW goat milk?  Its is pricey if bought at shops of Natural Food, but its useful not least whith sensivitve stomach...
 
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fostermommy212

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Honestly I don't know. It's powdered KMR (unlabled) from the rescue. 
 

handsome kitty

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Call and ask what kind it is.  People have had problems with Hartz and Seargents brands.  You can also mix the powder with pedialyte instead of water.
 

StefanZ

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Honestly I don't know. It's powdered KMR (unlabled) from the rescue. 
There are several kmr sold as powder..  This made by PetAg,  labelled KMR  (capital letters), in powder, is normally the best of all kmrs, and most reliable.

There is also one kmr by Hartz in powder.  This is very uneven in their quality control!   Works for some, and works NOT for some.  Change to almost anything, if you are sure this is what you got.

And I know there are also other brands in powder...

Perhaps phone the rescue and ask which brand it is?

Goat milk is surprising reliable.  And RAW goat milk is even very good...
 
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fostermommy212

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I'd feel a little better buying something already made. I'd be a little nervous trying to make something like this for her. The regular unflavored Pedialyte from the store is safe to give her? How much should I mix in to her formula? I don't want to overdue it and make it worse.
 

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Store bought is fine.  I assume you would use the same amount as the water.  You can also give pedialyte between feeding if you still want to mix the KMR with water.
 
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fostermommy212

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I believe its all donated so they probably wouldn't know what brand it is. I am willing to purchase whatever is the best brand thou and try that. Please let me know what I should get and also, should I stick with the powder or try the already made?
 

StefanZ

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I'd feel a little better buying something already made. I'd be a little nervous trying to make something like this for her. The regular unflavored Pedialyte from the store is safe to give her? How much should I mix in to her formula? I don't want to overdue it and make it worse.
Yes, the unflavored sort from the store should be OK.  If there are several to choose among, take that for babies.

Use it simply instead of water to dilute the formula with, in the exact same receipt.    2 parts + 1 powder, is the common.  

Or you can have 1 part water, 1 part pedialyte, 1 part kmr...
 
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fostermommy212

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If I could give the Pedialyte between feedings rather than mixing it into the bottles I'd rather do that. Do I give the store bought brand to her straight or do I dilute with water?
 

StefanZ

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I believe its all donated so they probably wouldn't know what brand it is. I am willing to purchase whatever is the best brand thou and try that. Please let me know what I should get and also, should I stick with the powder or try the already made?
If you can get this by PetAg, called KMR, in powder, its the most reliable.   Their premade isnt as good, by far.  Why, I dont know, but its not.

Royal canine makes also a good brand of kmr formula...

Goat milk as said, works usually nicely.  Take some full fat.   The examples of goat milk I know about which wasnt good, depended on an inferior brand...
 
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fostermommy212

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Thank you very much. I'll update in a few hours. 
 

Sarthur2

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Powdered KMR by PetAg is best. Use clear pedialyte instead of water to mix it with. Many kittens experience diarrhea when first adjusting to formula.
 
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