3 Month Old Lethargic Kitten not pooping

[hm12]

I picked up a 3 month old kitten from a local rescue. When I first got him 5 days ago he was very lethargic and tired and incredibly skinny, you can feel his spine and hips.
He did not eat but drank ALOT of water. I assumed it must've been stress so I left him alone. The next day he began sneezing and so I took him to the vet. The vet told me his weight was okay but that he needed to eat more and gave him an antibiotic shot and a pill for his fever.
Since then (it's been 3 days), I have been syringe feeding him a mixture of water and wet food. He has inflamed eyes, and clogged nose. And still refuses to move from his little shelter I built for him.
He is very tired and lethargic all the time. Refuses to eat anything but still drinks a lot of water and pees about 2-3 times a day. And has yet to poop! This has me very concerned. I am not sure what to do. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you! His stomach does not seem constipated he is still supper skinny.

Species: Feline Cat

Breed: Long/Medium Haired Domesticated

Age: 3 Months

Sex: Male/Neutered

Body Weight: 4 lbs

History: From rescue, was outdoor kitten ear clipped

Clinical Signs: Lethargy, Sneezing, Coughing, Not Pooping

Duration: 5 days

 

[Alldara]

What medications is he on?

He didn't eat on day 1, so we shouldnt expect a poo for day 2. Then he's had only a little food do you think? And watered down. So poo, if any would be small.

Is he peeing okay?

Does he let you massage his tummy? That can help things to move and then him to pass a poo.


Hmmm his hair seems really fine. If he's grooming, he may have lots of hair in his tummy making it hard to poo. Did he get a tummy x-ray?

Can you call and ask the vet if he's allowed to have a little bit of flavorless Mirilax/resorilax? You dissolve a little into water and add it to the food you feed. The vet will know the dose based on weight.

 

[hm12]

Thank you so much Alldara for your reply! I am going to call the vet today.

He didn't eat on day 1, he at a little bit of wet food on day 2, I force fed him a little bit (like a teaspoon amount) of wet food on days 3 and 4. Now I am syringe feeding him a high calorie gel/wet food and water.

He seems to have no issue with drinking water in fact he drinks it voluntarily and loves the fountain i bought for him. He lets me touch his tummy but I have not tried messaging it. He pees about 2-4 times a day with no issue.

His hair was falling out when we first got him from the shelter and they told us it was because of the stress.

Right now he is congested and still very lethargic. He is not on any meds and his vet gave him an antibiotic shot (that is supposed to last 2 weeks) and a inflammatory pill for his fever. He told to make sure he keeps drinking water. I have purchased a lysine supplement that I just started giving him with water.

I am not sure if he hasn't pooped because of the lack of food or if he is constipated. He is still extremely skinny with his spine protruding and his hip bones. And I am extremely worried for him, mainly because the lack of stools and his lack of movement. He prefers to hide in his little house and maybe twice a day comes out to take a stroll before going right back in.

Thank you again.

 

[Alldara]

So he is on medication since he has a long lasting shot. So you'll want to ask the vet what shot, and if constipation is a normal symptom.

Then you can search the shot on this website as well for a "panflit" on it. Animal Hospitals, Veterinarians & Emergency Vets | VCA Canada

if he only ate a tsp, I don't think you can expect a poo the next day either. He needs much more than that as a 4lb cat.

to help with the congestion you can try bringing him to the bathroom with a hot shower on (don't put him in the water, it's just to have him in a warm steamy room.

IS he sneezing and having mucus come out? If yes, what colour is it? Are any bumps forming on his head?

you can so take a damp q-tip (boil water and then let it cool). Dip the q-tip in the cooled water - can be warm but should not be hot. Then you can shake off any drops of water and then gently clean any crusts from around the nose to help him breathe better.

 

[Alldara]

Oh I want to add that having a little box or house for him is excellent. Even in a shelter setting, having one was shown to lower stress and promote healing. So definitely helps at your home too!

Since he's sick, he might not move much. Especially with congestion. Do you have any Churu or other tube treats? It's a great way to get calories and some extra nutrients in. I've also used Catit and temptations tube treats.

 

[hm12]

Wow thank you so much for the quick replies!! I am extremely grateful. I did not look up potential side effects of the shot! Nor did the vet inform me of any, the medicine was convenia and people on here seem to have a negative opinion of it however constipation is not a side effect of it.

He would not eat more than a teaspoon until I started force feeding him through a syringe. Perhaps i am overreacting and he has simply not had enough to eat?

He is sneezing, but not any visible mucus besides some dry crusts around his eyes and nose (yellowish in color). I will try the hot shower trick. I do have a humidifier as well do you know if it would be safe to run that near him 24/7? and thank you for the q-tip advice I will try that when he wakes up.

I have delectables, and another brand of treats. But he barely licks them before walking away. I've bought multiple types of canned wet foods and dry foods in an attempt to get him to eat but he does not seem to have any particular preference. He ate a bit of weruva when I first introduced him to it. But quickly stopped eating from it as well.

 

[hm12]

He already had a poor appetite before taking the shot. I think the convenia could have made it worse based on it possibly causing a loss of appetite and other people's experiences on here! I feel horrible for not checking before agreeing to the vet's decisions. I will try syringe feeding him more regularly.

 

[Alldara]

Wow thank you so much for the quick replies!! I am extremely grateful. I did not look up potential side effects of the shot! Nor did the vet inform me of any, the medicine was convenia and people on here seem to have a negative opinion of it however constipation is not a side effect of it.

He would not eat more than a teaspoon until I started force feeding him through a syringe. Perhaps i am overreacting and he has simply not had enough to eat?

He is sneezing, but not any visible mucus besides some dry crusts around his eyes and nose (yellowish in color). I will try the hot shower trick. I do have a humidifier as well do you know if it would be safe to run that near him 24/7? and thank you for the q-tip advice I will try that when he wakes up.

I have delectables, and another brand of treats. But he barely licks them before walking away. I've bought multiple types of canned wet foods and dry foods in an attempt to get him to eat but he does not seem to have any particular preference. He ate a bit of weruva when I first introduced him to it. But quickly stopped eating from it as well.

Personally, I am grateful to Convenia. It saved my cat's life twice. In Nobel's young years, I couldn't get him to take medication at all. It was so stressful and would make his UTIs worse. Having the shots meant he got his full antibiotics dosage. I never had issues.

Here's the panflit! He could also be lethargic from the shot as it's a side effect. So that's good to know. I always like to check the panflits of the medications to have some awareness of what to look out for.
Cefovecin | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals

You might notice him sneeze after the humidity. There might be globs of yellow or green if he has yellow crusts. But if there's any blood, do call your vet. He's already on antibiotics, so no need to call for green/yellow as one usually would.

You can start the humidifier and then see how he's feeling. Keep an eye on his respiratory rate before and after. If no changes, then I'm sure it's fine. You can get an app to help you track. I use this one: Pet Breath Counter - Apps on Google Play

If he's congested, he can't smell the food so he won't eat it. Hopefully he will come around to those foods and treats as treatment continues. I think you should expect a poo in the next 48 hours or so. Otherwise I would ask the vet re: Miralax or resorilax.

 

[Alldara]

He already had a poor appetite before taking the shot. I think the convenia could have made it worse based on it possibly causing a loss of appetite and other people's experiences on here! I feel horrible for not checking before agreeing to the vet's decisions. I will try syringe feeding him more regularly.

It could be Convenia. But you won't know until the congestion clears a bit. It's safe for many cats. Those that have a good to fine experience just tend not to be on the internet posting about it Keep that in mind when reading "reviews" on medications. It will always be heavily skewed to the negative.

Your vet weighed the pros and cons. Your cat wasn't eating much and the vet needed to ensure he got the antibiotics. Don't beat yourself up!

 

[hm12]

Thank you once again Alldara for all your help! I got him to eat some lickables after leaving him in the bathroom with the hot water on, and cleaning his nose! His eyes are still very inflamed but I am just happy that he eating and sniffing around the room a little bit more. Hopefully i can get a bowel movement going within the next day.

I've learned a lot today thanks to you! You have my deepest appreciation!!

 

[Alldara]

Thank you once again Alldara for all your help! I got him to eat some lickables after leaving him in the bathroom with the hot water on, and cleaning his nose! His eyes are still very inflamed but I am just happy that he eating and sniffing around the room a little bit more. Hopefully i can get a bowel movement going within the next day.

I've learned a lot today thanks to you! You have my deepest appreciation!!

Happy to help. Please keep us up to date. I'm rooting for you both!

 

[hm12]

So he has finally had his first bowel movement today!! Although they were very small pebbles, I am still so happy. He was instantly relieved and his energy is climbing exponentially as is his appetite. He won't eat from a bowl but will walk up to me and meow for me to syringe feed him or give him lickables. He is appetite and energy are climbing rather dramatically almost as if a switch was flipped! He still can't play at full speed or wrestle, but he is now exploring and isn't sleeping all the time. Thank you so much for your kind advice! Now all that's left is for him is to beat his virus and for him to gain weight! Thank you once again, me and my kitten are eternally grateful!!

 

[Alldara]

I'm so happy to hear that! He might begin to eat on his own if you move him to a raised bowl. Bending his head down can still cause pressure or uncomfortableness until he beats his cold.

He may also comfort feed with you, but hopefully you can begin coaxing a few bites from a raised bowl. I just use cardboard much of the time for this.

PS. We are always happy to see kitten photos on the site as well if/when you share. Hopefully you can just enjoy the sociability of this site now that he's doing well.

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi H hm12 and a very warm welcome to the forum !

So he has finally had his first bowel movement today.....they were very small pebbles...........

Small pebbles are a textbook symptom of constipation.

IF he were here, I could do (either/both)

• add some plain pumpkin/squash to the liquified food he's getting by syringe. Many cats are no 'fans' of pumpkin BUT, if it's introduced in a tiny quantity and that amount gradually increased over a couple of weeks until his stool becomes 'normal (segmented,sausage--shaped like), it's generally accepted
• add a small quantity of Miralax [without pumpkin, 1/4tsp/day ==== with pumpkin,1/8tsp/day] to the liquified syringed food until the stool normalizes

Meantime, I would also be presenting tiny quantities of wet foods on a small plate (better than bowls) to entice his return to normal eating, feeding himself.

And, meantime.............we'd love to see more pictures!!!
.

 

[IndyJones]

Have you tried a spoon or your fingers rather than a srynge?

I personaly have never really been comfortable with syring feeding because of the risk of it getting into their lungs.

I have a cool mist humidifire running 24/7 in my house mostly becauase of the dry air from the heater running. I don't think it affects cats at all other than if they interact directly with it (swatting it or biting the cord). I would not use a steam humidifire because of the burn risk or ultrasonic humidifires (diffusers) unless they don't have oils in them.

 

[Alldara]

.
Hi H hm12 and a very warm welcome to the forum !



Small pebbles are a textbook symptom of constipation.

IF he were here, I could do (either/both)

• add some plain pumpkin/squash to the liquified food he's getting by syringe. Many cats are no 'fans' of pumpkin BUT, if it's introduced in a tiny quantity and that amount gradually increased over a couple of weeks until his stool becomes 'normal (segmented,sausage--shaped like), it's generally accepted
• add a small quantity of Miralax [without pumpkin, 1/4tsp/day ==== with pumpkin,1/8tsp/day] to the liquified syringed food until the stool normalizes

Meantime, I would also be presenting tiny quantities of wet foods on a small plate (better than bowls) to entice his return to normal eating, feeding himself.

And, meantime.............we'd love to see more pictures!!!
.

Hey. OP's cat's stools are small from the lack of eating for a few days before treatment.

I wouldn't give pumpkin H hm12 without talking to the vet first. Nutrition to help him continue recovery is the priority. Give his poos a few days to bulk up on his own now that he's eating.

 

[white shadow]

.
Well, now, a "tiny quantity" of "plain pumpkin/squash" really won't upset the applecart/do any harm and......if the existing stool is dry, may help keep new stool hydrated.

The kitten "drank ALOT of water", gets syringe fed "a mixture of water and wet food", and "still drinks a lot of water and pees about 2-3 times a day"........clearly this kitten feels thirsty and, intuitively then, was dehydrated. The introduction of the wet food and his drinking was, IMO, what restarted his GI tract movement and finally pushed out what was 'stuck' in there.....some small dry "pebbles".

So..........we'll await more (and better!)
.

 

[mani]

I agree with A Alldara .. nutrition is definitely a priority, and adding things like pumpkin is not.
As alldara said, that kind of constipation happens when there's hardly any food going through the system.. eating nutritious food and keeping up the fluids are a good way to deal with this and, when in doubt, consult the vet.

You're doing a wonderful job with this little guy!

 

[hm12]

I agree with A Alldara .. nutrition is definitely a priority, and adding things like pumpkin is not.
As alldara said, that kind of constipation happens when there's hardly any food going through the system.. eating nutritious food and keeping up the fluids are a good way to deal with this and, when in doubt, consult the vet.

You're doing a wonderful job with this little guy!

Yes, I think Alldara was right. After a long day of him constantly bickering me to syringe feed him every 2 hours, he's had a healthy large bowel movement! He's exploring more but is still suffering from lethargicness and a horrible wet cough. He's on lysine and antibiotics and they are helping him immensely!

 

[hm12]

Have you tried a spoon or your fingers rather than a srynge?

I personaly have never really been comfortable with syring feeding because of the risk of it getting into their lungs.

I have a cool mist humidifire running 24/7 in my house mostly becauase of the dry air from the heater running. I don't think it affects cats at all other than if they interact directly with it (swatting it or biting the cord). I would not use a steam humidifire because of the burn risk or ultrasonic humidifires (diffusers) unless they don't have oils in them.

I've been feeding him with my fingers before I got the syringe. But it's alot harder to get him to eat doing that. His sense of smell isn't good and he prefers the syringe right now. I just wanted to get some food in him since he is so skinny.