4 week old kitten losing weight :(

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Sarah1807

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Hi! I want to keep this fairly short, but I desperately need someone to tell me what to do. I took in my brothers cat and her 2 kittens when they were just 2 days old. My brother wasn’t looking after them correctly and 2 kittens passed away. Just 2 left and I wasn’t prepared to let them die too.
Initially, they both seemed to be gaining weight. Little boy more than the girl, but we assumed it was normal.
long story short, at 3 weeks old (last week), little girl started losing weight. As previously advised by my usual vet, as little girl has lost some weight (she’d gone from 220 to 210) I gave her some milk from a syringe (she’d refused a bottle every time I tried her with one, and I’d tried lots of different ones.). She’d been quiet in the day and in the afternoon, became cold and her breathing seemed laboured.
I took her the emergency vets (it was a Sunday) and they gave me some “Kittystim” paste and said that although her hydration and temp is good, it’s hard to tell when they’re this little. She was 170g at the vets.
I’d weighed her at 200g the day before. The vet said that she might “just” have some congenital issues and that she might not survive. “Some kittens live, and some just don’t”. There must be something wrong as I can see her feeding from her mum, her mum is doing everything she can. But little girl just isn’t developing. I went home devastated.
She’s been to the vets and/or Ive phoned them for advice every day since.
she’s been on 1ml 3x per day of kittystim and some antibiotic drops as her left lung sounded a little noisy, the vet also said it sounded a lot smaller than the right.
1 week on, we’re still going with the kittystim and antibiotics, I’m syringe feeding her as much as I can (she’s managing no more than 8ml per day) but she’s feeding from mum. She’s now on 140g.
I don’t know what else to do. She hates having the medicine, it’s horrible and goopy. It would be worth it if she was improving, but she isn’t.
For the past 2 days, we’ve really struggled to get her medication down her, and she’s not wanting to take milk. She’s probably bad around 3ml per day (from me, she’s still feeding from her mum), max. She’s tired. She’s weak and she’s bony. All she’s doing
her mum is now losing interest in her.
I feel like I’m being unfair by “forcing” her to keep going. She hasn’t moved from her bed all day (apart from when I’ve gone in to her).
I don’t want to give up on her, but I need to say “enough is enough” at some point.
I need her to be happy and comfortable.
I’m so out of my depth, and just want the best for her.
As silly as it may sound, despite her not having a proper personality yet, I’m so attached to her. I love the little thing so much.
despite not being a cat person, I’d decided to keep her. She was going to be best friends with my dog, she was going to come on adventures with us 💔 I’m sure she recognises my voice, sometimes when I stroke her, she purrs.
Can anyone please offer any advice?
A large part of me thinks I need to let her go, but I need to know that I’m not giving up on her.
We’ve named her “Thumbelina” because she’s so tiny ❤
 

StefanZ

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what is kittystim, what stands on the label? If its supposed to be milk, you give very little.. S Sarah1807
Can you get raw goats milk?

What kmr are you giving?
continuing
 

StefanZ

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I write during the time you answer.

If she is still coldish, use also a heating pad. An IR-lamp is ideal, so she gets warm also when you are supplementing her.

Its good she nurse momma. But if she is really weak, the danger is big she cant nurse properly, and mainly does it for the pleasure. So essentially, do your best to take main charge for feeding. Momma is always most pleasant, so if she does nurses from momma, she will anyway get something from momma.

Kitty stim seems to be some sort of vitamin paste, its not real milk.
Are you also giving real kmr milk? Which brand?

The need for kmr / goats milk is roughly 8+ ml / 30 grammes body weight a day. If she is now 150 grammes, it gives 8x5 = at least 40 ml a day, or more if she wants.

This kitty stim and antibiotica doesnt seem to help much. IF she is verry reluctant to them, perhaps better to proceed just with kmr / goats milk...

Goats milk has btw the advantage, is natural, so some kittens prefer it over kmr... Or, if you can find, a kmr based on goats milk.
But give what she takes / prefers.

You can always add a little glucose sugar, in her fluids and or in her mouth.
Glucose sugar is difficult to get for consuments in USA, so most rescuers and vet assistants / vet tech uses white caro syrup.

Its typically a droplet on the gum under her lip... Gives quick energhy, as glucose sugar goes immediately into blood.... Repeat now and then.

do you use pulvered kmr alike KMR in powder? You can use instead of water to mix it out, some pedialyte. Use flavorless pedialyte for babies... This contains glucose, and thus gives some calories for free...

Does any of the vets you have contact with, is knowleable with tube feeding into stomach? IF so, THIS could be the trick.
Difficult and dangerous if new be, and you must have proper gears.
But correctly done by someone knowleable, it makes often things easier.
Many experienced rescuers do so by routine.
 
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Sarthur2

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It sounds to me like she may have inhaled milk into her lungs when you syringed her. This causes pneumonia and labored breathing. It can kill her and is probably why she is losing weight. That and she is not getting enough nutrition.

The antibiotics should help to clear her lungs. Which antibiotic were you given for her? What is the dosing instruction?

I would only give her antibiotics and actual kitten formula. Tube feeding right now would be ideal, but can be dangerous as well if the tube is not placed properly. You’d need a vet to do this.
 

StefanZ

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S Sarah1807 is the little one still with us? I saw you were online yesterday late evening, so you did surely saw the answers. I hope you did had some use of them... *hugging*
 
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Sarah1807

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Hi everyone. Thank you for your responses. My little one is now with a fantastic lady who has an incubator and access to medication, iv’s etc etc. She is starting to gain weight and is taking feeds ❤
 
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Sarah1807

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Hi, I just wanted to let you know that Thumbelina was put to sleep late last night.
She was diagnosed with a severe form of Pectus Excavatum and was untreatable. Our baby isn’t coming home, we are heartbroken.
 
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