5 Day Old Kitten Not Pooping No Matter What

[Qu9ke]

OP: I started the oil last night after getting my kitten (born 4/20) dewormed. We are having adult-firm poos that are painful to pass, not enough, and we’re causing what looked like hemorrhoids/protruding rectum (that has stopped, but the area still swells at each elimination)

I’m curious how the oil is working for you?

Well, admittedly there have been times I forgot to add oil, but I’ve been doing better the past few feedings. I cannot tell however if it is working. I am currently using around 4 drops of canola oil per feeding, and she eats maybe on average around 10ml per feeding now before she has had enough. It is hard to tell though ever since I switched to a bottle instead of syringes. I have to to estimate more how much she is taking in than when I used syringes.

But anyways to answer your question I can’t tell if it is doing anything. I took the kitten for an enema at the vet yesterday where she pooped a lot. There is one site that says to serve like, 3 drops of oil per ounce of weight, but that to me seems like overkill. I dunno. My vet recommended miralax in cases when she won’t go after a couple days, and after 4-5 days the kitten can go there for enemas. If she has to get them regularly that is gonna blow my wallet sky high.

 

[Qu9ke]

OP: I started the oil last night after getting my kitten (born 4/20) dewormed. We are having adult-firm poos that are painful to pass, not enough, and we’re causing what looked like hemorrhoids/protruding rectum (that has stopped, but the area still swells at each elimination)

I’m curious how the oil is working for you?

And I am also glad that the protrusion has seemingly stopped! My kitten’s area bulges as well during stimulation.

 

[di and bob]

Look up 'Kittebn Lady" on teh internet. she has a VERY good video on how to stimulate babies. If the kitten is able to go with an enema, something is wrong with how it is being stimulated.

 

[Qu9ke]

Look up 'Kittebn Lady" on teh internet. she has a VERY good video on how to stimulate babies. If the kitten is able to go with an enema, something is wrong with how it is being stimulated.

She is where I pull a lot of my info from believe it or not. I have even watched videos of hers, including stimulation. I have tried multiple different approaches how to stimulate like on the kitten’s back, laying on her belly, rubbing in circular motions, rubbing in a licking motion like a mother cat, even using the “triangle method” where I use three fingers to massage the area which is suppose to work wonders. Nothing.

 

[Qu9ke]

Look up 'Kittebn Lady" on teh internet. she has a VERY good video on how to stimulate babies. If the kitten is able to go with an enema, something is wrong with how it is being stimulated.

I cannot see how I could possibly be leaving anything out except for one last thing... having her butt under the sink with warm water as I stimulate with a washcloth which is the something the vet suggested. It is frustrating when there is seemingly absolutely nothing that can tell me why the kitten will not go without being shot with a supersoaker designed for her butt.

 

[Qu9ke]

Look up 'Kittebn Lady" on teh internet. she has a VERY good video on how to stimulate babies. If the kitten is able to go with an enema, something is wrong with how it is being stimulated.

(Sorry for all the replies) but even the vet people down at the vet could not atimukate her to go poop either, it isn’t just me. They had to use an enema because they had seemingly no other option.

 

[di and bob]

No, that would be very frustrating,. You might go on facebook and see if there are any experienced 'kitten' people around taht could try it. She HAS to go on her own!

 

[catwoman707]

The oil works well and if it doesn't take care of the problem then an enema with 50/50 warm water and oil in a small 1.0 ml syringe no needle of course, insert the tip end in to butt and push the plunger. Within a day or so they will poop. If not repeat once.
It is very common for babies going from mom's milk to kmr to get constipated.
Beware of swelling/protruding rectum, this can become a much bigger issue.
Increase liquid intake.
8 mls of milk per ounce of weight per day is standard.

StefanZ good to read your advice! We know what works
Rubbing to stimulate will get baby a raw butt, then it will tighten up when pottying so it defeats the purpose.
Take the baby by the scruff in your left hand and turn hand over so baby is laying in your palm. Run warm water and put butt area under running water and tap with finger, watch how relaxed baby gets and potty flows right out and down the drain.

 

[Qu9ke]

The oil works well and if it doesn't take care of the problem then an enema with 50/50 warm water and oil in a small 1.0 ml syringe no needle of course, insert the tip end in to butt and push the plunger. Within a day or so they will poop. If not repeat once.
It is very common for babies going from mom's milk to kmr to get constipated.
Beware of swelling/protruding rectum, this can become a much bigger issue.
Increase liquid intake.
8 mls of milk per ounce of weight per day is standard.

StefanZ good to read your advice! We know what works
Rubbing to stimulate will get baby a raw butt, then it will tighten up when pottying so it defeats the purpose.
Take the baby by the scruff in your left hand and turn hand over so baby is laying in your palm. Run warm water and put butt area under running water and tap with finger, watch how relaxed baby gets and potty flows right out and down the drain.

The thing is though when I followed that rule of giving 8ml per oz of body weight my kitten wasn’t gaining enough weight like she out to, not even 7 grams a day. I had no choice but to start giving her however much she wanted. In fact, I have been following TheKittenLady’s feeding chart, and she does not even use that 8ml/oz rule from what I understand. And as far as pottying goes, she potties just fine. She had been pooping fairly regularly now as well, although it is very pasty right now. Going to the vet tomorrow morning just to see how she is doing.

 

[Qu9ke]

And to continue from my last post just now, my kitten eats on average maybe 12-14ml per feeding every 3 hours. She is 17 days old today and weighs 9.84 oz from when I weighed last night (I weigh her at 9PM). I was originally switching over to 4 hour intervals for feeding, but I noticed by doing so she has barely made the 7 gram per day minimum requirement in weight gain, so I am increasing the frequency to every 3 hours momentarily.

 

[StefanZ]

The 8ml / oz isnt no absolute rule. Its only to have somewhere to start the count with. I use to tell if they want more, give more. Its difficult to overfeed a kitten, but easy done to underfeed...

 

[StefanZ]

Im happy to hear she has started now to poop, and as result, also the appetite is better.

 

[Qu9ke]

Im happy to hear she has started now to poop, and as result, also the appetite is better.

Yeah. The 1/8 tsp of Miralax the vet recommended I give on Monday seemed to help her become more regular. Now I am wondering if her stool is too loose and pasty. Going to the vet tomorrow just as a precautionary measure. But her appetite was more or less always pretty good from what I remember minus one or two oddball instances when she ate less than expected, but I am thankful that it hasn’t gone down any overall during all this.

And I am glad I am not seemingly overfeeding her. I figured the 8ml/oz rule was more of a guideline than a strict rule to follow, but it is nice to know that is the case now. I genuinely believe that when I was following that rule strictly the first few days I had our kitten (her name’s Xena in case I haven’t already specified that) that I was actually underfeeding her. She meowed a lot more then. She has quite an appetite. Anyways thanks for the feedback, everyone! I’ll revisit here if I have further issues or of course if someone leaves further feedback.

 

[catwoman707]

Yes the 8 ml is a general guideline more for minimum requirements. It's surprising the number who think the baby will stop when it's full or gets squirmy and end up malnourished.
The key that overrides all of it is the daily weight gains.
Whatever the amt is that it takes for a daily gain of at least 8 grams, preferably more.