A very sick little kitten :( - please help me

[calvin&i]

Is there a different vet you can take him to?
Hobbes came from an overcrowded shelter and the stress of the move to our home gave him severe URI. We bought a humidifier and had it running in his room and our vet prescribed him zithromax,va pretty strong antibiotic. From what I gather, it is a potent antibiotic for kitty URIs. He was prescribed the antibiotic for 10 days. The humidifier was a great help for him though and I would strongly recommend that. Also we were slightly warming up hobbes's wet food since he was not eating much as he was congested and was not getting the smell of the food and warming helps to enhance the smell.

 

[mrblanche]

Originally Posted by stevie_rae

i'm worried

argh, i just want my little kitten to be healthy!

They can really look rough, and still pull through!

This is our little foster, ZZ. We were really concerned when I brought him home. But he's much better now.

 

[fifi1puss]

I agree with getting a humidifier for him and run it all the time. The antib's are to get rid of the infection but doesn't necessarily help clear symptoms as quickly as they need to be. Having a humid environment will help. Also get a baby nose syringe. People use it to suck the gunk out of babies noses and it works on cats as well. Some of the chain stores carry them for cats specifically too, like petsmart or petco.

I think it is definately a good sign that as soon as he was getting normal regular feedings the poops got looking healthier. Also, don't worry about him eating too much...i think at this point he can eat what he wants. I think its great you are letting him eat at such regular intervals also. Being 5 weeks old is such a young age and they really need such TLC.


When my Fiona gets URI's the dr puts her on Clavamox and it always clears things for her. I wonder if that may be a med you can pose to your vet next time you see them? It may be resistant to certain anti-b's and it may take a while to clear. Fiona was on a two week treatment last time she got sick so i wonder why they only want you to do 7 days? Maybe because he is so young? Something also to ask about. Just don't say you heard it from the internet...they really hate that.

This may sound silly also but it makes them feel better so I do it....I rub her forehead and up and down her nose and right under her eyes...all the sinus areas that hurt on us when we get sinus infections. It soothes her when I do this and also helps to shift some things. She sometime will do some sneezes afterward or i'll get a tissue and wipe her nose a little. Sounds strange but they seem to like it.

 

[teamcarp33]

Our local animal shelter has been undergoing a change from a high kill to very low-kill shelter for the past 6 months. I volunteer a lot, and have seen many many very sick kittens there. I foster a lot too, and have treated many at home (with help from the vet of course). With these shelter made URI, it can be several different pathogens at once, and can be slightly different (and more antibiotic resistent) strains than are usually seen by a normal, "non-shelter" vet. Here is what I have done, mostly with very good success. Start with Clavamox, 2 x per day. If it doesn't start to help significantly in 3ish days, back to the vet. Switch to Azithromycin/Zithromax 1 x per day. For the eyes and nose, wipe away mucus with a warm cloth. If you have to pick boogers with you fingers, do it. They need their noses to be clean so they can breathe/smell food. Before removing any crusty ones, make sure to soak it with the warm cloth for a few minutes. Otherwise, their sensitive noses will get raw and very sore. My vet prescribes Gentamycin antibiotic drops for eyes/nose. It can also help to put a few drops of sterile saline in the nose and eyes. Do the nose treatment about 3 x per day. Terramycin ointment is gold in a tube! And it can be bought over the counter, at Tractor Supply etc. That is best used when the eyes have lots of green/yellow mucus. It treats bacterial infection, so it won't do much for wateryness caused by a virus. A humidifier running at night helps. Perhaps most important is to make sure they keep eating! Chicken baby food has pulled several kittens through rough times at my house. I call it "kitty crack", especially if you mix in a tiny bit of water, and warm it for a few seconds in the microwave. Don't give up- kittens can be very resilient!

 

[teamcarp33]

Oh, and I just saw your picture- so cute! He actually doesn't look nearly as sick as many I have seen make it. With the care your giving, I bet he will come through it just fine!

 

[ldg]

I think the OP lives in the UK, but hopefully those medicines will be available.

Vibes for your baby!

 

[stevie_rae]

thanks for all the advice!

this is his 2nd day of being congested - but he is still eating and playing about once a day. its friday night at the moment, i'm going to ring the vet tomorrow and ask if i can be seen by somebody else.

the clavamox seems to be doing nothing and i don't know why

because he is so small he is on .2ml a day, twice a day. he started taking them before he even got sick, and now we are at the end of the cycle and he has a severe URI.
i was also prescribed bisolvon - 1/4 of a tablet per day.
he has not gotten any worse since yesterday, but definitely no better. he is still just as congested, and maybe his eyes are a little bit better, but he is breathing entirely through his mouth - he tries to sniff through his nose but fails.

i will definitely ask about changing antibiotics - i really hope he pulls through.

i live in australia by the way and i will keep you all updated

 

[farleyv]

He is a little fighter. You are such an attentive person to this little one.

As always, in my prayers.

 

[stephanietx]

Are you steaming him in the bathroom? If not, that will really help with the congestion. If you can find one, get a vaporizer to put where he spends most of his time and run it 24/7.

Also, look for L-Lysine tablets at the health/supplement store, 500mg. Crush one and give it to him twice a day. The lysine will help his immune system.

 

[stevie_rae]

just got back from the vet. apparently he should've had his antibiotics switched days ago (stupid vet from 2 days ago did not do this). so he is now on vibravet. does anyone know much about this medication?
if there is no improvement i am meant to bring him back monday (its saturday)

 

[calvin&i]

Originally Posted by stevie_rae

just got back from the vet. apparently he should've had his antibiotics switched days ago (stupid vet from 2 days ago did not do this). so he is now on vibravet. does anyone know much about this medication?
if there is no improvement i am meant to bring him back monday (its saturday)

I am glad that the meds have been sorted out and the little one, am sure, will benefit from it.
I know this has been brought up a few times, but I wanted to reiterate this once more: please have a humidifier running or do some steaming in the shower with your kitty, if you have not. Antibiotics take time but the little one will suffer till them and vapors really help with congestion, as those of us with experience with URIs have experienced. Wish you and your kitty the best.

 

[stevie_rae]

i have a vaporiser constantly on, and take him into a steamy bathroom with me often but to be honest it doesn't seem to be doing anything

 

[stevie_rae]

hi guys - just a quick update.
his congestion has really started to clear up

however, his eyes are getting worse and one is constantly shut. i did get eye cream today which i hope will make a huge difference over the next few days
main concern we are looking at now is if it turns into pneumonia but apparently his lungs don't sound too bad

you have all been so amazing with support, and i hope i have good news to share to you in about a weeks time!

 

[farleyv]

Oh good news!

Sometimes its a long fight....but then the clouds start to clear.

I hope he keeps improving. He is a fighter and so are you!

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by farleyv

Oh good news!

Sometimes its a long fight....but then the clouds start to clear.

I hope he keeps improving. He is a fighter and so are you!

Oh I hope he's turned the corner!!!!!

 

[jennyr]

Good luck for him, htat he continues to improve.

 

[hissy]

Just for your information- at a recent AVMA conference there was a seminar done on the shelter cats and the URI that are so prevalent in overcrowded (and stressful) conditions. They narrowed the culprit down not to the calicivirus or feline herpesvirus or even the cat flu- but a bacterial microbe that the cats pass easily one to the other. Doxycycline cures this bacterial infection the study goes on to prove. Might talk to your vet and give that a try. Clavamox isn't as strong as Doxy so that might be the turning point for you.

On the L-Lysine if you can get it in Australia be sure it is the pure form- no propylene glycol in it- nasty stuff they use it to make anti-freeze.

 

[mrblanche]

Originally Posted by hissy

On the L-Lysine if you can get it in Australia be sure it is the pure form- no propylene glycol in it- nasty stuff they use it to make anti-freeze.

The toxic form of antifreeze is ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol is used in the enviro-friendly, non-toxic version. While I wouldn't want to feed it to a cat, which can be pretty sensitive to such things, it has been tested and is considered "generally non-toxic" in small doses.

It's in all sorts of places, including a lot of medicines that aren't water soluable. It's also in Angostura bitters...if you like margaritas!

 

[stevie_rae]

hi guys,

nox finished his last dose of doxy last night. took him to the vet this morning and everything looks great

he is very happy with his progress and thinks he is now at 100%. he is on no medication or eye cream anymore, and is playing and eating all day

hopefully being off the antibiotics doesnt cause it to flare up again, but it looks like he has beat it!

thank you for all your support and wonderful ideas - you really helped with the process

 

[stephanietx]

What a wonderful update!!