Advice?

[Sarthur2]

This is my biggest issue with pre-mixed - it causes diarrhea.

With powdered, you can mix it using unflavored pedialyte instead of water.

A 10-gram loss is not good. You have got to get formula into this kitten or it will die.

Can you use a syringe? She won't have to suck.

 

[kittens mom]

There are some excellent videos on Youtube on how to feed a kitten that refuses to suckle or eat. Toad we had to roll up a towel put her front feet on it scruff her little neck and put the food in her cheek a drop at a time it wasn't pretty of fun for either of us.
I sat eye level with her at the counter and just kept talking quietly about nothing then burped and cuddled. They have to eat it's not an option so you do what you have to do.
I used both canned and powder and had no issue with either but the powder is by far cheaper. KMR is the only brand anyone carries here.

 

[StefanZ]

Sometimes there is another method working: you use a little sponge, of the type used for make up. Drench it with kmr / goats milk. Kitten hopefully suckles, and you drop on more kmr with a dropper or syringe...

This works for some, better than bottle and easier than syringe. The drawback is its more difficult to count exactly how much they got every time. You must go by the eye count, and measure with a scale they add enough....

 

[kashmir64]

You can also mix the powder with goats milk. 1 part KMR to 3 parts goats milk. If you pour some into the bottle, then heat up, you can store the other part in the fridge for 24 hours. Once it's heated, you have to pour the unused out.

 

[kittens mom]

Sometimes there is another method working: you use a little sponge, of the type used for make up. Drench it with kmr / goats milk. Kitten hopefully suckles, and you drop on more kmr with a dropper or syringe...

This works for some, better than bottle and easier than syringe. The drawback is its more difficult to count exactly how much they got every time. You must go by the eye count, and measure with a scale they add enough....

The most useful video I watched was a man who said it loud and clear. If they don't eat they die.

 

[tiffr]

I am syringe feeding. I try the bottle first and then I use the syringe. I can make sure to get a certain amount each time. She eventually will refuse completely, but if there is a minimum I will get it in her. If she's 184 grams she needs 4.4 mls of formula right?

 

[tiffr]

Also, the diarrhea is not from the formula. She has had diarrhea before she was started on this formula.

 

[Sarthur2]

She needs 52mLs each 24 hours, divided by the number of feedings.

 

[tiffr]

Yeah. Okay that's 4.4. She definitely is a fighter. I just fed her, she sat through it with patience and didn't fight me too much. I feed her every two hours. So I'll feed her again I'm an hour and a half.

 

[Sarthur2]

Diarrhea is not normal. She may need Albon.

 

[tiffr]

She is on albon and panacur.

 

[tiffr]

When she went to the vet today, they prescribed those. I forgot to mention that.

 

[Sarthur2]

That's good.

 

[tiffr]

Okay, so I weighed her again and she seems to have lost 3 grams. So she's losing weight pretty fast. I am making sure she eats at least 4.4 mls. I just fed her and I was able to feed about 4.6 mls. So I'm hoping if I keep feeding her that, she will begin to grow. She definitely knows how to fight!

 

[tiffr]

That's good.

She's losing weight very quickly. She has lost 20 grams in 2 days. I am making sure she gets enough food. She just has diarrhea so much, everything comes right out. Is the powered formula more fattening? Or what can I do to increase her calorie intake?

 

[tiffr]

How long will it take for the albon and panacur to start working? I think once her diarrhea goes away, she will start feeling better.

 

[Sarthur2]

Powdered formula tends to cause constipation, which is always better than diarrhea.

As I mentioned before, it can also be mixed with unflavored pedialyte, which replaces the electrolytes that she is losing through diarrhea.

I would recommend that you get anti-diarrhea medicine too.

Something needs to change or she's not going to make it at this rate.

Panacur and albon should produce results in 3-5 days.

 

[tiffr]

I will try to get her something for the diarrhea. My foster coordinator thinks I'm over reacting (she hasn't seen the kitten) and so I don't know what to do. I will go get some powdered KMR and mix it with pedialyte.

 

[Sarthur2]

Concern for a week-old baby who has lost 20 grams in 2 days is appropriate.

I hope the powdered formula with pedialyte helps.

 

[tiffr]

Me too.