had to rush kitten to the vet

[frankthetank]

I have three orphaned baby kittens in my care, they are going to be about 4 weeks old this week. We have been bottle feeding them since we got them when they were almost 2 weeks old.
We had went from pre-mix liquid formula, to powder formula but the powder formula seemed to constipate the kittens so we switched back to the liquid. One of the kittens was still having trouble pooping. When stimulated he would just cry and squirm. His bottom got very raw and red from so much stimulation and after about 10 minutes he would finally be able to push out some poop but it was very very hard and he struggled a lot with it. Saturday we bought some clear karo syrup to add to his bottle to try and help with that but it didn't seem to do much.
Sunday morning I went in to feed the kittens around 6am and the other two walked up to me and begged for food and just crawled all over me like normal but the all grey kitten wouldn't come to me. He wouldn't wake up. I had to pick him up to get him to come eat, but thought maybe he was just sleepy. We went back to feed them a few hours later and he was doing the same thing. He still ate but was barely getting up to do anything and would eat about 1/2 his normal amount.
Our vet is in a pet store, and is open 7 days a week luckily. They also take walk ins, so I rushed him there. They checked his lungs for fluid and said with bottle fed kittens pneumonia is common from the milk getting into their lungs, but his lungs sounded clear and he had no blockage in his intestines stopping him from pooping. There wasn't a clear sign of anything being wrong with him, but after my telling him that he started his life outside they thought that the best course of action was to deworm him. I was a little nervous bc he is so small (only 15 ounces) and so young (3.5weeks) but they said that they could safely deworm him. They also gave me some medicine to give him for a couple days to hopefully help him have regular bowel movements.
This morning he is actually greeting me when I enter the closet (the kittens are set up in my walk in closet w/ a baby gate in the door so they have lots of room to play/sleep and a litter box (which they are using so well!!! They all 3 pee in the litter box on their own, and 2 of them are pooping on their own!!)
I am trying to decide if I should take the other two kittens to be dewormed or wait until they are 6 weeks old like I planned. I don't want them to get as sick as the little grey one did but I still don't feel super comfortable with taking them all out of the house until they are a little older.

 

[StefanZ]

Wonderful the kitten is better! Good you went to the vet.

The favorite dewormer for kittens here in Sweden, specialized on taking the roundworms, common for ferale born kittens and moms kittens from moms allowed to go out - is Banminth. And Banminth is supposed to be OK from 2 weeks already. It is also known as being mild to the stomach. Perhaps the solution-paste is mild.
The active substance is Pyrantel.

So I presume other Pyrantel- preparates are also OK. Although perhaps not all have the mild solution as is in Banminth.

Do ask your vet, especially as you have easy access to him.

Im not sure you must have the kittens with you, it may perhaps be enough you ask which preparat he is recommending (and I presume it will be some Pyrantel-preparat). I mean, they are healthy, telephone prescription is common enough in such cases.
Unless you do want to have them check up - may be a good idea.

Good luck!

 

[frankthetank]

I may have to go back tomorrow

The kitten was doing better last night and this mornings feeding went well, he had more energy then yesterday. But the second feeding of the day is going poorly. The other two kittens are playing and eating just fine. This poor boy is having trouble though. When I went into the closet he greeted me like he and the other cats normally do, getting up, making little kitten crying and climbing all over me to get to the bottle. But he only ate for a second, and then wouldn't take it. He just pushed the bottle around his mouth awhile. I was able to squeeze some drops on his lips which he licked off, but he woudln't latch on to the bottle otherwise. I know he must be hungry, it was about 4 hours since the last feeding. I did give him a dose of his medicine not sure if it upsets his tummy or not. After his medicine I was able to stimulate him to poop~a very very runny light yellow one, and he cried and howled as it came out. After that he seemed exhausted and just wanted to sleep. I am keeping a very close eye on him and plan to try feeding him again shortly.

Please send for my little grey kitten! He needs it, I am worried. The vet yesterday said to give it until Tuesday, and if he is still lethargic (it will have been 2 days at that point) to bring him back in and we can try to figure out other causes. I am hoping he is just tired as the dewormer takes effect...I had another kitty last summer get really sick, needed force fed, and once he was dewormed within two days was okay so I am hoping this is the case here.

 

[StefanZ]

If he eats, but only little at a time, there is nothing holy with this 4 hours between. Give him every two hours, or even every hour, if it is possibly for you.

4 hours in between is a practical compromise, NOT what they would wish.

There are some "speed up" gimmicks, so he will have more strengh to eat.

One classical used in USA, is some white Karo syrup on the roof of the mouth, or around the teeth.
Honey is of course as good.

As you are used to forcefeed, it may be useful to forcefeed some water with extras. Giving both water and some energy.
You can use honey or this white Karo. Although dextrose ("grape sugar") is even better.
In emergency plain sugar can also be used. I have seen it in recipes of knowleable people, so it is workable, although dextrose or honey is better and gives effect almost immediately.

A very basic recipe may be:
1 - 2 soup spoons of dextrose, 1 tea spoon of kitchen-salt. 1 litre of water.
You will perhaps use the 2 spoons variation as you want to give extra energy.
Cook up and stir. Let it cool down, to body temperature.

Use. Dont spare too long, better to make anew.

This is no hokus pokus, this solution is used in many situations also for humans, for example for vomiting, feverish children.

Good you are asking the vet again!

Good luck to you and Grey!