HELP! Administering SQ fluids onto a premature baby

Blueberries

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Hello everyone, first timer here..

Our 12 Month old Cat had babies prematurely 4 days ago..
5 Kittens out of which 1 was hairless stillborn, 3 others died one after another day by day, losing weight and becoming cold even when kept warm.

Mothercat neglected everyone from the beginning, was hyperventilating when with the small ones and had zero clue what she was supposed to do, and she probably didnt even have milk.
Now she is as good as ever though..

Only one kitty remains and so far he has been a real fighter.. he is very small, his head is as big as the head of my thumb. He has kept his warmth, and is occasionally quite mobile via crawling. He becomes KMR and is able to suckle the bottle. In my country there is no Corn Syrup so in the beginning he got Maple Syrup, now I have bought Dextrose powder to replace it (how much should I give? A few particles on a Q Tip and apply on tongue/gums?), we have also given him an electrolyte-glucose solution orally because he seems very dehydrated. Pinching the skin on the scruff produces a 'tent' so to speak. After several days of administering this solution orally via a dropper, has yet to prove an effect... I have now ordered Ringers Solutions aswell as Ringer Lactate and it should arrive within the hour! I also have syringes and 22G needles. What dosis (mL pro gram etc.) especially interests me, and should I use Ringers Lactate or normal Ringers?

Never done this before, so please any kind of tips and hints would be more than welcome!
 
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Blueberries

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To add: Mothercat is not able to help the leftover baby.

Which areas should be punctured with SQ? Under the skin of the scruff for sure I imagine
 

Sarthur2

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Oh, my goodness! With such a tiny baby I think administering sub-q fluids could be dangerous; possibly lethal. I would not do this at his age. Instead, he probably needs tube feeding. That can also be risky to insert, so my suggestion is to consult an experienced vet. The tube goes directly into the stomach so you can get more into him than he is able to suckle.

Perhaps you could try feeding with a syringe. Usually with such a tiny baby, you feed 1/2 to 1 mL every hour. How much does the kitten weigh? The amount of milk he needs depends on his weight.

Please post a picture of the kitten. How old is he?

Also, do you plan to spay your cat now to end the breeding?
 
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Blueberries

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Cat will be spayed. Kitten weighs around 90 grams.
 

Sarthur2

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The kitten needs a minimum of 24 mLs of formula each 24 hours. 90 grams is a full-term kitten birth weight for a runt of the litter. I suggest that you begin feeding 1mL every hour with a syringe. The kitten should begin to gain 6-10 grams or more per day, and soon you would be able to feed more mLs every 2 hours. You want to aim for 1/2 ounce of weight gain or more per week, if possible.
 
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Blueberries

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He is 5 days old. He is feeding off the bottle like a champion though. Feeding is not really an issue, and we are doing it as you described. Its just that keeping him hydrated for whatever reason seems impossible... 😔
 
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His last urination was more pale yellow than clear
 

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How many mLs is he drinking each 24 hours? Pale yellow urine is okay.
 

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Aww! He is tiny, but precious! :redheartpump:

Try to get a few more mLs into him if you can. Just take care that he does not aspirate milk into his lungs.

Are you feeding through the night?
 
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Blueberries

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Aww! He is tiny, but precious! :redheartpump:

Try to get a few more mLs into him if you can. Just take care that he does not aspirate milk into his lungs.

Are you feeding through the night?
Yes, I set alarms on my phone to wake up in the night to feed him
 
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Blueberries

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I will continue with the Electrolyte-Glucose solution in tandem with feeding KMR.

Whatabout the Dextrose?
 

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You can actually mix the KMR powder with electrolyte solution instead of water. That way he gets both together.

I don’t think you need the dextrose if you are already using an electrolyte solution with glucose. Dextrose and glucose are basically the same thing. :)
 
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Blueberries

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You can actually mix the KMR powder with electrolyte solution instead of water. That way he gets both together.

I don’t think you need the dextrose if you are already using an electrolyte solution with glucose. Dextrose and glucose are basically the same thing. :)
Thank you for your tips! I imagined that too =)

I am just very concerned about his flabby skin, especially the 'tent' on his shoulders after lifting it..
 

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If you get the right amounts of formula into him and he is gaining 6-10 grams or more daily he should be fine. Try not to over-think this.
 
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Blueberries

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Updating:

the poor little man still lives with 8 days of age, but he is sick..

He did reach a weight of 95 grams, but it dropped to 90grams and stayed there for another 24 hours.
We started hearing the ever-so-horrible clicking sounds coming out of his airways. He also breathed quite alot through his mouth when sleeping. Yesterday, on sunday we rushed to the emergency veterinarian. He got immediatly an injection of Vitamin B-Komplex, an antibiotic, a diluted kortison, and Ringer-Lactate. He also received Theophyllin (Bronchusenlargener) and Hexasolvon (Slimeloosener, also dilated), orally. Because of his small size and young age, administering of many drugs is obviously very problematic. Dosages were kept very small, between 0.01-0.05 ml/mg.
On the way back from the vet he seemed very lethargic and we were already coming to terms with his fate, but shortly after we arrived at home he started moving again and feeding. I am feeding him his RKM via a dropper now. The Bottles you get from Royal Canin are utter garbage, either the liquid comes pouring out or not at all! I really wish I had one of these ''Miracle-Nipples'' for the syringe, but you cannot buy that in my country, for whatever reason..

The vet gave us a few shots to take home, and we keep administering them to him till wednesday (Hexasolvon, Theophyllin, Prednisolon (the Kortison) orally, and the Antibiotic via Injektion (SQ).
The mouth-breathing has completely stopped, and the Hexasolvon keeps the clicking sounds (which originate from the slime in his airways) at a minimum for now.
Any slime he gets pushed out of his respiratory system we swab out of his cheeks with a QTip, incase he wont swallow it into his stomach.

He still has problems gaining weight, and I hope we are not just shortly delaying the inevitable. The little warrior has come so far already, and just doesn't want to let go. He'd really deserve a life in my opinion. I am staying the week home, and the poor little soul is under constant care.
 
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I would still be very grateful if anyone could share their recipe for a Dextrose-Tincture!

I'll keep you guys updated...
 
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Also to add to previously, I mean Diluted obviously and not Dilated when talking about the pharma >_<*
 

Sarthur2

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Wow! Your vet did everything right. Good thing you rushed him in. He had clearly aspirated milk into his lungs, which can be the kiss of death. Poor baby, that was painful.

Good that you are staying home with him all week. He needs you now more than ever. At 90 grams and with continued proper med dosing, he should be able to pull through this.

The dropper will allow you to control the milk drops. I think I had mentioned earlier switching to a syringe for the same reason. Just go slow, even if it takes twice as long to feed him. When he gets bigger, he will no longer aspirate, but that’s a few hundred grams away for now.

Hang in there and keep us posted on this little fighter! I am rooting for both of you! :)

P.S. What country are you in?
 
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