I posted this in health and nutrition but I'm having trouble getting any replies so since the kittens are only six weeks I am putting it here too.
Okay, so the kittens turned six weeks this week. They are both still alive (knock wood) but out of the nine, only one other besides my two is surviving. General Mao, the smaller black kitten, is not gaining weight at the rate I'd like him to, but does still have a full belly and is eating and drinking. He also had some very soft stools and diarrhea and was lethargic.
I took him to my own vet and she suspected parasites, but he tested negative for everything- she prescribed a prophylactic dewormer anyway, and after one dose he produced a solid stool and seemed more energetic. A Giardia ELISA also turned up negative.
Monster, the grey tabby, seems (knock wood) fine. He is gaining weight and VERY playful! General Mao does not really play much, but sometimes bats at string or wrestles with his brother. Mostly he sleeps, begs for cheese, and washes himself.
All four of the most recent kittens to die had fluid in the abdomen on an X-ray. No other diagnostics for FIP were done such as tapping fluid or a biopsy of an organ or a necropsy, because the rescue cannot afford it.
Call me a crazy optimist, but I do NOT think that this is FIP- so many so young should not be dying from exposure to FIP! Most cats develop antibodies after exposure but do not develop infection, from what I have read. It should be closer to a one in ten chance of lethal infection after exposure, correct? This is what I've read.
So I've taken temporary custody and obtained permission to use my own vet for the kittens. I am treating them as mine until further notice- and if they make it to the right age, I may or may not adopt them out from home, but I certainly won't be returning them to a shelter situation or taking them to a pet store due to the stress it could cause. I have permission from my foster coordinator to keep them if they live and I want to keep them (I just miiight be getting attached...)
I need to know what else besides FIP could cause fluid in the abdomen. I am beginning to wonder if the kittens in the other foster home were exposed to something there, but she has fostered cats (though adults only) previously with no trouble. Their little immune systems were pretty down when we got them, though, so maybe something got to them that didn't affect healthy and less stressed adult cats? I have thought of parasite load getting so huge it caused fluid leakage from the intestines, but Mao tested negative for all parasites and Giardia. I'm starting to get a little crazy and think that maybe we have a new parasite that responds to the prophylactic dewormer but does not show up on a test!
I've also considered Feline Distemper, but they'd have either died or beaten it long before the last kitten of the six that died passed this weekend. Feline Panleukopenia is a possibility, but it doesn't seem to present with the same symptoms- the onset of illness with the four whose x-rays showed fluid on the abdomen was VERY rapid, with the latest one going from normal to gone in less than 24 hours. Both kittens tested negative for FIV and Fel-Leuk, though if they were exposed to it in the other foster home maybe? But not so many or so quick!
Does anyone have any ideas?
Please send good thoughts for my two babies. I still have pictures if anyone wants to see....
Okay, so the kittens turned six weeks this week. They are both still alive (knock wood) but out of the nine, only one other besides my two is surviving. General Mao, the smaller black kitten, is not gaining weight at the rate I'd like him to, but does still have a full belly and is eating and drinking. He also had some very soft stools and diarrhea and was lethargic.
I took him to my own vet and she suspected parasites, but he tested negative for everything- she prescribed a prophylactic dewormer anyway, and after one dose he produced a solid stool and seemed more energetic. A Giardia ELISA also turned up negative.
Monster, the grey tabby, seems (knock wood) fine. He is gaining weight and VERY playful! General Mao does not really play much, but sometimes bats at string or wrestles with his brother. Mostly he sleeps, begs for cheese, and washes himself.
All four of the most recent kittens to die had fluid in the abdomen on an X-ray. No other diagnostics for FIP were done such as tapping fluid or a biopsy of an organ or a necropsy, because the rescue cannot afford it.
Call me a crazy optimist, but I do NOT think that this is FIP- so many so young should not be dying from exposure to FIP! Most cats develop antibodies after exposure but do not develop infection, from what I have read. It should be closer to a one in ten chance of lethal infection after exposure, correct? This is what I've read.
So I've taken temporary custody and obtained permission to use my own vet for the kittens. I am treating them as mine until further notice- and if they make it to the right age, I may or may not adopt them out from home, but I certainly won't be returning them to a shelter situation or taking them to a pet store due to the stress it could cause. I have permission from my foster coordinator to keep them if they live and I want to keep them (I just miiight be getting attached...)
I need to know what else besides FIP could cause fluid in the abdomen. I am beginning to wonder if the kittens in the other foster home were exposed to something there, but she has fostered cats (though adults only) previously with no trouble. Their little immune systems were pretty down when we got them, though, so maybe something got to them that didn't affect healthy and less stressed adult cats? I have thought of parasite load getting so huge it caused fluid leakage from the intestines, but Mao tested negative for all parasites and Giardia. I'm starting to get a little crazy and think that maybe we have a new parasite that responds to the prophylactic dewormer but does not show up on a test!
I've also considered Feline Distemper, but they'd have either died or beaten it long before the last kitten of the six that died passed this weekend. Feline Panleukopenia is a possibility, but it doesn't seem to present with the same symptoms- the onset of illness with the four whose x-rays showed fluid on the abdomen was VERY rapid, with the latest one going from normal to gone in less than 24 hours. Both kittens tested negative for FIV and Fel-Leuk, though if they were exposed to it in the other foster home maybe? But not so many or so quick!
Does anyone have any ideas?
Please send good thoughts for my two babies. I still have pictures if anyone wants to see....