Kitten not gaining weight.

brianleezl

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Hi everyone, I’ve recently started fostering a newborn kitten which has been abandoned by her mom on my front porch for an unknown amount of time (11th August). We fed her kitten formula for a whole day before going to the vet the day after (12 Aug). Vet said she was fine, no visible diseases and at a weight of 80grams. We continued feeding her consistently 2ml every 2 hours. On the night of day2 she weighed in at 85g which we were very happy about. On 14th Aug, she weighed in at 80g which we were very worried about as almost every internet source mentions losing weight a bad thing. As the days went on until present day she has been maintaining 80-81g and not gaining any weight. We have tried challenging 3ml during feeding but that has not shown any significant changes on the scale. Many articles on the internet were stating that kittens should be gaining 7g/day.
During this time, we were also communicating with a different vet. He mentioned that kittens maintaining weight were of no concern, as well as “nobody weighs kittens everyday”. So far we felt like he’s been giving conflicting information.

I will be going to the vet again ASAP.

Can anyone advise ? Does my kitten have an underlying health issue such as Pneumonia, etc.? Or is this occurrence common?
 

Sarthur2

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Kittens this tiny should be gaining 5-6 grams per day ideally (or more), and daily weighing is essential. It is a good sign though that the kitten has not lost weight below the 80 grams.

Which brand formula are you using? Powdered or pre-mixed? Are you mixing the proper amount of formula to water?

Is the kitten peeing regularly? Is the urine dark, yellow, or mostly clear?

Are you feeding through the night?

Are you feeding with a syringe, Miracle Nipples, or regular nipples?

It sounds like the vet you spoke with is not very experienced with tiny kittens.

brianleezl brianleezl
 
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brianleezl

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Hi thanks for the response.
1. I’m using a goat milk based kitty formula. I’m following the guide of 2teaspoons of formula/10ml.

2. Kitten is peeing regularly every time during stimulation. Color is mostly clear.

3.Yeap I’m feeding throughout the night every 2 hours

4. No miracle nipple but with just a blunt 1ml syringe.
 

Sarthur2

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What is the name brand of the formula?

Try feeding 3mLs at each feeding. The kitten sounds well hydrated and likely just needs more nutrition to grow. However, be aware the kitten may take more at some feedings and less at others.

Here is a helpful video:
Syringe Feeding — Kitten Lady

Please keep us posted!

brianleezl brianleezl
 
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brianleezl

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The formula is from Petsmore. You can find a link to the product here: https://www.petsmore.com/petido-goat-milk-250g.html

I've been trying to feed 3mLs for each feeding but most times I'm only successful until 2-2.5mL before it looks like she's lost interest or falls asleep lol. As of this post, she currently weighs ~83g at 6 days old. Sure it's a small improvement, but the worry wort I am has so many questions and concerns about her current behaviour.

Some things I've observed in the past ~2 days were that:

1. She rarely meows and even when she does it's at a very low volume almost like a squeak ? Is this a bad thing? Or does this just mean that she's content?

2. She's not consistent with her enthusiasm for feeding. There are times she would feed and suck on the syringe rapidly and there are times when she would take sips before turning her head away before I have to prompt her again. What does this mean? Would this mean that she's full and is rejecting to feed (Even when I'm only on the second mL of her feed)? Or is that a symptom to a medical condition that I should be aware of?

3. Should I really be microwaving Kitten Formula? There are a lot of conflicting results on Google stating that we should never microwave kitten formula due to heat spots and depleting nutrients in the formula as well as some websites stating that it is Okay to microwave formula as an alternative to the hot water method. Kitten Lady on Youtube who seems like a credible source of info regarding kitten care also uses the microwave. (Source: ) Is there any definitive information on what's the best way? I have been using the microwave to reheat in my past few feedings.

I'll be heading to visit another Vet tomorrow to check up on her as (Lily) my kitten is just about approaching 1 week old.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.
 

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1. It means she’s content!

2. It’s perfectly normal that she wants more at some feedings than others. Give her as much as she wants, but never force feed.

3. Microwaving is okay, but always test the formula on your wrist. Kitten Lady is nationally known. She’s on Instagram and FB. She heats a bowl of water to keep her formula warm when she feeds a litter.

Are you stimulating your kitten to poop? Are her poops normal?

The little extra you’re feeding seems to have helped her to gain 3 grams! Hurray!

Keep us posted and we’d love a picture of her!
 

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I looked at the link for your goat milk powder and do not see taurine listed as an ingredient. Kittens need taurine for brain development.

What country are you in? Can you get PetAg powdered kitten formula, or Royal Canin powdered kitten formula?

You may want to try one of these. Though goat milk is okay for kittens as an alternative, PetAg and Royal Canin are excellent and contain taurine.
 

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Your goat powder has fat at 10, while PetAg is at 18. Your powder has protein at 22, while PetAg is at 33. Kittens need fat and protein, as well as taurine. She might gain weight better on PetAg or Royal Canin.
 
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brianleezl

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Yeah, I’ve previously tried stimulating her after feeding but recently switched it up to before she feeds in hopes of promoting her appetite. Are there any real differences ? Or should I be stimulating before and after ?

About her pooping, most of the times I would find she has already pooped on her own when I check up on her. Her poop seems to consistently look like mustard with a “pastey” texture (?).
Here’s a picture of her today! and also a picture of her poop if you don’t mind…




1. It means she’s content!

2. It’s perfectly normal that she wants more at some feedings than others. Give her as much as she wants, but never force feed.

3. Microwaving is okay, but always test the formula on your wrist. Kitten Lady is nationally known. She’s on Instagram and FB. She heats a bowl of water to keep her formula warm when she feeds a litter.

Are you stimulating your kitten to poop? Are her poops normal?

The little extra you’re feeding seems to have helped her to gain 3 grams! Hurray!

Keep us posted and we’d love a picture of her!
6DCBD609-A648-4D84-86EE-461A04AB89B2.jpeg
 

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brianleezl

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Your goat powder has fat at 10, while PetAg is at 18. Your powder has protein at 22, while PetAg is at 33. Kittens need fat and protein, as well as taurine. She might gain weight better on PetAg or Royal Canin.
Thanks for the suggestion and heads up. I really appreciate it. I will bring it up with the vet when I see her tomorrow. I will try finding those specific brands or anything else with similar/better nutritional values.
 

Sarthur2

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What a little doll baby! :loveeyes:

Her poops are purr-fectly normal.

I do not think you need to see a vet. I think she may need more fat and protein and will begin to grow more given time.

You can stimulate her both before and after meals.

You are doing an excellent job with her care!
 
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brianleezl

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Hey everyone,
My 11 day old kitten hasn’t pooped in almost 48 hours. We believe she has constipation. She has also started to reject drinking formula milk in the last few feedings. It’s even getting tough for her to drink the first mL :(. We’ve tried massaging her belly, diluting her kitty formula with extra water and stimulating her anal area with a damp tissue but nothing seems to be working.
Is there anything I can do? Do I still keep trying to feed her every two hours ? Will she finally poop in her own time or is that entirely dependent on me to stimulate her.
She has pooped independently in the past.

please help!
 
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brianleezl

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Hey everyone,
My 11 day old kitten hasn’t pooped in almost 48 hours. We believe she has constipation. She has also started to reject drinking formula milk in the last few feedings. It’s even getting tough for her to drink the first mL :(. We’ve tried massaging her belly, diluting her kitty formula with extra water and stimulating her anal area with a damp tissue but nothing seems to be working.
Is there anything I can do? Do I still keep trying to feed her every two hours ? Will she finally poop in her own time or is that entirely dependent on me to stimulate her.
She has pooped independently in the past.

please help!
Some info maybe worth including : Our vet previously advised us to include a small glucose solution within our milk since she showed signs of low blood sugar. She takes it once every 12 hours.
 

Sarthur2

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Begin adding 2-3 drops of olive oil to each feeding. This will soften her stool and keep it moving. Do not dilute her formula with extra water. You can replace the water with unflavored Pedialyte.

Buy a jar of infant glycerin suppositories and shave off a tiny, kitten-sized piece with a point, and insert it into her anus. This will usually bring on a poop in 20 minutes. Stimulate her bottom gently with a warm, damp, soft cloth after 10 minutes and again 10 minutes later.

Once she is no longer constipated she should feel hungry again. If she does not poop after the glycerin she will need an enema from the vet. It’s not unusual for formula fed kittens to become constipated.

Let us know how this goes, and do not force feed her in the meantime.

brianleezl brianleezl
 
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brianleezl

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Hi ! Just as an update: My kitten hasn't pooped for over 6 days. Our vet previously prescribed us Himalaya Digyton Drops to help with her digestion but it's been 3 days and she still hasn't pooped. She mentioned it's possible that the kitten is just absorbing all the milk and doesn't want to poop. But she has still been actively feeding, peeing (a lot) and gaining about 4-5g every day. Should I be worried? We might have to resort to lactulose albeit my vet doesn't want her to be dependent on it
 

Sarthur2

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Have you tried the olive oil or glycerin suppositories that I explained in my Post #14 about 2 weeks ago?

Also, did you switch to PetAg or Royal Canin formula as I suggested in my Post #8 so that she gets more protein, fat, and taurine?

How much does the kitten weigh now at 3 weeks old?

I’m concerned as to whether the kitten is getting all the nutrients she needs to grow and to poop.
 
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