Kitten With Diarrhea/rejected By Mom

[vanana]

I've been bottle feeding this baby with powder KMR since day 1... momma rejected her and vet recommended I let nature run its course and let her die, but she's made it this far with no major issues.
For a while she was struggling with constipation, mineral oil and Laxatone per the vet helped her go but as I didn't want to use it every day I switched to the liquid KMR... which gave her diarrhea. This is her third day on it now. I've stopped giving her the mineral oil/laxatone since the switch but the diarrhea isn't getting any better. Her stools are brown and she's behaving as normal as always. She just turned three weeks yesterday and is being fed every 3-4 hours about 3 tbsps per feeding.
I thought the sudden change in diet probably caused the diarrhea so I've kept feeding her the same hoping she'll get adjusted to it but I'm starting to get worried as she's not getting any better... do you think she will adjust on her own? What can I do to help? The powdered KMR gave her horrible constipation to the point her stools had gotten black from blood and the vet thought her anal muscles stopped working because she went almost a week without passing stool. I don't want to go back to it if possible. I have some meyenberg powdered goats milk as well but I'm afraid of changing her diet yet again too suddenly. Any advice is highly welcome. Thanks.

 

[Sarthur2]

Ugh. In my experience, the liquid formula gives horrible diarrhea. I never recommend using it.

Please switch back to the powdered, and begin adding 2-3 drops of olive oil to each feeding.

Her poop should firm up, and she should not be constipated either.

Or, begin using the goat’s milk. Kittens seem to thrive on goat’s milk. It may actually be the best choice.

As soon as you switch you will see a change. Do let us know. But seriously, stop using the liquid immediately.

Also, as she gains weight she will need more food. How much does she weigh now?

Thank you for not giving up on this baby!

We would love to see a picture!

vanana

 

[StefanZ]

I've been bottle feeding this baby with powder KMR since day 1... momma rejected her and vet recommended I let nature run its course and let her die, but she's made it this far with no major issues.
For a while she was struggling with constipation, mineral oil and Laxatone per the vet helped her go but as I didn't want to use it every day I switched to the liquid KMR... which gave her diarrhea. This is her third day on it now. I've stopped giving her the mineral oil/laxatone since the switch but the diarrhea isn't getting any better. Her stools are brown and she's behaving as normal as always. She just turned three weeks yesterday and is being fed every 3-4 hours about 3 tbsps per feeding.
I thought the sudden change in diet probably caused the diarrhea so I've kept feeding her the same hoping she'll get adjusted to it but I'm starting to get worried as she's not getting any better... do you think she will adjust on her own? What can I do to help? The powdered KMR gave her horrible constipation to the point her stools had gotten black from blood and the vet thought her anal muscles stopped working because she went almost a week without passing stool. I don't want to go back to it if possible. I have some meyenberg powdered goats milk as well but I'm afraid of changing her diet yet again too suddenly. Any advice is highly welcome. Thanks.

I agree with the advices above. Meyenberg powdered goats milk is good - I know of at least one forumite rescuer whom expressly mentioned this brand as her choice per preference. But if you can get raw goats milk, it may be even better.

I must also mention, as she has much diarrheas, she needs extra of salts and electrolytes. Easiest is if you mix out the goat powder with pedialyte. (best the clear flavorless pedialyte for babies). Or make your own. Here are salts the most important. You can begin with common kitchen salt, but minerale salt is better (or sea salt) as it contain also other salts then just NaCl. Or take a good minerale water, containing lotsa of different salts (you see on the label).

 

[vanana]

Thanks for the replies. She was a little dehydrated so I've been diluting her formula with Pedialyte since yesterday. It has helped. Diarrhea seems to be improving slightly but is still there so I think I'll switch to the goats milk if no improvement tonight. I bought a carton of it at Walmart today (ultra pasteurized, as that's all they had). Should I be diluting the goats milk? If so, by how much? To answer your questions, she weighs about 420 now... she eats a lot and is rather fat. See attached picture I took earlier in the middle of her grooming

 

[StefanZ]

Thanks for the replies. She was a little dehydrated so I've been diluting her formula with Pedialyte since yesterday. It has helped. Diarrhea seems to be improving slightly but is still there so I think I'll switch to the goats milk if no improvement tonight. I bought a carton of it at Walmart today (ultra pasteurized, as that's all they had). Should I be diluting the goats milk? If so, by how much? To answer your questions, she weighs about 420 now... she eats a lot and is rather fat. See attached picture I took earlier in the middle of her groomingView attachment 225386

So its canned goats milk you got? Its not necessary to dilute it as such (even if some do dilute it somewhat), but she must proceed to get this pedialyte. So give somewhat of the pedialyte into this milk yes. Using pedialyte as the dilution.

The Meyenberg powdered you mentioned earlier is OK, just to dilute as in the recipe. You can use pedialyte instead of water. Say half of each pedialyte and water.


Pedialyte, bought or homemade, is a must in all severe or long diarrhea-cases. Basic pedialyte is for example, the main weapon against the great manslaughter Cholera, alone remedy + basic sick care, taking down the death ratio from perhaps 80% down to max 10% or even less.


With 420 grammes. The rule of thumb is 8ml x30 grammes a day, averaging upwards. If she wants more, you may give more.

What gives. There are 7x2 of these 30, so 8x14 = 120 / 130 ml of goats milk or kmr a day. If she wants and manages more, give more.

 

[Sarthur2]

Hopefully the goat’s milk will do the trick! No need to dilute it if she’s fully hydrated.

 

[vanana]

Update:
I started on the goats milk yesterday, was diluting it nearly 1:1 ratio milk to water because she seemed still a little dehydrated to me, but that evidently backfired because she didn't put on any weight for yesterday. In fact, she lost 3 grams :/ as of today I'm only diluting it by about 1/6 and she's putting on weight nicely. Diarrhea is gone, but she hasn't passed any stool since she started on the goats milk (about 1.5 days) Do you think she's constipated again or it's just taking a while since she was pooping so much with diarrhea before? If she really is constipated I'd rather just switch back to the powdered and use mineral oil to help her go. Btw she'll be four weeks in a few days and I'm still stimulating her. There's no mess in her bedding so I know she's not going on her own. You think she'll go on her own if I stop stimulating? I won't be able to see her diarrhea/constipation progress very well that way though.

 

[vanana]

Update:
I started on the goats milk yesterday, was diluting it nearly 1:1 ratio milk to water because she seemed still a little dehydrated to me, but that evidently backfired because she didn't put on any weight for yesterday. In fact, she lost 3 grams :/ as of today I'm only diluting it by about 1/6 and she's putting on weight nicely. Diarrhea is gone, but she hasn't passed any stool since she started on the goats milk (about 1.5 days) Do you think she's constipated again or it's just taking a while since she was pooping so much with diarrhea before? If she really is constipated I'd rather just switch back to the powdered and use mineral oil to help her go. Btw she'll be four weeks in a few days and I'm still stimulating her. There's no mess in her bedding so I know she's not going on her own. You think she'll go on her own if I stop stimulating? I won't be able to see her diarrhea/constipation progress very well that way though.

**powdered KMR** Did not see an option to edit

 

[miagi's_mommy]

You need to give her a chance to get used to it. If you switch back to powder; give it a chance to work. she could not be pooping because of diet change. Goatsmilk has lots of hydration so you shouldn’t need to dilute it.

 

[StefanZ]

Right the "dilution" shall be this added pedialyte. 1/6 is fine. You can add a couple drops of coldpressed food oil. Ok nourisment and helps things going.

 

[Sarthur2]

Agree with above! Give her time.

 

[vanana]

She went today! A nice looking soft brown toothpaste haha. That's the first time she's ever passed normal stool without laxatives!

 

[Sarthur2]

Excellent!

 

[vanana]

I may have spoken too soon. She hasn't passed stool once since Wednesday She's now using the litter box on her own and the litter is pallet based so it's a little hard to tell but she isn't burying her urine so I think I would see poop if she went. You guys think I should go ahead with some mineral oil? Or is olive oil better? Or give her a few more days? I hope this isn't chronic constipation that will stay with her forever... :/

 

[miagi's_mommy]

I’d take her to the vet.

 

[Sarthur2]

Use olive oil in her food. Is she eating enough?

 

[vanana]

I’d take her to the vet.

She's suffered with constipation for a while before the diarrhea and last time I was at the vet for that reason he kind of dismissed me and said if this kept on his rectal muscles likely didn't work and "this kitty is not going to work". Just a little reluctant to go back there or try a new vet

Use olive oil in her food. Is she eating enough?

olive oil at every feeding? Is that safe to do? She is eating enough. More than, even. Urinating is normal as well.
I'm also planning on worming her this week. See if that makes a difference

 

[lacy2000]

I just went through the constipation issue with two of my foster kittens. I added water and pumpkin to their wet food, olive oil (every feeding until they pooped), coconut oil, Miralax, ponazuril and panacur (dewormers) as well as several SubQ fluids because the constipation caused dehydration. The vet can do an enema but it’s not usually needed.

 

[vanana]

I just went through the constipation issue with two of my foster kittens. I added water and pumpkin to their wet food, olive oil (every feeding until they pooped), coconut oil, Miralax, ponazuril and panacur (dewormers) as well as several SubQ fluids because the constipation caused dehydration. The vet can do an enema but it’s not usually needed.

I'll try pumpkin and olive oil. Did they poop normally after the first stool or do have to keep adding olive oil / pumpkin to their food?

 

[Sarthur2]

You should put a few drops of olive oil in every feeding. I would not go back to that vet. He is not knowledgeable. The kitten will outgrow this.