Kitten won’t eat!

[sunny091]

I just took in a 3.5 month old kitten to foster on Tuesday. She saw a vet at intake and appeared healthy. I brought her home and she has barely eaten anything. I brought her back to the vet on Friday and again, no symptoms of any sicknesses. Now I’m syringe feeding her.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I have had kittens pass from fading kitten before, but this kitten appears like it was okay until I brought it to my house.

I don’t know much about her background- only that she came into animal control on 2/19 from a hoarding situation and was vaccinated then.

 

[StefanZ]

Good you ARE syringe feeding her! Just to proceed! I expect it shall turn around and she will eat on her own.

What are you giving her, and how much??

I just took in a 3.5 month old kitten to foster on Tuesday. She saw a vet at intake and appeared healthy. I brought her home and she has barely eaten anything. I brought her back to the vet on Friday and again, no symptoms of any sicknesses. Now I’m syringe feeding her.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I have had kittens pass from fading kitten before, but this kitten appears like it was okay until I brought it to my house.

I don’t know much about her background- only that she came into animal control on 2/19 from a hoarding situation and was vaccinated then.

 

[catsknowme]

Right now, I would rub white karo corn syrup or honey on her gums. Also syringe some unflavored pedialyte & clean water, 50/50, into her cheeks, a little at a time. This will buy you valuable time to do further investigative work.

 

[StefanZ]

Yes, excellent advices by Catsknowme, especielly if she seems weak or sick, not only having a bad appetite.

 

[sunny091]

The vet suggested A/D, so I’m mixed a can into a slurry. Today I used KMR and mixed it with the A/D.

I will try the pedialyte and Karo syrup!

 

[StefanZ]

And what amounts you manage to get into him? its easy to give too little... If he takes just little at a time, try to give him more often, so the total amount is bigger...

 

[sunny091]

I’m not sure how to quantify... maybe 100 ml of the slurry per day?

 

[StefanZ]

If we pretend it is KMR, the total amount a day is in the range of 25-30 ml / 100 grammes body weight. If he is say 500 grammes (slightly over a pound), it would give about 140 ml a day....

Im not sure how to count an A/D watered down slurry, but the amount is prob around there too.

 

[sunny091]

Thank you all for your help! After about a week of syringe feeding her, it’s like she did a complete turnaround overnight- playing, eating, etc. We also pulled another kitten from the same animal control a few weeks later and she was on doxy for two weeks. So something must have been going around there.
They are both getting spayed today and will be adopted soon!