My kitten has diarrhea and a cough

[memoriesofmitzi]

About 2 weeks ago I took in an outdoors kitten. He looks about 10 weeks old and the last couple days he has been having very runny diarrhea and sometimes a hacking cough. he also snores like he's stuffed up or something. I feed him dry kitten food and kmr.. he still likes the kmr but his appetite isn't so good for the dry food. Taking him to the vet isn't an option because I am a poverty stricken teen and i ain't gonna lie vet bills are expensive. I doubt my parents would pay as they are under the impression that having a housecat is NOT necessary. So I was wondering if y'all could help? Suggestions?

 

[StefanZ]

He has surely a flu, but hopefully not distemper.

Im not specialist on the medical side, so I shall give some overall care advices. As overall supporting care is the main thing.

As he has runny poo and loses salts, you must give him more salts. Easiest to begin with, sprinkle a little kitchen salt on his food. If you have access to a so called minerale kitchen salt, use this. But you can begin with common table salt.

A good recipe for diarrheas, is: you take some rice, some salt (more than you would use for a rice dish), lotsa water. You boil this rice thrice of the usual lengh, and give the cat (or child) this water to drink.... It will be a terrific home made pedialyte, containing much salts and glucose sugar.

If you can get raw goats milk, its good. Pricey, but may help some and good nourishment by itself. You can use goats milk instead of kmr.

His lesser appetite MAY be because of his stuffed nose... Warm up the food a little so it becomes more smelly?

Be sure he is warm. The sick ones are always freezing. So use a heating device if its not very hot at your place.

Massage him with your fingertops. It feels almost as mommas licking...

If he gets much stuffed, you can try with vapor treatment; ie you are with him in the bathroom, and let the shower on as hot you can get... So there are lotsa of dampness and wapor in the air...
The same advice of course for humans in similiar situation.


Good luck!

 

[di and bob]

Yes, he most likely has feline herpes virus, which is VERY common in kittens and is NOT transferrable to humans. Lots of humidity, keeping him warm, and offering lots of water is important. It usually runs a week, sometimes extending into two, just like any virus. I would get some small cans of wet food to tempt him to eat. You can still leave out the dry, just offer it a couple of times a day. The diarrhea is most likely from the change in his diet, I'm sure he isn't used to eating so well. Keep him, warm. hydrated and loved and he will get better soon!

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree with both StefanZ and di and bob . You can even buy unflavored pedialyte for him to drink instead of water, or add a couple teaspoons to his wet food. If he does not improve in a few days he may need an antibiotic.

Do look around your area for a low cost vet clinic that can see him or neuter him eventually.

Keep us posted!

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Ok thank y'all so much! I'll update if a change occurs

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

A pic of him, does he look about 10 weeks?

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, 10 to 12 weeks. Has he lost his baby teeth and got his adult teeth? If so, he’s closer to 12 weeks. He’s absolutely gorgeous!

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Yes he is gorgeous. And not only that, he's really sweet I think he still has his baby teeth

 

[di and bob]

He is gorgeous! Also thin though, but 'teenage' kittens usually are. He may be a little older than you think, but because he was so starved he is smaller. Check for deafness too, many pure white cats are. If he is, he'll be fine, I have had several deaf cats and they adjust amazingly well.

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

You can't see it good in the picture but he is flame pointed, it's a very pale orange tho

 

[StefanZ]

Aha, so he isnt all white with blue eyes, potentially may be deaf, he is a flame / creme point, and not deaf! Hears every time you open a food package!

 

[di and bob]

He is just like my Casper, like in my avatar! His 'points' will darken with age, his Oriental heritage will shine through with his 'talking', his ceaseless energy, his naughtiness. The flame point will always hold a place in my heart, just as they held a place in my life so many times. You are so blessed!

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Yes he definitely hears very well! And yeah flame points are my favorite type of cats.. but maybe I'm a lil prejudiced he gives me a lot of happy! oh and btw his name is Ghost. I get a big kick outta telling people there's a Ghost in our house

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Now he's barfing, too

 

[Sarthur2]

What’s going on? He’s vomiting? What has he been eating?

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Dry kitten food, and kmr

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Hes been eating good today tho

 

[Sarthur2]

You might try adding wet chicken pate-style kitten food to his diet. Wet cat food is better for cats and kittens than dry food. it provides hydration too.

I recommend feeding 1/2 can of a 3-ounce can of Fancy Feast chicken pate food 4 times a day, with dry food and fresh water or KMR available 24/7.

This may prove to be a healthier diet overall in the coming weeks. You can still soften the dry food with KMR for another 2 weeks, but at 3 months, wet food, dry food, and fresh water will suffice.

Be advised that as the kitten grows, he may want a full 3-ounce can of wet food 3 times a day with dry to snack on. Their appetites increase until around 6-9 months, depending on when they are neutered. Regardless, he should eat at least 2 cans a day whether twice or spread over several meals.

 

[memoriesofmitzi]

Okay will do. We're going to town tonight and I'll get some