Newborn kitten weight gain

[yayas_mom]

If a newborn (9 day old) kitten doesn't gain any significant weight for a few days, but is eating, pottying and sleeping normally, is this a bad thing? One of my fosters has only gained .1oz in the last three days, but has been seen nursing, is being pottied by mom, and I can potty him (input = output right?) but the others have gained about .5-1.2oz in the last 3 days. is this .1 abnormal, or maybe this baby is just a slow grower? He does weigh 5.2 oz, so he's still within the normal range of what Gaye's chart showed.

thanks in advance

 

[pat]

I look forward to what others here will say, my experience has been that if they are not losing, seem healthy, I'm happy initially with that and a bit of gain. If the discrepancy continues between the kittens re weight gain, I'd be more concerned...at this point, I'd just watch this little one like a hawk..make sure it has good nipple time - isn't being pushed off and not getting as much to eat as it wants etc.

 

[wellingtoncats]

We don't weigh our kittens while they are growing, I'd say if it hasn't gained much weight in a few days but it is functioning normal otherwise then I don't think I would worry too much.

 

[gayef]

If he is still doing all the "ing's" (eating, pooping, peeing, etc) normally, then he is probably fine - don't put too much into the weight-gain for now. As long as he is still within normal ranges, then just keep an eye on him for now. But - if you start to see wrinkled skin under his belly or if you observe that he isn't eating like the rest of the litter, then start to supplement immediately. Elsewise, how is he? Any sneezes or coughs? Everything else fine?

 

[yayas_mom]

What do you mean by wrinkled skin under his belly?

I'm worried about the whole group now because I think Chloe is sick. URI or something in her nose/mouth. She isn't eating, has something that looks like snot coming out of her nose/mouth, I wipe it off, or else she drips it on her, won't wash it off, I can't tell if she's pottying the babies, everyone stinks because she's not bathing herself or them well and I'm generally freaking out. None of the babies are crying or anything, and they are all nursing. Chloe isn't sneezing, coughing, has no eye discharge, but just seems off to me. The babies all have open eyes now and are spending most of their time sleeping - is this normal at 10 days old?

 

[bengalbabe]

I don't know about the discharge and the stinking thing that would worry me-my kittens are never dirty or smelly and they are close to the same age as yours. They will be 14 days old on monday. They do sleep a lot though-unless I disturb them, at that point they mainly practice walking untill momma gets them to settle down again.
There is one that sleeps more and is quietier then the rest. I think he's a tad bit thinner too but there's really not a big difference and he looks healthy.
Maybe you can change the bedding more often (several times a day), help them to potty yourself by running thier butts under a stream of warm water and be sure to dry them throughly afterwards. If momma isn't doing it that means you probably will have to fill in for her.

 

[bengalbabe]

BTW-If momma isnt eating that's a bad sign. I would definately call a vet about that if I were you. Are you able to take her tempature?
She can't go very long without eating if she's nursing. Her milk will dry up and the babies will surely not have enough to eat!

 

[gayef]

Originally Posted by YaYas_Mom

What do you mean by wrinkled skin under his belly??

The skin on his belly - look at it. Is it tight and stretched across normally or is it loose and wrinkly? Is his little belly rounded like he is getting enough to eat?

Originally Posted by YaYas_Mom

I'm worried about the whole group now because I think Chloe is sick. URI or something in her nose/mouth. She isn't eating, has something that looks like snot coming out of her nose/mouth ... .

What color is the discharge?

Originally Posted by YaYas_Mom

I wipe it off, or else she drips it on her, won't wash it off, I can't tell if she's pottying the babies, everyone stinks because she's not bathing herself or them well and I'm generally freaking out.

What color is the discharge?

The smell might be from the nest itself - have you changed it out yet? Leave a small piece of the original nesting material in there though so it still smells like the babies or else Momma might wind up trying to move them to another place.

You have to make absolutely certain those babies are eliminating properly and so you will have to spend some time observing. If you don't see Chloe pottying them and soon, then you will have to do it yourself. Get a warm (not hot) wet wash cloth and gently rub their little bottoms with it - you might want to do this over the sink. The stimulation is very similar to the feeling of Mom's tongue and they will relax and go potty into the cloth.

Originally Posted by YaYas_Mom

None of the babies are crying or anything, and they are all nursing. Chloe isn't sneezing, coughing, has no eye discharge, but just seems off to me. The babies all have open eyes now and are spending most of their time sleeping - is this normal at 10 days old?

If you ~think~ something is wrong, it probably is. It might pay to give your vet a call in the morning. And don't just ask the person who answers the phone. Ask that the vet call you back as soon as possible. Tell him these things:

Whether or not Chloe feels hot to you (can you take her temperature - that would help greatly)

Any and all symptoms you have noticed that you feel are "off" from her normal behavior

Ask him if he thinks Chloe and the kittens should be seen and if not, then ask him what you should look for in the event the symptoms worsen or if it continues to be a problem, what should you do for her.

For now, keep a very close eye on them all - if you start to see discharge from the kittens or sneezing/coughing from any of them, get them all in right away.

 

[dr. doolittle]

I would take her into the vet tomorrow. And pick up some kitten formula while you are there.
If she is drooling and not eating-she is sick. She could have calici virus which causes oral ulcers- oral ulcers are painful and cause a cat to drool and not eat. All the cats I have seen with this virus have very bad breath- (secondary bacterial infection in the mouth?) which may explain the odour.
If this is the case you may need to hand raise these babies so do some homework tonight (this site is a great resource as is Tania's Kitten site) so you will have less information to absorb at the vets tomorrow.
Even if she does not have a virus- going just 24 hours without eating will slow down her milk production enough that you may have to supplement the babies.
Good luck!

 

[yayas_mom]

Originally Posted by Dr. Doolittle

I would take her into the vet tomorrow. And pick up some kitten formula while you are there.
If she is drooling and not eating-she is sick. She could have calici virus which causes oral ulcers- oral ulcers are painful and cause a cat to drool and not eat. All the cats I have seen with this virus have very bad breath- (secondary bacterial infection in the mouth?) which may explain the odour.
If this is the case you may need to hand raise these babies so do some homework tonight (this site is a great resource as is Tania's Kitten site) so you will have less information to absorb at the vets tomorrow.
Even if she does not have a virus- going just 24 hours without eating will slow down her milk production enough that you may have to supplement the babies.
Good luck!

I talked to my rescue coordinator, she drove over tonight, and Dr D you are so right, she does have sores in her mouth. She gave her some meds tonight, and I am taking the whole crew to the vet first thing in the morning. My rescue coordinator mentioned calici, I didn't know how to spell it, so I'm so glad you posted, because now i can google it. Please everyone keep Chloe in your thoughts, we were able to force some water in her, and then she ate a tiny bit by herself. The babies bellies are all round and plump, and I will be pottying everyone tonight and in the morning in the event that she hasn't been due to her mouth feeling yucky. Is the Calici contagious to the babies, and if so, how bad could it get?

 

[yayas_mom]

What color is the discharge?

The smell might be from the nest itself - have you changed it out yet? Leave a small piece of the original nesting material in there though so it still smells like the babies or else Momma might wind up trying to move them to another place.

I've changed it out a couple times. Chloe moves them if it's not a clean towel. I take the new towel, rub her with it, and put the babies on it and then she's happy. I know when it's time to change it when she moves them. When I put in a new towel, she'll keep everyone there. The discharge is clear, like drool, but seems thicker, which is why I thought maybe it was snot, but it sounds like if its Calici, it might truly be drool, just thick because she's not uber hydrated. She's on antibiotics now, and on the way to the vet first thing in the morning, kittens and all. Thanks everyone for your replies. please keep Chloe in your thoughs.

 

[dr. doolittle]

It is contagious to the babies.

They may have enough passive immunity from mom if she had antibodies to calici in her colostrum. It is hard to say how sick they will get. Pregnancy and nursing are a major stress and supress the immune system which is probably why she is so sick. If your vet is willing and she doesn't need to be hospitalized on an IV- ask if he will show you how to give subcutaneous fluids at home to keep her hydrated. You will also need to keep her eating. I find that antibiotics are great but anti-inflammatories (like Metacam, Tolfedine, Anafen...) will make her feel better, bring down her fever, and get her eating faster than anything else.

 

[gayef]

I was afraid of this but didn't think I had enough info to really put my fears into words. I sincerely hope Chloe will be alright and that the babies will be too.

Holding you, Chloe and the babies close until we get an update,

Gaye

 

[yayas_mom]

I dropped her off a little before 8. This morning she did eat some wet food, and I heard her drinking water a few times in the middle of the night. You can tell when she eats that her mouth is hurting her, but she tries to eat anyway, because I'm sure she's starving. I got her semi settled at the vets with the kittens, I worry about her stress level being there, because it's taken her a while to get into mommy mode, and then to throw her in a new environment that's noisy and smelly and different... phew, what a lot for her to deal with. So I worry of course.

I'm waiting to hear what the vet says, and whether or not I can bring her home. It sounds like probably since she did start eating/drinking on her own, but I also hope he'll give the kittens a once over since they're there. Once Chloe settled in I had stopped weighing the kittens, but then I started again once she stopped eating. Since I had kept track, I have reference from last Wednesday and one of the kits is only 4.8oz now, when it was over 5 last week.

So I worry. I will worry until they are all grown up and adopted, and then I will probably still worry. I guess that's the emotional price tag of doing this right?

 

[yayas_mom]

Yes it's Calici, she's running a fever. She can't go home until she eats for them, which they are "working on". Hoping I can bring her home tonight, she does so much better when she's not around a lot of hustle and bustle.

 

[gayef]

Oh dear ... I am sorry to hear this. But the good news is that calici is treatable ... and it sounds like you are doing all the right things. Best of luck with this and as always, don't hesitate to let us know updates and if we can help.

~gf~

 

[yayas_mom]

Someone from the rescue came over today. Chloes milk production is way down and 2 of the kittens had flat bellies, not round. I am going to have to supplement and continue to syringe feed Chloe. All the kittens have lost weight.

Please keep us in your thoughts

 

[dr. doolittle]

If I were you I would forget "supplementing" the kittens and just take over. Get some mammalac and make sure they are getting as much as they can drink once every few hours. Let them sleep with mom and let her nurse them if she is able, but topping them up every 3-4 hours will take a load off of your mind. When moms don't eat enough their bodies canserve energy by cutting milk production dramatically. She may be able to increase production again once she is feeling better but IMO she will probably dry up.

 

[dr. doolittle]

By the way- really push hard for your vet to give her an anti-inflammatory- trust me - they work!

 

[yayas_mom]

Is mammalac different from KMR?