Reactive hypoglycemia in kittens/kitten glop

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
Sorry, this is a long post because I wanted to be detailed in case it matters.

I took in 3 abandoned barn kittens a few days ago, their ages are ranging approximately between 2 and 3 weeks. Once is clearly a runt and she is TINY, with the canine teeth only starting to erupt, the other two are males and 2 and 3x her size and have a few more teeth. They may be from different litters or some were fed more by the mom.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone here has dealt with reactive hypoglycemia in rescued kittens? It's the second time it's happened to me (first time was a couple years ago), and both times it was 2-3 days after they were rescued. I usually feed a combination of KMR and pasteurized goat milk, alternating as needed to not overfeed them at first. Occasionally I'll add a bit of something else.

These guys had a runny mix of canned cat food and goats milk at 4pm yesterday and a mix of goat's milk and rice pablum at 4am today. (Rice pablum is vet's suggestion.) Fed goat's milk between those times approximately every 3 hours.

The problem was at 8am. All 3 were noticeably altered. Two were sluggish (biggest and smallest) and didn't want to eat and the third was lethargic looking but confused when picked up. Took a few hours but the full symptoms of hypoglycemia started. Rapid breathing, 2 vomited, confusion, lethargy.

I had immediately started applying a sugar solution to their gums and have repeatedly throughout the past several hours. Unfortunately our vet is closed today (holiday) and the last time this happened our vet wasn't much help anyways. They're coming around slowly, took a while last time too.

My question is does anyone have experience with this happening? Our vet was surprised and unable to offer me any advice other than the chance it was from them not eating then suddenly having regular meals. (Reactive hypoglycemia.) Because this happened once before I THOUGHT I was reintroducing food slowly enough, but perhaps not?

Anyone here with any advice or suggestions on why the delayed response or how to prevent it in the future? Thanks in advance.
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,931
Location
Colorado US

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,999
Purraise
10,648
Location
Sweden
Goats milk is usually good, but occasionally there may be a brand not so good. *
So if you cant get raw goats milk (if nothing else, that may be pricey); try to find some other brand of goats milk...
ps: Raw or pasteurized shouldnt not give any dramatic difference here with hypoglycemia.

What kmr do you use? Here too a swich may help.

Can you get real glucose sugar? It is difficult to find in USA, but you are in Canada... In USA most rescuers use white caro syrup as a substitute. It does contain some glucose sugar; and thus goes into blood already in the mouth.

A solution of common sugar works too, but glucose sugar works quicker...


* I did once saw a long thread on a polish forum about goats milk for cat infants.
Some breeders were happy, but some swore foul on goats milk...
After some discussions the smoke cleared out: ALL these disappointed breeders used one and same brand...

So, goats milk as such is normally a very useful product as supplement or emergency kmr; but its apparently fully possible to destroy even such a good product...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
It's most likely pasteurized goat's milk. I don't have access to raw milk or another kind of KMR unfortunately. ☹
Stuff like that is limited here, so that's why I try to vary their diet a bit in case it's lacking somewhere.

They've improved a lot since this morning. The biggest two are eating and playing normally again, the runt is still struggling but heading in the right direction.

If it's like the last time (with different kittens) they should hopefully recover just fine and not have this problem again. It's very strange.
 

Joelle and the kittens

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 4, 2021
Messages
190
Purraise
250
Location
New Jersey
It may be worth switching entirely to KMR. Other milks have half the fat, protein, and total energy provided by cat milk: protein is 75 g/L in cat milk vs 35 g/L in goat milk; fat is 85 g/L cat vs 38 g/L goat; energy is 1210 Kcal/L cat vs 690 Kcal/L goat; calcium is 1.8 g/L cat vs 1.3 g/L goat.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,988
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
I agree. Kitten formula provides all needed nutrients. If you use powdered, you can substitute unflavored pedialyte for the water.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
A new development this evening, a rather unwanted one in fact. It turns out my tin of powdered KMR might be bad.

I fed the little ones and within an hour two were sick, one puked his poor little guts out. Now I've been fighting all night to keep them alive.

The tin is new and the mixed stuff less than 24 hours old. Everything should be fine, but it's the only answer. Everything was fine when I fed them the goat's milk this morning and afternoon, then after KMR in the evening they were sick. Seems I might have gotten a bad one. I'm so frustrated right now. I just hope they pull through tonight. Will be trying goat's milk and pedialyte. Probably homemade recipe if ours has the high zinc in it.

Thankfully the 3rd kitten (middle sized one) is fine, but I have no idea how he didn't get sick too considering he's a big eater.
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
What is the expiration or best buy date on the "bad" tin of KMR? If it's still good, you may want to contact KMR customer service and give them the lot / batch number of the tin and let them know that it caused issues for your kittens.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
But if so, it seems like all three would be feeling the effects. I'm sorry this is happening to you!
Thank you, it's definitely been difficult this time. They're not my first rescues, but definitely one of the hardest. 😅

It HAS been all 3 sick at one point. They've each gotten sick and/or hypoglycemic at different times as well. Yesterday evening they were so sick I thought I was going to lose the 2 of them. Took an all nighter of sugar syrup on their gums and droplets of milk to pull them out of it. 😖

I stopped the KMR immediately after that and the next morning started feeding goat's milk with a dab of wet cat food mixed in for flavor (since their appetites were poor.) It's gone over really well! Been feeding every 2 and a half hours and for the first time they have little food bellies!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
What is the expiration or best buy date on the "bad" tin of KMR? If it's still good, you may want to contact KMR customer service and give them the lot / batch number of the tin and let them know that it caused issues for your kittens.
That's a great idea, thanks. They weren't expired, still good for at least another year if I'm remembering right. Just opened the 2nd one.
We purchased 2 tins around the same time and I suspect the first tin may have been off as well. I think we still have both so I'll jot the info down. I'm doubtful they'll do anything though, from my research it seems it's a known problem of theirs they haven't addressed. 😕
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
I was wondering if the yogurt in kitten glop recipes is necessary, or can be left out or switched for an acidophilus capsule or something like Fortiflora?

I'd like to make some, but have no unflavored yogurt. (I do have fruit flavors.) I don't have access to get any right now either (I live rurally and don't drive.)

I've now been trying goat's milk mixed with a tiny bit of (for beef flavor) canned cat food and rice pablum. (Vet suggested.) Their appetites are poor though.

Is that nutritionally enough, or is the kitten glop worth a try despite the risk from raw egg yolks?
I also have some L-Lysine paste and possibly nutritional paste (If I can find it/didn't toss it. )
Thanks everyone.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,931
Location
Colorado US
Hi
what about making your own yogurt?

Instead of yogurt starter, try this version instead;
In this recipe in the notes below there are options for starter;
How to make Thick Homemade Yogurt with or without starter + Tips
Use curdled milk solids as starter.
Boil and cool milk as mentioned in the recipe. In the pot, retain a little milk and add lemon juice to curdle it and use as starter.
I used 1/4 tsp curdled milk solids for 1/4 cup milk
For curdling, I added 1/4 tsp lemon juice to 2 oz boiled milk in the sauce pan and continued stirring on heat until curdled.

These glop recipes utilize raw egg yolk, so from that I'm basing my thought that the risk isn't an issue.
Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
The homemade yogurt sounds great, but I don't have any normal milk, just 2% lactose free stuff. 😅
I CAN get some yogurt from stores, but not today and probably not even tomorrow. I'm just worried about the little nibblers and don't want them to go downhill any further from lack of nutrition.
Those are one of the recipes I was actually looking at. Was trying to figure out if I could swap the canned goat's milk in some recipes for fresh goat's milk. Likely pasteurized though, unfortunately. No raw milk around here.
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,931
Location
Colorado US
If I remember correctly there's a glop recipe towards the bottom of that site's page that doesn't use yogurt, try that one :)

Also see about making the Pedialyte recipe. You could try using the fresh goat milk, and also try your 2percent milk, if it curdles you might be ok for a temporary workaround.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,988
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
Try mixing the egg yolk into the goats milk. Add a sprinkle of salt and sugar or honey. You can also sprinkle in some probiotic powder.

Next time you are at the store, pick up Gerber chicken or turkey meat baby food and mix this into the goats milk. The meat baby food is all protein.

Has the vet offered metronidazole? It may cure the diarrhea.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
Try mixing the egg yolk into the goats milk. Add a sprinkle of salt and sugar or honey. You can also sprinkle in some probiotic powder.

Next time you are at the store, pick up Gerber chicken or turkey meat baby food and mix this into the goats milk. The meat baby food is all protein.

Has the vet offered metronidazole? It may cure the diarrhea.

My apologies, didn't get any notifications that anyone else had replied!

I think it was the next morning after posting this I managed to get the kittens to a vet (got lucky they were available!)
They received an anti-nausea injection, fluids, and spent a week on antibiotics. They've doubled in size since then and are doing great.

My next hurdle is currently transitioning them from going potty on puppy pads (they kept eating the litter 🤦🏻‍♀️). I have clay (non clumping), scented paper pellets, and pine pellets. I've had success with the pine in the past, but have been hesitant to try again. Been wondering if I can spray anything on the litter to deter them from mouthing it? 🤔
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

CatsFan4Life

Shawna
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
45
Purraise
109
Location
Alberta, Canada
A nice article, but unfortunately no new information for me. These definitely aren't my first rescues (but I still haven't found anything I could spray on the litter to prevent them eating it.) 🤔

I'm trying the pine pellets first, hopefully they won't eat them. I just gave them a big meal (now in a food coma 😆) so I'm hoping that will help prevent unwanted litter munching for now. 🙄
 
Top