Very Sick Rescue

[JBaggs92]

I just registered here because I'm in a bit of a bind with a kitten I just got from a friend. She was unable to take care of this poor little girl and I'm hoping I'll be able to. She 6-8 weeks old, very hard to tell for sure because she basically a bag of bones. She drinks very little, eats even less. I'm feeding her fancy feast tuna in gravy mixed with water. She hardly moves and has really nasty diarrhea that she doesn't have the energy to move from her spot to eliminate, so she winds up just sleeping in it. I bathed her when I first got her last night and already need to again. Her poor little butt is red and swollen as well as the back of her back legs. Also, it looks like she's not fully digesting any of the tuna. I comes out the same it went in, color and everything.

I'm taking her to the vet first thing tomorrow morning, but that's the problem, it's a whole other day before I can get her help. Should I just feed her a kmr because she needs nutrients fast and isn't eating nearly enough? I'm at a loss for what to do today. Please help!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Is there an emergency vet in your area? It does sound urgent.

 

[StefanZ]

Can you get raw goats milk?

Im continuing to write soon

 

[StefanZ]

I agree its an asap vet errand, if you have access to any good vet. If nothing else, he can always give her some fluids by injection, but also suitable antibiotica.
She may have worms, has probably coccidia or similiar...

OK, re food wise. Yes, its goats milk or kmr you shall choose now. Easier to digest, and milder. I do recommend raw goats milk, if you cant get this, canned or powdered. If not, some good kmr. Do not use PetAgs premade KMR in liquid. But theirs powdered KMR is good. Hartz is also uneven, so avoid.

Next, she loses lotsa of salts having diarrhea.
You must compensate this. Easiest is a flavorless pedialyte for children.

For diarrhea, there is a nice home made receipt of homemade pedialyte:
You take some white rice. Have lotsa of water. Boil it up twice+ as long you usually would. Have this fluid and add minerale salts. Either kitchen minerale salts or minerale water (you see on the label it contains different salts).

Be sure she gets into her this pedialyte and goats milk / kmr - forcefeed if necessary.

Does she has throw ups too? sometimes its so, the stomach reacts for food or fluid with throw ups. If the the trick is to give just a little at every time, to cheat the sensivitity of the stomach. Say 1 ml every 10 minutes...

Please come back with reports, and new questions.

Good luck!

I just registered here because I'm in a bit of a bind with a kitten I just got from a friend. She was unable to take care of this poor little girl and I'm hoping I'll be able to. She 6-8 weeks old, very hard to tell for sure because she basically a bag of bones. She drinks very little, eats even less. I'm feeding her fancy feast tuna in gravy mixed with water. She hardly moves and has really nasty diarrhea that she doesn't have the energy to move from her spot to eliminate, so she winds up just sleeping in it. I bathed her when I first got her last night and already need to again. Her poor little butt is red and swollen as well as the back of her back legs. Also, it looks like she's not fully digesting any of the tuna. I comes out the same it went in, color and everything.

I'm taking her to the vet first thing tomorrow morning, but that's the problem, it's a whole other day before I can get her help. Should I just feed her a kmr because she needs nutrients fast and isn't eating nearly enough? I'm at a loss for what to do today. Please help!

For the raw rear end, you can put on coldpressed cocoa oil, or coldpressed olive or canola oil. Coldpressed cocoa oil organic style is best.

Be sure she is warm. The sick ones are always freezing.

 

[catsknowme]

This is indeed urgent! She needs electrolytes and calories as soon as possible. Is she warm? Unless her internal temperature is warm enough, her digestive system is shut down. So getting her into a warmed rice-or-cornmeal sock OR a hot water bottle is step 1.
StephanZ's advice is spot on. I would rub light Karo corn syrup or honey on her gums immediately. Then I would begin electrolyte replacement via an eyedropper. Make sure the solution is warm (not hot, not cool) and slowly give her a few drops at a time. I would try to give about 1/8 teaspoon every 5 minutes at first, but be sure she is swallowing. either put the drink into the cheek of her mouth or the center of her tongue, no more than an 1/8 inch from her front teeth. If she begins to drink more, you can stretch out her drinks to 1/4 tsp every 10 min, 1/2 tsp every 15 to 20 min, but only if she is perking up. otherwise, stick with smaller & more frequent doses.
Soothing her irritated bottom is also very important. When you wash her, be sure -NO soap!! You will only irritate and inflame those sensitive tissues even more. Instead, use a warm water solution with a little baking soda or vinegar added/ about 1/2 tsp per cup of water. This solution will effectively remove the poo and the smell. Plain vaseline (unscented) or neosporin can be applied as well as Vitamin E oil from a bitten-open capsule, if you dont have plain unscented cocoa butter. Coconut oil is excellent but can sting especially raw tissues until healing begins.
Try to use bottled or filtered water for both drinking and bathing, unless you have chemical-free well water.
And do not underestimate the healing value of love and affection. Cuddling (wrap her in a towel or blanket with her warming sock) is medicine unto itself
Please keep us updated! Prayers and vibes for the little one's recovery.

 

[StefanZ]

JBaggs92 you got excellent advices here above!

 

[Sarthur2]

Please keep us updated on this poor kitten’s health.

 

[JBaggs92]

I regret to inform everyone that she died earlier today. She was so very far gone that I think if we would have gotten her even a day earlier we could have saved her. When we first recieved her she could walk and eat and drink. By last night she couldn't do anything. We kept her bundled and with a heating pad. I even was able to procure some 0.9% saline and needles from a neighbor who used to be a paramedic. I gave her a 10ml injection on her shoulders and her little body recieved it almost immediately. I saw her breathing improve and movements increase.

Before all this, my wife and I were giving her kmr and water through a plastic syringe, 1tsp at a time. She was swallowing reluctantly. I placed her in the tote we were keeping her in and covered her with a towel to let the saline and kmr help her out. Then, after a short while, I went to check on her, and to give her more kmr. I pulled the towel back and saw her little legs kicking, well more like twitching, and I saw her chest moving. As I picked her up to get her into a feeding position she breathed her last. I couldn't believe it at first, but as I placed the syringe in her mouth, it opened with no conjecture, and up until this point it was difficult to get her to open her mouth. I squeezed a small amount of the kmr and it flowed to the back of her throat with no swallow or cough. I held her for a few minutes, watching her chest. It didn't move.

I was sad that her life ended and that she was in such discomfort, but I'm glad that I at least tried to help her. Thank you all for your advice. We still have two cats at home so I will not be shy around here now that I'm a part of the community.

Thanks again!
James

 

[talkingpeanut]

Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry. You did an amazing job trying with her.

 

[catsknowme]

Godspeed and tailwinds west, little kitty spirit. You tried your best and she knew love at the end. I hope you will continue with foster care as well as cheer us up with anecdotes and pictures - there is a thread called "Cats and Electronics" that I have been enjoying to cheer me up.
Thank you for giving us the update - far too often, we are left wondering. At least we all have closure.
And welcome to TCS!

 

[FlawlessImperfection]

How sad, we have been so hopeful for you!
Yet you may rest knowing you did all you could, kept her warm and most importantly loved her until the end. I’m sure she was very grateful, and thank you for all you did and letting us know.
Forgive me if it’s poor taste to ask, but that picture has me so sad and wondering how she became in that state? Were there any others needing help? Again, forgive me it’s an ill timed or improper question.

 

[JBaggs92]

Not bad taste at all, FlawlessImperfection. She came from a litter with her brother from a home with too many cats already in it. They were both given a round deworming medicine and seemed to be doing very well. Her brother, the day we got her, was running around and playing outside having a wonderful time while she weakly slept in the garage having not been treated for the worms she still had in a couple of weeks. The person who had her was simply unable to give her the care she needed and was grateful for us to take her and to try.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Would you be able to help the original owner to spay and neuter? They seem to be in over their head.

Thank you for caring.

 

[Sarthur2]

I’m so sorry. Thank you for all you have done!

 

[Norachan]

I'm so sorry that she didn't make it. Poor little thing, at least you were there to comfort her in the end.

We always lock the threads when a cat or kitten passes, so I'll lock this one now. If you would like to start a thread in her memory please do so in our Crossing The Bridge forum.

If you need any help with other kittens or with finding low cost spay or neuter clinics please start a new thread in this forum. We'll be happy to help all we can.

Rest In Peace little kitten.