Need fast help with rescue kitten

Hi,

I am a California native living overseas in China. A few days ago I "rescued" a very small kitten (maybe 4-5 weeks old) that looked near to death in a market stall. My thinking in taking him home was that at least he would die warm and fed in my home.

Well, he didn't die. After I fed him and gave him water he went to sleep, but then woke up a few hours later all perky and full of kitten energy, which was great, but now I have a serious problem and need help. The kitten is obviously riddled with illness and God only knows what else. In my town there is ONE vet and he is closed until next week so I have to find a way to keep the kitten alive until then, and also - ideally - keep from infecting my kids with some kind of crazy worms or something (yes, I realize now I should have thought this through better, but I seriously did not think he would live the night).

Okay, so here are Xiao Mao's (small cat) issues:

1) he has developed loose stools and is obviously dehydrated but is drinking lots of water

2) he sneezes often

3) his eyes look kind of glassy and a little bit crusty

4) the skin between his whiskers and on the sides of his mouth is crusty. This could be food, but I am sure I noticed one little bit of crust when I first got him becuase I tried to get it off and it seemed stuck

On the up-side, he has a lot of energy, seems to be eating and drinking well, plays with the toys I got him, and generally seems alert. I am giving him some imported dry kitten food mixed with bits of tuna to soften it up. I looked for soy milk, thinking that might be an option, but couldn't find any so he is only drinking water. I am mostly worried he has an illness that could be transferred to the kids...but I also don't want him to die and he does seem to be getting worse-looking by the hour. For example, his stools are more watery and his bottom area is a mess (he is so little he is still wobbly and steps in and falls in his poops and food, so I do not think, in and of itself, a sign of illness)

I do have a supply of broad spectrum people antibiotics.

Any advise is hugely appreciated. I can't believe I took this on, over a holiday no less!

Thanks,

Kim

Thank you so much! I cannot seem to open the link for the recipe (which happens here...it might be okay later) but I am wondering if you could post the Kitten Goop recipe in a reply?

By the way, I just combed him all over with a flea comb and there was not a single thing on him...I guess because he was so cold? Anyway, the crust around his mouth /whiskers came off (with some hair) and it did not look like food. It seemed like it itched him, he didn't object to my combing it off, poor little guy. I also washed his bottom with some dilluted antibacterial soap. He is sleeping again.

Thank you so much!

Kim

the 'crusty stuff' might be ringworm, but only a vet could tell you for sure. Firefox had ringworm & a bacterial skin infection, so could be something like that, as well.

kitten glop

• 8 ounces water (boiled then cooled)
• 1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
• 8 ounces whole evaporated milk (not skim)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (not low fat)
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (not low fat)
• 1 large or 2 small eggs yolks (raw)
• 1 teaspoon clear Karo syrup
• * 1-3 drops liquid pet vitamins
• * 1 capsule acidophilus
• * 1 drop Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)
• * Optional, though very beneficial.

Boil the water, add the gelatin and mix well. Add the following ingredients in order, mixing well after each addition:
1/2 of the canned milk
Mayonnaise and Yogurt
Rest of the milk
All other ingredients
You can substitute canned goat's milk for the canned evaporated milk, if you prefer it. This mixture will keep in the fridge for up to four days. It is jello-like in consistency in the fridge so you can just scoop out as much as you need and warm. It can also be frozen in ice cube trays and defrosted as needed. You can find pet vitamins at a pet store or your vet, and acidophilus and GSE in the liquid form at a good health food store.
If you prefer, you can use this recipe permanently, instead of a commercially available kitten formula. If you are using a commercial formula, add a quarter of a teaspoon of full fat yogurt to the first bottle of each day. This will aid in your kitten's digestion.

Click to expand...

homemade pedialyte [same site]

• 1 cup water (boiled then cooled)
• Small pinch of baking soda
• Small pinch of Salt
• 2 teaspoons of sugar

Mix all ingredients well. Make sure the mixture has been slightly warmed before feeding to your kitten. The mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Feed 1ml (1cc) every half an hour for the first two hours using a dropper or feeding syringe. Also make sure your kitten is on his tummy and not his back when you feed. Feed very slowly so the fluid does not go down the wrong tube and choke your kitten.
After two hours, if your kitten has warmed up, you can begin to feed him formula. Never feed a kitten cow's milk or human baby formula as this causes stomach upset and severe diarrhea. He can have a commercially available formula such as KMR or Just Born, but if you don't have any of this, you can make up your own formula to use until you can get hold of some from a vet or pet shop.

Click to expand...

Welcome to TCS!

To answer your questions....

1) he has developed loose stools and is obviously dehydrated but is drinking lots of water
Kittens commonly develop loose stools due to digestive changes - esp ones taken from mother. Mom's milk vs. what you are feeding is very different & hard on their tummies. Unfortunately, loose stools can cause dehydration rapidly. Dehydration can cause a kitten to not want to eat. You can check for dehydration by "snapping" the skin on the back of the neck above the shoulder blades. You simply pull up on the skin (gently). If the skin stays up - s/he is dehydrated. If the skin goes back down like normal - s/he isn't dehydrated.

2) he sneezes often
Sneezing can mean a URI (see below for explanation on that).

3) his eyes look kind of glassy and a little bit crusty
Crusty eyes can mean a possible URI (upper respiratory infection). They are common in kittens as they do not have fully developed immune systems. This is something to discuss with your vet when you can - as kitten will probably need anti-biotcs. However, due to age/size it is hard to get the proper amount of medication. For now, clean the "goop" from the eyes regularly. Also - what color is the crustiness? Green? Clear?

4) the skin between his whiskers and on the sides of his mouth is crusty. This could be food, but I am sure I noticed one little bit of crust when I first got him becuase I tried to get it off and it seemed stuck
It is possible the crusty stuff could be ringworm, as was mentioned by Laureen. Do you have access to a blacklight? Some (note - not all, only like 40%?) of ringworm glows under a blacklight. Otherwise, it may have been food or some sort of wound. Be cautious of the anti-bacterial soap - if the kitten licks it that may not be good. I know I have heard mention of Dawn Dish Soap being safe for kitties (specifically Dawn), but I don't know if you can find that.

Sending prayers and vibes that your kitten does well and that your children don't get any "bugs" or ringworm or anything like that
For the skin spot, you can also use a very weak vinegar wash, to change the ph of the skin. Sometimes that gets rid of the fungi and the germs, but isn't toxic.
I'm glad that you got the recipe for the pedialyte. My vet has me give boiled chicken broth with pedialyte for a few days, then graduate to some boiled rice added, and then eventually add some babyfood chicken (1st stage only, no spices, esp. onion) or else boiled chicken or hamburger.
Please keep us posted!