Worried about orphaned kitten - major fungal infection

Let me start by saying that due to my husband's job, we are currently in Manila, Philippines, so when giving advice, please note that we do not have a Petsmart or many vet options nearby (hence why I'm asking for help here).

Anyway, when we moved to our new place 2 weeks ago, I found this tiny little kitten -- the size of a mouse! -- crying at a park across the street. There was no mother around, so I took him home with me as I didn't want to leave him to die. I never seen a kitten that small! Here's a picture I had posted on my blog to give you an idea:



I fed him cow's milk for the first day through a dropper, and had a vet visit me at home to check him out, and I was able to get KMR then. She estimated that he was 2 weeks old.

Last week (a week after he was found), I had to take my dog to the vet, so I took the kitten with me as well. The other vet this time estimated him to be between 4-6 weeks old (you never see the same vet it seems), since many of his teeth were already out (can you tell I don't have much confidence in the local vets here if they can't even agree on his age?). They weighed him then, and he came up to 7oz (this was AFTER he had already put on some weight after being here for 6 days!). They can't test him for anything since they can't remove enough blood from him for a test, as he is still too small.

(I should add that he is staying in the bathroom, with a clean dog bed and blanket and a shoebox top for litter box, and I'm not letting the dog or the cat come in contact with him, to keep all of them safe, specially since I don't know if he has FIV yet either.)

I showed her a couple of small clear scabs on his stomach, she said he had a fungal infection, and she prescribed an orange liquid to rub in his scabs twice a day, and a cream to put on the scabs afterwards.

Fast forward to a week later, and about 20% of his body is now covered with scabs, including by his genitals, his whole stomach, his hind legs and a couple of toes. So I contacted the vet (I was out of town for 4 days and a friend took care of him, which is why I didn't contact the vet earlier), and he came over and prescribed antibiotics for a more aggressive approach, while I'm still using the other topical cream.

It has only been a day with the antibiotic, but he is not getting better. I know it's not instant, but I wonder if anyone here has any other tips or suggestions? This little guy is a cutie, and though I can't keep him, I really do want to get him healthy so that I can find him a good home. I find that getting him healthy is my responsibility since I rescued him.

(I should add that there are no shelters here, and I did try to contact a rescue organization since they would be much more suited to raising this kitten, but they replied that they don't have any available space -- they are just a rescue, not shelter though.)

I don't have much faith in the vets here, since they couldn't even agree on his age -- by a lot! Vets here are cheap (a home visit comes out to about $20), but they don't seem as reliable.

He is also still not pooping on his own, and the only way to make him poop is using the "triangle" method I saw on youtube -- even just a warm washcloth, etc, would do nothing to him. Today after pooping a bit, he started screaming bloody murder, so my guess is he is a bit constipated as well, but I'm not sure how to get it out. He does use the litterbox/shoebox we gave him, but to pee only. He actually used it right away when we set it up on the first day. (He likely has worms too, but again he is way too small to get dewormed.)

Also, he is ALWAYS crying, ALWAYS hungry, regardless of how many times I feed him and how much. I think he just misses his mom At what age he should be weaned? He has teeth on the front and sides, but if I show him wet food or even just put the KMR in a little bowl, he completely ignores it, and will only eat from the bottle.

I'm at a loss and desperate to help the little guy, so any tips will be appreciated. (I'm dealing with a 12 hour time difference as well, so sorry if I don't reply to questions right away -- it's 1am here and I should be in bed already!)

Sorry for the loooong post, but I figured the whole background was important. And thanks for the help!

Sorry I cant give you good advices about funghi infections.

You can probably get a second advice for some US vet too, who gives telephone advices? You ARe from USA, and had animals in the US? Easiest may be to phone or mail your old vet... you were his paying patient, so he will prob answer.
Otherwise ANY good vet you think is answering telephone questions. Here in Sweden they tell big animal hospitals do usually answer telephone questions. Perhaps in other countries too...

I think you can also try to ask at the Health forum...

There are ads here on this forum by an on-line group of veterinarians. They are not free, but they tell you pay only if you got a satisactory answer...

About the local vet not agreeing on the age. Age is not always easy to determine with a quick look. As homeless they had perhaps not enough with food - and thus - are smaller and look younger than their biological age...
There is also the natural variation. Their mom and dad where perhaps small cats...

I believe you can get goat milk there? You can use this. MUCH better than cow milk, and almost as good as KMR. As a rule, goat milk is healthy, both for sensitive human stomachs, and for kittens and sick cats.
Will be probably cheaper too.


Im almost wondering if you can use this goat milk outwards too...
WHAT home remedy could work? (if you dont get a good vet medicines)


Good luck!


Thinking on. It would be good to get rid of the worms. they are surely taking this strengh from him... If there is some mild medicine. Banminth is supposed to be mild - could perhaps do already on such a young kitten?

does he has fleas? Do get rid of them. Bath with soap water, combing, and taking the fleas with fingers...
You know the site www.kitten-rescue.com? You will perhaps find useful info there, ie new info useful for you. You seems alredy to know quite a lot.
Banminth is sold worldwide I think.

I have googled now, and refreshed memory.
Banminth (Pyrantel is the active substance) can be used already from 2 weeks.

It takes the roundworm - and it is enough, broad-worms /tapeworm comes later on, very unusual in small kittens.
Round worms may come from mom... With a mom living outside you must count on this.

the only difficulty is, Banminth may be used for practically all animals, dogs, pigs, horses AND cats. You you must find the correct type, and dosage
"12%" - dogs do have for example 2,2%...

Banminth is wellknown and safe, but I suppose there are also other medicines with Pyrantel - and they should hopefully du, they too.


When you take away the parasites, worms and fleas, his body will hopefully find more strengh to fight off this funghi-infection...

About home remedies I mentioned earlier.
There are surely several.

As you do have access to helpful veterinarians, you should probably not need any home-remedies.
But with spreading infection you cant perhaps dont be fussy, so I will mention them anyway, if the vet medicines dont helps.
(btw, antibiotics usually dont helps at once, as you yourself wrote).

I do have a friend who do haves problems with funghi infections. Between toes and in the armpits.
He is holding them at bay with Lactacyd-soap. It is a soap with milk-acid in it, so it has a low pH. fungis prefer a higher pH.

and now and then he is killing them off with wiping the area with alcohol. Preferably about 70%, but somewhat lesser can also do.
His latest is to simply try use deodorants based on alcohol... Works just fine, he tells me. Better then the stuff recommended by the district nurse, bought at apotheke / pharmacia.

If it is possible to use this on a kitten, I cant swear. But I wouldnt be ashamed to recommend this to other humans - even if this forums policy is to avoid to recommend home remedies.

I hope and pray for all the best, for this little kitten, this little brother of ours, and for you.

If eyes are open, ears are open and there are teeth present, kitty is at least 3 weeks old.

I hand raised a litter of 5 last fall, found at appx 3.5 weeks old, covered in fleas, worms and upper respitory infections.

My vet had me use one drop of kitten revolution on each kitten, which wormed them and deflea-ed. Then I used the anti-biotic for the uri.

Seeing as how you only have one, my recommendation is to make a pouch and carry the kitten with you as much as you can, this will help soothe the kitten, and encourage growth etc.

Out of my litter of 5, 3 were much smaller and worse off, and I would carry them in a homemade pouch, up near my heart, for at least 3-4 hours a day (I worked out of the home so this was the most I could do). I think it helped tremendously.

I'm not sure on the fungal infection, can you post a picture? It almost sounds like the vet is treating it as ringworm.

Leslie

He does look older. . .4 weeks at least. Just undersized, poor little guy. Try to get some de-wormer, specifically Pyrantel Pamoate suspension (one brand name is Strongid)--the vets should have some around; it's very basic. He almost certainly has worms, and they'll keep him from growing. I give 1/10 of a cc per pound for kittens (I guess you'd just give him a drop), and for bad infestations I use it more often than is recommended (once a day for 3 days than once a week) because I lost a couple kittens to hookworms using the dosing timing my vet recommended. It may be risky at his size, but it would be riskier to not get rid of the worms, IMO.

Try to get some solid food into him. Mix canned food with KMR or goat milk until it's mushy, then use a large eyedropper or feeding syringe to put some in his mouth. Once he gets a taste he might eat it himself, or you might have to handfeed for a while. Or you can make it extra runny and put it in the bottle (cut a larger slit in the nipple). Milk isn't enough at his age, no wonder he's hungry, poor kitty. It can take a while for them to get the hang of eating solids, but I think he's ready to start.

I'm not sure about the scabs. . .fungal infections don't usually do that. A picture might be helpful. How about fleas? Try running a flea comb over him and see if he has any. If so, keep flea combing him, maybe give him a bath with Dawn dish soap. But the fleas must go, they can kill a tiny kitten.

I'll post a picture of his scabs next time I clean them (I just put the cream on him, so he looks more goey than anything, hard to see the scabs). Basically you can pick them up with your hand and hair, etc will fall right off with it (you don't even have to put any pressure to remove the scabs). The vet had recommended using the orange liquid (no name) to soften them, as I think the spores might be on there?

As for the goat's milk suggestion, I have been feeding him KMR. For the other medicine, I would need a vet's prescription for it, and though I can ship things here through DPO, it takes WEEKS to get here, so ordering from the US is not an option. I'll talk to the vet about the deworming next time I see him again (he's coming back next week).

I really was hoping for something to help this infection not spread.

As for the fleas, he came covered in them, so I gave him a bath within the first couple of days and haven't seen any since.

Unfortunately I can't carry him around with me -- since he has an infection and can't be tested for other contagious diseases, and since I know that adult cats and dogs can pass things over to the kitten (things that would be harmless otherwise but the kitten has no immunity yet), I really don't want to take chances and let him hang out with my very hyper-active puppy and my cat.

And yes, ears and eyes of the kitten have been opened since I found him, and he has had a bit of teeth on all sides since then too (but they are growing). We couldn't tell the sex at first, but not it's clear that it's a "he". At first he would walk very wobbly, but now he can go off in really quick sprints.

Yeah, a batch of orphan kittens I had a couple of years ago were seriously undersized like that, having had a bad start in life. They were only about 12 ounces the first time I took them to the vet, and they were at least 8 weeks old then (a healthy 8-week-old should be around 2 pounds). I called them mini-cats , and it took them a long time to catch up. But they grew up to be healthy and just as big as any other cat. If your kitty is running, he's at least 6 weeks old, I'd say. Try him on the mushy canned food/KMR mixture at least once a day until he takes to it. . .he really needs to get some solid food into him. Hope you can get this skin thing cleared up quick!

If you can get some natural raw honey where you are you can put that on his sores - but it is sticky and he might lick it. It won't do anything to him if he licks it, it might give him a bit of a sugar boost to be more interested in food (when we have puppies/kittens that are extremely lethargic and not eating, if we can't get them to a reliable vet right away we smear a small bit of honey on their gums).

Raw honey (unpasterized) is a natural antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral substance that also promotes healing. It's best when applied directly to the wound and left open, but will also work (more slowly) if you have to bandage it. You can also dust it with corn starch or baking soda after to keep it from being so sticky.

If you can't get raw honey, another option is a vinegar mixture. This one might be more difficult because you have to soak the area for 10-15 minutes, twice a day. You basically mix 1c water to 1/4c vinegar and then soak twice a day.

Garlic also works, but because he should not be eating garlic you would have to keep an eye on him constantly. You basically mash up a clove of garlic then spread it on the wound and cover. Leaving it on as long as you can at a time, it usually takes about a week to work.

Lemon juice or Camomile Tea - Get some on a cotton ball and rub over the affected area. Let dry for 5 minutes, then rinse off. Do this once a day.

Coconut Oil also has antifungal properties. You apply it to the area the same as the honey.

A home remedy that we always used to hot spots and small sores on the dogs/cats here - rinse the area with original Listerine (antiseptic mouthwash) or another wound cleaning product, then sprinkle Gold Bond foot powder (original) on the area. The Listerine will clean out the would, and the Gold Bond will kill any fungus or bacteria in the wound and dry it out.

One last thing, if you can get a shampoo like Douxo Seborrhea Shampoo (it's for dogs and cats, available through vet) it works wonders. I would put it directly on the area/wounds and let it dry, then put the dog/cat into the bath and rinse it off. It seemed to work better that way than getting them wet, working it into their fur, then waiting 10 minutes, then washing it off again. It contains 0.1% Phytosphingosine, so if you can find another shampoo with that ingredient in it it may work as well. Seborrhea shampoos also work as an antifungal because seborrhea can be either fungal, or environmental.

Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo (the original) will also work for fungal and other skin issues. I've used it on dogs. . .it's not something I would normally recommend for use on cats, especially a kitten so small, but when you live somewhere without adequate vet care, sometimes you have to take desperate measures (although I'm not sure they'll even have Selsun Blue!). If you do use it it, keep it away from his head and mouth, and rinse veryveryvery well. It's sulfur based, so if you find a sulfur pet shampoo that would be similar.

Originally Posted by Willowy

keep it away from his head and mouth, and rinse veryveryvery well. It's sulfur based, so if you find a sulfur pet shampoo that would be similar.

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Let it be entirely clear - these sulphur based anti-dendruff shampoos are poisonouns for cats.
So I agree totally with you - IF you do use them in an emergency situation, be verry careful, and rinse verry thoroughly.
Never ever for standard everyday use.

Originally Posted by nerdrock

(when we have puppies/kittens that are extremely lethargic and not eating, if we can't get them to a reliable vet right away we smear a small bit of honey on their gums).

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Tx, you are confirming what I always though. The standard advice in US is to use the (white) Karo syrup. Apparently very common product in US and american culture.

I always add, if you dont have the Karo syrup at hand, you can also use honey - most people do have honey home.

Some of your remedies you talk about are variations of this Lactacyd soap I mentioned - they do give low pH, and funghis dont like low pH... But yours perhaps more practical on a cat.

Tx for them - these advices should be useful here.
They cant harm, but may be helpful.


One point I must mention: Normally authorities of these forums dont recommend using home remedies, if there is a vet accessible. This is the main rule.
So dont use home remedies instead of going to the vet.

Home remedies are the exceptions, not the main rule, so to speak.

To the TS:
IF you want to try out any of these home remedies, please if possible talk them over with the vet you do have access to.
If nothing else, to be sure the vets medication and the home remedy dont counteracts.
Hopefully she he will approve them - two chances are better than one.

Originally Posted by StefanZ

Tx, you are confirming what I always though. The standard advice in US is to use the (white) Karo syrup. Apparently very common product in US and american culture.

I always add, if you dont have the Karo syrup at hand, you can also use honey - most people do have honey home.

Some of your remedies you talk about are variations of this Lactacyd soap I mentioned - they do give low pH, and funghis dont like low pH... But yours perhaps more practical on a cat.

Tx for them - these advices should be useful here.

They cant harm, but may be helpful.


One point I must mention: Normally authorities of these forums dont recommend using home remedies, if there is a vet accessible. This is the main rule.
So dont use home remedies instead of going to the vet.

Home remedies are the exceptions, not the main rule, so to speak.

To the TS:
IF you want to try out any of these home remedies, please if possible talk them over with the vet you do have access to.
If nothing else, to be sure the vets medication and the home remedy dont counteracts.
Hopefully she he will approve them - two chances are better than one.

Click to expand...

Karo syrup is also corn syrup in other countries - took me a long time to figure that out, lol. But you still have to make sure it's the white corn syrup and not the regular one - not sure why, but that's what I've always been told.

And definitely, this information is not in place of veterinary care, but rather when there is no access to a reliable vet.

On a side note - with the methods that I mentioned above, the honey one seems to be the most effective, with garlic being the next. If you go the honey route - it MUST be raw, unpasturized honey as regular honey has been so processed that it won't work.

Could this fungal infection possibly be ringworm? If so, you just need to change the pH of the skin and you can do this with vinegar. It will take time to clear, but it should eventually work.

So sorry for the lack of reply! I don't have honey at home, but have coconut oil, so I'm going to try that too. The kitty has had a HUGE improvement since I posted! (And I was able to get him off the bottle and am feeding him a mixture of KMR and wet kitten food daily. So he no longer cries for hours on end either!)

Most of his scabs are gone. After posting a desperate message on Facebook as well as here, one of my friends suggested trying to reduce the humidity in the room. Since Manila is very hot and humid, we always have the AC pumping, but to avoid getting him cold, I had turned it off in the room adjacent to the bathroom he's in. After getting her advice, I turned the AC back on (in a not too cold setting) and kept the bathroom door open so he has full access to the room as well, hoping that the lack of humidity would help. She also recommended washing the bed and blanket he sleeps on every day with hot water/hot drier.

Someone also suggested tea tree oil as an antifungal, so I've been dabbing that in conjunction with the prescribed ointment. His skin is still on the pinkish side, but it no longer looks scary. I don't think it's ringworm just because the sores didn't have the round shape I saw on google images. His WHOLE belly was scabbed, his whole leg and toe, and the back of his but/leg and a part of his tail. Now you can't tell he has something unless you pay attention (though his butt is still on the swollen side, my guess is maybe the fungal infection went IN there a bit?)

He is also pooping on his own, but I had to help him a few times when there's was still a little bit sticking out.

Anyway, the scabs are mostly gone, and though his skin is not 100% it looks a LOT better.


He got dewormed today (finally!), and he is still very active -- he keeps sprinting across the room, but his belly is VERY bloated now. I'm freaking out afraid it might be FIP, but hoping maybe I just overfed him a bit. If anyone has any insights I'd appreciate it.

Please don't use tea tree oil on your kitty. This is supposed to be toxic to cats.

I have just rubbed it on the outside of his skin, and he doesn't groom himself yet (so no risk of him ingesting it). It really has helped...

You've received some wonderful advise, and I have nothing to add in this way, but I just wanted to pop in and let you know what a wonderful thing it is that you're doing for this kitten. Bless your heart, and keep up the good work.

Sending some further healing vibes to this little fellow that he can pull through, and continue to thrive.

I understand he may not be old enough to start grooming himself, but the toxins are absorbed through the skin. It may be something that works fine for dogs, but cats react very different. I found several sad and scary stories about "cats and tea tree oil" just by doing an internet search.

Here is just one:
http://www.messybeast.com/teatree.htm
In the early 1990s, it was suggested that cats with nerve disorders were unable to tolerate Tea Tree oil and suffered ill effects from its use. It was recommended that the amount of the oil in a product such as a cat shampoo should not exceed 1% although even that small amount may be toxic to certain individuals. American cat owners were advised not to use Tea Tree oil at all on cats with diabetes, epilepsy, metabolic or neurological disorders or on young kittens whose immature livers may not be able to cope with it.

Cases of Tea Tree oil poisoning have since been reported to the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) of the US following external application of the oil to cats. In most cases, the oil had been used at inappropriately high doses, causing acute poisoning. Symptoms occurred 2 - 8 hours after topical application of Tea Tree oil products. Symptoms were depression, weakness, ataxia, lack of coordination, behavioural disorders and muscle tremors. Warning signs may include vomiting, dizziness, clumsiness, lack of appetite and lack of energy.

Treatment is by removing residual amounts of oil from the skin by bathing the cat in a non-insecticidal shampoo. Intravenous fluids and glucose may were sometimes required to strengthen the animal, to overcome hypotension and to aid renal elimination (elimination in the urine). Where the oil had been ingested (licked off through grooming) activated charcoal and a cathartic was required to decrease the amount of oil absorbed in the gut. It has been reported that cats treated for Tea Tree oil poisoning recovered within 2-3 days following treatment of clinical signs and supportive care.

There is no specific antidote for the adverse reactions caused by dermal (skin) overexposure to Tea Tree oil (or related essential oils). Basic supportive care is required, including monitoring of respiratory and cardiovascular functions, checking for possible hypothermia and providing additional warmth if needed.

Please find something else to use for him. With him being so young and small, it won't take much to possibly cause long term damage.

Thanks, I stopped applying it to him after your post, but now the fungus is getting worse again