4 wk old kittens so sick

Have you been using the bathroom regularly?

 

I don't know why but if their bellies arehard and they're vomiting it kinda sounds like they're blocked??

I really have NO idea but Im sure someone will come along soon that will.

 

Sending some vibes for those poor babies I hope they make it!

Are they showing any signs of upper respiratory infection?  That's extremely common about that age.

I think we should request this thread be moved to the Pregnant Cats/Kitten Care forum. YOu might get some experienced advice on helping to save these babies there too. Maybe post a thread in that Forum too . I don't know what to say other than I am sending you SOOOOOOO many prayers for these little ones. Thank you for taking them and rescuing them. How sad and sometimes there is just not much more you can do. I hope they do pull through

Hi, to ask for help from a mod. Just click the red flag at the bottom of your posts. I already asked that your thread be moved. I really hope these babies get better and hope you get some helpful suggestions on the how to's for raising kittens.

Well, switching foods can cause gastric upset. I don't know about caring for bottle babies, I'm so sorry. If the vet thought it might be worms, it could be just that they were really packed with them. My understanding is that abandoned kitties that have been on their own for a day or two can really grub around and have QUITE a worm problem. So it may take more than a day to get sorted.

That said... they may have trouble passing the worms? I don't know if this will help, but it won't hurt. Pumpkin is great for regulating water in the colon, and its a safe fiber for cats. You can try mixing a little pumpkin - PLAIN pumpkin, preferably organic if possible, into the formula your'e feeding them. It help them pass poop if constipation is the problem. Try mixing a teaspoon into the formula - it "dissolves" well. Just make sure it's plain canned pumpkin, not spiced.

!!!

Hi shodack, welcome to TCS. You came to the right place.

 

I rescued a litter of abandoned kittens myself three weeks ago, they were only a few days old when I found them and I basically had no idea of what to do for them. The folks here have been of immeasurable help to me, and my babies are doing very well today.

 

The thing is that caring for them is pretty much a full-time job. At that age they need to be fed every 3 - 4 hours, and it should be either KMR (kitten milk replacer) or you can make a homemade formula out of goat's milk. You also want to try to avoid changing their food as much as possible as their little digestive systems are just developing and are very fragile.

 

The main things they need at this age is warmth, food and sleep.

 

I too used a medicine dropper up until a couple days ago, and while it was adequate, I found that it allowed them to get too much air and they become colicky. They need to be burped just like a human baby. I stick them up close to my ear and gently tap their little backs until I get an audible belch.

 

There's lots more info and I could make this a very long post, but here's a link to a site that should help: Kitten-Rescue.com.

 

Much and to you and your babies.

There are several methods used to stimulate a bowel movement, you basically want to mimic the motion and affect of the Queens tongue on their belly because this is how they are actually trained to poop on their own. You can take a warm, most cotton ball and squeeze the water out and stroke their bottoms and tummy with it. You can also use a washcloth, Kleenex or even your finger. Just be very gentle as too much will irritate the skin. Another way is to simply run some warm water (careful not too warm) and just hold their bottoms under it. This helps them go and cleans them up all at once. Then wrap them in a warm towel.

 

What I'm doing with my two is using my finger moistened with warm water and gently massaging while apply light pressure to their tummies. This is working best for me.

 

Good luck!

I somehow misread your initial post and was under the impression your babies are three weeks old

 

Perhaps it is the dewormer causing the nausea, I can't say for sure. You probably know already but the big danger to them is in getting dehydrated. I wouldn't worry too much about the slow frequency of elimination, especially if you've started litter box training. My vet told me 48 hours between poops in nothing to be concerned about. And I have heard others say they believe their babies digestive systems are absorbing most of the formula so there is very little waste.

 

You can pull the skin on the back of their necks and if it snaps back rather than sort of sticking in place, they are not dehydrated. Check inside there mouths for moisture as well. You might want to try a few mls (same as cc) of Pedialyte.

 

More for those babies.

Hi Shodack,

I am sorry you are having so much trouble after doing such a nice thing for those babies! I hope it resolves. 

 

Blockage and intestinal trouble are common dangers in a lot of animals, and I have had to deal with it in rabbits, parakeets, and cats within the last year! The worst part is, they do get so backed up that they feel hungry but immediately sick. And as you have mentioned, they can vomit. 

 

I guess it depends how "brave" you are; for the worst cases, and as some other members have posted, you can moisten something fairly rigid but soft (think a good quality Q-tip) with a little lubricant (like a KY) and warm water and actually probe around their rear and even VERY gently insert. If one piece of excrement is blocking the path, it makes adjusting the diet or using other softeners that much less useful... 

 

The massages are good too, but they can hurt, so be gentle! 

 

Keep us posted. Hope the vets can provide any other info you may need about getting things "moving". . 

 

Good luck, and you are being a good mom! 

 

What great news! I know from experience how worrisome it can be when they are suffering and I'm feeling powerless to help them. I'm so glad they are feeling better and your vet was able to help without totally gouging you on the fee. She sounds like a keeper.

 

I'm also encouraged by the problem only being gas, as that is the same problem I'm having with my babies, Larry and Mo. It's a major celebration around here when they have a nice bowel movement

 

You are doing a wonderful job caring for Ricky and Rocco, I look forward to continued updates on their progress

 

 

OH what a wonderful vet you have YAY . That is just so nice of your vet. I am thrilled that Ricky and Rocco are doing better!!! What lucky little babies that you took them in and saved them. Just heartwarming. I am so glad you are getting some good advice here on this forum . Sending loads more vibes for the little ones to continue to do well !!

I'm so happy they're doing better! I rescued my current cat and her 3 babies, all starving, then a pregnant cat that had 6 babies the day I brought her in! All healthy but she abandoned them so I bottle fed them and did everything a momma cat would do, yes there was a lot of up's and down's but they were the BEST kitties when they got older! All got spayed and neutered and went to a good home, while I got all that done, my current cat got out and got pregnant, CRAP! Haha, but she had her kittens yesterday late afternoon, 6 beautiful colorful kittens! Calico, 2 pure white, 2 black/grey tabbies one with white, and an orange tabby! And once all are ready, they'll be spayed an neutered!! Thanks for rescuing them, it's a risk but it's the right thing to do!

That's exactly what it is - a constant roller coaster...I'm totally out of gas...(pun intended )

 

My babies are still blocked up and colicky, they probably need an enema. I've slowly been transitioning from goat's milk to KMR the last few days and tomorrow they will get 100% KMR. I've also been supplementing the formula with pumpkin, but not sure how much it actually is helping. Their little tummies are just a bit too taught and bloated, so I'm closely watching their intake of food while helping them to poop.

 

They are okay, they get grumpy at times, but what they want more than anything is just to be held and loved.

 

The vet gave me albon suspension for Boots when he was a wee little thing. I didn't bother traumatizing him by trying to squirt it into him, I just put it on a bit of tuna and he gobbled it right down like nothing was different. IIRC, I had to give an initial dose, then smaller doses every week for a month. I think the vet told me it was for the coccidia (single-celled parasite) in his intestinal tract, but it probably has antibiotic properties too.

I have and my cats have had mixed reactions to it. One litter of kittens I gave it to loved it and would like it right out of the syringe... The other litter though would spit it everywhere and fight me to no end. I had to mix it into wet food for them and hope they didn't smell/ taste it or they would tun their noses up to it and refuse to eat it. Your kittens are young and the does they will need is going to be really small so I doubt it will be too much trouble to give them. According to my vet my kittens that hated it were the first kittens she had ever seen react like that to it, usually they like it and take it well like the other kittens did. Both times I had to give it to them was for coccidia, but that causes a lot of bacteria in the gut so I'm sure it does have an antibiotic in it like Speakhandsforme said.

 

Just checking in and SOOOOOO happy to hear the babies are doing well YOU are doing a fantastic job. Albon is prescribed quite frequently for kittens with an intestinal bacterial infection and works very well The liquid can be harder to give than a pill, at least for me. If the liquid is disliked - it will be spit all over the place. But if it is banana flavored, that might work well for your babies. Otherwise, I find a pill is just easier and a quicker way to medicate. Other's prefer liquid's though. Just so glad they are continuing to thrive